Colonel Marian Wieroński
3rd Rifle Brigade (Poland)

I made personnel changes to the more important positions. Current suitability for combat was the decisive factor … Colonel Wieroński was a very good infantryman, decorated by me with the Virtuti Militari Order for the Battle of Potigny on 15 August; however, he had not taken to the particular nature of combat … and thought that someone else would be better in this position.

 —General Stanisław Maczek

(Quoted in Jenny Grant, Price of Victory)

Born on 2 August 1896 in Krakow, Marian Stanisław Wieroński was a long-serving infantry officer in the Polish Army. After a series of promotions and postings, he had advanced to lieutenant-colonel by March 1937. He commanded the 3rd Rifle Battalion during the invasion of Poland in September 1939. He escaped to France where he commanded the 9th Infantry Regiment before the fall and occupation of the country to German forces.

With the Polish armed forces in the United Kingdom, he commanded a battalion of the parachute brigade before being appointed commanding officer of 1st Podhale Rifles Battalion in January 1942. In May 1943, he was promoted to colonel in command of the 1st Rifle Brigade and then took over the 3rd Rifle Brigade at the end of the year. His formation deployed to France in July 1944 as part of General Stanisław Maczek’s 1st Armoured Division. After the heavy fighting in the Falaise Pocket, on 24 August, at his own request Maczek replaced Wieroński with Colonel Franciszek Skibiński, deputy commander of 10th Armoured Brigade.

Wieroński died in Scotland on 2 June 1948.