Bronislaw Orbik (1900-1984)

WWI and 1920 Polish-Soviet War

Born in 16 April 1900 to Franciszek Orbik and Anna Stolarczyk. Served in POW [Polish Underground] during WWI. Served in 33rd Infantry regiment in 1920 Polish-Soviet War. Died 30 Dec 1984 in Tajno Stare

The following description of his war time adventures were from an application for the Cross of Bravery submitted in War Department found in 2003 in the Central Army Archives by Iwona Daliniewicz.

6. A Detailed Life Story and the Specification of Ideological Work for the Independence of Poland.

Bronislaw Orbik - born in 1900 in the village of Tajno; during the occupationworked as a teacher; joined the Polish Military Organization; one of the mostactive members of the Organization and the Security Section; the executioner of the death penalty on German spies; caught by the Germans and kept prisoner for 8 months; took an active part in disarming the Germans; after that joined the Polish Army as a volunteer and fought duringthe war campaign; as a sergeant granted leave for an indefinite term; at present participates in the social, political and educational work.

6. A Detailed Life Story and the Specification of Ideological Work for the Independence of Poland.

"I was born on April 12, 1900 in the village of Tajno Stare, Commune of Pruska, Szczuczyn County. Until the age of 12 I was brought up by my parents and attended the state elementary school. Then I was sent to the municipal school in Augustow but because of the war I could not finish it. When the Germans attacked, I returned home. I completed the courses during the German occupation andworked as a teacher in the village of Kroszowka, Commune of Pruska for 2 years. At that time, that is in 1917, I found out about the existence of the Polish Military Organization. Being very young, yet full of enthusiasm for Poland and hatred for the enemy, I decided immediately to join the foregoing Organization. In March 1917 I swore an oath before Franciszek Chroscielewski, the local Commander of the Polish Military Organization in Rajgrod. I worked as the Assistant Section Commander. At first, my work for the Organization was limited to the recruitment of as many candidates as possible to join the organization - the members who would be reliable and who could understand the idea of the Organization. Indoctrinating the young -people, noticing their eagerness to sacrifice themselves for the benefit of Poland I always mentioned the Organization and encouraged them to take an oath. This was how in the village of Tajno Section Commander Janiszewski and I organized a unit consisting of about 20 people. In the first weeks we stressed the importance of military training to instruct and drill a well-disciplined member able to take up the face-to-face fight with the Germans, if necessary. I was also hiding the weapons and ammunition at my place. At that time the Germans from the local headquarters in Rajgrod tracked down the Organization and they began arresting the members of the Organization. After local Commander Chroscielewski and Janiszewski were arrested, I was put in charge of the unit in Tajno and continued to train the people. The Germans had their own organization of spies, at the same time as our Organization, operating in the locality of Tajno who knowing about us began to trail us. Then we started to execute the death penalty and kill the spies. First we killed the secret agent and then one of his subordinates. Although espionage ceased soon, after so many murders, especially the last one, when one of the spies was killed, the Germans arrested three armed members of our unit. Further arrests continued. I was also arrested and put in jail in Grajewo. The Germans displayed cruelty to me, treating me with extreme brutality, beating me a few times a day and starving me. The fact that I am still alive today I owe to the police commissioner who liked taking bribes. The Court-Martial sentenced me to six years in jail. I was sent to jail in Lomza where I was held until the Germans were disarmed. I carried illegal publications, leaflets and weapons to the region of Suwalki and hid the members of the Polish Military Organization. When I was released from jail, I joined the 33rd Polish Regiment as a volunteer. In the rank of sergeant I was on the front-line with the Regiment all the time. Nowadays I have my own farm in the village of Tajno, Commune of Pruska.

Signature: /Bronislaw Orbik/

A small oval seal of the Central Military Archives.

Overleaf:

The stamp of Central Military Archives

Orbik Bronislaw

KN June 27th, 1938