Place of insurgents’ battles between 1 and 3 August, 1944 on the border between Legionowo and Chotomów in the vicinity of railway tracks
One of the main tasks set out by command of the Home Army to the troops of the 1st Region of “Marianowo-Brzozów” (the area
covering approximately current Legionowo County) was to block – on the outbreak of the Warsaw Uprising – all the railways and roads leading to Warsaw.
On August 1, about 6 p.m., near the border between Legionowo and Chotomów, the Railway Engineer Regiment patrol of Sgt Stanislaw Czarmacki alias “Czort” disconnected and mined the railway tracks. This led to the derailment of the technical German military train, which was accompanied by an ambulance train. The German garrison, shelled by the insurgents, withdrew in the direction of Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki. The Boy Scouts and the Girl Scouts from the Chotomów “Grey Ranks” organization (Szare Szeregi) conducted an operation of transferring medical equipment from the derailed ambulance train to subsequent field hospitals in Chotomów and Legionowo.
On August 3, 1944, a German armoured train arrived from the direction of Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki with two infantry companies. The Nazis attacked the insurgent positions commanded by Lt Stefan Krasinski alias “Kacper”. A local front line was formed, stretching several kilometres, from Olszewnica to the “Bagno” forest. After several hours of heavy fighting, the Germans finally retreated. This was the most serious armed clash within the 1st Region of “Marianowo-Brzozów”. The insurgents managed to hold their position and maintained the sector of the front line, however, at the cost of their commander’s and of several soldiers’ lives; many insurgents were injured.
In view of the military offensive withheld by the Soviet Army and in view of the concentration of German troops in Jabłonna, as well high risk to the civilian population, the Commander of the 1st Region, Lt Col Roman Kłoczkowski alias “Grosz”, on August 4, 1944, declared the end of the fighting in the town, as well as the partial demobilization and withdrawal of the remaining insurgent troops to the forests.
On August 1, about 6 p.m., near the border between Legionowo and Chotomów, the Railway Engineer Regiment patrol of Sgt Stanislaw Czarmacki alias “Czort” disconnected and mined the railway tracks. This led to the derailment of the technical German military train, which was accompanied by an ambulance train. The German garrison, shelled by the insurgents, withdrew in the direction of Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki. The Boy Scouts and the Girl Scouts from the Chotomów “Grey Ranks” organization (Szare Szeregi) conducted an operation of transferring medical equipment from the derailed ambulance train to subsequent field hospitals in Chotomów and Legionowo.
On August 3, 1944, a German armoured train arrived from the direction of Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki with two infantry companies. The Nazis attacked the insurgent positions commanded by Lt Stefan Krasinski alias “Kacper”. A local front line was formed, stretching several kilometres, from Olszewnica to the “Bagno” forest. After several hours of heavy fighting, the Germans finally retreated. This was the most serious armed clash within the 1st Region of “Marianowo-Brzozów”. The insurgents managed to hold their position and maintained the sector of the front line, however, at the cost of their commander’s and of several soldiers’ lives; many insurgents were injured.
In view of the military offensive withheld by the Soviet Army and in view of the concentration of German troops in Jabłonna, as well high risk to the civilian population, the Commander of the 1st Region, Lt Col Roman Kłoczkowski alias “Grosz”, on August 4, 1944, declared the end of the fighting in the town, as well as the partial demobilization and withdrawal of the remaining insurgent troops to the forests.