|
|
Post by tufta on Jun 14, 2008 5:27:02 GMT 1
I wasn't sure where to put it, but I am sure Bonobo is able to replace it, or throw it away, the way it would best suit the goal of clear forum  This is a clip by a Swedish hard-rock group 'Sabaton' Polish youth, including my sons, is recently getting mad about. The song is about Battle of Wizna, sometimes called the Polish battle of Thermopylae. It took place in September 1939 near Wizna in today's North-Eastern Poland. 720 Polish soldiers stopped 42 000 invading German troops for three days. Thus the title 40 to 1. uk.youtube.com/watch?v=KBwwFsKTJGs40:1 Baptized in fire, 40 to 1 So silent before the storm, awaiting command a few has been chosen to stand, as one outnumbered by far. The orders from high command Fight back all your ground In early September it came A war unknown to the world No army may enter that land That is protected by Polish Hand. Unless you are 40:1 Your force will soon be undone. Undone Baptized in fire, 40 to 1, spirit of Spartans, death and glory Soldiers of Poland, second to none Wrath of the Wehrmacht brought to our home. The eight of September starts The rage of the Reich A barrage of Mortars and guns Stand fast, the bunkers will hold. The captain has pledged his life To face the fate here The sound of artillery strike Suffaced the thunder of guns. Baptized in fire, 40 to 1, spirit of Spartans, death and glory Soldiers of Poland, second to none Wrath of the Wehrmacht brought to our home. Always remember a fallen soldier Always remember fathers and sons at war Always remember a fallen soldier Always remember fathers and sons at war Always remember a fallen soldier Always Remember buried in history No army may enter that land That is protected by Polish Hand. Unless you are 40 to 1 Your force will soon be undone. Undone Baptized in fire, 40 to 1, spirit of Spartans, death and glory Soldiers of Poland, second to none Wrath of the Wehrmacht brought to our home. No, No, No! |
|
|
|
Post by valpomike on Jun 14, 2008 17:12:05 GMT 1
I think one of my great Uncles, Capt. Dabrowski, was in this, and was forced to take over, when his commanding officer flipped out.
Does anyone know of this?
|
|
|
|
Post by Bonobo on Jun 14, 2008 20:08:31 GMT 1
I wasn't sure where to put it, but I am sure Bonobo is able to replace it, or throw it away, the way it would best suit the goal of clear forum This new thread suits here very well. Can you explain why you think Wizna was Polish Thermopile? I know something about the battle, as a boy I read a lot of books on September 1939, and communists allowed extensive publications on Wizna, Captain Raginis who commanded during the battle and committed a suicide was presented as a very honourable officer and a hero. But I have never run into the expression Polish Thermopile. |
|
|
|
Post by Bonobo on Jun 14, 2008 20:14:45 GMT 1
I think one of my great Uncles, Capt. Dabrowski, was in this, and was forced to take over, when his commanding officer flipped out. Does anyone know of this? Yes, this secret was revealed a few years ago. It concerns Westerplatte, not Wizna. Can you tell us what you know?  |
|
|
|
Post by valpomike on Jun 14, 2008 22:21:46 GMT 1
This is all I know.
|
|
|
|
Post by valpomike on Jun 14, 2008 22:51:56 GMT 1
His full name was Francszek Dabrowski, and his commanding officer was Henry Sucharski. Could this help.
|
|
|
|
Post by valpomike on Jun 16, 2008 2:16:31 GMT 1
I did find a few things, but nothing that you did not post, except, the correct commanding officers name. Do you have more on this? Can you help me with this?
|
|
|
|
Post by tufta on Jun 16, 2008 7:50:22 GMT 1
But I have never run into the expression Polish Thermopile. In the Battle of Theromopylae (around 500 B.C) few Spartans (fighting at the side of Greece) tried to stop the numerous invading Persians. Since then in the European culture the battle became a symbol of heroism in the face of certain death. Thus the name 'Thermopylae' given to battles when defenders where significantly outnumbered by the invaders, but didn't surrender. In history of Poland of the years 1863-1945 there were several such occasions, almost every generation fought and had some minor or major 'Thermopylae'. The last one was Wizna Battle, in which the invaders-defensors ratio was exceptionally high. Poles surrendered when Germans threatened they will kill Polish POWs taken. |
|
|
|
Post by tufta on Jun 16, 2008 7:54:46 GMT 1
I think one of my great Uncles, Capt. Dabrowski, was in this, and was forced to take over, when his commanding officer flipped out. Does anyone know of this? Yes, this secret was revealed a few years ago. It concerns Westerplatte, not Wizna. Mike, Henryk Sucharski commanded the defence of Westerplatte (military depot and Polish outpost North of Gdansk). The attack started by bombardement from the Battleship Schleswig-Holstien. The battleship came to Gdansk at the end of August 1939 with what was called a friendly visit. 180 troops defended the outpost against overwhelming Germans attacking from sea, land and air. The defence lasted a week and helped keeping strategic Hel Penisula until early October. After Sucharski's nervous breakdown Franciszek Dabrowski took over the command. |
|
|
|
Post by valpomike on Jun 16, 2008 17:55:18 GMT 1
Do you know if he was killed in the battle, or did he die later, when and where? Do you anything more on him, like where he came from, his age, or anything more?
|
|
|
|
Post by Bonobo on Jun 16, 2008 21:41:27 GMT 1
But I have never run into the expression Polish Thermopile. In the Battle of Theromopylae (around 500 B.C) few Spartans (fighting at the side of Greece) tried to stop the numerous invading Persians. Since then in the European culture the battle became a symbol of heroism in the face of certain death. Thus the name 'Thermopylae' given to battles when defenders where significantly outnumbered by the invaders, but didn't surrender. In history of Poland of the years 1863-1945 there were several such occasions, almost every generation fought and had some minor or major 'Thermopylae'. The last one was Wizna Battle, in which the invaders-defensors ratio was exceptionally high. Poles surrendered when Germans threatened they will kill Polish POWs taken. Yes, I knew what Thermopylae`s symbolicism is. But I never associated it with Wizna. Therefore I wanted you to elaborate more why you consider the battle at Wizna Polish Thermopylae. Did all Polish defenders die? Why am I asking? In the history classroom in our school is a gallery which presents famous events. One of the pictures is about Zadwórze, the battle with bolshevik forces in 1920. It is called the Polish Thermopylae. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Zadw%C3%B3rzeBattle of Zadwórze (sometimes referred to as the "Polish Thermopylae") was a battle of the Polish-Bolshevik War. It was fought on August 17, 1920 near the train station of Zadwórze, a small village located 33 kilometres from the city centre of Lwów (now Lviv). The battle, lasting roughly 24 hours, resulted in the complete destruction of the Polish forces but at the same time halted the Soviet advance, preventing the forces of Siemion Budionnyi from seizing Lwów and so contributing to the successful defence of Warsaw. Battle Among the volunteer units organized in Lwów was a group of soldiers of Major (later a general) Roman Abraham. On the morning of August 16, the 1st battalion of the Polish 54th Infantry Regiment was sent from Lwów towards the village of Nowosiółki (east of the town of Krasne) in order to help the endangered units formed by Roman Abraham. Upon its arrival, the battalion found the town occupied by the Red Army and recaptured it. However, the following day it was endangered by encirclement and was ordered to withdraw towards Lwów. In the morning of August 17 it was taken by surprise near a train station in the village of Zadwórze and was completely destroyed by forces of the Red 6th Cavalry Division of the 1st Cavalry Army. All Polish soldiers, approximately 200, were killed or missing. At the same time a battalion of approximately 500 volunteers organized by Roman Abraham under command of Captain Bolesław Zajączkowski was marching from Krasne along the Lwów-Tarnopol rail road. On August 17, shortly before noon, when the group reached the village of Kutkorz it was attacked with machine gun fire from the nearby village of Zadwórze. Capt. Zajączkowski ordered his men to form a line and started an assault towards the village. After a short fight, 330 Poles captured the train station. However, the village was not taken and soon the Polish forces were counter-attacked by the units of 6th Cavalry Division. By dusk the Poles' ammunition was almost completely depleted, yet the Polish unit managed to repel six consecutive cavalry charges. Captain Zajączkowski decided that the further defense of the station was impossible and ordered his units to retreat towards Lwów. However, the retreat was halted by three Bolshevik airplanes strafing the Polish defenders. After suffering heavy casualties, Zajączkowski ordered his men to organize a last pocket of resistance near the lineman's hut. After hand-to-hand combat with sabers and bayonets, the Polish resistance was broken. Out of 330 Polish soldiers who seized the train station earlier that day, 318 were dead. Several dozen wounded Poles were captured by the Red Army and assumed murdered. Captain Zajączkowski himself committed suicide in order not to be captured by the enemy. Only twelve Polish soldiers returned to the Polish lines to recount what had happened during the battle. Aftermath The battle was a disaster for the Polish forces defending Zadwórze, in effect they were almost annihilated. However, the 11 hour long fight halted the advance of the whole 6th Cavalry Division for almost 24 hours. This allowed for the strengthening of the defences of Lwów. In addition, because of the defense of Zadwórze, the 1st Cavalry Army of Siemion Budionnyi could not reach the forces fighting in the Battle of Warsaw and attack the undefended right flank of the forces of Józef Piłsudski advancing towards the rear of the Red Army forces around Warsaw. When the forces of Budionnyi finally regrouped and restarted their march northwards, it was already too late and the Battle of Warsaw ended with a complete defeat of the Red Army. The 1st Cavalry Army was later defeated in a Battle of Komarów, which became known as "the biggest cavalry battle since the 18th century." Zadwórze today      |
|
|
|
Post by tufta on Jun 17, 2008 8:57:26 GMT 1
The gallery is correct. Apart from the most recent of „Polish Thermopyli” near Wizna, Zadworze battle is sometimes called like that as well. As is for instance defense of Trembowla against the Turks in 1675. And some more battles, all of them called like that in retrospective but one. The parallel was for the first time used for the Battle of Wegrow 1863 against the Russians. This was in the poem by French poet August Barbier, who was fascinated by the heroism of Poles.
The catchy parallel is used for battles of other nations as well . Like the Alamo Battle in the Mexican-Texian war, Monte Cassino defence by a small group of Germans against the invading army of Allies, or the defence of Wake Island by the Americans against the Japenese in 1941.
|
|
|
|
Post by tufta on Jun 17, 2008 9:02:11 GMT 1
Do you know if he was killed in the battle, or did he die later, when and where? Do you anything more on him, like where he came from, his age, or anything more? Not much I'm afraid. He surrvived the Westerplatte and spent war as POW. After the war until 1950 he served in the military again. In early 1950s the repressions and witch-hunt against the veterans of prewar Polish army and Polish resistance independant from Soviet Russia started. He was one of the first victims, he was dismissed from the army and was left without means of life in spite of tuberculosis acquired in the prisoner's camps. After Stalin's death in 1953 the stalinism started to fade and after 1956 he was rehabilitated. Died in the early sixties. Wrote two books about Westerplatte. He was a Polish nobleman and a great Polish patriot, a veteran of Polish independant army. If time permits I will look for more, but can't promise. |
|
|
|
Post by valpomike on Jun 17, 2008 18:14:26 GMT 1
Again, Thank you for all your help, on information on my Great Uncle, and if you find more, please post it.
|
|
gigi
Kindergarten kid
Posts: 1,470
|
Post by gigi on Aug 8, 2008 6:09:04 GMT 1
|
|
gigi
Kindergarten kid
Posts: 1,470
|
Post by gigi on Aug 8, 2008 14:55:11 GMT 1
Mike - I think I found some more info on your family. I'll post in under Dabrowski/Dombrowski in the genealogy category. |
|
|
|
Post by valpomike on Aug 8, 2008 16:44:48 GMT 1
Thank you very much, I will check into it.
|
|
