Home Army 5th Wilno Brigade
Encyclopedia
The Home Army 5th Wilno Brigade (also known as the Brigade of Death) was a unit of the Polish
anti-Nazi resistance
organization Home Army, active in the Vilnius Region
during World War II
. The main commander of the brigade was major
Zygmunt Szendzielarz
, nom de guerre "Łupaszko".
During the German occupation of Poland the brigade found itself in particularly difficult circumstances as it faced off against three different foes; the German Nazis, Lithuanian units which were collaborating with them, as well as Soviet partisans
who generally fought against Home Army units in the region. In July 1944, the brigade numbered around 500 partisans.
Poles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
anti-Nazi resistance
Polish resistance movement in World War II
The Polish resistance movement in World War II, with the Home Army at its forefront, was the largest underground resistance in all of Nazi-occupied Europe, covering both German and Soviet zones of occupation. The Polish defence against the Nazi occupation was an important part of the European...
organization Home Army, active in the Vilnius Region
Vilnius region
Vilnius Region , refers to the territory in the present day Lithuania, that was originally inhabited by ethnic Baltic tribes and was a part of Lithuania proper, but came under East Slavic and Polish cultural influences over time,...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The main commander of the brigade was major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
Zygmunt Szendzielarz
Zygmunt Szendzielarz
Zygmunt Szendzielarz was commander of the Polish 5th Wilno Home Army Brigade.-Early life:...
, nom de guerre "Łupaszko".
During the German occupation of Poland the brigade found itself in particularly difficult circumstances as it faced off against three different foes; the German Nazis, Lithuanian units which were collaborating with them, as well as 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....
who generally fought against Home Army units in the region. In July 1944, the brigade numbered around 500 partisans.