Władysław Łukasiuk
Encyclopedia
Władysław Łukasiuk (nom de guerre "Młot" or "Młot II" - "The Hammer" or "Hammer II") was a captain of the Polish Army, of the Home Army
(AK), and the anti-communist underground
.
to a peasant family where he finished elementary and high school. In 1929 he joined the military where he quickly advanced to the rank of platoon commander. However his official military career was cut short by an accident incurred when he was riding a horse. His left leg was paralyzed and he was released from the army.
He married Jadwiga Oksiutówna and settled in Mężenin
on the Bug River
where he had three kids. Until the outbreak of World War II
he served as the deputy Wójt (mayor) of Sarnaki
and ran the village store. Some historians have speculated that he was involved in Polish military intelligence services at the time, in particular, gathering intelligence on the Polish communist Wanda Wasilewska
, whom he knew personally.
. He took part in the recovery of the German V2 rockets
which were being tested in Poland, and their shipment to Great Britain. His unit also took part in several skirmishes with the Germans and other military actions, including the blowing up of the rail bridge on the Siedlce
-Czeremha rail line However, as far as it is known, Łukasiuk did not participate in Operation Tempest
because the front moved past the region he was operating in. Subsequently a plan was formed to unite all the local AK groupings and march to Warsaw to help in the Warsaw Uprising
. Due to arrests and persecution of AK members by the Soviets however, the plan was not realized. After the NKVD
carried out arrests and repression against the local population (including the arrest and deportation to the gulags of Władysław's brother-in-law) he decided to join the anti-communist resistance and formed a partisan unit.
operational group near Mężenin
. Subsequently his partisans were incorporated into the much larger partisan unit of Teodor Śmiałkowski, "Szumny". His platoon distinguished itself with its battle readiness and courage. During this time, Łukasiuk took part in an underground military courses and was advanced to the rank of first lieutenant, and eventually captain.
In September 1945 "Szumny" was killed and his unit disbanded. The platoon headed by Łukasiuk decided to continue fighting against the new communist authority joined the 5th Vilnian Home Army brigade and fought several skrimishes at Skiory, Zalesie, and Miodusy Pokrzywne. After the demobilization of the brigade, still wishing to continue fighting, he came under the command of Zygmunt Szendzielarz
"Łupaszka". Soon the Szendzielarz brigade moved from the left bank of the Bug river to the region of Sokołów Podlaski where, in October 1945 "Młot" was made the commander of the 6th Vilnian Brigade. He was to lead it for the next three years, ably leading it in the field, escaping numerous attempts at capture by the communists authorities and carrying it through even the most difficult of circumstances. At one point a reward of 100,000 zlotych was established by the UB for information leading to his capture.
During this time the UB arrested Łukasiuk's sister, Maria Sobolewska, after she was reported to the communist authorities by a neighbor. While arrested, she was tortured and beaten for three months but did not reveal any information about the whereabouts of her brother and refused to cooperate with the communist secret police. In 1945 she was tried for "treason against the People's Republic of Poland" and sentenced to ten years in prison, of which she served six. Because the UB knew that Łukasiuk was lame in the left leg, they resorted to arresting and torturing random people with the same handicap in the region in the hopes of catching him by accident.
in June 1947. He was shot by one of his deputies, Czesław Dybowski, "Rejtan", because Łukasiuk had just executed Czesław's younger brother Leopold for disobeying orders (Leopold did not carry out the execution of an alleged member of the communists Polish secret police
). After Czesław shot Lukasiuk he buried him and reported to the local UB office. The communist secret police dug up Lukasiuk's body and moved it to an unknown location.
as a crutch (even though the unit possessed several wagons for transport). He was characterized by his careful and respectful approach to the civilian population of the area, regardless of their ethnicity, class or religion and on many occasions responded to appeals from locals to combat common bandits and thieves who were plentiful in the post-war chaos. This, in addition to his continued struggle against first the Nazis and then the repressive communist authorities, made "Młot" a legend of Podlasie in his lifetime. During the communist era in Poland, however, he was officially vilified and defamed.
On 11 November 2007, the President of Poland Lech Kaczyński
posthumously awarded Władysław Łukasiuk the Grand Cross of Polonia Restituta
.
Armia Krajowa
The Armia Krajowa , or Home Army, was the dominant Polish resistance movement in World War II German-occupied Poland. It was formed in February 1942 from the Związek Walki Zbrojnej . Over the next two years, it absorbed most other Polish underground forces...
(AK), and the anti-communist underground
Cursed soldiers
The cursed soldiers is a name applied to a variety of Polish resistance movements formed in the later stages of World War II and afterwards. Created by some members of the Polish Secret State, these clandestine organizations continued their armed struggle against the Stalinist government of Poland...
.
Early life
He was born in TokaryTokary
Tokary may refer to the following places in Poland:*Tokary, Lower Silesian Voivodeship *Tokary, Lublin Voivodeship *Tokary, Podlaskie Voivodeship *Tokary, Masovian Voivodeship...
to a peasant family where he finished elementary and high school. In 1929 he joined the military where he quickly advanced to the rank of platoon commander. However his official military career was cut short by an accident incurred when he was riding a horse. His left leg was paralyzed and he was released from the army.
He married Jadwiga Oksiutówna and settled in Mężenin
Mezenin
Mężenin may refer to the following places:*Mężenin, Masovian Voivodeship *Mężenin, Łomża County in Podlaskie Voivodeship *Mężenin, Zambrów County in Podlaskie Voivodeship...
on the Bug River
Bug River
The Bug River is a left tributary of the Narew river flows from central Ukraine to the west, passing along the Ukraine-Polish and Polish-Belarusian border and into Poland, where it empties into the Narew river near Serock. The part between the lake and the Vistula River is sometimes referred to as...
where he had three kids. Until the outbreak of 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...
he served as the deputy Wójt (mayor) of Sarnaki
Sarnaki
Sarnaki is a village in Łosice County, Masovian Voivodeship, in east-central Poland. It is the seat of the gmina called Gmina Sarnaki. It lies approximately north-east of Łosice and east of Warsaw....
and ran the village store. Some historians have speculated that he was involved in Polish military intelligence services at the time, in particular, gathering intelligence on the Polish communist Wanda Wasilewska
Wanda Wasilewska
Wanda Wasilewska was a Polish and Soviet novelist and communist political activist who played an important role in the creation of a Polish division of the Soviet Red Army during World War II and the formation of the Polish People's Republic....
, whom he knew personally.
Against the Nazis
Because of his injury he did not take part in the Polish defensive war; however, he soon joined the anti-Nazi underground as part of the ZWZ and AKArmia Krajowa
The Armia Krajowa , or Home Army, was the dominant Polish resistance movement in World War II German-occupied Poland. It was formed in February 1942 from the Związek Walki Zbrojnej . Over the next two years, it absorbed most other Polish underground forces...
. He took part in the recovery of the German V2 rockets
Home Army and V1 and V2
Aside from the military operations, the Polish Armia Krajowa was also heavily involved in intelligence work, including work done with regard to the German "Wunderwaffe" - the V-1 flying bomb and the V-2 rocket...
which were being tested in Poland, and their shipment to Great Britain. His unit also took part in several skirmishes with the Germans and other military actions, including the blowing up of the rail bridge on the Siedlce
Siedlce
Siedlce ) is a city in eastern Poland with 77,392 inhabitants . Situated in the Masovian Voivodeship , previously the city was the capital of a separate Siedlce Voivodeship ....
-Czeremha rail line However, as far as it is known, Łukasiuk did not participate in Operation Tempest
Operation Tempest
Operation Tempest was a series of uprisings conducted during World War II by the Polish Home Army , the dominant force in the Polish resistance....
because the front moved past the region he was operating in. Subsequently a plan was formed to unite all the local AK groupings and march to Warsaw to help in the Warsaw Uprising
Warsaw Uprising
The Warsaw Uprising was a major World War II operation by the Polish resistance Home Army , to liberate Warsaw from Nazi Germany. The rebellion was timed to coincide with the Soviet Union's Red Army approaching the eastern suburbs of the city and the retreat of German forces...
. Due to arrests and persecution of AK members by the Soviets however, the plan was not realized. After the NKVD
NKVD
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....
carried out arrests and repression against the local population (including the arrest and deportation to the gulags of Władysław's brother-in-law) he decided to join the anti-communist resistance and formed a partisan unit.
Against the communists
During the first few months in the new underground, Młot's unit included four or five regular members, as well as part time demobilized AK soldiers who remained under his orders. Few specifics are known about his actions during this period but it is known that the unit managed to stock pile an impressive arsenal of weapons out of what they brought with them from AK, from Allies' drops to the partisans and from arms left over after the front passed. In the Winter of 1944/45, still as a corporal he established contact with the Bialystok region AK command. In January 1945 he enlarged his partisan unit to a few dozen soldiers. Soon after, his group in their first skirmish with the Soviets defeated and broke up a 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....
operational group near Mężenin
Mezenin
Mężenin may refer to the following places:*Mężenin, Masovian Voivodeship *Mężenin, Łomża County in Podlaskie Voivodeship *Mężenin, Zambrów County in Podlaskie Voivodeship...
. Subsequently his partisans were incorporated into the much larger partisan unit of Teodor Śmiałkowski, "Szumny". His platoon distinguished itself with its battle readiness and courage. During this time, Łukasiuk took part in an underground military courses and was advanced to the rank of first lieutenant, and eventually captain.
In September 1945 "Szumny" was killed and his unit disbanded. The platoon headed by Łukasiuk decided to continue fighting against the new communist authority joined the 5th Vilnian Home Army brigade and fought several skrimishes at Skiory, Zalesie, and Miodusy Pokrzywne. After the demobilization of the brigade, still wishing to continue fighting, he came under the command of Zygmunt Szendzielarz
Zygmunt Szendzielarz
Zygmunt Szendzielarz was commander of the Polish 5th Wilno Home Army Brigade.-Early life:...
"Łupaszka". Soon the Szendzielarz brigade moved from the left bank of the Bug river to the region of Sokołów Podlaski where, in October 1945 "Młot" was made the commander of the 6th Vilnian Brigade. He was to lead it for the next three years, ably leading it in the field, escaping numerous attempts at capture by the communists authorities and carrying it through even the most difficult of circumstances. At one point a reward of 100,000 zlotych was established by the UB for information leading to his capture.
During this time the UB arrested Łukasiuk's sister, Maria Sobolewska, after she was reported to the communist authorities by a neighbor. While arrested, she was tortured and beaten for three months but did not reveal any information about the whereabouts of her brother and refused to cooperate with the communist secret police. In 1945 she was tried for "treason against the People's Republic of Poland" and sentenced to ten years in prison, of which she served six. Because the UB knew that Łukasiuk was lame in the left leg, they resorted to arresting and torturing random people with the same handicap in the region in the hopes of catching him by accident.
Death
The official version of the communist government was that Władysław Łukasiuk "Młot" died during a short vacation from fighting in the village of Czaje-WólkaCzaje-Wólka
Czaje-Wólka is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Ciechanowiec, within Wysokie Mazowieckie County, Podlaskie Voivodeship, in north-eastern Poland.The village has a population of 120.-References:...
in June 1947. He was shot by one of his deputies, Czesław Dybowski, "Rejtan", because Łukasiuk had just executed Czesław's younger brother Leopold for disobeying orders (Leopold did not carry out the execution of an alleged member of the communists Polish secret police
Ministry of Public Security of Poland
The Ministry of Public Security of Poland was a Polish communist secret police, intelligence and counter-espionage service operating from 1945 to 1954 under Jakub Berman of the Politburo...
). After Czesław shot Lukasiuk he buried him and reported to the local UB office. The communist secret police dug up Lukasiuk's body and moved it to an unknown location.
Character and legacy
Władysław Łukasiuk was respected by his men for his personal courage and partisan skills. Even though he had trouble moving about due of his paralyzed leg, he would always march at the head of his unit, using his SWT-40 carbineCarbine
A carbine , from French carabine, is a longarm similar to but shorter than a rifle or musket. Many carbines are shortened versions of full rifles, firing the same ammunition at a lower velocity due to a shorter barrel length....
as a crutch (even though the unit possessed several wagons for transport). He was characterized by his careful and respectful approach to the civilian population of the area, regardless of their ethnicity, class or religion and on many occasions responded to appeals from locals to combat common bandits and thieves who were plentiful in the post-war chaos. This, in addition to his continued struggle against first the Nazis and then the repressive communist authorities, made "Młot" a legend of Podlasie in his lifetime. During the communist era in Poland, however, he was officially vilified and defamed.
On 11 November 2007, the President of Poland 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 Władysław Łukasiuk the Grand Cross 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...
.