Pułkownik Kawalerii Edward Godlewski - IV komendant Okręgu Krakowskiego Armii Krajowej

Abstrakt

COLONEL EDWARD GODLEWSKI, THE 4TH COMMANDER OF KRAKÓW MILITARY DISTRICT OF THE HOME ARMY

Colonel Edward J.Godlewski, code-names ’’Garda”, ’Izabelka”, ’’Jerzy”, was born in 1895, in Harasimowicze, Poviate of Sokółka and died in May 1945, in Mauthausen.
He belonged to the pre-war elite cavalry corps of the Polish Army and from 1939 to 1944 he was one of the most prominent commanders of the National Armed Forces.
From 1915 he served in the Russian army, in various cavalry regiments. From autumn 1918, he was in the Polish detachment of the Russian Voluntary Army in Kubań and in the uhlan unit of the 4th Polish Shooters’ Division (Kubań, Noworosyjsk, Odessa, Besarabia). After having come back to Poland, he distinguished himself in the famous battle of Jazłowiec, in Buczacz Poviate, fought with the West-Ukrainian army from 10th to 13th July, 1919, and later also many times during the Polish-Soviet war in the years 1920-1921. In his own 14th Regiment of Jazłowiec Ulahns he was, among others, a section, squadron, and unit commander, as well as a deputy commander of the regiment. From 1930 to 1936 he conducted the 20th Regiment of Uhlans named after King John III Sobieski in Rzeszów. From 1936 to 1939 he was the commander of the 14th Regiment of Jazłowiec Uhlans in Lvov. He was also one of the heroes of the September Campaign in 1939. On September 19th, in the battle of Wólka Węglowa he opened the way to Warsaw for the scattered Armies ’’Poznań” and ’’Pomorze”. 

After the capitulation of the capital he did not become a German prisoner. In October 1939, together with Colonel Tadeusz Komorowski and Lieutenant-Colonel Klemens Rudnicki, he set up the Kraków Military Organisation referred to in documents as ’’Kaerge”. After the establishment of the Armed Fighting Union he became a secret double of the commander of the 4th Area - Kraków. In spring 1941, he was transferred to the Headquarters of the Armed Fighting Union in Warsaw. In December of the following year, he took over the position of the commander of the 2nd Area - Bialystok (Brześć, Nowogródek, Bialystok). In August 1943, he lost his wife, Ida (Izabella) neé Westermark, a soldier of the Home Army, code-name ”Iza”, who was shot by the Germans at Juraciszki near Lida. From June 1944 he was the commander of Kraków District of the Home Army. On July 25th, he was appointed the commander of the Operational Group ’’Kraków”. In the District of Kraków he supervised the operation ’’Burza” (’’Tempest”). He was in favour of partisan fighting. Arrested on 20th October 1944, he died in a Nazi concentration camp.
He was awarded a number of orders and distinctions, among others, the Virtuti Militari cross class IV and V, the Cross for Courage (four times) and the Independence Cross. He had two sons - Harold and Witold. His exemplary life and attitude, sacrifice in battle, dedication to the affairs of the Homeland and the responsibility for the life of the soldiers entrusted to his care and for the country contributed to his status of a prominent figure in the Polish Pantheon of National Heroes.