Franciszek Jerzy Jaskulski
Encyclopedia
Major Franciszek Jerzy Jaskulski (September 16, 1913 - February 19, 1947), aka 'Zagończyk', was a soldier in the Polish
Home Army and a commander in Freedom and Independence (a Polish underground anticommunist organization) in the Radom
region of Poland. In 2007 the Polish president Lech Kaczyński
posthumously awarded Jaskulski the order of Polonia Restituta
.
- Rauxel in Germany
, to a family of Polish emigrants. When he was 7 he returned with his parents to Poland. They lived in Zduny
in Greater Poland. After finishing his studies in Krotoszyn
he started working at the Borough Office in Zduny. During this time he also studied law. In 1937 he graduated from the Cavalry NCOs School in Grudziądz
. In 1939 he volunteered for the Polish Army. During the German Invasion of Poland he served with distinction in the 68 Regiment of Infantry. He fought during the siege of Warsaw
. He was taken captive by the Germans but successfully escaped in October 1939. He returned to Zduny, where from 1940 to 1942 he worked at the railway station. At the same time he organized an underground anti-Nazi unit and edited an illegal newspaper, entitled Zagończyk ("Raider").
In December 1939 he joined the Union of Armed Struggle (ZWZ), an underground army formed in Poland during the Nazis and Soviet occupation, which was renamed to the Home Army (Armia Krajowa) in 1942.
In 1943 after deconspiracy of many units of Home Army in the Radom region by the Gestapo
, he escaped to Lublin
where he was the commander of Home Army units in near Garwolin
. At this time he was promoted and transferred to Puławy. There he had to fight not only with Germans but also with Soviet partisans
. In 1944 he was promoted to lieutenant
and became the commander of unit called "Pilot".
. He was captured on November 3, 1944 and taken to the prison at Lublin Castle
. On January 8, 1945 he was sentenced to death. The main reason for this severe sentence was that he was a member of the Home Army, which had fought for independence of Poland from the Soviet Union, which didn't want Poland to be an independent, free country anymore. He wasn't a bandit, but a hero who got Virtuti Militari
Order, the highest Polish military decoration for courage in the face of the enemy, and The Cross of Valour (also a decoration awarded for courage). He got both decorations for fighting against the Germans. Two weeks later the death penalty was annulled and his sentence was commuted to 10 years of imprisonment. In September 1945 he escaped from the prison in Wronki
by taking advantage of the fact that he was working outside of prison grounds.
. At those times underground army was scattered and divided into many small units, fighting on their own, without one strong aim. Many young people were escaping to forests and becoming guerillas in order to avoid being arrested or killed by NKVD and Red Army. After a few weeks Zagonczyk got an order to move to Kozienice region and take command of units in this region. On October 22, 1945 he took part in unsuccessful try of liberation Home Army's soldiers from communist prison in Dęblin. In the beginning Zagonczyk was commanding of the units in Pulawy region but soon he became the commander of units in the whole Radom region. He was also the commander of organization called Związek Zbrojnej Konspiracji. The main aim of this organization was to fight with Soviets, inform people about real situation of the country. They were issuing many leaflets informing soldiers and people living at the Radom region about situation in Poland and at Europe. This action was to help to win the referendum in 1946. All attempts were useless because the communists had falsified the results of referendum. But Zagonczyk and his soldiers was still fighting with communists and units of Citizen's Militia.
After his death underground army was still fighting. Till 1950, was fighting unit of Alexander Młyński "Drągal" and Tadeusz Zieliński "Igła". After Zagonczyk's death, communist propaganda accused him of all sorts of crimes, from crimes against humanity, robbery and common theft to membership in UPA. After the fall of the communism, in 1991, Jaskulski was rehabilitated and declared innocent of the charges of which he had been accused.
For his underground activity, Jaskowiak was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Order of Virtuti Militari and the Cross of Valour. In 2009 he was posthumously awarded him the Officer's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta by Polish President Lech Kaczyński
.
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
Home Army and a commander in Freedom and Independence (a Polish underground anticommunist organization) in the Radom
Radom
Radom is a city in central Poland with 223,397 inhabitants . It is located on the Mleczna River in the Masovian Voivodeship , having previously been the capital of Radom Voivodeship ; 100 km south of Poland's capital, Warsaw.It is home to the biennial Radom Air Show, the largest and...
region of Poland. In 2007 the Polish president Lech Kaczyński
Lech Kaczynski
Lech Aleksander Kaczyński was Polish lawyer and politician who served as the President of Poland from 2005 until 2010 and as Mayor of Warsaw from 2002 until 22 December 2005. Before he became a president, he was also a member of the party Prawo i Sprawiedliwość...
posthumously awarded Jaskulski the order of Polonia Restituta
Polonia Restituta
The Order of Polonia Restituta is one of Poland's highest Orders. The Order can be conferred for outstanding achievements in the fields of education, science, sport, culture, art, economics, defense of the country, social work, civil service, or for furthering good relations between countries...
.
Early life
Jaskulski was born in CastropCastrop
Castrop, since 1 April 1926, is part of Castrop-Rauxel, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.The name comes from trop/torp for village and chasto/kast for shed. The oldest mention is from 834 as Villa Castrop....
- Rauxel in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, to a family of Polish emigrants. When he was 7 he returned with his parents to Poland. They lived in Zduny
Zduny
Zduny is a town in Krotoszyn County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, Poland, with 4,529 inhabitants .-External links:*...
in Greater Poland. After finishing his studies in Krotoszyn
Krotoszyn
Krotoszyn is a town in central Poland with 30,010 inhabitants . It has been part of the Greater Poland Voivodeship since 1999; it was within Kalisz Voivodeship from 1975 to 1998....
he started working at the Borough Office in Zduny. During this time he also studied law. In 1937 he graduated from the Cavalry NCOs School in Grudziądz
Grudziadz
Grudziądz is a city in northern Poland on the Vistula River, with 96 042 inhabitants . Situated in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship , the city was previously in the Toruń Voivodeship .- History :-Early history:...
. In 1939 he volunteered for the Polish Army. During the German Invasion of Poland he served with distinction in the 68 Regiment of Infantry. He fought during the siege of Warsaw
Siege of Warsaw
* Siege of Warsaw – by Swedish forces during Deluge* Siege of Warsaw – by Swedish and Transylvanian forces during Deluge* First siege of Warsaw – by Russian and Prussian forces during Kościuszko Uprising...
. He was taken captive by the Germans but successfully escaped in October 1939. He returned to Zduny, where from 1940 to 1942 he worked at the railway station. At the same time he organized an underground anti-Nazi unit and edited an illegal newspaper, entitled Zagończyk ("Raider").
In December 1939 he joined the Union of Armed Struggle (ZWZ), an underground army formed in Poland during the Nazis and Soviet occupation, which was renamed to the Home Army (Armia Krajowa) in 1942.
In 1943 after deconspiracy of many units of Home Army in the Radom region by the Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
, he escaped to Lublin
Lublin
Lublin is the ninth largest city in Poland. It is the capital of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 350,392 . Lublin is also the largest Polish city east of the Vistula river...
where he was the commander of Home Army units in near Garwolin
Garwolin
Garwolin is a town on the Wilga river in eastern Poland, capital of Garwolin County, situated in the southeast part of the Garwolin plateau in Masovian Voivodeship , 62 km southeast of Warsaw, 100 km northwest of Lublin...
. At this time he was promoted and transferred to Puławy. There he had to fight not only with Germans but also with Soviet partisans
Soviet partisans
The Soviet partisans were members of a resistance movement which fought a guerrilla war against the Axis occupation of the Soviet Union during World War II....
. In 1944 he was promoted to lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
and became the commander of unit called "Pilot".
Imprisonment
Like many other Polish officers and soldiers of the Home Army, Zagończyk was arrested by the NKVDNKVD
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs was the public and secret police organization of the Soviet Union that directly executed the rule of power of the Soviets, including political repression, during the era of Joseph Stalin....
. He was captured on November 3, 1944 and taken to the prison at Lublin Castle
Lublin Castle
The Lublin Castle is a medieval castle situated in Lublin, Poland, adjacent to the Old Town district and close to the city center. It is one of the oldest preseved Royal residencies in Poland, established by king Casimir II the Just.-History:...
. On January 8, 1945 he was sentenced to death. The main reason for this severe sentence was that he was a member of the Home Army, which had fought for independence of Poland from the Soviet Union, which didn't want Poland to be an independent, free country anymore. He wasn't a bandit, but a hero who got Virtuti Militari
Virtuti Militari
The Order Wojenny Virtuti Militari is Poland's highest military decoration for heroism and courage in the face of the enemy at war...
Order, the highest Polish military decoration for courage in the face of the enemy, and The Cross of Valour (also a decoration awarded for courage). He got both decorations for fighting against the Germans. Two weeks later the death penalty was annulled and his sentence was commuted to 10 years of imprisonment. In September 1945 he escaped from the prison in Wronki
Wronki
Wronki is a town in the Szamotuły County, western-central Poland, situated in the Greater Poland Voivodeship , previously in Piła Voivodeship . It is located close to the Warta River to the northwest of Poznań, and has a population of approximately 11,000...
by taking advantage of the fact that he was working outside of prison grounds.
Fight with communists
After his escape Zagończyk returned to PulawyPulawy
Puławy is a town in eastern Poland, in Lublin Province, on the Wisła and Kurówka rivers. According to the 2006 census estimate, the town had a total population of 49,839. Puławy is the capital of Puławy County...
. At those times underground army was scattered and divided into many small units, fighting on their own, without one strong aim. Many young people were escaping to forests and becoming guerillas in order to avoid being arrested or killed by NKVD and Red Army. After a few weeks Zagonczyk got an order to move to Kozienice region and take command of units in this region. On October 22, 1945 he took part in unsuccessful try of liberation Home Army's soldiers from communist prison in Dęblin. In the beginning Zagonczyk was commanding of the units in Pulawy region but soon he became the commander of units in the whole Radom region. He was also the commander of organization called Związek Zbrojnej Konspiracji. The main aim of this organization was to fight with Soviets, inform people about real situation of the country. They were issuing many leaflets informing soldiers and people living at the Radom region about situation in Poland and at Europe. This action was to help to win the referendum in 1946. All attempts were useless because the communists had falsified the results of referendum. But Zagonczyk and his soldiers was still fighting with communists and units of Citizen's Militia.
Treason, death and rehabilitation
On July 24, 1946 Zagonczyk liberated prisoners from railway transport near Jedlnia-Letnisko. There was suspicion that all action was inspired by communists in order to arrest Zagonczyk. On July 26, 1946 Zagonczyk got arrested. Communists tried to force him to tell names of people who were involved in fight with them. Zagonczyk didn't agree to that. On January 11, 1947 he was sentenced to death. He was executed in secrecy and the location of his grave remains unknown. He was married with three children.After his death underground army was still fighting. Till 1950, was fighting unit of Alexander Młyński "Drągal" and Tadeusz Zieliński "Igła". After Zagonczyk's death, communist propaganda accused him of all sorts of crimes, from crimes against humanity, robbery and common theft to membership in UPA. After the fall of the communism, in 1991, Jaskulski was rehabilitated and declared innocent of the charges of which he had been accused.
For his underground activity, Jaskowiak was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Order of Virtuti Militari and the Cross of Valour. In 2009 he was posthumously awarded him the Officer's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta by Polish President Lech Kaczyński
Lech Kaczynski
Lech Aleksander Kaczyński was Polish lawyer and politician who served as the President of Poland from 2005 until 2010 and as Mayor of Warsaw from 2002 until 22 December 2005. Before he became a president, he was also a member of the party Prawo i Sprawiedliwość...
.