Wanda Gertz

Wanda Gertz
ps. "Lena"
Born	13 April 1896(1896-04-13) Warsaw, Congress Poland, Russian Empire
Died	10 November 1958(1958-11-10) (aged 62) London, Great Britain

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Polish Underground State
History of Poland 1939–1945
Authorities Government Administration Parliament Courts
Political organizations Major parties Polish Socialist Party People's Party National Party Labour Party Minor parties Camp of National Unity Democratic Party Jewish Labour Bund Hashomer Hatzair Betar (Zionist youth) Opposition National Radical Camp Polish Workers' Party
Military organizations Armia Krajowa (AK) Service for Poland's Victory Armed Struggle (ZWZ) Szare Szeregi National Security Corps Mostly integrated with ZWZ-AK Gwardia Ludowa WRN Bataliony Chłopskie Partially integrated with ZWZ-AK National Military Organization National Armed Forces Camp of Fighting Poland Pomeranian Griffin Konfederacja Narodu Non-integrated but recognizing authority of ZWZ-AK Jewish Combat Organization Jewish Military Union Opposition Military Lizard Union Armia Ludowa
Related topics Cultural activities Education History of Poland during 1939-1945

Wanda Gertz (full name: Wanda Gertz von Schliess, codename: Lena, Kazik, born 13 April 1896 in Warsaw - died 10 November 1958 in London, Great Britain) was a Polish major and soldier of the Armia Krajowa (Home Army).

Gertz was a soldier in Piłsudski's Polish Legions from 1914 until 1916, and later in the Polish Army, where she was commander of a Volunteer Women's Battalion in Wilno.

After the start of the Second World War, she participated in the defence of Warsaw during the Polish Defensive War of 1939. In 1939 she became a member of the SZP (Service for Poland's Victory), then of the ZWZ-AK.

In 1942–1944 she organised and was commander of DYSK unit ("Dywersja i Sabotaż Kobiet" or "Women's Diversion and Sabotage"). After the Warsaw Uprising, she was a prisoner of war in the POW camps at Lamsdorf, Muhlberg, Altenburg, Molsdorf and Blankenheim. After the liberation by the US Army, she joined the Polish I Corps in the West and stayed there until her death.

She died on 10 November 1958 in London and her ashes were transported to Poland and buried in Warsaw.

Works

• W pierwszym pułku artylerii - Służba Ojczyźnie, Warsaw, 1929

Awards

• Silver Cross of the Virtuti Militari
• Polonia Restituta
• Cross of Valour (Krzyż Walecznych), five times
• Cross of Independence (Krzyż Niepodległości), with Swords
• Gold Cross of Merit with Swords (Krzyż Zasługi z Mieczami)

External links

• M. Ney Krwawicz, Women Soldiers of the Polish Home Army