Polish Borderlands before 1939

"From my early childhood I used to wear a scout uniform. And now I have the scout’s cross on my uniform. Grodno, infantry regiments were stationed there, the Ludwik Narbutt 76th Regiment in Grodno, the King Stefan Batory 81st Grodno Rifle Regiment, 29th Light Artillery Regiment, 7th Armoured Battalion. Then, there were the sanitary ones, and signal corps. And the “canaries”, of course, the military police walking with their yellow military hatbands. So we would always say “rotten canary, rotten!” You snot! They were chasing us. But the divisional reserve cadet course was there. When a cadet walked, then … I do not understand why the guard of honour is moving like ballet dancers now. Legs ahead like ballet dancers on the stage. In the old days when a soldier walked he would bang the cobbles! And now they are walking like ballet dancers. Of course, it is nice and elegant but it is not in soldierly fashion. The boots were with metal tips, the sole was with nails."

• was born on 26 December 1921
• On 1 September 1939, he volunteered to the army and was admitted to auxiliary services in Grodno
• On 2 February 1942, he took an oath and joined the Union of Armed Struggle
• He fought in guerrilla units
• On 3 August 1945 he was arrested and sentenced by the War Tribunal to 15 years of penal servitude and five years of disenfranchisement
• He was released in 1956