A 2.6-tonne TKS tankette armed with a 20mm autocannon served as the instrument for Edmund Roman Orlik's notable World War II combat actions during the 1939 September Campaign. Beyond his military service, he established a lasting career as an architect, shaping significant modernist structures in Poland throughout the mid-twentieth century.
Military Service and Combat Record
Born in Rogoźno in 1918, Orlik completed training at the Polish Army Armored Weapons Training Center in 1937 before moving to the Warsaw University of Technology to study architecture. Mobilized in August 1939 as a platoon leader with the 71st Polish Armored Squadron, he saw intense combat during the German invasion. On 18 September 1939, during a skirmish in the Kampinos Forest, Orlik and his unit engaged German forces, reportedly destroying three tanks, including a Panzer IV Ausf. B. The following day at the battle of Sieraków, he claimed to have destroyed seven additional tanks and captured two crew members with his service pistol. He later participated in the Siege of Warsaw and joined the Home Army during the occupation.
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Following the war, Orlik finished his professional education, including time at the Visual Arts College and the Wrocław University of Technology. Settling in Łódź, he practiced as an architect during the era of the Polish People's Republic. His significant output includes the Łódź University Library, constructed between 1956 and 1960. He also designed a dormitory for foreign students, known as the Tower of Babel, and the Department of Foreign Languages building. By the 1970s, he relocated to Opole to continue his professional practice.
Legacy and Recognition
Orlik received the Cross of Valour for his wartime service. His military history attained further visibility in popular culture through the video game World of Tanks, which introduced an award named in his honor for light tank performance. A memorial stone currently stands in the Kampinos Forest at Pociecha to commemorate the site of his 1939 engagement. He died in 1982 following a car accident in Opole.
Fast facts
- Born: 1918, Rogoźno
- Died: 1982, Opole
- Education: Warsaw University of Technology, Wrocław University of Technology
- Military Rank: Platoon leader
- Awards: Cross of Valour
- Key Architectural Work: Łódź University Library (1956-1960)
Questions readers ask
What military unit did Edmund Roman Orlik serve in during the invasion of Poland?
He served in the 71st Polish Armored Squadron.
Where can the memorial dedicated to Orlik be found?
A memorial stone was erected in the Kampinos Forest at the site of the battle of Pociecha.
Achievements
- Cross of Valour
- Trained at Polish Army Armored Weapons Training Center and Warsaw University of Technology
