Military Identification Documents

[Al-muell]

This one is interesting - first, It doesn't say anything about his wartime military service, but at the same time he wears a Victory and Freedom medal on the photograph - likely he was a non-military conspirator or a partisan.
But what's more interesting, is the fact that this booklet - issued in 1949, truely totalitarian stalinist times - actualy stays that he served in the military intelligence unit! Normaly, I would expect that in this case only the unit number would be given, but no, it clearly says he servedin the "Military Information" unit (that was the official name of the military intelligence and counterintelligence before it was changed to WSW).
Anyway, it sates that he had the rank of plutonowy (an NCO rank - higher than standard corporal, but lowe, than sgt., the soviet equivalent would be more or less serzhant, but this is not very acurate) and was the deputy platoon commander.
He started his military service on 22 May 1945, when he got his basic training in 9th rifle company of the 44th Infantry Regiment, than on 30 June he was moved to the scout platoon and on 7th July - moved to the Military Information unit of the 13th Infantry Division and on 18 February 1946 moved to the Military Information unit of the DOW4 (SOW4? No idea what it is, if not for the number, I would say it may be Silesian Military District, MI unit nr.4, but don't know) and promoted to the rank of plutonowy and the post of deputy platoon commander). Demobilised on 23 July 1947.

[Al-muell]

Another interesting example of a interesting service record:
in 1938 called for service in the 23 cavalry regiment (of the Polish Army), where he served until 12th September 1939. In 1941 he was mobilised to the Red Army where he served in 13th Rifle Regiment until july 1941. From September 1942 to March 1944 he was a partisan, however, there's no specification if in Soviet, Polo-Soviet or Polish squad.

[Al-muell]

A booklet that at the first glance looks very ordinary - service in 1950-1951 as a driver. Only the strange promotions from 1998 and 2000 indicate that something is strange with this doc...

[Al-muell]

Everything becomes clear with the document that accompanied the booklet - a testimony for the ZBoWiD stating that the owner of this booklet, Robert Śmiech, was in fact a partisan:
"From 1942 [only 12 y.o. at that time] he belonged to the underground organisation of the "People's Guards" [later People's Army] commanded by "Waśko" acting in the districts of Chełm and Włodawa, I also belonged [to the organisation] andthan was arrested and set in the concentration camp in Majdanek."

"From 1942 to 1945 [he acted] as a messenger and a liason between squads and groups of the People's Guards and Soviet Partisans acting in the districts of Chełm and Włodawa, he avoided being arrested."

[Al-muell]

This one is not unusual in the special service (as the owner didn't serve) or additional history. It is interesting in that that it is to a catholic priest.
The function of chaplain existed in soviet-created Polish Army in the East (there was even atleast one chaplain awarded Soviet combat order) it was removed from the the army shortly after the war.
In the stalinist era the clerics were usually forced to serve in the construction battallions, but for most of the PRP period the party didn't want to enfuriate the bishops, so most of the priests - like father Władysław Maciąg here - were not mobilised and would often get the category "Fit for service, not trained"