pre-WW2 Polish Cross of Valor No. 2542 (Krogulec 1) – Albin Różycki, Herse Ribbon

Polish Cross of Valor. Version made of bronze, produced by Albin Różycki’s workshop in Warsaw with a three-part ribbon made by the Herse Fashion House in Warsaw. Version 1 according to Grzegorz Krogulec’s book “Krzyż Walecznych”. The first version of the Cross of Valor, notable for the lack of a date on the front of the cross, a government-commissioned award. Numbered 2542.

Cross of Valor awarded to Colonel Bolesław Korolewicz for the Polish-Ukrainian War and the battles near Gródek Jagielloński, by General Tadeusz Rozwadowski on March 13, 1921. Cross of Valor number: 2542.

“On February 2, 1919, during fighting with the Ukrainians, Colonel Dr. Bolesław Korolewicz, then holding the rank of major and serving as a medical officer for the ‘East’ Command, actively participated in the battle near the village of Tuczapy, located about 7 kilometers south of Gródek Jagielloński, under the following circumstances:

The staff company of the ‘East’ Command had been engaged since 8:00 a.m. on February 2, 1919, in battle for that village against superior Ukrainian forces.

Major Dr. Korolewicz, having learned from the wounded platoon leader Adamski—who had been brought to the hospital in Gródek Jagielloński—that several wounded soldiers lay without medical care near the village where the battle was ongoing, and that the company was in a dire situation due to both heavy losses and a shortage of ammunition, took the initiative on his own. He gathered Major Dr. Małczyński, Captain Dr. Dobija, and two enlisted men from the medical corps, along with a significant amount of ammunition and hand grenades, and set off on sleds for Tuczapy to aid those in danger.

He arrived at 2:30 in the afternoon, at the moment when superior Ukrainian forces were attacking the retreating and weakened skirmish line of the staff company. After picking up seven gendarmes from a nearby village along the way, he assumed command over the remaining troops of that company. After distributing ammunition, he ordered Captain Dobija to the right flank and Major Małczyński to the left, while he himself led a counterattack in the center. He managed to force the Ukrainians to retreat to the village buildings and captured the hill dominating the area.

Despite heavy Ukrainian machine-gun fire and having only weak forces of his own, he decided not to advance further but to hold the hill at all costs, awaiting reinforcements promised by the ‘East’ Command.

He managed to hold the hill until 6:00 p.m., at which time a platoon of cavalry from the 1st Regiment of Krechowce Uhlans arrived, commanded by Second Lieutenant Potocki and equipped with two machine guns. Upon their arrival, the Ukrainians withdrew from the village, making it possible to care for the wounded lying at the village’s entrance.

Dr. Korolewicz, as a physician, inspired the exhausted troops with his example and personal bravery. Thanks to his combat value, not only was the position held, but the units went on the offensive, which in turn protected the threatened railway line between Lwów and Przemyśl from destruction.

Dwór, February 15, 1921
(signed) Major Małczyński“

Bolesław Korolewicz (born September 11, 1874 in Kraków – died January 18, 1942 in Kraków) was a Polish military physician with the rank of colonel, doctor of medical sciences, and veteran of four wars. He served both in the Austro-Hungarian army and the Polish Armed Forces, playing a significant role in the fight for Poland’s independence.

Early Life and Education

Born into a Kraków-based family, his father Wincenty worked as a forest manager and his mother came from the Śmiałowski family. He had a younger brother, Wincenty Aleksander, who later became a journalist and socialist activist. Bolesław attended several secondary schools in Kraków and Bochnia and graduated from high school in 1896 under the assumed name “Piotr.” He went on to study medicine at the Jagiellonian University, where he received his doctorate in medical sciences in 1904. For over a decade, he worked at the Internal Medicine Clinic of the university under professors Edward Korczyński and Walery Jaworski, co-authoring scientific papers with the latter. Alongside his academic work, he maintained a private medical practice, serving clients including the renowned painter Jacek Malczewski.

Military Service and Wartime Engagement

Korolewicz began his military involvement in 1897 with the Austro-Hungarian army, where he was later promoted to medical ensign in the reserve. At the outbreak of World War I, he was called up to active duty and participated in military operations in Lublin and Volhynia. He was promoted to lieutenant and served in the medical corps of the Polish Legions. He became the head of the medical unit for the 3rd Brigade and later ran the main field hospital of the Legion Command. In 1916, he attained the rank of captain and served as deputy chief medical officer of the Legions. Following the 1917 oath crisis, he continued his medical service in the Polish Auxiliary Corps. In 1918, after attempting to cross the front during the Battle of Rarańcza, he was interned by the Austrians and held in camps in Talaborfalva and Huszt, where he acted as camp physician.

Service in the Second Polish Republic

After Poland regained independence, Korolewicz joined the Polish Army. In November 1918, he took up a post in the Kraków military command. He actively participated in the Polish–Ukrainian War, including the defense of Lviv and Przemyśl, and later served in the Polish–Soviet War as part of the command structure of the Eastern Army. He was the chief medical officer for various operational groups and served as personal physician to General Wacław Iwaszkiewicz, commander of the front. In 1920, he was promoted to colonel in the medical corps, with retroactive seniority from April 1 of that year.

In the peacetime army, he led the medical departments of several Corps District Commands: in Kielce, Przemyśl, and Kraków. He also worked in the Kraków military hospital. In 1930, he retired from active service.

Civic and Political Engagement

In retirement, Korolewicz remained active in public life. He served as president of the Friends of the Riflemen’s Association and held leadership roles in the Veterans’ Association. In 1933, he was elected as a city councilor in Kraków.

World War II and Final Years

During the 1939 September Campaign, he served as a medical officer with the 6th Infantry Division, part of the Kraków Army. He was taken prisoner by the Germans but was released in accordance with international conventions protecting medical personnel. During the Nazi occupation, he worked as a physician in the Red Cross Hospital for War Invalids in Kraków.

He passed away on January 18, 1942 in Kraków and was laid to rest in the Rakowicki Cemetery (section XXXIV-west-6).

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The Polish Cross of Valor awarded for bravery on the battlefield. The award is in the shape of a cross, with a Polish eagle in a crown with outspread wings in the center. The arms bear the inscription “Na Polu Chwały” (On the Field of Glory). The lower arm has no date. 

The reverse features a sword and laurel wreath with the inscription “Walecznym” (To the Brave). The upper arm is stamped with the number “2542”. The cross is in fantastic condition, with a deep patina and the rarely preserved original award ribbon. Condition as shown in the photos.