Jan Zygmunt Emil Berek (1896–1986) was a soldier of the

Austro-Hungarian Army The Austro-Hungarian Army, also known as the Imperial and Royal Army,; was the principal ground force of Austria-Hungary from 1867 to 1918. It consisted of three organisations: the Common Army (, recruited from all parts of Austria-Hungary), ...

and

Generał brygady Brigadier general ( Polish: ''generał brygady'' , abbreviated ''gen. bryg.'') is the lowest grade for generals in the Polish Army (both in the land forces and in the Polish Air Force). Depending on the context, it is equivalent to both the moder ...

of the

Polish Army The Land Forces () are the Army, land forces of the Polish Armed Forces. They currently contain some 110,000 active personnel and form many components of the European Union and NATO deployments around the world. Poland's recorded military histor ...

, who fought in World War I,

Polish–Soviet War The Polish–Soviet War (14 February 1919 – 18 March 1921) was fought primarily between the Second Polish Republic and the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, following World War I and the Russian Revolution. After the collapse ...

and the

Invasion of Poland The invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign, Polish Campaign, and Polish Defensive War of 1939 (1 September – 6 October 1939), was a joint attack on the Second Polish Republic, Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany, the Slovak R ...

. Born on 19 August 1896 in

Nowy Sącz Nowy Sącz (; ; ; ; ) is a city in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship of southern Poland. It is the district capital of Nowy Sącz County as a separate administrative unit. With a population of 83,116 as of 2021, it is the largest city in the Beskid S ...

, Austrian Galicia, Berek studied medicine at the

Jagiellonian University The Jagiellonian University (, UJ) is a public research university in Kraków, Poland. Founded in 1364 by Casimir III the Great, King Casimir III the Great, it is the oldest university in Poland and one of the List of oldest universities in con ...

Kraków , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...

. In May 1918 he joined

Polish Military Organisation The Polish Military Organisation, PMO (, POW) was a secret military organization that was formed during World War I (1914–1918). Józef Piłsudski founded the group in August 1914. It adopted the name ''POW'' in November 1914 and aimed to gathe ...

, and in November of the same year he fought in the Battle of Lemberg, as leader of a company in

5th Legions' Infantry Regiment 5th Legions Infantry Regiment of Józef Piłsudski (, abbreviated to 5 pp Leg.) was an infantry regiment of the Polish Army in 1918–1939. It was garrisoned in Vilnius as part of the 1st Legions Infantry Division. Formation In the final days ...

. In February 1919, Berek became company leader in the 9th Legions Infantry Regiment, stationed at

Lublin Lublin is List of cities and towns in Poland, the ninth-largest city in Poland and the second-largest city of historical Lesser Poland. It is the capital and the centre of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 336,339 (December 2021). Lublin i ...

. He remained in his post until April 1926, fighting in the Polish–Soviet War. On 1 June 1919 Berek was promoted to major. In the second half of 1926, Berek served in 83rd Infantry Regiment at

Kobryn Kobryn or Kobrin is a town in Brest Region, Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Kobryn District. It is located in the southwestern corner of Belarus, where the Mukhavets river and Dnieper–Bug Canal meet. The town lies about east ...

. In December 1926 he was transferred back to 9th Legions Infantry Regiment, and in the period May 1929 – September 1931, he attended

Wyższa Szkoła Wojenna Higher War School (, WSWoj) was a higher military school of the Armed Forces of the Second Polish Republic, training and educating staff officers. In the years 1923–1939, the school was located in Warsaw at Koszykowa street 79. It was the most im ...

Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...

. After completing his officer course, he was chief of staff of the 4th Infantry Division, stationed in

Toruń Toruń is a city on the Vistula River in north-central Poland and a World Heritage Sites of Poland, UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its population was 196,935 as of December 2021. Previously, it was the capital of the Toruń Voivodeship (1975–199 ...

(1931–1934), and in 1934 – 36, he commanded 1st Rifle Battalion in

Chojnice Chojnice (; or ; or ) is a town in northern Poland with 38,789 inhabitants, as of June 2023, near the Tuchola Forest. It is the capital of the Chojnice County in the Pomeranian Voivodeship. Founded in , Chojnice is a former royal city of Poland ...

. Promoted to Lieutenant Colonel on 1 January 1935, Berek served at the

Polish General Staff Polish General Staff, formally known as the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces ( Polish: ''Sztab Generalny Wojska Polskiego'') is the highest professional body within the Polish Armed Forces. Organizationally, it is an integral part of the M ...

(October 1936 – July 1939). A few weeks before the

, he was sent to

Jarosław Jarosław (; , ; ; ) is a town in southeastern Poland, situated on the San (river), San River. The town had 35,475 inhabitants in 2023. It is the capital of Jarosław County in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship. History Jarosław is located in the ...

, to command 3rd Legions' Infantry Regiment. Berek remained in his post until the capitulation of

Modlin Fortress Modlin Fortress () is one of the largest 19th-century fortresses in Poland. It is located in the town of Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki in district Modlin (village), Modlin on the Narew river, approximately 50 kilometers north of Warsaw. It was original ...

, on 29 September 1939 (see

Battle of Modlin A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...

). After the capitulation of Modlin, Berek was captured and spent World War II in an

Oflag An Oflag (from ) was a type of prisoner of war camp for Officer (armed forces), officers which the German Army (Wehrmacht), German Army established in World War I in accordance with the requirements of the Hague Conventions (1899 and 1907), 1899 ...

. Released in May 1945, he went first to Italy and then to Great Britain, settling in London. He was an active member of Polish emigree circles, in 1958 founding the ''Association of Polish

Philatelists Philately (; ) is the study of postage stamps and postal history. It also refers to the collection and appreciation of stamps and other philatelic products. While closely associated with stamp collecting and the study of postage, it is possible ...

'' in Great Britain. On 26 May 1978 Berek was named chairman of Supreme Audit Office in Exile, replacing

Władysław Zaleski Władysław is a Polish given male name, cognate with Vladislav. The feminine form is Władysława, archaic forms are Włodzisław (male) and Włodzisława (female), and Wladislaw is a variation. These names may refer to: People Mononym *Włodzis� ...

. On 15 May, following the decision of President in Exile Edward Raczyński, Berek became Minister of Military Affairs in the government of Prime Minister

Kazimierz Sabbat Kazimierz Aleksander Sabbat (27 February 1913 – 19 July 1989), was President of Poland-Polish government-in-exile, in-exile from 8 April 1986 until his death, 19 July 1989, after serving (from 1976) as Prime Minister of the Polish governm ...

. In 1983, Berek was promoted to Generał brygady. Jan Berek died on 18 June 1986 in London.

Awards

* Gold Cross of the

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, ...

, * Silver Cross of the Virtuti Militari (1921), * Cavalier'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 ...

, * Commander's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta, *

Cross of Valour (Poland) The Cross of Valour () is a Polish military decoration. It was introduced by the Council of National Defense on 11 August 1920. It is awarded to an individual who "has demonstrated deeds of valour and courage on the field of battle." It may be aw ...

, * Gold

Cross of Merit (Poland) A cross is a religious symbol consisting of two intersecting lines, usually perpendicular to each other. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally. A cross of oblique lines, in the shape of the Latin letter X, is termed a saltire in ...

Sources

* Tadeusz Kryska-Karski, Stanisław Żurakowski, Generałowie Polski niepodległej, Editions Spotkania, Warszawa 1991 {{DEFAULTSORT:Berek, Jan 1896 births 1986 deaths People from Nowy Sącz Military personnel of the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria Polish generals Knights of the Virtuti Militari Recipients of the Gold Cross of Merit (Poland) Recipients of the Cross of Valour (Poland) Prisoners of Oflag II-C Polish emigrants to the United Kingdom