Walerian Czuma
General Walerian Czuma | |
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Polish-Bolshevik War, Polish Defensive War | |
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Walerian Czuma (24 December 1890 – 7 April 1962) was a Polish
general and military commander. He is notable for his command over a Polish unit in Siberia during the Russian Civil War, and the commander of the defence of Warsaw during the siege in 1939
.
Biography
At the outbreak of
Polish 5th Rifle Division
.
After the collapse of
Polish Army
.
From 1922 he served as the commanding officer of the
Lwów
.
After the outbreak of the
Edward Śmigły-Rydz ordered the creation of an improvised Command of the Defence of Warsaw (Dowództwo Obrony Warszawy) and Czuma became its commander. He commanded all the units fighting in the Siege of Warsaw, for which he was awarded the Virtuti Militari
medal.
On 28 September 1939, Czuma was taken
communist authorities deprived him of Polish citizenship and Czuma chose to remain an emigre in the United Kingdom, where he died at Penley near Wrexham in 1962. He was initially buried at Wrexham Cemetery but in July 2004 his remains and those of his brother Władysław were moved to Powązki Cemetery in Warsaw.[1]
He is an uncle of Andrzej Czuma, Polish politician.
Military awards
He received several of the highest military awards of the Allied countries, including:
- Polish Virtuti Militari (3rd, 4th and 5th class)
- Polish Cross of Independence with Swords
- Cross of Valour (four times)
- Polonia Restituta(4th class)
- Gold Cross of Merit
- Commander of the Légion d'honneur(France)
- Grand Cross of Leopold[clarification needed] (Belgium)
References
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| National | |
