II RP, 1936. International Horse Competition
Envelope from the stationery of the Adjutant Adjutant to Polish President Ignacy Moscicki, who at the time was - with the rank of major of the 2nd Regiment of Podhale Riflemen - Jozef Hartman.
Hartman, however, went down in the history of the Polish military in a much more significant way. He was the "father of the cichociemni."
During World War II, he joined the Polish Armed Forces in the West and, together with two friends, convinced General Sikorski, the Commander-in-Chief, to create an elite unit trained in techniques of the type, designed to be flown secretly into Poland, in support of the Home Army. He received several training courses in diversionary techniques, the organization of clandestine warfare, sabotage, sniper shooting and parachute jumping from the British SIS. He himself could not return to Poland - he was too well-known as a long-time aide to Moscicki, the risk of deconspiration was too great - his photos were even published by the pre-war press. "Instead of sending him to Poland, shoot him in the head at once. He will come out for one thing." - Sikorski was to say. So he was given the mission to train the Cichociemni.
From 1941 to 1943 he was commander of the Briggens underground combat course. From July 1942, he was commander of the Training Center of the Special Branch of the Supreme Commander's Staff (STS 43) at Audley End. He was also Head of the Training Division of the Supreme Commander's Staff and Head of the Division in the Special Branch of the NW Staff. From July 1944, he was deputy chief of Branch VI (Special) of the Supreme Commander's Staff. He was also head of the Polish section of the British Special Operations Executive, a section of the Secret Intelligence Service which, among other things, assigned tasks to Home Army intelligence.
He actively participated in the training of ALL the cichociemni. He was commonly referred to as the "father of the cichociemni," and by the cichociemni themselves called "Dad" because of his paternal attitude.
He spoke poignantly about his pupils: "All of our and my "self-selected" boys - the most beautiful flower of the army - were a different, extraordinary army! But their bands never stood at the assembly in its entirety, they did not parade to the sound of orchestras. They didn't receive a banner, they didn't have their day of celebration, and they didn't go into battle as a whole troop! "The self-selected" entered combat action individually, losing their previous civilian and soldier personality in the process. Death lurked for them from the moment they broke away from English soil, accompanied them long on their own soil, and when it reached them it was cruel!
He had a habit of planting a rose bush in front of his house whenever he learned of the death of any of the Cichociemni.
He finished his military service with the rank of colonel.
More about Jozef Hartman: https: //pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Józef_Hartman
