Warsaw Uprising – Polish Home Army Group – “Parasol” Battalion – Luftwaffe Pilot Cap

An outstanding collection of memorabilia from the Warsaw Uprising insurgent Zbigniew Rawicz-Roesseler, alias “Bob,” a soldier of the legendary “Parasol” battalion.

Zbigniew Rawicz-Roesseler, alias “Bob,” son of Stefan and Małgorzata (née Lavocat) Rawicz-Roesseler, was born on May 25, 1924, in Kcynia. During the underground resistance, he was a soldier in the “Pegaz” company, and from the summer of 1944, a soldier in the 1st company of the “Parasol” battalion. During the Warsaw Uprising, he served as a Corpral Cadet in the 1st company of the “Parasol” battalion, which was part of the famous “Radosław” grouping. Together with his battalion, he followed a combat route that began in Wola, through the Old Town, and after traversing the sewers following its fall, he reached the city center. From there, he moved on to Upper Czerniaków with other soldiers of the “Parasol” battalion, from where he later crossed the Vistula River. Zbigniew Rawicz-Roesseler survived the war. After the war, he became a journalist. He died in Warsaw.

Among the many memorabilia in the group, several items stand out:

• A WW2 German Luftwaffe Winter pilot cap,
• Two leather gloves,
• A veteran patch of the “Parasol” battalion,
• A ribbon for the Virtuti Militari Cross.

The most interesting items in the set are definitely the German pilot cap intended for German airmen and the gloves. These items were used by Zbigniew Rawicz-Roesseler, alias “Bob,” during the Warsaw Uprising. The use of such caps by Warsaw insurgents, including “sewer men,” is well documented through preserved photographs showing insurgents wearing such headgear. This is an incredible and rare set of memorabilia from a soldier of the famous “Parasol” battalion. Original uniform elements used by Warsaw insurgents are rare artifacts on the collectors’ market.