Col. Henryk Torunczyk, born in

Włocławek Włocławek (; or ''Alt Lesle'', Yiddish: וולאָצלאַוועק, romanized: ''Vlatzlavek'') is a city in the Kuyavian–Pomeranian Voivodeship in central Poland along the Vistula River, bordered by the Gostynin-Włocławek Landscape Park ...

, (1909–1966) was a Polish soldier. He later volunteered to fight with the

International Brigades The International Brigades () were soldiers recruited and organized by the Communist International to assist the Popular Front (Spain), Popular Front government of the Second Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil War. The International Bri ...

in the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...

. He was sometime commander of the Naftali Botwin Company; Chief of Staff of

XIII International Brigade The 13th International Brigade – often known as the XIII Dąbrowski Brigade – fought for the Spanish Second Republic during the Spanish Civil War, in the International Brigades. The brigade was dissolved and then reformed on four occasions. ...

and leader of an ''International Unit'' formed in January 1939 from a rump of Brigade veterans who remained in Spain after demoblisation. They crossed the border in Spain on about 9 January 1939 He later became a partisan. From 1943 he was instrumental in forming the Samodzielny Batalion Szturmowy.

Ryszard Terlecki Ryszard Iwon Terlecki (born 2 September 1949) is a Polish politician, the Parliamentary Caucus Head of the Law and Justice party between 2015–2023. Terlecki, a historian and professor of humanities, lectures at the Pontifical University of Jo ...

, Miecz i tarcza komunizmu. Historia aparatu bezpieczeństwa w Polsce 1944-1990, Kraków 2007, s. 10. In 1945 he was briefly commanding officer of the Polish

Internal Security Corps The Internal Security Corps (, KBW) was a special-purpose military formation in Poland under History of Poland (1945–1989)#Stalinist era (1948–1956), communist government, established on 24 May 1945. History The KBW consisted of 10 new ca ...

. He is also called: Henrik Torunczyk and Henrik Tourunczyk.

Awards and decorations

Order of the Banner of Labour, 1st Class * POL Polonia Restituta Komandorski BAR

Commander's Cross of the

Order of Polonia Restituta The Order of Polonia Restituta (, ) is a Polish state decoration, state Order (decoration), order established 4 February 1921. It is conferred on both military and civilians as well as on alien (law), foreigners for outstanding achievements in ...

(13 July 1955) *

Order of the Cross of Grunwald The Order of the Cross of Grunwald (') was a military decoration created in Poland in November 1943 by the High Command of Gwardia Ludowa, a World War II Polish resistance movement organised by the Polish Workers Party. On 20 February 1944 it ...

, 3rd Class * Gold Cross of

Virtuti Militari The War Order of Virtuti Militari (Latin: ''"For Military Virtue"'', ) is Poland's highest military decoration for heroism and courage in the face of the enemy at war. It was established in 1792 by the last King of Poland Stanislaus II of Poland, ...

Partisan Cross The Partisan Cross () was a Polish military decoration awarded to World War II partisans (part of resistance movement fighting in the countryside). It was introduced by the Council of Ministers on October 26, 1945. It was awarded from 1945 unt ...

* Medal "For Your Freedom and Ours" *

Order of the Patriotic War The Order of the Patriotic War () is a Soviet Union, Soviet military Order (decoration), decoration that was awarded to all soldiers in the Soviet armed forces, security troops, and to Partisan (military), partisans for heroic deeds in the Easte ...

, 2nd Class (USSR)

References

1909 births 1966 deaths Polish soldiers Polish people of the Spanish Civil War International Brigades personnel {{SpanishCivilWar-stub

Awards and decorations

See also

References