Tadeusz Münnich

Tadeusz Stefan Aleksander Munnich (nom de guerre Zegota) was a soldier of the Polish Legions in World War I, and Colonel of Infantry of the Polish Army in the Second Polish Republic. Born on August 18, 1893 in Lemberg, Austrian Galicia, he died on October 12, 1959 in London.



Munnich attended a high school in Debica, where he formed a secret paramilitary organization, which later became a local branch of the Riflemen's Association. After graduation, he studied law at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, and was an active member of the Union of Active Struggle. In 1914, he joined the 1st Brigade, Polish Legions, as officer of the 5th Legions Infantry Regiment. Following the Oath crisis of 1917, he was drafted into the Austro-Hungarian Army, and in the spring of 1918 became local commandant of Rzeszow District of Polish Military Organisation (POW).

On November 1, 1918, commanding a unit of the POW, he disarmed Austro-Hungarian soldiers, stationed in the garrison of Rzeszow. He then formed Infantry Regiment of the Land of Rzeszow, which later was renamed into 17th Infantry Regiment (Poland). Together with the 1st and 3rd Company of the Regiment, he fought in the Battle of Lemberg (1918): his unit was part of Operational Group of Colonel Michal Karaszewicz-Tokarzewski.

In the Second Polish Republic, Munnich remained in the Polish Army. In 1920, he attended Wyzsza Szkola Wojenna in Warsaw, and during the Polish-Soviet War, he was a staff officer of the Fourth Army. After graduation from Warsaw’s military college, he became officer of Polish General Staff, and was attached to the headquarters of Dowodztwo Okregu Korpusu Nr. 1 in Warsaw. In 1924, he served in the 36th Infantry Regiment (Poland), and in January 1926, was moved to the Department of Fortifications of the Military Council in Warsaw. Soon afterwards, he was transferred to the headquarters of the Border Protection Corps (KOP).

From May 15 until November 15, 1926, Munnich was chief of staff of the KOP, and then was staff officer of the Army Inspector, General Mieczyslaw Norwid-Neugebauer. His other posts included service in a KOP Regiment Czortkow, and command of the 26th Infantry Regiment (Grodek Jagiellonski). In 1938 - 1939, he served in the office of General Inspector of the Armed Forces.

During the 1939 Invasion of Poland, Munnich was chief adjutant of Marshal Edward Smigly-Rydz. Evacuated to Romania, he was interned and then managed to get to France, and finally to Great Britain. On September 7, 1941, upon order of General Wladyslaw Sikorski, Munnich was transferred to a camp for political opponents, located on Isle of Bute, Scotland. Recalled back into active service in January 1944 by General Kazimierz Sosnkowski, Munnich fought in final months of the war.

After the war, he joined Polish Corps of Relocation. Demobilized on September 28, 1948, he decided to remain in Great Britain. On August 12, 1954, he was named deputy Minister of Defence in the government of Stanislaw Mackiewicz (see Polish government-in-exile). He died on October 12, 1959 in London.

Promotions

 * Chorazy, September 29, 1914,
 * Podporucznik, March 15, 1915,
 * Poruchik, November 20, 1918,
 * Captain, May 3, 1922,
 * Major, March 31, 1924,
 * Subcolonel (Podpulkownik), January 23, 1929,
 * Colonel, March 19, 1937.

Awards

 * Silver Cross of the Virtuti Militari,
 * Officer Cross of Polonia Restituta,
 * Cross of Independence,
 * Cross of Valour (Poland) (four times),
 * Silver Cross of Merit,
 * Commemorative Medal for the War of 1918 - 1921,
 * Medal of Ten Years of Independent Poland,
 * Commemorative Badge of the General Inspector of the Armed Forces.