Major Henryk Dobrzanski Hubal

He became the first partisan commander in the occupied Europe. He was a professional officer of the Polish army and one of the best Polish cavalrymen - among others he took part in the Olympic Games in 1936. In September 1939 he served in the 110th Reserve Cavalry Regiment. With a 180 men strong cavalry unit he set from Grodno with aid to besieged Warsaw. When they learnt about the capitulation of the Polish capital, they decided to continue fights hoping that Poland's Western allies would soon come with aid. Major Dobrzanski assumed the pseudonym Hubal for himself, and the name of the Detached Cavalry Unit of the Polish Forces for his group. With 70 men Hubal crossed Vistula near Maciejowice and passed to the St.Cross Mountains where he continued fights with invaders. In December 1939 his unit already numbered about 200 soldiers. He fought successfully several clashes with the Germans, among others near Podzamcze, Hucisko, Cisownik, Wolowo and Skloby. His actions had a tremendous impact on the morale of the local population, diminished by the military defeat in September 1939. He instilled fear in the German troops and contempt of the Polish underground command; they nicknamed him the "Crazy Major".
On 30 April 1940 near Anielin (county of Opoczno) German troops encircled a little ridge where Hubal's unit found a hide-out. At 5:15 about 1000 German troops, supported by tanks and SS units, commenced a concentric attack. Despite the desperate resistance the Poles were crushed by prevailing enemy forces. Major Dobrzanski was killed. His body has never been found; it was taken to Tomaszow Mazowiecki and probably burnt to prevent spreading a popular hero cult. Only the post-humous picture of Hubal, taken by the Germans, has survived.