The memory of silent – Polish paratroopers, who were ordered to support the National Army and soldiers of the 1st Parade Brigade of General Stanisław Sosabowski – is fortunately common present and they find a prominent place in the pantheon of our heroes. However, Polish Armed Forces in the West besides came from paratroopers who came to service and fight under abroad command.
This message relates to those soldiers of the Polish Armed Forces who, thanks to the agreement of the peculiar Operations Executive (SOE), were assigned to action in the Balkans or Western Europe. Six Polish paratroopers were deployed to Greece, 2 to Yugoslavia, 1 to Albania, 4 to Italy and 3 to France. These soldiers were besides expected to work for Polish interests, as it were, on the occasion of SOE's tasks. First of all, they organized courier routes to the country, moved to the West compatriots who escaped from German POW camps, and frequently – how silent in the country – they became specialists in guerrilla troops.
On the another hand, Division II of the Chief of Staff (intelligence) sent with British aid 2 jumpers to France. Both of them joined the Polish intelligence exhibition. The Department of peculiar Affairs of the Ministry of Defence together with the Ministry of Interior thanks to SOE launched 25 paratroopers in France. All of them were to detect first of all V1 launchers and guide RAF bombers, conduct reconnaissance and diversion on the back of German troops (especially before and after invasion of Normandy) and interact with the French Résistance. Only 4 Polish parachutists jumped from the SOE arm – in France, Yugoslavia and Italy. Alexander Świat-Ihnatowicz "Ataman" was the evidence holder in the combat jumps in SOE. The Pole landed 4 times in Yugoslavia and Italy. A full of 46 Polish paratroopers were fighting for our freedom and yours in the European opposition during planet War II.
Real Navarone Commandos
Especially hard and dangerous tasks were given to jumpers thrown into the "Balkan boiler". There they had to pay attention not only to occupiers from the Axis states – Germans, Italians or Bulgarians, but besides to the Greeks, Croats, Serbs and another Balkan nationalities who collaborated with them. At the same time, there were frequently fraternal fights between partisans of different political options and frequently and to change sides. Yesterday's allies abruptly turned out to be collaborators... The Cairo SOE facility codenamed ‘004’ from autumn 1941 sent commandos to Greece, whose main task was to identify German and Italian military movements and to deploy enemy ships in Greek ports. 1 of the most effective Allied specialists was then Polish “Agent No. 1” – Jerzy Ivanov-Shajnovich (He went to Greece, however, not as a jumper, but on board a submarine).
From this facility “004”, and since 1943 from SOE station No. 11 in the Italian Brindisi, Greek mountains were increasingly sent for action peculiar transport aircraft with parachutes, including Polish ones. And so, on September 8, 1943, from Brindisi was transferred to Greece, Lieutenant Lieutenant in Infantry Stanisław Holły, on June 5, 1944, Lieutenant in Infantry Jerzy Waletko, September 14 – cavalry lieutenant Tomasz Jakub Kurasiewicz and artillery lieutenant Jerzy Skolimowski, October 24 – Lieutenant in Doctor Jerzy Lisowski. Each of them led independent actions in various areas of Greece.
A peculiar function among them was played by Lt. Jerzy Waletko, nicknamed “Bard” or “Bytomski”. This erstwhile Silesian insurgency and smithy from the mine in Ruda Śląska, an officer and Tobrutczyk of the Carpathian firearm Squad in 1942, he joined the peculiar Service of the Chief Chief of Staff and was trained as a commando at a SOE facility close Haifa, Palestine. The crucial thing was that Lieutenant Waletko as a Silesian spoke German very well and could find a common language with Wehrmacht soldiers from Silesia. For this purpose, he was landed in central Greece. Thanks to his actions, after a period the Greek opposition deserted respective 100 Slaves and Pomeranians forced to service in German uniforms. The intelligence network created by Valette was besides very effective. After the defeat of the Germans in Greece, Lieutenant Waletko served in the 2nd Polish Corps.
A man of iron will
In Yugoslavia another Polish parachutist, Captain Józef Mawięk “Nesz”, won the fame of commandos. His fates besides attest to how dangerous hellishly dangerous, even for a dry commando, was the service in the Balkans. “Nesz” was the boy of a Pole and Croatian. He spoke fluently in Polish, Serbian and Serbian-Croatian. He was very acquainted with Yugoslav realities, as he frequently stayed with his grandparents before the war. Like leek. Waletko Masłow was a Carpathian with a beautiful conflict card in September 1939 – he fought, among others, in the conflict of Kock. After the Polish campaign, he co-founded the Polish Conspiracy triumph Service and the Armed Forces Union, to then cross respective green borders to Palestine in 1940, where he joined the Carpathian firearm Squadron.
In January 1943, he received a proposal to service in the peculiar Branch of the Chief Chief of Staff and SOE. In the mediate of this year, he left the Cairo facility “004” by plane to Yugoslavia. Along with it were the Irish David Russel and English radiotelegraphist Ridewood. The 3 jumpers were located in the east mountains, in the area of Homolje, where by the Chetnica corps colonel. Bosko Pavlovicia was functioning British mission by Major Erik Greenwood. Capt. “Nesz” proved to be a actual ace of intelligence and diversion. He virtually "fired" both banks of the Danube, on which German barges with Romanian oil floated, which was of peculiar interest to Major Greenwood. Mastru at the head of Chetniks and a large number of Poles – prisoners, deserters from the German army and forced workers not only carried out attacks on German or Bulgarian institutions, but besides led far-reaching rallies in Romania, where he marked targets for Allied bombers and set courier routes for Polish authorities.
Captain Mastuk enjoyed large authority among his people – Poles, Serbs, as well as officers of the British mission, and at the same time he was a firm supporter of the intensive fight against Germany and it most likely lost him. There are 2 versions of the events: the first says that it was the Czechs who wanted to collaborate with the Germans who gave them the location of the station “Nesza” and its people in the village of Suke Majdanpek. On the another hand, it was the British who got free of a Pole who did not like to leave the Chetniks and go to the Tita guerrilla camp... Captain “Nesz” died in an uneven fight against the German roundup on December 11, 1943. The first explanation is supported by the fact that then the British Czech company, liable for protecting the mission, did not arrive in time. In any case, “Nesz” – as the Polish paratrooper said – was faithful to the oath to the end.
Picture list
1. Capt. Joseph Mast. “Nesz”. photograph from the archive of Piotr Korczyński
2. Germans repair the road in Yugoslav mountains blown up by commandos and guerrillas. In the foreground, an Italian tanket. NAC
3. Pursuit of German ships behind boats of Greek guerrillas in the Aegean Sea, 1943. NAC
4. Polish paratroopers and guerrillas in Greece, 1944. photograph from the archive of Piotr Korczyński
