Brygada Korwina w szeregach ZWZ–AK w latach 1941–1943

Abstract

The Korwin Brigade in ZWZ–AK in 1941–1943 The Korwin Brigade was created by Lieutenant Colonel (Res.) Wiktor Boczkowski, pseudonym Korwin, a Polish Army Intelligence officer, in Warsaw in September 1941. The Brigade was part of the structures of the regional Counter–Intelligence and subsequently the Counter–Intelligence for the Warsaw District of the Union of Armed Struggle–the Home Army (ZWZ–AK) under by Cavalry Captain (Res.) Alfred Mieczyslaw Klausal, pseudonym Łosoś, Baron, and Mecenas. The Brigade acted within the ZWZ–AK structures until September 1943, conducting Counter– Intelligence work aimed predominantly against the Polish Workers’ Party (PPR) and the People’s Guard (GL). By this time it enjoyed considerable successes in invigilating GL and PPR members in Warsaw. These accomplishments were rendered possible by professionally conducted Counter– Intelligence operations and conflicts within the PPR and the GL, which paralysed the work carried out by communist Intelligence. The activity of the Korwin Brigade was highly regarded by Boczkowski’s direct superior, Cavalry Captain Klausal, and the Second Department of the Chief Command (KG) of ZWZ–AK. Nonetheless, in September 1943 Colonel Marian Drobik, head of the Second Department KG ZWZ–AK, ordered Lieutenant Colonel Boczkowski to suspend all activity and hand over his subordinates to the Home Army Chief Command. The reason for this decision could have been the disclosure of Boczkowski’s cooperation with the commander of the National Armed Forces (NSZ) Colonel Tadeusz Kurcyusz. In June 1943 Boczkowski undertook the task of establishing contact between Tadeusz Kurcyusz and Jerzy Kurcyusz, head of the civilian liaison outpost of the Government of the Republic of Poland in exile in Istanbul. The possibility that this attempt to disband the Brigade was caused by behind–the–scenes efforts of General Stanislaw Tatar, head of the Organisational Department of KG AK, and Colonel Drobik, intent on establishing contact with the Communists, should not be excluded. These steps were kept secret from General Tadeusz Komorowski, Chief Commander of AK. Lieutenant Colonel Boczkowski disobeyed the commands issued by the head of the Second Department KG AK and together with a majority of his subordinates opted for collaboration with the Delegation of the Government in exile. At the same time, the Information Department of the General Staff of GL effectively paralysed the Intelligence activity of the Brigade. On 14 October 1943 a communist death squad shot Stanislaw Janota, a leading member of the Korwin Brigade. Conflicts with superiors and the efficient campaign conducted by the communist Counter–Intelligence ended the activity of the Korwin Brigade in ZWZ–AK.