The 62nd Infantry Regiment was a unit of the and the Polish Armed Forces. It was established in 1919 during the period of Poland's independence after World War I.
Initially formed from veterans of the Greater Poland Uprising, the regiment was stationed in the city of Bydgoszcz. The regiment played a significant role in the Polish–Soviet War, participating in key battles such as those at Warsaw and the Polish defensive line in 1920. It was also involved in various military and administrative actions throughout the interwar period. As the German invasion of Poland began on 1 September 1939, the regiment was engaged in defensive actions in the Bydgoszcz region. It faced heavy combat during the Battle of the Bzura before being forced to retreat.
The regiment was tragically affected by the Katyn massacre during World War II, with many of its soldiers falling victim to Soviet executions.
Formation and organizational changes The 8th Greater Poland Rifle Regiment was formed in March 1919 during the Greater Poland uprising. It was created from volunteer units fighting on the front lines, drawn from Pleszew and Środa Wielkopolska, as well as the reserve battalion of the 12th Rifle Regiment. Some of its soldiers had been involved in combat since the beginning of the uprising in Poznań on 27 December 1918.
On 17 January 1920, following the integration of the into the structures of the Polish Armed Forces, the regiment was renumbered as the "62nd Infantry Regiment". On 20 January 1920, in accordance with the provisions of the Treaty of Versailles, the regiment entered Bydgoszcz.
Subsequently, the regiment participated in the Polish–Soviet War, engaging in significant battles such as the fight for Berdychiv and achieving independent victories in battles near Glinianka and Zambrów. The anniversary of the fight for Zambrów, celebrated on 26 April, was designated as the regiment's official holiday.
In December 1919, the regiment's reserve battalion was stationed in Wągrowiec.
Regiment in border conflicts On 25 April 1920, the 15th Infantry Division, concentrated along the Sluch river, began an assault. The division marched along both sides of the Shepetivka-Polonne-Berdychiv-Koziatyn railway line. The right wing was formed by General group, which included the 61st and 62nd Infantry Regiments. This group was tasked with advancing toward Berdychiv. On 26 April, the Greater Poland regiments approached Berdychiv and attacked the railway station, which was defended by units of the 44th Rifle Division. The resistance was quickly broken, and by evening, the entire city was under Polish control.
After securing Berdychiv, the 62nd Infantry Regiment advanced through Koziatyn towards Pykowec. Near Pastuchy, the regiment cut off the retreat of a Soviet supply column, which had been escorting the 44th Rifle Division's retreating forces from Berdychiv. After a brief exchange of fire, the demoralized Soviet soldiers surrendered their weapons.
On 17 August, General , commander of the 15th Infantry Division, ordered the 62nd Infantry Regiment to reinforce with the 5th Battery of the 15th Greater Poland Light Artillery Regiment and reposition to Glinianka. The lead unit, the 1st Battalion under Lieutenant Teofil Lorek, reached Glinianka by evening. His 3rd Company secured the camp, and the rest of the battalion took up quarters in the village. At around 10:00 PM, Soviet forces, retreating from Warsaw, launched a surprise attack on the village. The 1st Battalion was pushed out of Glinianka, losing their entire convoy and two machine guns.
After regrouping, the battalion commander led a counterattack and recaptured the village. During the assault, Sergeant Jan Koper and four privates were killed. An hour later, another Soviet attack was launched from the Glinianka manor, and the Polish forces were again driven out. Lieutenant Lorek, with his remaining forces, decided to bypass the village from the south and rejoin the main regiment. A group of infantrymen from various units remained behind, taking positions to the north of Glinianka, where they used machine guns to engage the enemy.
Meanwhile, the 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the 62nd Infantry Regiment were stalled by fire coming from the Glinianka manor. Colonel , the regimental commander, ordered an immediate assault on Glinianka with the 3rd Battalion and two companies from the 2nd Battalion. He also reinforced the 1st Battalion with a reconnaissance unit. Near Wola Karczewska, Lieutenant Lorek's battalion attacked a Soviet cavalry unit, scattering them and inflicting heavy losses.
At dawn on 18 August, the main forces of the 62nd Infantry Regiment launched an attack on Glinianka from the west. The assault was preceded by an artillery barrage from 19 machine guns and 5 batteries of the 15th Field Artillery Regiment, directed by Second Lieutenant . The 3rd Battalion, led by Lieutenant , was the first to strike. Taking advantage of the confusion among the enemy, Lieutenant Lorek's 1st Battalion attacked the manor from the south. Surprised by the two-pronged attack, the Soviets offered weak resistance, and after a bayonet charge, the Poles captured the manor and the nearby battery. As the enemy began surrendering en masse, the 4th Company, which had been securing the assault, completed the encirclement, allowing only a few Soviet soldiers to escape from the trap.
Knights of Virtuti Militari Recipients of the Silver Cross of the War Order of Virtuti Militari for actions between the years 1919 and 1920: RankNameCorporalJulian AndjelewiczPrivateLeon BinekSergeantWacław DąbkiewiczLieutenantSergeantStanisław FrańczakSecond LieutenantMarian GłowackiColonelCorporalStanisław GryborczykPrivateStanisław JordanowskiLieutenantAdam KowalczykSecond LieutenantKazimierz KwiecińskiCaptainTeofil LorekSecond LieutenantLieutenantLieutenantStanisław PięknyCorporalLieutenantMaksymilian SikorskiLieutenantSecond LieutenantPrivateFranciszek Wasilewski
Regiment in peacetime
From 24 January 1920, the regiment was stationed in the , in the barracks named after General on Warszawska Street. It was part of the 15th Infantry Division.
On 17 April 1924, during grenade training at the training grounds, a tragic accident occurred. A grenade held by Corporal Antoni Jóźwiak prematurely exploded. The non-commissioned officer died 10 minutes later due to his injuries.
On 19 May 1927, the Minister of Military Affairs, Marshal of Poland Józef Piłsudski, established and approved 21 August as the regiment's holiday. The regiment celebrated its holiday on the anniversary of the capture of Zambrów in 1920. The holiday was celebrated for the first time in 1921.
On 30 March 1936, at the regiment's request, the Minister of Military Affairs changed the regiment's holiday date from 21 August to 26 April, marking the anniversary of the Battle of Berdychiv fought in 1920. In 1936, due to national mourning, the regiment celebrated its holiday "internally". On the eve of the holiday, a plaque listing the names of all fallen soldiers was unveiled on the regiment's memorial in the barracks. The plaque was funded by reserve officers of the 62nd Infantry Regiment.
Based on the executive order from the Ministry of Military Affairs to the Infantry Department implementing the peacetime organization of infantry, PS 10-50, in 1930, the Polish Armed Forces introduced three types of infantry regiments. The 62nd Infantry Regiment was classified as a Type II infantry regiment (reinforced). Each year, it received approximately 845 recruits. The regiment's personnel consisted of 68 officers and 1,900 non-commissioned officers and privates. During wartime, it was designated for the first wave of mobilization. In winter, it had two battalions of older recruits and a training battalion, while in summer, it comprised three rifle battalions. Its personnel strength exceeded that of a "normal" (Type I) regiment by between 400 and 700 soldiers. Personnel and organizational structure in March 1939PositionRank, nameCommand and quartermasterRegiment CommanderLieutenant Colonel Kazimierz Roman HeilmanFirst Deputy CommanderLieutenant Colonel Jan III SzewczykAdjutantCaptain Wojciech Adam NowakSenior DoctorMajor Doctor Julian ŻyromskiJunior DoctorLieutenant Piotr MakarewiczAt the commander's disposalMajor Leon MakarewiczSecond Deputy Commander (Quartermaster)Major Jan I GawrońskiMobilization OfficerCaptain Deputy Mobilization OfficerCaptain Tadeusz RomanowskiAdministrative and Material OfficerCaptain Roman MichońEconomic OfficerCaptain Stanisław MaruniakFood OfficerCorporal Jan DrgasWagon OfficerCaptain Władysław Lucjan LindnerBandmasterCaptain Stanisław IV GrabowskiCommunications Platoon CommanderCaptain Stanisław StawskiPioneer Platoon CommanderLieutenant Stefan TarnoInfantry Artillery Platoon CommanderCaptain Artillery Henryk Jan RysyAnti-Tank Platoon CommanderLieutenant Łukasz Konrad CieplińskiReconnaissance Unit CommanderLieutenant Jan Stachowiak1st battalionBattalion CommanderMajor Gustaw Sroczyński1st Company CommanderCaptain Jan KozłowskiPlatoon CommanderLieutenant Brunon Józef WestphalPlatoon CommanderLieutenant Władysław Bąkowski2nd Company CommanderCaptain Stefan DońcewPlatoon CommanderLieutenant Aleksander Ludwik BraciszewiczPlatoon CommanderLieutenant Adam Marian Kosicki3rd Company CommanderLieutenant Jan Czesław JeżewskiPlatoon CommanderLieutenant Jerzy Diaczyszyn1st Machine Gun Company CommanderCaptain Jan Antoni MurkocińskiPlatoon CommanderLieutenant Zbigniew HołyszewskiPlatoon CommanderLieutenant Kazimierz Piątkowski2nd battalionBattalion CommanderMajor Wojciech Antoni Gniadek4th Company CommanderCaptain Romuald Aleksander SokolińskiPlatoon CommanderLieutenant Fryderyk Leopold FischerPlatoon CommanderLieutenant Mieczysław Wieczorek5th Company CommanderCaptain Czesław Teofil CiechońskiPlatoon CommanderLieutenant Gwidon Józef HadrychPlatoon CommanderLieutenant Władysław Witek6th Company CommanderCaptain Władysław LiniarskiPlatoon CommanderLieutenant Mieczysław Sylwester ŁukasikPlatoon CommanderLieutenant Ludwik Matuszewski2nd Machine Gun Company CommanderCaptain Bolesław RassalskiPlatoon CommanderLieutenant Lucjan Kühn3rd battalionBattalion CommanderLieutenant Colonel Stanisław Boehm7th Company CommanderCaptain Bronisław BrzezińskiPlatoon CommanderLieutenant Leon SzyjkowskiPlatoon CommanderLieutenant Ryszard Mieczysław GocPlatoon CommanderLieutenant Edmund Wiznerowicz8th Company CommanderLieutenant Kazimierz Bronisław OrtylPlatoon CommanderCorporal Marian Dębosz9th Company CommanderCaptain Tadeusz Leopold MiedzianowskiPlatoon CommanderLieutenant Józef Andrzejewski3rd Machine Gun Company CommanderMajor Wojciech KrajewskiPlatoon CommanderLieutenant Kazimierz Stefan OrłowskiPlatoon CommanderLieutenant Lucjan MarkiewiczAttending courseLieutenant Antoni Edward PaweckiIn hospitalCaptain Józef II Drozd15th Infantry Division Reserve Officer Training CourseCourse CommanderMajor Kazimierz KruczkowskiRifle Platoon CommanderLieutenant Rudolf Franciszek FischerRifle Platoon CommanderLieutenant Aleksander Czesław MajorekRifle Platoon CommanderLieutenant Józef Kwit (61st Infantry Regiment)Machine Gun Platoon CommanderLieutenant Ludwik Marian Diehl (61st Infantry Regiment)62nd Military Service District "Kcynia"District Commanding OfficerMajor Infantry Władysław III PawłowskiDistrict Commander KcyniaCaptain (Infantry) Jan KaperekDistrict Commander SzubinCaptain Infantry Michał OlisiewiczDistrict Commander ŻninCaptain (Infantry) Jan CurzytekDistrict Commander ChodzieżCaptain (Infantry) Leon WojtyniakDistrict Commander WągrowiecCaptain Infantry Stefan Wałajtys
62nd Infantry Regiment in the September Campaign
Mobilization