Jan Bytnar

Jan Bytnar "Rudy", "Czarny", "Janek", "Krokodyl", "Jan Rudy"
Born	(1921-05-06)6 May 1921 Kolbuszowa, Poland
Died	30 March 1943(1943-03-30) (aged 21) Warsaw, Poland
Allegiance	Poland
Service/branch	Armia Krajowa (Home Army)
Rank	Second Lieutenant
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	Krzyż Walecznych (Cross of the Valorous)

Jan Roman Bytnar (codenames: Rudy, Czarny, Janek, Krokodyl, Jan Rudy; born 6 May 1921, Kolbuszowa, Poland - died 30 March 1943, Warsaw, Poland) was a Polish Scoutmaster (harcmistrz), Polish Scouting resistance activist and Second Lieutenant of the Armia Krajowa during the Second World War. The son of Stanisław Bytnar and Zdzisława Rechulówna, Jan Bytnar is a leading character of both Aleksander Kamiński's Kamienie na szaniec and Barbara Wachowicz's Rudy, Alek, Zośka.

Arrest, death, and reprisal

He was arrested by the German Nazis on 23 March 1943 and rescued by the Grupy Szturmowe of the Szare Szeregi three days later during the so-called Arsenal action on 26 March. He died on 30 March from injuries sustained by the Gestapo, aged 21.

The extremely brutal interrogation of Bytnar was conducted by SS Rottenführer Ewald Lange and SS Obersturmführer Herbert Schultz. Both were assassinated by Grupy Szturmowe of Szare Szeregi. Schultz was shot dead on 6 May 1943 by Sławomir Maciej Bittner (aka "Maciek") and Eugeniusz Kecher (aka "Kolczan"). Lange was shot dead on 22 May 1943 by Jerzy Zapadko (aka "Dzik").

References

• (Polish) Paweł Dubiel, Józef Kozak, Polacy w II wojnie światowej: kim byli, co robili, Oficyna Wydawnicza RYTM, Warszawa, 2003, ISBN 83-7399-054-2
• (Polish) Stanisław Kopf, Stefan Starba-Bałuk, Armia Krajowa. Kronika fotograficzna, Wydawnictwo Ars Print Production, Warszawa, 1999, ISBN 83-87224-16-2
• (Polish) Aleksander Kamiński, Kamienie na szaniec
• (Polish) Barbara Wachowicz, Rudy, Alek, Zośka, Oficyna Wydawnicza RYTM, ISBN 83-88794-95-7

See also

• Polish Secret State
• Związek Harcerstwa Polskiego
• Mury
• Batalion Zośka
• Batalion Parasol

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