The Roots of the Unit

The roots of the unit date back to November 1942. At that time, within the framework of the National Military Organization (NOW), which was subordinated to the National Party, Battalion „1427” was formed under the command of Lieutenant Jan Juszkiewicz „1427”. In 1942, most of the NOW units integrated with the Home Army (AK). A few months later, in agreement with the command of the Warsaw District of the AK, the NOW „Stolica” Grouping was created, which soon consisted of four battalions. One of these was Lieutenant Juszkiewicz’s Battalion „1427”. To provide lower-level cadres for the units, a Non-Commissioned Officers School was launched, followed soon by the Infantry Cadet School of NOW.

BATTALION „GUSTAW”

In connection with the incorporation of the „Stolica” Grouping into the mobilization plans of the Warsaw District of the AK, the unit was reorganized in November 1943. Lieutenant Juszkiewicz handed over his unit to Captain Ludwik Gawrych „1944”. The battalion was named „Gustaw”, and its new commander adopted this pseudonym. Before the outbreak of the Uprising, „Gustaw”, which became part of the 1st Region of the I District of AK Śródmieście as the II Grouping, consisted of four companies: „Grażyna” under Second Lieutenant Marian Krawczyk „Harnaś”, „Genowefa” under Second Lieutenant Mieczysław Ciopa „Marabut”, „Gertruda” under Lieutenant Jan Hermanowski „Włodzimierz”, and the Scout Company under Lieutenant Wojciech Pszczółkowski „Kostka”.