Kazimierz Juliusz Tadeusz Dworak was born on 7 January 1895 in Rzeszow, Poland. He completed two semesters of law studies at the Jagiellonian University in Cracow, Poland. In 1917, he graduated from the Military Academy in Vienna.

 

During World War I, he was drafted to serve in the Austrian army as a cavalry officer on the Italian front, where he was taken captive. In 1918, he enlisted for the army cavalry of Jozef Haller. As a lieutenant, he was deputy commander of a squadron formed in Lamardia di Chivasso near Turin. He then led a squadron in the 3rd Szwolezer Regiment, after which he was sent to a 2-month staff officer course.

 

During the Polish-Bolshevik war, he was a Staff Officer in the 12th Infantry Division.

 

In 1921, he attended a course for higher commanders in France. In 1923, he served as a referent in the General Inspectorate and attended the graduating course of the Military College. In 1924, he was promoted to Major of the General Staff and then became the Chief of Staff of the VI Autonomous Cavalry Brigade and then Commander of the 9th squadron of the Lancers Regiment. In 1927, he worked in the Cavalry Department of the Ministry of Military Affairs, after which he became the Chief of Staff of the 2nd Cavalry Division. In 1932, he was Deputy Commander of the 15th Lancers Regiment, and was then promoted to a Lieutenant Colonel, and later to Colonel.

 

In the spring of 1937, the 24th Lancers Regiment and the 10th Mounted Rifle Regiment was motorized to form the 10th Cavalry Brigade. Kazimierz was sent to the Ministry, where he developed a manual on the use and operation of the motorized cavalry, which has become a fixture in the organization of training of motorized cavalry regiments.

 

In 1938, the 10th Cavalry Brigade took part in the operation of the Independent Operational Group "Silesia". Kazimierz oversaw the " Division" whose task was to occupy Bogumin. Kazimierz took part in the occupation of Jaworzyna Spiska in the Tatras.

 

As a Cmmander-in-Chief the 24th Lancers Regiment, Kazimierz fought in the September Campaign defending Jordanow, Rzeszow, and Chain. After eighteen days of fighting, the 24th Lancers Regiment together with the 10th crossed the Polish-Hungarian border and were interned. In order to prevent the interned regiment from disintegrating, Colonel Dworak refused to separate the officer staff from the sub-branches, introducing the camp rules he had developed.

 

Leaving on 1 December 1939, Colonel Kazimierz Dworak arrived in France, where he was the Deputy Commander of the 10th Armored-Motor Brigade, and then the Commander of the Polish Cavalry Reserve Center in France. After the fall of the French campaign, he made it to Great Britain, where he served as Deputy Commander of the 1st Armored Cavalry Brigade in Scotland. After the formation of the 1st Polish Armored Division he was appointed Commander of the 10th Brigade of the Armoured Cavalry. He was later appointed Deputy Commander of the 1st Polish Armoured Division. He went through the entire battle path from Normandy to Wilhelmshaven. In April 1945, he was transferred to the Polish Army Training Inspectorate and promoted to the rank of Brigade General.

 

For his participation in World War I and the War with Soviet Russia was awarded:

• Polish medals:

  • the Silver "Virtuti Militari" Cross

  • the Cross of Valour (twice)

• French medals :

  • l’Ordre de l’Etoille Noire, the Croix de Guerre

  • the Medaille Interalliée de la Victoire 1914–1918

• Romanian :

  • The Romanian Order

 

 

For the September 1939 Campaign and World War 2, he was awarded:

• Polish medals:

  • the Gold "Virtuti Militari" Cross

  • the gold Cross of Merit

• Belgian medals :

  • the Comandeur de l’Ordre de la Curonne avec Palme

• British medals :

  • the Commander of the Order of the British Empire

• French medals :

  • the French Croix de Guarre avec Palm

  • the Chevalier de l' Ordre National de la Legion d'Honneur

  • the Médaille Commemorative de la Guerre 1939-1945

 

After the war he initially stayed in Edinburgh and then in the 1950s he moved to London. At the beginning of 1954, he was partially paralyzed due to an infection, and he spent a few months in a London hospital where he died on 3 September 1954 at the age of 59 years.

 

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Copyright: Dworak family

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