august warsaw polish soldier veteran world war colonel polish anti nazi resistance world war main commanders led polish best armed trained units uprising war persecuted soviet led communist authorities kept years pre trial jail tortured sentenced life despite fact tried cooperate new regime end period active official veterans organization eventually promoted rank general died shortly fall communism eastern_europe early life world war born family father died fire spent childhood attended gymnasium member polish world war private brigade fought july wounded taken russian captivity soon escaped rejoined unit took unit commander serving general second polish republic interwar period second polish republic promoted rank captain left active service right outbreak world war served instructor taught military tactics future company commanders world war august assigned polish general staff involved counter intelligence nazi_germany particularly imminent collapse polish defenses mid september following plans outbreak war organized tow underground group dedicated resisting german occupation paris met general polish prime minister exile officially sanctioned formation tow hungary subsequently organized cell purpose serve transit point soldiers traveling occupied poland france returned poland june march tow officially merged diversion group general anti nazi organization charged carrying sabotage propaganda intelligence gathering direct action germans second command head general august august outbreak warsaw uprising shortly outbreak commander force largest best trained equipped polish units uprising initiation uprising unit seized major portions suburbs subsequently defended german attacks carried troops command battalions group liberated concentration camp located warsaw freed prisoners mainly jews joined unit fought way warsaw old town borough defense impossible areas troops recaptured insurgents civilians prisoners war murdered massacre despite severely wounded head leg escape short stay hospital charge led unsuccessful attempt early september evacuate city center warsaw overrun german troops failed group managed way suburb tried contact soviet command stationed right bank help forthcoming soviet controlled poles unit way warsaw center resistance warsaw late september remains group including battalions fought surrender polish forces october shortly order signed officially promoted rank colonel general commander uprising according capitulation agreement soldiers treated regular civilians warsaw evacuated disbanded unit wife anna member escaped city posing civilian communist poland arrested polish communist secret police decided cooperate communist authorities order protect members resistance called soldiers joined anti communist underground lay arms accordance wrote letter head complaining continued persecution soldiers arrested year pre trial confinement interrogated tortured beaten teeth hair forcibly pulled eventually sentenced life imprisonment trial prosecutor submitted false confession allegedly defense witnesses allowed appear remained imprisoned amnesty eventually active organizations sought protect veterans anti nazi resistance served vice president polish veterans association brief associated solidarity period promoted rank general died year half postwar non communist government elected poland buried military cemetery honors awards previously awarded times
Jan Mazurkiewicz