Karol Turkiewicz

Member of Pilsudski's Legion

I was born in Gródek Jagiellonski , in Lwow Distctrict, on 28 January 1897. I attended schools in Lwow. Between 1913 and 1914, I was a member of “Strzelec” in Gródek Jagiellonski. In 1914, before the World War, I was forced by my family circumstances (death of my father) to move permanently to Lwow where I also joined “Strzelec”.

After the outbreak of the World War, being the sole provider for my widowed mother and my 5 younger brothers, I remained in Lwow. In 1915, after the Austrian army returned to Lwow, I was conscripted into the Austrian army and sent to the Russian front in Krzemieniec, where I stayed until 11916. In June 1916 I was taken prisoner by the Russians.

In October 1917, being an Austrian prisoner of war, I joined the 1st Company of the Polish Army of the Kamieniec Unit in Kamieniec Podolski, commanded by Cpt. Waclaw Malinowski. There I took an active part in the organization of the company by recruiting 11 Polish prisoners of war and several Polish soldiers from the Russian army.

In February 1918, after the 2nd Brigade of the Polish Legions crossed the Austrian front line to Ukraine, our company joined the Brigade and was incorporated as the 6th Company, which was initially under the command of Lieutenant Stawacz and then Captain Waclaw Malinowski.

While we were marching through Ukraine, I took part in several skirmishes with the Austrian and German troops occupying that part of Ukraine. When our brigade arrived in Sorak, we were incorporated into the 2nd Corps of the Polish Army and our regiment was renamed 14th Rifles Regiment.

From Sorak we went on to Kaniow, where I took an active part in the fight with the Germans as the commander of the squad, first at Kozin and then at the village of Jamczycha, where I was injured and then, following the disarmament of the Second Corps of the Polish Army by the Germans, I was taken prisoner and sent to Gistrow in Pomerania.

I stayed there until December 1918. In December 1918. I returned to Poland and was assigned to the military police for the Ukrainian front in Lwow. In 1921, after demobilization, I joined the National Police in Drohobycz as an intelligence officer for political affairs, and then I moved to the headquarters of Woj. PP in Lutsk, in Wolyn, where I worked until 31 October 1925, on which date I was dismissed at my own request, and on 1 November 1925 I was admitted as a clerk to the Public Prosecutor's Office of the District Court, where I have been working since.

Medals and awards:

1) Commemorative Medal for the 1918-1921 War.

2) Medal of the Decade of the Regained Independence.

3) The Cross of Kaniow (number 1494), awarded by the II Corps.

Description of the ideological work for independence carried out in in the following organizations: “Związek Walki Czynnej”, “Strzelec” :

1. “Strzelec” in Gródek Jagielloński - from August 1913 till March 1914 – under the command of Stanislaw Le Bouton. W 1913 I took part in a shooting exercise in Dawidów, under the command of the late commander in chief, Marshal Jozef Pilsudski.

2. “Strzelec” in Lwow, at Żułkiewska Street, from March 1914 till August 1917.

3) From October 1917 to February 1918 - 1st Company of the Polish Army of the Kamieniec Unit in Kamieniec Podolski, under the command of Cpt. Waclaw Malinowski. There I took an active part in recruiting volunteers.

4) 1st Platoon of 6th Company of the Polish Legions - from February 1918 to April 1918. With that formation that I was involved in several skirmishes with the Austrians and the Germans.

5) 1st Platoon of 6th Company of 14th Rifle Regiment of the Second Corps of the Polish Army - from April 1918 until May 1918 (the second in command was Captain Waclaw Malinowski). With that formation I took part in the battles of Kozin and the village of Jamczycka as the commander of the squad. It was there in May 1918 that I sustained a leg injury on 11 May 1918 and was taken as prisoner of war by the Germans. I remained a prisoner until 15 December 1918.

signed: Karol Turkiewicz
Równe, 23rd April 1937