Halszka Wasilewska (soldier)

Halszka Wasilewska
Wasilewska c. 1918
Born	(1899-03-21)21 March 1899 at sea, registered in London, England
Died	8 February 1961(1961-02-08) (aged 61) Stafford, England
Interred	Stafford Cemetery, Eccleshall Road, Stafford, England
Allegiance	Poland
Service / branch	Polish Legions Ochotnicza Legia Kobiet Polish Land Forces
Years of service	1918 – 1949
Rank	Major
Unit	Przysposobienie Wojskowe Kobiet
Commands	Ochotnicza Legia Kobiet Commandant Brigade II of the Polish Legions Commandant of Przysposobienie Wojskowe Kobiet
Battles / wars	World War I Polish–Ukrainian War Battle of Lwów Polish–Soviet War World War II
Awards	Commemorative Medal for War 1939–1945
Relations	Leon Wasilewski, Wanda Wasilewska
Other work	Commander Polish Women's Army Auxiliary Corps, Germany

Halszka Wasilewska, sometimes called Halina, (21 March 1899 – 8 February 1961), WW2 nom-de-guerre Krystyna, was one of the first women to attain the rank of Major in the Polish Armed Forces.

She was a Legionnaire in the First World War and the subsequent Polish-Soviet War in 1920. She participated in the battle for Lwów and in the Polish-Ukrainian War.

As an officer, she had special responsibility for training in the women's Polish Armed Forces during the interbellum.

With the outbreak of the Second World War, she directed training for the women in the Polish Underground Army. She was captured and tortured by the Nazis and held in Ravensbrück concentration camp for two years.

After liberation she rose to the rank of Major of the Women's forces in General Maczek's 1st Armoured Division in postwar Germany.^[1]

She was the elder sister of the communist activist Wanda Wasilewska, who has overshadowed her in history.^[2]