Zając, Józef

Józef Ludwik Zając
Józef Ludwik Zając was born on March 14 in Rzeszów, the son of Szymon and Izabela née Kowalska. He attended high school in Rzeszow (1901-1903) and Wadowice, where he passed his matriculation exam in 1909. He then studied at the Faculty of Philosophy of the Jagiellonian University in Cracow. He completed his doctoral studies in 1915, receiving a doctor of philosophy degree for his work on spatial vision, published in 1913 by the Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences.


In 1912-1914, he belonged to the Riflemen's Association, where he graduated from officer school. In August 1914, he joined the Polish Legions, initially serving in the 3rd Infantry Regiment as commander of a platoon, company, battalion and regiment. In June and July 1917, he was on a training course in Ostrow Mazowiecka, while serving as Polish commander of the course. In July and August 1917, he commanded successively the 6th and 5th Infantry Regiments of the Polish Legions. In September he became commander of the 3rd Infantry Regiment of the Polish Positional Corps in Przemyśl. He served in the Carpathian, Bessarabian and Volhynian campaigns and was wounded twice. On March 15, 1918, he moved with General Jozef Haller's Second Brigade to Ukraine, after which he served as commander of the 15th Rifle Regiment in the Second Polish Corps. On May 11, 1918, in the battle of Kaniów, he was taken prisoner by the Germans, from which he escaped, making his way to France.



In December 1918, he was sent to an officer's improvement course at Quintin while serving as commander of a Polish group. After completing the course in January 1919, he was assigned to the French commander of the Polish Army training camps in France. Two months later, he took command of the training regiment of the Instructor Division. From May 1919, after arriving in Poland, he chaired the Regulations and Interpretations Committee of General Jozef Haller's Army Training Directorate, while also serving as commander of a group of infantry schools in Modlin and Rembertów. From August to October of that year he was a member of the Central Training Commission of the Ministry of Military Affairs. After the end of October 1919, he was sent to study at the École Supérieure de Guerre in Paris.Upon his return from France to the country from August 17, 1920, he was chief of staff of the Lower Vistula&Prime Operations Group; 5th Army, and then chief of staff of the Northern Operations Group of the 2nd Army. On October 10, 1920, he served as Chief of Staff of the 3rd Army.
In May 1921, he became the 1st staff officer of the Army Inspectorate No. II (Gen. Tadeusz Rozwadowski). From January 16, 1922, he served as Chief of Branch I of the General Staff. In April 1923, he completed an information course at the Higher War College in Warsaw, and in October 1924, at an information course for generals and colonels in Paris. On December 16, 1925, he was entrusted with the duties of First Deputy Chief of the General Staff.
On April 12, 1926, he took command of the 23rd Infantry Division in Katowice. On April 27, 1936, he was entrusted with the duties of commander of Corps District No. V in Cracow, after which he became commander of Corps District No. VI in Lvov on July 20 of that year. After the death of General Gustav Orlicz-Dreszer, on August 4, 1936, he assumed the position of Inspector of National Air Defense, and from January 5, 1937, he was also commander of anti-aircraft defense for the Ministry of Military Affairs. In 1937, he completed a pilotage course at a staff squadron in Warsaw. On May 4, 1939, he obtained the right to wear the badge of a military pilot of the third class. He flew on aircraft: RWD-8, PWS-24, R-XIII and RWD-14 Czapla.


From March 23 to September 17, 1939, he was Commander-in-Chief of Aviation and Air Defense.


After the 1939 September campaign, he made his way through Romania to France, where on October 6 of that year he was entrusted with the duties of commander of aviation and antiaircraft defense. On February 22, 1940, he became commander of the Polish Air Force. After the defeat of France, he evacuated to Great Britain, where on July 1, 1940 he was relieved of his former post. From September 1940 he was deputy commander of the I Corps in Scotland. A year later he took command of the Polish Army in the Middle East. On May 3, 1942, he was promoted to the rank of major general. After the evacuation of the Polish Army in the USSR to the Middle East, from September of that year until March 1943 he was deputy commander of the Polish Army in the Middle East, and then (until August 1943) - commander of the I Armored Motor Corps in Scotland. He then served as Inspector of Army Training until 1946.


After his demobilization in 1948, he settled in Edinburgh, Scotland, and began studying psychology and art history, receiving a doctor of philosophy degree in psychology for the second time in 1951. He worked at the University of Edinburgh until 1957, from where he emigrated to Canada in 1957 and died there on December 12, 1963 in Ottawa. He was buried in Notre Dâme Cemetery.


Married to Janina (née Szymanski), he had a son John and a daughter Barbara.


Author of memoirs: Two Wars, vol. 1: My Participation in the War of Independence and the Air Defense of Poland (London 1964), vol. 2: In Scotland and the Middle East (London 1967).


Promotions: second lieutenant - 1914, lieutenant - September 1914, captain - March 1915, major - November 1916, lieutenant colonel - March 1918, colonel - April 1919, brigadier general - December 1924, major general - May 1942.


Decorated with: Silver Cross of the Order of War Virtuti Militari, Commander's and Officer's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta, Cross of Independence, Cross of Valor 4 times and Gold Cross of Merit with Swords, Cross of Merit of Central Lithuania, French Knight's Cross of the Legion of Honor, British Order of the Bath Third Class, German Iron Cross Second Class, Austrian Military Cross of Merit and Military Medal of Merit "Signum Laudis&Prime..
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Generał dywizji Dr. Józef Ludwik ZAJAC (14 Mar 1891 - 12 Dec 1963)


1920: Chief of Staff, 5. Army
1920: Chief of Staff, 2. Army
1920 - 1921: Chief of Staff, 3. Army
1921 - 1922: 1st Staff Officer, II. Army Inspectorate
1922 - 1925: Section Chief, General Staff
1924: Promoted to Generał brygady
1925 - 1926: Deputy Chief of the General Staff
1926 - 1936: C.O. 23. Infantry Division
1936: Acting G.O.C. V. Corps District
1936 - 1937: G.O.C. VI. Corps District
1937: Inspector of National Air Defense, Ministry of War
1937 - 1939: Chief of Anti-Aircraft Defense, Ministry of War
1939: Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force
1940 - 1941: Deputy G.O.C. I. Polish Corps
1941 - 1943: C-in-C of the Polish Army, Near East
1942: Promoted to Generał dywizji
1943: Deputy C-in-C of the Polish Army, Middle East
1943 - 1945: G.O.C. I. Motorized Armored Corps


Principal sources:
Generalicja Polska (I & II), by Henryk P. Kosk
Andris J. Kursietis, personal archives
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