We were prepared to fight to the last, to die, and we did not intend to sale our skin cheaply. Without a break, I pushed my Mauser to the Germans, and they fell to the ground between the tanks – he tells about his wartime destiny in the February issue of “Polish Armed Forces” by Colonel Jakub Nowakowski “Tomek”, soldier of the battalion “Zośka” and platoon 226 of “The Reaper”.
Mr. Warszawiak, born, September 1, 1939 He was in the capital. What did those first days of war look like?
First the raids began, and after a fewer days (8 September – ed.) German troops appeared at Warsaw and the siege began. We lived at the time in Żoliborz, but luckily he wanted that on the 3rd day of the war I was in Midtown and with my own eyes I saw joyful manifestations of the declaration of war to Germany by England and France. The British ambassador and Minister Joseph Beck went out to the people – there was no end to cheers in their honour. Very quickly, however, it turned out that acts in the form of an offensive in the West do not follow allied declarations. However, Warsaw, bombed by aircraft each day, shelled by artillery fire and stormed by tanks and infantry, defended itself long and brave.
After the business of Warsaw by Wehrmacht a long business night began – panic and repression, but besides terrible poverty. Before the war, your father, Bogdan Bartłomiej Nowakowski, was a recognized artist and graphic artist – he designed, among others, the celebrated logo of the Society – and for artists who are not usually easy, the war was the scarier.
I witnessed the creation of this logo and it is the only clear trace of my father... Before the war, he was primarily a book illustrator and cover designer. During the business he was no longer receiving specified orders, so he tried to make extra money, drawing genre scenes from the streets of occupied Warsaw. And we actually lived out of it.
These drawings survived the war?
Unfortunately, not much. The father of the war did not survive. He died of a heart attack in 1945.
For you, the business meant, first of all, the cessation of education at the Tadeusz Czacki State Men's advanced School, after the Germans abolished secondary and higher education. And erstwhile did you become active in the conspiracy?
Before the war I finished 2 classes of junior advanced school and during the business I attended compulsory preparatory courses for vocational schools – due to the fact that in place of secondary education there was professional and only specified was provided for Poles.
As for the conspiracy, in February 1942 my friend from the block where we lived – Stanisław Huskowski “Ali”. The Huskov brothers, for there was inactive Tadeusz, they were celebrated conspirators and then the commanders of the divisions in ‘Zoska’ Battalion. Their flat was 1 of the conspiracy centers. I started the service classically – from reading the underground press, its colporteur and a tiny sabotage in the Grey Lines. I would add that earlier I belonged to the organization of PET (The Youth Union of the Polish “Future” – ed.), which was formative and self-educated, but besides co-operated with the Grey ranks in tiny sabotage – especially in painting on patriotic walls and anti-German slogans and the celebrated anchor – the sign of the fighting Poland. After this practice, I found myself in the Grey Order Storm Groups, and that was erstwhile the survey of military craft began.
The peculiar Branch “Jerzy” emerged from the Storm Groups – from the pseudonym of his commander (Capt. Ryszard Białous – ed.), who later became the Battalion “Zośka”. I went to the section trained in handling dense device guns. The plans were to be a company of cecaems, and a motorized one! However, in the uprising we were most frequently equipped with device guns and Erkaems – only a fewer pieces and of course we did not have cars.
However, outbreak of the Warsaw Uprising It was not possible to fight in the ranks of “Zoski”, only in another, though besides in an elite unit – platoon 226 of “The Reaper” Group.
Żoliborz was very rapidly cut off by the Germans from another districts of Warsaw. Therefore, the Żoliborz zoskovists, including myself, could not scope the place of concentration of the battalion on Wola (the Telefunken mill at the confluence of Mirecki and Karolkowa streets – ed.). In this situation, the commander of our 1st platoon, the mentioned Lieutenant Tadeusz Huskowski “Tadeusz”, decided to join the local branch. And so we became part of platoon 226 “The Reaper”, and “Tadeus” later became his commander.
The Reapers must have enjoyed specified a valuable reinforcement – after all, they were joined by Kediv's elite!
Definitely, especially since we were well armed. “Tadeus” emptied our weapons warehouse in the Bielany before entering plutonium 226. I then got Mauser's rifle, which I fought until the end of the uprising. This weapon from the warehouse was later captured in the Germans, and so thanks to the squad of weevils, the full platoon of 226 was very well armed.
Were you wearing a uniform or civilian clothes?
Civil, with white-red band and letters WP – Polish Army. Only any of us, above all the commanders, had uniforms coming from drops, British, pre-war Polish or German. “Tadeus” wore a British conflict dress. And we had helmets – captured German, Polish pre-war, but besides fire-fighting, due to the fact that we had accommodation in the building of the Higher Fire School at Słowackiego Street. From there, we went out for combat action and ambushed German patrols that came to the Opel mill (now there is Hala Marymoncka – ed.) in part for weapons and cars. We abruptly attacked and fired them.
You could say you were conducting a typical combat of Commando troops.
That was the first half of August. Notice, too, that for a long time the Germans only fired fire on the Żoliborz. However, after half of that period (17 August – ed.) we left the fire school building and joined forces intended for the assault on Gdańsk Railway Station. There won't be an exaggeration to the fact that we've had a real fire baptism here...
This is 1 of the hardest and bloodiest clashes in the full Warsaw Uprising. You've come to capture a German reduced fire-protected cocaine nests, mortars, cannons, and an armored train. Your branch took part in the alleged second night raid on Gdańsk Railway Station from 21 to 22 August 1944.
To be honest, it was a crazy attack, due to the fact that we did not have any dense weapons that we could teardrop out in this "fortress." Well, we attacked at night erstwhile the Germans were lighting the full area with rockets. As the rockets lit up the sky, we would fall to the ground in the run, and as it got dark, we would choice up and proceed moving forward. But erstwhile we got close to the grids surrounding German positions, real hell broke loose. It was an avalanche of fire. A half a metre above the ground, a fire ceiling was built, and whoever he reached fell dead or wounded. And we had mortar grenades and artillery shells. Like everyone around me, I threw myself on the ground and at that minute I was hurt in the hand. I felt that the blood was pouring down my hand, and at the same time I noticed that I had a fatal gunshot wound to the head from a friend with an Erkaem. He did not have time to take the stand to answer the Germans with fire.
Did you know him?
Yes, it was Andrzej Dżwański "Jędrek". Very sympathetic, intelligent type, tall, in the origin of the Erkaemist – all covered with ammunition tapes.
How did you get out of that fire?
The situation was bad: a friend next to him killed, I lie with a bleeding wound, and all decision threatens to die. Somewhere over an hr I lay like this until the dawn began, but at this moment, luck and fire eased somewhat. Then the commander crawled up to me to tell me we were backing out. I told him I was injured, and on top of that, I have a bag with bottles filled with incendiary liquid, due to the fact that I was expected to light the barracks at Gdańsk Railway Station. Just 1 German bullet and I'd turn into a surviving torch... “Tadeus” ordered me to throw distant this bag. I did my orders and slow crawled back. At any point I took a chance – I picked up off the ground and ran backwards. My bullets were just ringing around my ears, but I did it! I went back to my starting positions where the paramedics took me. The wound did not turn out to be besides heavy, but I got 2 weeks of leave of absence for her treatment due to the fact that I had my full hand in bandages. I spent this vacation in my apartment, with my parents and under the fire of German “cows” (Nebelwerfer rocket launchers – ed.), due to the fact that just after the fall of the Old Town Germans took Żoliborz seriously.
Was it hard for you to stay home in this situation?
Yeah, and I got back to the squad early. The wound was not full healed yet, but I preferred to be on the line alternatively than in the back area bombed by cows and plays – 1 of the air bombs hit our block. My parents moved in with friends, and I decided to get back to the fight as shortly as possible. After attacking Gdańsk Railway Station, our branch besides received a minute of rest, and “Tadeusz” was promoted to commander of the full platoon 226 (now the commander, Lieutenant Bogdan Kunert “Shajer”, was badly wounded during the attack on Gdańsk Railway Station – ed.). After rest, the platoon returned to the line – again to the Opel factory. At that time, the mill hall was already held by the Germans, and we were occupying the planet behind this hall, and it can be said that we were conducting a driveway war with them, shelling them from the tributary ditches. Above all, we were guarding the breach in the wall of that hall, through which the Germans could storm us.
And so we reached the last 2 days of September erstwhile the Germans launched a concentric attack on us utilizing tanks from the 25th Armoured Division. After the cannon fire, the tanks moved forward, and behind them the infantry. At the last minute before the cut-off, we withdrew from Opel to the “Consent” cooperative building on Słowackiego Street and gave the Germans resistance.
Did you have adequate ammo for that?
We had quite a few it, due to the fact that even then the Soviets were dropping it. This will sound paradoxical, but that's when, in the last 2 days of the uprising, I shot the enemy the most. We were prepared to fight to the last, to die, and we did not intend to sale our skin cheaply. Without respite, I beat my Mauser to the Germans, and they fell to the ground between the tanks, which fortunately could not decision rapidly between the ruins. From the “Consent” building, we jumped to a building called “Winter lie” and there we inactive fought hard.
During these fights (30 September – ed.) we were ordered to retreat to the Lower Żoliborz and get to the Vistula. That's where the Red Army pontoons should be to evacuate us across the river. As we know today, this evacuation was a sham, and by deciding to decision to the designated location, we suffered further dense losses. Anyway, that was the second time I was hurt, but very lightly. Our last redoubt was the Glass home building at 34 Mickiewicza Street. This is where we were ordered to surrender.
Must have been a traumatic moment?
It was very touching. In the evening, the Glass home building burned from above, lighting the area around the red glow. We stood in line, and Captain Mieczysław Morawski said to us: “Dear soldiers, thank you for your fight. You're the squad that fought in the uprising the longest due to the fact that Midtown has a ceasefire with Germany. Unfortunately, we must besides lay down our weapons." And so enslavement began – various camps in German territory – from which in 1946 I returned to Poland and after any time to Warsaw.
Jakub Nowakowski “Tomek” was born on December 4, 1924 in Warsaw. Lieutenant-Colonel of the Polish Army at rest, soldier of the Grey ranks and battalion “Zośka”, in the Warsaw Uprising he fought in platoon 226 of the “Reap” group in Żoliborz. Doctor of biological sciences and worker of the Institute of Zoology of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw.
"Warsaw, each day bombed by aircraft, shelled with artillery fire and stormed by tanks and infantry, defended itself long and brave"