From childhood he dreamed of becoming a slave and fighting for the liberation of Poland. He wanted to be like Skrzetuski, Kmicic, Wołoodyjowski, or Rafał Olbromski and Krzysztof Cedro (heroes of Stefan Żeromski's "Skrzetuski".
The desire to be a slave besides came from having well-deserved grandparents: Ludwik Skibiński was an officer of the 4th Ulan Regiment of the Congressional Kingdom, and the another grandpa – besides Francis – was an 1863 insurgent.
Franciszek Skibiński was born on 15 August 1899 in Munich. He studied at the Junior advanced School. Mikołaja Reja in Warsaw later, grades VII and VIII, in the Polish junior advanced school in Kiev, where he passed his advanced school.
In September 1917 he joined the Polish Army as a volunteer, where until May 1918 he was a volunteer in the 1st Ulan regiment.
With a group of Ulans after disarming the regiment, he joined the POW in Ukraine. In November 1918 he arrived in Warsaw, where he participated in disarming the Germans. In January 1919, he was injured in battles in defence of Przemyśl and Lviv.
After graduating from the School of Cavalry in the Old Village in the rank of lieutenant, he was assigned from November 1919 to the 14th Jazlowiecian Regiment in which he commanded the 1st squadron platoon during the 1920 War.
On August 15, 1923, from the post of chief of the 6th Driving Brigade, he was assigned to the parent 14th Regiment. In 1925 he finished his training in Grudziądz as squadron commanders, and from 1926 to 1931 he was a combat training teacher at the Cavalry Training Centre in Grudziądz. Served in the 14th regiment he was promoted in 1927 to captain.
In 1931 he served in the 3rd Regiment of Horse Rifles as squadron commander, and from autumn 1932 to 1935 at the Higher War School. He returns to the colours of the 14th Regiment and becomes Chief of Staff of the 10th Cavalry Brigade in Rzeszów.
Appointed as a major certified in 1936. As of November 1937, he was chief of staff of the 10th Cavalry Brigade.
From September to December 1938 he participated in the business of Zaolzia. From 1 September to 19 September 1939, he participated in the September campaign. After the russian Union's aggression against Poland on 19 September 1939, he and the full brigade crossed the border with Hungary, and already on 26 September arrived at Coëtquidan camp in Brittany (France).
From 10 to 18 June 1940, he participated in the French campaign. He then reached Liverpool via Spain, Portugal and Gibraltar on September 3, 1940.
He participated in the organization of the 1st Armoured Division of the Polish Armed Forces under General Stanisław Maczek. In turn, Chief of Staff of the 10th Armored Cavalry Brigade, Commander of the 10th Cavalry Regiment and Commander of the 3rd firearm Brigade in the division lineup. From August 1944 to May 1945, he and the division participated in the run in western Europe. He was part of Breda's liberation. The war ended in the rank of Colonel.
From 21 August 1945 to 1947, Deputy Commander of the 2nd Warsaw Armoured Division of the 2nd Polish Armed Forces Corps. In July 1947 he returned to Poland, became a lecturer at the General Staff Academy.
In April 1951, he was arrested by the Military Information Authority, and on April 28, 1952 sentenced by the ultimate Military Court in the alleged fresh military conspiracy leadership to the death punishment for betraying his homeland.
On November 19, 1952, president Bolesław Bierut did not exercise the right of grace, but stopped the execution of the death penalty, which was related to the usage of Skibiński as a witness in another trials concerning the "conspiracy in the military".
Only on January 25, 1954, the president of the State Council, Aleksander Zawadzki exercised the right of grace. Skibiński, imprisoned in the Correctional Institution in Wronki, took a hunger strike protesting an unfair sentence.
On April 4, 1956, the ultimate Military Court resumed its proceedings, and after 2 days, the Chief Military Prosecutor's Office dismissed them due to deficiency of evidence of guilt.
In 1963, he defended his doctorate for his work "The conflict of Normandy in September 1944". He retired in August 1964.
He was, among others, the president of the Committee for the Construction of the Monument of the Millennium of Polish Driving. president of the Polish-Belgian relationship Society. Multiannual associate of the Drafting Committee of the Military quarterly Historical Review.
Vice president of the General Council of ZBoWiD 1958–1990. He has been a associate of the Council for the Protection of Combat Memory and Martyrdom since 1988. In 1981–1983, he was a associate of the Presidium of the National Unity Committee of the Nation. associate of the National Council of PRON in 1983.
In 1987 he joined the Polish section of the movement “Retired Generals for Peace and Disarmament”. On 11 November 1988, he joined the Honorary Commemorative Committee of 70th anniversary of Poland's regaining independence.
He died on 16 May 1991 in Warsaw. Buried at the Military Cemetery in Powązki in Warsaw (quater A38-4-5)[11]. The ceremony was attended, among others, by the president of the Republic of Poland General Wojciech Jaruzelski
.
SECTIONS AND DECLARATIONS
Gold Cross of the Virtuti Military War Order
Silver Cross of the Virtuti Military Order (1921)
Commander's Cross with the Star of the Order of Polish Revival
Knight's Cross of the Order of Polish Revival
Cross of Valor – 3 times
Golden Cross of Merit – 4 times
Independence Medal
Cross of Combat Action of Polish Armed Forces in the West (1989)
Order of Outstanding Service – United Kingdom
Star for War 1939–1945 – United Kingdom
Star of France and Germany – United Kingdom
Defence Medal – United Kingdom
Commander of the Order of the Legion of Honor – France
Knight of the Order of the Legion of Honor – France
War Cross with a palm tree – France
Bronze Lion Medal – The Netherlands
Commander of the Crown Order – Belgium
Badge “For Credit for ZBOWiD”
Entry into the “Honor Book of Soldier Works” (1983)
Master Mechanics Tank Drivers and Armoured Department badge
Badge for Wounds and Damages
BOOKS AND PUBLICATIONS
Ułańska youth 1917–1939, Warsaw 1989
First armor, Warsaw 1979,
Falaise, Warsaw 1971,
Axel, Warsaw 1979,
Battle of Crete: May 1941, Warsaw 1983,
Armoured troops in planet War II, Warsaw 1982,
Ardeny, Warsaw 1966,
Commanding coalition troops against the background of the conflict of Normandy, Warsaw 1963
A collection of combat and cavalry exercises, Warsaw 1935 (with Major Franciszek Stachowicz
Commanding Polish units in the West on an operational scale: (chosen examples), Warsaw 1973,
Hello and Glory to the Heroes
Source :
https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/...(link is external)
https://museumbronzierne.p...(link is external)
https://encyclopedia.pwn.pl/ha...(link is external)
https://www.conflicty.pl/histo...(link is external)
https://historykon.pl/16-maja-...(link is external)
