Career Information Niesiołowski-Gawin von Niesiołowice

[IanE]

Hi all,

I am looking for career information on Jan Niesiołowski-Gawin von Niesiołowice and Viktor Niesiołowski-Gawin von Niesiołowice during their time in the Polish Army. Any details on their respective promotions and awards they received will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance,
Ian

[gebhk]

What I could garner quickly re Victor (Wiktor in Poland):
14.6.19 Apppointed head of the Military Technical Institute with powers of a chief of department of the Ministry of War.
8.10.21 Appointed Commander of the Military Faculty of the Lwow Politechnic
30.4.24 Appointed member, Officer Adjudicating Tribunal
31.10.24 Retired (thereafter resided in Molding (Austria) until his death 7.4.1946)

1.5.20 Confirmed in the rank of lieutenant-general in the former Austro-Hungarian group, with the date of 1.4.1920
3.5.22 Confirmed in the rank of brigadier-general backdated to 1.6.1919 (9th location).

Awards:
1918-1921 War Commemorative Medal (Medal Pamiątkowy za Wojnę 1918-1921 „Polska Swemu Obrońcy”)
Decade of Freedon Medal (Medal Dziesięciolecia Odzyskanej Niepodległości)

Alas, bit of a blank on Jan so far. Probably the best place to ask would be the Polish DWS Forum but that is currently inactive.

Wojkowe Biuro Historyczne (Military History Office) personnel file (for Wiktor Niesiolowski-Gawin): I.480.157

[gebhk]

Best I could get on Jan courtesy of the Valka website:

1919: Promoted to General brygady (brigadier-general)
1919: Chief of Department X (Communications), Ministry of War
1919: Chief of Department II (Technical Communications, Ministry of War
1919 - 1921: Chief of Staff, Ministry of War
1921: Retired

Wojkowe Biuro Historyczne (Military History Office) personnel file: I.480.403

[IanE]

Outstanding! Thank you.

[GregSingh]

From Österreichisches Biographisches Lexikon:
https://www.biographien.ac.at/oebl/oebl ... siolowski*

[gebhk]

PS Not sure how accurate the Valka information is. A contemporaneous document from 1920 still shows him as Chief of Department IV (Supply and Communications) in the rank of Colonel of the General Staff.

[IanE]

Thank you both. What you have provided at least offers me a solid base for a start on fleshing out their respective time with the Polish army post 1918.

It is very possible Jan Niesiolowski may still have been a Colonel of the General Staff in 1920, but was subsequently promoted with a seniority date of 1919.

[Steen Ammentorp]

Hi,

Regarding Jan Niesiolowski then the Generałowie Poliski Niepodległej by T. Kryska-Karski and S. Zurakowski, 1991 has the following appointments for him:

Feb. 1919 – Aug. 1919: Chief of Military Communications Department, Ministry of Military Affairs
Feb. 1920 – 1 Sep. 1921: Chief of Staff, Ministry of Military Affairs
1. Sep. 1921: Retired

They also give his seniority as general brygady as 1st jun. 1919, however I agree that he must have been promoted at a later date having his seniority back dated.

[gebhk]

Hi Ian E

My thoughts regarding his promotion are similar

However I was more concerned that there is no mention of the 1920 post in the Valka line-up which says he was chief of staff at the time. At the same time I can't find any reference to a chief of staff of the Ministry.

However my knowledge of the back and forth of the organisational structure of the various general staffs during this period is limited to knowing that it/they changed more often than I change my pants! However I have asked two friends who are professional historians for more pointers as the apparent disappearance from Polish history of what should be a relatively significant individual has piqued my curiosity.

Perhaps you can answer another question which cropped up. In the WBH personnel files catalogue the 'Father's name' name rubric is blank for both brothers. Any ideas why?

[gebhk]

Jan's awards mirror those of Victor/Wiktor:
1918-1921 War Commemorative Medal (Medal Pamiątkowy za Wojnę 1918-1921 „Polska Swemu Obrońcy”)
Decade of Freedon Medal (Medal Dziesięciolecia Odzyskanej Niepodległości)

After the war Jan apparently lived in Warsaw for some time and nothing further (such as when he died) is known. Curioser and curioser.

[IanE]

Steen,

Many thanks for your very important contribution, it has helped fill a couple of gaps.

gebhk,
Interesting question you ask regarding the fathers name, and I am afraid I just don't know the answer. I will watch with interest as to whether or not your two friends can put forward any information on Jan.

I should not have, but I did assume that Jan was awarded both medals as you state. I based my assumption on the time frame he served.

[IanE]

I have Jan Niesiolowsk's date of death as 07 Apr 1940, but no idea where he died (perhaps Warsaw?).

[Steen Ammentorp]

Hi,

It would seem that T. Kryska-Karski and S. Zurakowski has the starting date wrong for his appointment as Chief of Staff, Ministry of Military Affairs. I have found this in the Dziennik Personalny, 1920 No. 38:

883. Dekretem L. 2260 z dnia 10 sierpnia 1920 r.:
gen. ppor. Niesiołowski Jan — Szefem Sztabu Ministerstwa Spraw Wojskowych

So he was appointed to this position on 10 Aug. 1920.

[Steen Ammentorp]

Another bit of information from Dziennik Personalny, 1920 No. 18,

Like his brother Wiktor, Jan was also granted the rank of Lieutenant-General by decree L 2126 of 1st May 1920 with seniority from 1st Apr. 1920.

[Steen Ammentorp]

Another find:

In the Dziennik Personalny, 1923 No. 70 of 7 Nov. he (Jan) is granted the rank of general brygady in retirement accorning to Sejm Act of 2 Aug. 1919.