WW2 Polish Battle Dress of Major Bolesław Kontrym, “Żmudzin,” 9th Flanders Rifle Battalion, 1st Armored Division

A unique set of memorabilia belonging to Major Bolesław Kontrym, codename “Żmudzin.” The set consists of his British-made Battle Dress blouse, beret, and revolver lanyard.

The P40 Battle Dress blouse is made of khaki wool. It features a single row of five buttons, with a belt clasp fastening from left to right at the bottom. At the neck, a hook-and-eye closure is visible. The uniform has a characteristic pointed collar, with blue and yellow pennants and a central yellow piping – the regimental colors of the 9th Flanders Rifle Battalion.

A British revolver lanyard is visible under the collar. Two large buttoned chest pockets are present. Above the left pocket, faint traces of ribbon bars can be seen. Below the epaulets on both shoulders, embroidered “POLAND” shoulder titles are visible. On the left sleeve, about 5 cm below the “POLAND” title, is the distinctive “Squirrel” insignia of the 1st Polish Armored Division, produced in occupied Germany using the BeVo weaving technique.

The rank insignia on the epaulets indicates the rank of major. The left epaulet is black, identifying the Armored Forces and the 1st Armored Division under General Maczek, which included the 9th Flanders Rifle Battalion. Faint traces of a previous captain’s rank (three stars) are visible.

Below the right epaulet is the unit lanyard of the 9th Flanders Rifle Battalion – a Fourragère 1940 in the colors of the Belgian Croix de Guerre. These were awarded to the battalion by Prince Charles, Regent of Belgium, on July 1st, 1945.

On the left sleeve is a distinctive lanyard of the Independent Podhale Rifle Brigade – a shoulder cord in the national colors of Norway (red, white, and blue), awarded in 1941 by the Norwegian government-in-exile in London to all members of the Brigade for their participation in the defense of Norway.

This lanyard, complete with knot and original golden shield featuring the Norwegian lion, was awarded to soldiers who saw combat in the Norwegian campaign. The set also includes a black British-made beret with removed insignia.

The uniform is in very good preserved condition, with clear provenance – acquired over 15 years ago from the family of Major Kontrym.

Bolesław Kontrym, codename “Żmudzin” – officer of the pre-war Polish State Police, veteran of Narvik, Cichociemny (elite paratrooper of the Polish Underground), officer of the “Wachlarz” sabotage unit, Warsaw Uprising commander, awarded the Virtuti Militari and three Crosses of Valor. He was also a prisoner of German POW camps, a soldier of General Maczek’s forces, and a victim of Stalinist terror – buried in an anonymous grave in the infamous “Łączka” section of Powązki Military Cemetery in Warsaw.

The life of Bolesław Kontrym was both strange and tragic – as was the fate of many Poles. One fact about his past was deliberately omitted in the introduction, as it clashes dramatically with the rest of his biography. Before becoming a Polish State Police officer and wartime hero, Kontrym had been a decorated officer of the Red Army, three times awarded the Order of the Red Banner. Ironically, one of these was for covering the retreat of Tukhachevsky’s forces from Warsaw in 1920.

Born on August 27, 1898, in a noble Lithuanian family of a Tsarist colonel, Kontrym’s ancestors had fought in national uprisings on the Polish side but later served successfully in the Russian imperial army. He followed in their footsteps, joining the Tsarist army, showing valor on the front lines, and rising to the rank of second lieutenant. He later transferred to the Polish II Corps under General Józef Dowbor-Muśnicki in Russia.

After the war, he did not return to Poland. His motives remain unclear – perhaps concern for his mother and sister or belief in the revolutionary cause. He fought on multiple fronts with the Red Army, and in 1921, was accepted into the prestigious General Staff Academy in Moscow – a fast track to high command. But in February 1923, he contacted the Polish military attaché and began cooperating with Polish intelligence. By 1924, he was in Poland.

His career continued in the Border Guard, then the State Police. By 1939, he was chief of the Criminal Division of the Provincial Police Headquarters in Wilno. He specialized in combatting subversive organizations, especially Soviet agents – a fact not forgotten by his enemies.

After the outbreak of WWII, he was interned in Lithuania but escaped after a successful courier mission for the Polish government. He avoided the Katyn massacre by mere chance and reached the West via Scandinavia. He joined the Polish Armed Forces in exile and took part in the Battle of Narvik with the Independent Podhale Rifle Brigade. Later, he transferred to General Sosabowski’s 1st Independent Parachute Brigade and trained as a Cichociemny.

In 1942, he was sworn into the Home Army and volunteered for airdrop to occupied Poland. On the night of September 1–2, 1942, he parachuted into Poland during Operation “Smallpox.” He was assigned to the “Wachlarz” sabotage unit and by December commanded Sector III. On January 18, 1943, together with Jan Piwnik (“Ponury”), he organized the liberation of Polish prisoners from the German prison in Pińsk.

His independence and pre-war police experience led to his appointment as Deputy Chief of the State Security Corps, a clandestine force protecting underground government facilities. During the Warsaw Uprising, he was wounded four times, notably during the assault on the PAST building, which he led. For his bravery, he was promoted to major and later appointed commander of the 3rd Battalion of the 36th Infantry Regiment of the Home Army’s Academic Legion.

After the uprising’s capitulation, he was imprisoned in German POW camps but escaped and once again joined the Polish Armed Forces in the West. From May 1945, he commanded the 1st Company of the 9th Flanders Rifle Battalion and later became its deputy commander. He was officially promoted to major on June 11, 1946, with seniority from January 1, 1945.

In 1947, convinced by his cousin, General Berling, of his safety, Kontrym returned to Poland. He received state clearance to work and was employed in a government industrial office. But the security services never forgot him. On October 13, 1948, he was arrested. After nearly four years of brutal investigation and torture, he was sentenced to death. The sentence was likely carried out on either January 2 or 20, 1953. He was buried in an unmarked grave – punished for his patriotism, heroism, and unbreakable spirit.

In 2014, during exhumation work at Powązki Military Cemetery in Warsaw (Section “Ł”), the remains of Major Bolesław Kontrym, Cichociemny, codename “Żmudzin,” were identified.

This exceptional set of wartime memorabilia belonging to one of Poland’s national heroes would be a crown jewel in any private or museum collection.