Battalion “Zośka” before the Uprising

The “Zośka” Battalion was a combat unit for special tasks, formed within the underground scout organization Szare Szeregi (SzSz), which during World War II continued the pre-war Organization of Scouts of the Polish Scouting Association. Soldiers of the “Zośka” Battalion represented the oldest age group of SzSz (over 17), operating under the name of Assault Groups (GS). Even before the formation of this unit, scouts from GS participated in diversionary combat, with weapons in hand, as part of the Special Unit “Jerzy,” commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Ryszard Białous, a.k.a. “Jerzy.” This detachment became renowned for many armed actions, most notably the liberation of Scoutmaster Jan Bytnar, a.k.a. “Rudy,” near the Arsenal in Warsaw (March 26, 1943). This action—made famous in the book “Stones for the Rampart” and the film “Operation Arsenal,” directed by Jan Łomnicki—became legendary and served as the ideological foundation for the activities of the later “Zośka” Battalion.