| A delegation from the Armia Krajowa (Polish Home Army) approaches Nazi German lines to discuss capitulation after the failure of Warsaw Uprising in Summer 1944. Powstanie Sierpniowe (“August Uprising”) began on August 1, 1944, as the Armia Krajowa attempted to secure Warsaw from NAzi German forces as the Soviet Red Army approached. However, Soviet Premier and Dictator Joseph Stalin (December 18, 1878 – March 5, 1953) stopped Soviet Forces from advancing, and the NAzi Germans regrouped and destroyed the Armia Krajowa and leveled much of Warsaw in retaliation. The Uprising was fought for 63 days with little outside support. It was the single largest military effort taken by any European resistance movement during World War II. Operation Tempest was a nationwide attempt to strike at Nazi German after 5 years of occupation in a response to Radio Moscow’s call for resistance. But Stalin recognized that Western London-based Poles would have significant political power in the post-war world if they successfully liberated Warsaw, so he withheld support. The delegation carries a Polskim Czerwonym Krzyżem (PCK – “Polish Red Cross”) flag. The oldest humanitarian organization in Poland, PCK had been operating for 25 years. From the 1st days of the uprising, PCK medical personnel, including nurses and paramedics, patrolled the streets of Warsaw, searching for the wounded and sick who could be taken to hospitals and dressing stations. Despite being marked with the Red Cross emblem, many of these facilities became targets of attacks, including bombings. The PCK flag was sewn on the night of September 28-29, 1944 by 1 of the nurses of the insurgent hospital PCK at Catholic House of the Parish of the Most Holy Savior, at Mokotowska Street Number 13, corner of Jaworzyńska Street Number 2 at the behest of Hieron Bartoszewski (September 18, 1912 – August 1, 1993) commandant of this hospital. Twice, on September 29-30, 1944, the flag was accompanied by a Polish delegation taking part in the capitulation talks of the Warsaw Uprising with the SS-General Erich von dem Bach-Zelewski (March 1, 1899 – March 8, 1972) in Ozardów. From left to right in the photo: Hieron Bartoszewski, holding the PCK flag; Maria Tarnowska (1884 – 1965), Vice-President of the Main Board of PCK; Lieutenant Colonel Bohdan Zieliński (February 14, 1906 – May 21, 2001) nom de guerre “Tytus Barski” as delegate of the commander of Armia Krajowa and Lieutenant Alfred Korczyński (1904 – 1994), nom de guerre “Sas” as an interpreter. both delegations met halfway between Polish and Nazi German positions and then went to Ozardów. Bartoszewski kept the flag for 75 years before giving it to Muzeum Powstania Warszawskiego (“Warsaw Uprising Museum”) in 2020. Doctor Bartoszewski continued to minister to the people of Warsaw until his death. | |
| Image Filename | wwii0769.jpg |
| Image Size | 246.03 KB |
| Image Dimensions | 1300 x 933 |
| Photographer | |
| Photographer Title | Kriegsberichter |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | September 29, 1944 |
| Location | |
| City | Warsaw |
| State or Province | Warsaw |
| Country | Poland |
| Archive | Muzeum Powstania Warszawskiego |
| Record Number | |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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