born: March 10, 1900, Warsaw, Poland
died: February 26, 1994, Launceston, Tasmania, Australia
medals: Polish – Virtuti Military Silver Cross (for participation in 3rd Polish Silesian Uprising), four times Cross of Valour, Independence Cross with Swords, Silver Cross of Merit
Fates before joining Anders Army:
In May 1915, Stanisław Gliński, as a junior high school student, was deported by the Russians to Siberia for his activities in the Polish secret scouting movement. After few months, he was released from the Tsar’s prison and moved to Kharkiv, where he became a troop leader in the Polish scouting movement and the commander of the Polish Military Organization (Polska Organizacja Wojskowa – POW). Then, in 1918, through Lwów, Kraśnik made his way to Warsaw to participate in the disarming of the Germans in his hometown when Poland regained independence in November 1918.
In 1919, a participant in the Polish-Bolshevik war. In the winter of that year, he returned to Warsaw, passed his final exams at the state school for former military personnel and began his studies at the Warsaw University of Technology. At the end of 1920, however, he decided to go to Upper Silesia and help in military preparations for the Third Silesian Uprising in the fight for the Polish identity of these areas. Participant of fights during the Uprising. After its completion, he was assigned to the 4th Regiment of Mounted Riflemen. In 1924, he graduated from the Central Cavalry School in Grudziądz (later the Cavalry Training Centre). In the following years, he continued his service in the Polish Army – in the Army HQ, 4th Regiment of Mounted Riflemen in Płock, in the Armored Weapons Training Centre in Modlin. In 1938, he was sent for a linear internship to the 12th Armored Battalion for a linear internship to the 12th Armored Battalion in Lutsk as a deputy commander. In August 1939, he took command of a newly created unit – the 21st Armored Squadron – as part of the Polish prewar mobilization.
Together with his squadron, he participated in the September campaign of 1939. After the Red Army entered Poland, Major Stanisław Gliński crossed the Polish-Hungarian border on September 21 with his unit, where he was interned in the Esztergon camp. After getting to France, he fought in 1940 in the French campaign as the commander of the 1st Tank Battalion of the 1st Polish Tank Regiment of the 10th Polish Armored Cavalry Brigade.
After the defeat of France, he got to England. He became the commander of the Armored Weapons Reserve Center, renamed in December 1941 to the Armored and Motor Weapons Training Centre.
Military history at Anders Army:
In 1942 he was sent to the Middle East. On June 2, 1942, he became the commander of the 1st Polish Tank Battalion in Palestine, and then the 4th “Scorpio” Armored Regiment of the 2nd Corps, which fought, among others, in about Monte Cassino. He was severely wounded in the battle for Ancona. In 1946, together with the 2nd Corps, he was transported to Great Britain. He was the commander of the Polish Armored and Technical Training Center in Catterick Camp (Yorkshire, Great Britain) in Polish Resettlement Corps.
Post-War: He remained in exile. In the years 1947-1949 he lectured on armor tactics at the Polish War College in Scotland. In 1964 he retired and settled in Launceston, Tasmania (Australia), where he died in 1994. On September 26 of that year he was buried in the cemetery in Opole (south-western Poland). His grave is looked after by the soldiers of the 10th Opole Logistics Brigade.
