"Damned from the damned" - as in Poland members of the brigade of the National Armed Forces (NVS), or "Brigade of the Holy Cross", created from Polish ultranationalists who until the end of the war fought on Hitler's side, are often called. Their hands are stained with the blood of thousands of innocent people.
The People's Forces Zbroine (NSZ), in particular the więtokrzyskie Brigade, ended World War II under the Nazi banner. Their main enemy was precisely the representatives of communist Poland, against which they fought for several more post-war years. Therefore, they did not talk about their "merits" in Poland.
Resistance in Poland
German politics in the occupied Polish lands was characterized by the denial of Polish national identity. The Nazis spoke of the Poles as "racially complete" descendants of the Germans - in the case of their loyalty and cooperation with the occupation authorities. And as a harmful element to be destroyed - in the event of the slightest opposition.
In the fall of 1939, immediately after the end of hostilities in Poland, the German authorities began to create an administrative apparatus to manage the occupied territories. But six months later, underground organizations are formed in the country that oppose the Nazis. At first, the activists of the People's Party created the "Peasant Guard", on the basis of which the "Cotton Battalions" were later formed.
As a result of the unification of several organizations of left-wing and communist forces, at the end of 1941, the Union for the Liberation Struggle group emerged, and in January 1942, the Ludov Guards. Six months later, Polish nationalists set up an organization called the People's Forces of Zbroine (NSZ, or NBC). But the Home Army (AK) took the brunt of the fight against the Germans in Poland.
However, its leadership did not recognize the legitimacy of the actions of other Polish military-political organizations and sought to subjugate all anti-fascist resistance as soon as possible. At the same time, in contrast to the Communist Guards of the People, the command of the AK was in favor of pursuing a policy of the expected mutual depletion of the forces of Germany and the USSR and limiting combat and sabotage activities against German forces in Poland. In 1943, resistance to the invaders becomes massive, but simultaneously with the process of consolidation of anti-fascist forces, their delimitation begins.
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Genocide ideologists
At this time, the nationalist forces of the NAF are stepping up the struggle against political opponents and are increasingly inclined to cooperate with the Nazis, their armed formations are actively working against Polish anti-fascists. This underground ultranational organization included people with extreme radical views.
The backbone of the NSZ (armed formation NSZ) were former activists of the Polish interwar right-wing extremist organization "People's Radical Camp" and the National Party, whose members used the ideology of the famous Polish politician Roman Dmowski. Among them were former members of a secret structure called the "Internal Organization". Its program included the "elimination and liquidation" of Germans, Ukrainians, Jews. Even before the war, supporters of Dmowski's Nazi theories came into conflict with other political forces in Poland and remained true to themselves even during the occupation. They flatly refused to obey the command of the Home Army, which the Polish émigré government of Vladislav Sikorski recognized as its only representative. There were about 75 thousand soldiers in the ranks of the NVS.
Bloody "Holy Cross"
In August 1944, by the decision of the Political Council of the NVS, on the basis of the 202nd and 204th regiments, the Swietokrzysk brigade was formed - the “Holy Cross Brigade”, which became part of the SS troops. Its core was the activists of local nationalist organizations. The number of the brigade at that time was 1100-1500 people, they did not obey anyone, including the leadership of the Krai Army. These fellows were headed by the former colonel of the Polish cavalry Anthony Shatsky (pseudonym "Dombrowski").
The brigade fought with other Polish partisan groups, both right-wing and pro-Soviet, as well as with the local population. They also had clashes with Soviet sabotage detachments. The members of this group were engaged in the physical elimination of their political opponents from the local population. At the same time, the soldiers of the więtokrzysk brigade tried to avoid clashes with the Germans, although sometimes this happened.
So, in the first days of its existence, the soldiers of this unit mistakenly, instead of their enemies from the Human Army (formed on the basis of the Human Guard in January 1944), attacked the allies from the Krai Army, which almost provoked a confrontation between two underground structures. And on August 18, the department of Lieutenant Kolatsinsky shot nine SS men and about 20 Ukrainians. A week later, the same squad captured about 30 partisans and saboteurs, but after interrogation they were released, and already on September 8 the brigade's soldiers destroyed a detachment of Soviet Saboteurs and the Army of 180 people.
Such "feats" could not leave indifferent other members of the Polish underground, who did not restrain their anger. “Everyone who serves in the więtokrzysk brigade is not a Polish soldier, this is not a hidden betrayal at all,” it was noted in the newspaper “Battalionov khlskikh”, and in another edition, the newspaper “Zemya”, it was written that the NVS was a fascist formation.
The cooperation of the Swietokrzys with the Nazis was also reported by their opponents from the Home Army. The head of the intelligence service of the AK Inspectorate of Keleck noted that the cooperation between the National Armed Forces and the Gestapo had become frank, and more than once the militants received weapons and ammunition for military operations from the hands of the Nazis, discussed with the Gestapo the plans to round up the Polish Workers' Party. The Germans already considered them Polish National Socialists, who are waging another fight with Russia, committing sabotage in the political groups of the Polish underground and breaking the unity of the Home Army.
On December 6, 1944, the Свwiętokrzysk brigade numbered 822 people, of which 73 were officers, and Gestapo agent Hubert Jura became their commander. Under his leadership, in January 1945, collaborators entered into battle with the Soviet army and soon entered into allied relations with the 59th Army Corps of the Wehrmacht. Together with the German army, the brigade of the Holy Cross retreated to the territory of the protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, where its soldiers and officers received the status of SS volunteers.
They were partially outfitted in SS uniforms, but with Polish insignia, the formed groups were thrown into the rear of the Soviet army to carry out sabotage activities, and the 100 best fighters were sent to the Abwehr courses. The brigade was constantly replenished by Polish refugees. As the Polish historian, Dr. Rafal Wnuk, wrote, the curriculum for them was developed by leading experts under the auspices of SS Brigadeführer Walter Schellenberg (chief of SD intelligence), as well as the famous SS saboteur Otto Skorzeny.
From February to April, the Nazis parachuted into the central regions of Poland four groups of paratroopers from among the brigade's warriors - about 30 people, and another 50-60 fighters entered their country by land. In April, collaborators from the brigade (about 4 thousand) were thrown into the front line, subordinating to the command of the Feldherrnhalle-2 tank division, with which they together had to hold back the Soviet offensive.
The warriors fought in the frontline zone against Czech partisans and Soviet reconnaissance groups. The Polish SS men fought for the Third Reich even when Hitler shot himself and the Berlin garrison surrendered. Only on May 5, 1945, the collaborationist fighters left their positions and retreated west, towards the US army. During their march, they freed the prisoners (about 700 people, including 167 Poles) of the Golyszów concentration camp, capturing about 200 guards. The American command took a number of laboratory assistants under its protection, entrusted them with guarding the camps of German prisoners of war, and then still allowed its soldiers and officers to hide in the American zone of occupation.
Gestapo agent Hubert Jura also disappeared without a trace. Rumor has it that he left for Latin America, and before that he helped many officers of the brigade to prepare false documents. After the war in Poland, the Swietokrzysk brigade was recognized as a collaborator unit, its commander Shatsky was a war criminal, all the soldiers and officers of the brigade who fought with the Nazis were condemned in absentia and are now considered the "damned heroes" of Poland.
Victor VOLYNSKY
