Witold Pilecki

Witold Pilecki
Witold Pilecki
	Pilecki in a colorized pre-1939 photo
Born	13 May 1901; Olonets, Olonets Governorate (Karelia). Russian Empire
Died	25 May 1948 (aged 47); Mokotów Prison, Warsaw, Polish People's Republic
Buried at	Unknown; possibly in Powązki Cemetery
Allegiance	Second Polish Republic; Polish Government in Exile
Years of service	1918–1947
Rank	Captain, Cavalry master
Commands held	Commander of the 1st Lidsky Squadron (1932–1937); Deputy Commander of the 41st Infantry Division (1939); Organizer of the Secret Polish Army (1939–1940); Organizer of the Union of Military Organizations (1940–1943); Commander of the Warszawianka Company (1944);
Battles/wars	Polish–Soviet War Wilno Offensive (1919); Kiev Offensive (1920); First Battle of Grodno (1920); Battle of Warsaw (1920); Polish-Lithuanian War Żeligowski's Mutiny (1920); World War II September Campaign (1939); Warsaw Uprising (1944);
Awards	Order of the White Eagle; Order of Polonia Restituta; Cross of Valour (2); Silver Cross of Merit;

Witold Pilecki (13 May 1901 – 25 May 1948) was a Polish resistance leader against Nazi Germany during World War II. He was also a spy, and cavalry officer. He was a captain in the Polish Army during World War II and the Polish-Soviet War. He was also one of the creators of the Secret Polish Army, which was a resistance group in German-occupied Poland. He was the writer of Witold's Report, the first spy report on Auschwitz, a German concentration camp, and the Holocaust.^[1] His religion was Roman Catholic, a Christian group.^[2]

During World War II, Pilecki signed up to be jailed in Auschwitz, a German concentration camp, to tell the Allies about what is inside, and then escape.^[3] While inside the camp, he created a rebellion and told the Allies about the terrible things happening in Auschwitz as early as 1941.^[4] He escaped from the camp in 1943.^[5] He was a soldier in the Warsaw Uprising, which was an attack to free Warsaw from Nazi Germany. He was arrested in 1947 by Soviet secret police, and killed by them in 1948. Knowledge of the killing was kept secret until 1989, when Poland revealed his death.^[6]^[7]

References

↑ Marco Patricelli, Il volontario, Laterza, Roma 2010,
↑ The Book Heaven, The man who volunteered for Auschwitz: the greatest story never told, Stanford University. Posted 10 June 2012.
↑ Paliwoda, D (2013). "Captain Witold Pilecki". Military Review. 93 (6): 88–96 – via ProQuest.
↑ M. Patricelli, cit., pp.53-180.
↑ M. Patricelli, cit., pp. 181-202.
↑ Tchorek 2009
↑ Piekarski 1990, p. 249

[1] Marco Patricelli, Il volontario, Laterza, Roma 2010,

[The_man_who_volunteered_for_Auschwitz:_the_greatest_story_never_told2-2] The Book Heaven, The man who volunteered for Auschwitz: the greatest story never told, Stanford University. Posted 10 June 2012.

[3] Paliwoda, D (2013). "Captain Witold Pilecki". Military Review. 93 (6): 88–96 – via ProQuest.

[4] M. Patricelli, cit., pp.53-180.

[5] M. Patricelli, cit., pp. 181-202.

[tch-6] Tchorek 2009

[eh-7] Piekarski 1990, p. 249

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