Tadeusz Zawadzki

Tadeusz Leon Józef Zawadzki ( Polish : ; born on January 24, 1921, in Warsaw; died on August 20, 1943, in Sieczychy), alias "Kajman", "Kotwicki", "Lech Pomarańczowy", "Tadeusz", or "Zośka", was a Polish scout instructor, scoutmaster, Home Army second lieutenant, commander of assault groups in Warsaw, one of the protagonists of Aleksander Kamiński's book Kamienie na szaniec.

Zawadzki was born on January 24, 1921, in Warsaw as a son of Józef Zawadzki, a chemist engineer, professor, dean of the Faculty of Chemistry and rector of the Warsaw University of Technology, and later vice-rector of the secret Warsaw University of Technology, who was active in the Union of Retaliation under the alias "Juliusz", and Leona née Siemieńska, a teacher and educational activist.

Zawadzki was born in a tenement house at 58 Piękna Street.

In the mid-1930s, the family moved to a flat on the ground floor of the so-called Professors' House at 75 Koszykowa Street, which was a part of the Polytechnic's buildings complex.

During summer the Zawadzki family often stayed in their house at Queen Hedwig Street 11 in Zalesie Dolne.

Tadeusz Zawadzki began his studies at the Private School of the Society of the Mazovian School at Klonowa Street 16.

In September 1933, he began his education at Stefan Batory State Gymnasium in Warsaw.

In "Batory", Zawadzki continued his education in high school, in a class with mathematical and physical profile.

Later soldiers of Warsaw Assault Groups: Jan Bytnar, Aleksy Dawidowski and Jan Wuttke studied in the same class.

From the Autumn of 1933, Zawadzki was a member of the 23rd Warsaw Scouting Team "Bolesław Chrobry", called the "Orangery".

He passed his Matura exam at the end of May 1939.

After the outbreak of the war, he left Warsaw to the east on September 6 as a member of the scouting marching Warsaw Banner.

Zawadzki was active in the underground structures since October 1939, and when the scouts from the 23rd WDH formed the so-called War Orangery in 1941, he was elected commander of it under the alias "Lech Pomarańczowy" (Orange Lech).

At the same time, in December 1939 and January 1940, he took part in the activities of small sabotage of a secret left-wing organization Polish People's Independence Action.

From January to July 1940, he was a courier in the prison cell of the ZWZ (organized by Captain Zygmunt Hempel and Halina Starczewska-Chorążyna, later headed by Kazimierz Gorzkowski).

Probably at that time, due to the significant burden of organizational duties, he had to stop his education from 1940 onwards.

Zawadzki studied at the State School of Machine Building – acting openly in place of the State Higher School of Machine and Electrical Engineering in Warsaw named after H. Wawelberg and S. Rotwand.

In March 1941, together with his team, Zawadzki entered the Grey Ranks and took command over the Upper Mokotów Troup in the South District of the Warsaw Banner.

This troup immediately joined the "Wawer" Small Sabotage Organization, in which "Zośka" was the commander of the Upper Mokotow District in the South District.

At that time Tadeusz was one of the most outstanding executors of some of the most famous actions of small sabotage.

For the largest number of "anchors" painted in his district, he was awarded the honorary title "Kotwicki" (Anchor-man) by the Commander-in-Chief of "Wawer" Aleksander Kamiński.

Together with his troup, he also participated in the "N" Action (subversive propaganda in German conducted by BiP KG AK).

After graduating from the Petty Scoutmaster Course (" The School behind the Forest") in May–June 1942, he received the rank of petty scoutmaster and the instructor pseudonym "Kajman" on August 15, 1942.

On September 13, 1942, he organized all-day field exercises for his troop in the Chojnowski Forest near Warsaw.

As a result of the reorganization of the Warsaw Banner of the Grey Ranks in November 1942, under the alias "Tadeusz", Zawadzki became the troup leader of the "Center" hive, the commander of the Warsaw Banner Assault Groups (consisting of 4 troops), and at the same time the deputy of Lieutenant Ryszard Białous "Jerzy" – military commander of the GS, i.e. the Special Unit "Jerzy", one of the dispatching units of Home Army Kedyw (Directorate of Diversion) which established at that time.

From 1942 Zawadzki studied at the Faculty of Chemistry of the Higher State Technical School – i.e. the secret Warsaw University of Technology.

After graduating from the Substitute Course of the Officers' School of Infantry Reserves, in January 1943 he was appointed the rank of officer cadet.

In the last days of April 1943, at his father's request, Zawadzki wrote a short report describing the activity of "Orangery" and the Grey Ranks, as well as the course of events during Operation Arsenal.

It became the basis for Aleksander Kamiński's book Kamienie na szaniec [Stones for the Ramaprt].

He was arrested accidentally at the end of June or the beginning of July 1943, and spent a week or two in a correction labor camp at Gęsia Street ("The Goose house").

After completing his first scouting course (May–June), he was awarded the title of scoutmaster on August 15, 1943.

At that time he was appointed second lieutenant of the infantry reserve.

He died in an attack on the watchtower of Grenzschutzpolizei in Sieczychy near Wyszków on the night of August 20–21, 1943, taking part in the "Tape" action as an observer.

His name was given to the Home Army Battalion of the Grey Ranks – the Zośka Battalion.