Gustaw Orlicz-Dreszer

Gustaw Konstanty Orlicz-Dreszer (October 2, 1889 - July 16, 1936) was a Polish general, and a political and social activist.

Before World War I, Orlicz-Dreszer was involved in pro-independence activities in partitioned Poland. In 1914-17 he served in the 1st Brigade of the Polish Legions. He was arrested during the Oath Crisis. From 1918 he served in the Polish Army.

During the Polish-Soviet War he commanded the 4th Cavalry Brigade and the 2nd Cavalry Division. From 1921-23 he was Cavalry Inspector. In 1923 he was promoted to Brigadier General. In 1924-26 he commanded the 2nd and then the 3rd Cavalry Division. During the May 1926 ''Coup d'État he supported Józef Piłsudski.

In 1930 Orlicz-Dreszer became a member of ZG Liga Morska i Kolonialna (Maritime and Colonial League). He created and promoted a development program for the Polish merchant marine. From 1930-36 he served as Inspector of the Polish Army and in 1936 as Inspector of Air Defense. Orlicz-Dreszer died in a plane accident, crashing in a RWD-9 plane into the Baltic Sea near Gdynia while flying excessively low.

Awards

 * Silver Cross of the Virtuti Militari.
 * Grand Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta (previously awarded the Commander's Cross
 * Cross of Independence with Swords
 * Cross of Valour (Krzyż Walecznych), four times
 * Gold Cross of Merit
 * Commander of the Legion of Honour (France)

Bibliograhpy

 * Sławomir Koper, Życie prywatne elit Drugiej Rzeczypospolitej, Warszawa 2011
 * Dziennik Personalny Ministra Spraw Wojskowych nr 54 z 23.12.1926
 * Przemysław Olstowski Generał Gustaw Orlicz-Dreszer, Wyd. Adam Marszałek, Toruń 2000
 * Zbigniew Mierzwiński: Generałowie II Rzeczypospolitej. Warszawa 1990: Wydawnictwo Polonia, pages 201-208
 * Cezary Leżeński / Lesław Kukawski: O kawalerii polskiej XX wieku. Wrocław: Zakład Narodowy im. Ossolińskich, 1991, page 22