GREATER POLAND UPRISING 1918-1919 - selection of biographies

CHOSŁOWSKI Stefan Stanisław Seweryn


Person
CHOSŁOWSKI Stefan Stanisław Seweryn
Born
1889
Died
1954
Description
A land owner, a commander of the Śrem battalion and a major in the Polish Army. Born on 9 May 1889 in Czarnysad (the then Śrem poviat), to the family of landed gentry, his father’s name was Stanisław and his mother’s name was Lucyna, née Chrzanowska. He graduated from the gymnasium in Krotoszyn and agricultural studies at universities in Leipzig, Munich and Berlin. He did his one year military service. Until the outbreak of the war he worked on his estate. In the years 1914-1918 he was conscripted into the German Army (6th Reserve Regiment, 47th Infantry Regiment) and made a second lieutenant. He was demobilised in November 1918 and became actively involved in the organisation of the Polish secret Citizen’s Committee, People’s Councils and units of the Guard and Security Service in Śrem. On 30 December 1918, he took part in the seizure of Śrem. On 1 January 1919 he was appointed deputy commander of local insurgent troops. By 5 January, he had organised a battalion which consisted of the Guard and Security Service Company, Kórnik Company and a sanitary team. He was appointed commander of the battalion by staroste W.M. Szczepkowski? on 6 January, through Kościan, the battalion reached Nowy Tomyśl, where it waited for further commands. At 11 p.m. the commander of the section, Second Lieutenant K. Zenkteler, did not give his consent to the Śrem battalion to allow them to support the Opalenica Company, which contributed to the defeat of the insurgents. On 7 January, the Śrem battalion received the order to go to Chrośnice and Łomnica, while a cavalry troop was sent to Hamemia and Sępólno. After the first skirmishes with the Germans, e.g. in Strzyżewo, the railway connection between Strzyżewo and Trzciel was broken (9 January). In the evening, on 10 July, Chosłowski received the order to prepare an attack on Zbąszyń, which failed on the following day as a result of poor discipline in the ranks of the Śrem Company and bad preparation of the attack. The battalion took the positions back in Łomnica. On 17 January 1919, German troops from Zbąszyń and Trzciel tried to surprise the insurgents from the Śrem battalion. After a 5-hour clash, the enemy was repulsed with losses (12 soldiers) and the insurgents retreated back to Śrem (18 January), where the battalion was reorganised. At the beginning of February 1919, it consisted of three infantry companies. Chosłowski went to Rawicz on 6 February, where the Poles had just lost Sarnowo. He fought in the second battle of Rawicz. Chosłowski took command of the Jagodnia-Miejska Górka-Niemanym section. On 23 February, the Śrem battalion was transformed into the First Battalion of the Greater Poland Rifle Regiment. By decree of the Commissariat of the Supreme People’s Council No. 54, item 167 (dated 23 May 1919, Chosłowski was promoted to lieutenant (From 1 June 1919). In January 1920, he took part in the retaking of Rawicz and Kępno. He left with his battalion for the Eastern Front to Lida (24 January). During the war on the Lithuanian-Belarusian Front (20 May - 6 June 1920) he commanded the 69th Infantry Regiment, then (18 November 1920-16 January 1921) the 70th Infantry Regiment and (27 February - 20 July 1921), the staff battalion of the regiment and shortly, as a replacement, the entire regiment. Having been promoted to the rank of major (15 July 1920), he was transferred to the reserves (5 March 1922). He returned to Ostrowieczko and lived there until 13 May 1926, until his transfer to Poznań. During the inter-war period he was active in the Association of Insurgents and Soldiers and in various economic associations. In 1939, he commanded a guard battalion. He was held in German captivity until the year 1945. After the war he lived in Gniezno, where he died on 17 October 1954 and was buried. He was awarded the Order of Virtuti Military of the 5th class, the Cross of Independence, the Cross of Valour (thrice) and the Golden Cross of Merit. He was married to Irena née Chrzanowska and had a daughter - Zofia.
Bibliography
B. Polak, Chosłowski Stefan Stanisław Seweryn (1889-1954) (in:) Słownik biograficzny powstańców wielkopolskich 1918-1919, ed. A. Czubiński, B. Polak, Poznań 2002, pp. 53-54.
Author of the entry
Bogusław Polak