Major Edward Rajpold (1894–1980). A Biography Outline

Abstract

The article describes the life and military career of Edward Rajpold (1894–1980). He was one of many officers associated with Lodz, where he was not only born and died, but also spent most of his military service. The article aims to present the life of this officer, who fully deserves to be remembered by posterity. He took part in conspiratorial work in the Polish Military Organisation and in the action to liberate the city from German occupation in November 1918. He then became an officer of the Polish army and he served in units stationed in the city (28th and 31st Kaniv Rifle Regiment) until 1936. He excelled in training work, therefore he took the position of commander of the recruitment command in Wieluń in 1936 and actively supported the development of military training among young people in the county. In the spring of 1939, he became commander of the newly formed National Defense Battalion ‘Wieluń II’ and participated in the defense of the Lodz region during the September Campaign of 1939. He spent the remaining years of World War II in German prisons of war camps. In the spring of 1945, he returned to his hometown and was drafted into the Polish People’s Army, in which he served until January 1946. Then he worked in various positions in Lodz but soon became a tragic example of the Stalinist repression. In 1954, he was arrested and convicted in a show trial for participating in an illegal organisation. After two years, he was released from prison and lived the rest of his life in his hometown. The paper is based mainly on archival materials kept in the Central Military Archives, literature and materials from the family collection.