Witalis Waldemar Skorupka (pseudonym "Orzeł" in the Siedlce Home Army, and prisoner at Strzelecka 8) was born on 16 February 1923 in Sokółka, Poland. He was a senior sergeant of the Kedyw Main Command of the Home Army (AK), pp 8. Infantry Division.

 

At the end of September 1939. he was captured by the Germans but escaped from the prison camp in Królewec. In May 1941, he took part in sabotage operations in Siedlce and the entire district. When AK troops were disarmed, Witalis - wanting to avoid arrest - left for Białystok.

 

According to the order received from Major J. Ponikowski "Czorta", as the commander of the self-defence and sabotage-diversion group of the Siedlce district, he was sent to Warsaw to support the group in carrying out expropriation actions.

 

On 6 August 1945, Witalis Skorupka received an order to at the Paderewski Park. The goal was an action to fund the Municipal Electricity Office in Warsaw. As a result of a chase by the power plant's security guards, Skorupka was captured and handed over to UBP with a shot right lung.

 

Witalis was imprisoned in cell #1. On 9 November 1945 Vitalis Skorupka was sentenced by the Military Court of the Warsaw District to the death penalty, deprivation of public and civil rights, as well as the loss of all his property. By the decision of president K.R.N.B. on 30 November 1945, he was pardoned - the death penalty was changed to 10 years in prison with 5 years deprivation of public and civil rights.

 

Witalis Skorupka ended up in the Warsaw-Prague Prison. On 4 January 1946 he was transferred to the Penal Prison in Wronki. He was twice penalized for possession of illegal items. In 1947 an amnesty bill reduced the sentence to 6 years and 8 months. Until release from prison on 7 September 1952, he was in the Central Labor Camp in Potulice and in the Bydgoszczy-Fordon Penitentiary.

 

Promoted to the rank of Colonel in 2016, Witalis wrote his memories “Ja Orzeł. Z Kedywu do celi śmierci” (translates as: I, the Eagle, from Kedywu to the cel of death)

 

​

​

Source: Institute of National Remembrance Facebook post

Translated from Polish

​

​