Władysław Raginis (June 27, 1908 – September 10, 1939) was a Polish military commander during the invasion of Poland in 1939. He commanded a small force holding the Polish fortified defense positions against a vastly larger German force during the Battle of Wizna. Because the positions were held at great cost for three days before being annihilated with few survivors, Wizna is referred to as the Polish Thermopylae and Captain Raginis as a modern Leonidas. near to Dźwińsk (Daugavpils), Courland Governorate, Russian Empire (present-day Latvia) to a landowning family with patriotic traditions. Turning to his men in the shelter, Raginis thanked them for their bravery, and for doing their duty. He then ordered them to surrender and leave the shelter - he would keep his word and not surrender.

References

Further reading

  • Kosztyła Zygmunt, Obrona odcinka "Wizna" 1939, BKD (Bitwy, Kampanie, Dowódcy) [7/76], 1976
  • Kupidura P., Zahor M., Wizna, Wojskowy Przegląd Techniczny i Logistyczny, nr 3, 1999
  • Moorhouse Roger, First to Fight: The Polish War, 1939, Bodley Head, 2019
  • Stawiński Kazimierz, Bój pod Wizną. Warszawa 1964. Wydawnictwo Ministerstwa Obrony Narodowej.
  • Wiktorzak A., Wizna - Polskie Termopile, Głos Weterana, nr 9, 1997