/boyscout ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀directory

during the nazi occupation, the normal związek harcerstwa polskiego (the polish scout & guide association) was totally banned by the germans, wearing uniforms or doing official meetings could get you killed. but instead of quitting, scouts went totally underground and reorganized into a secret resistance force called “szare szeregi” (grey ranks)
they worked closely with the polish underground state + armia krajowa (home army), the main resistance network in occupied poland.

zawisza (12–14 yrs)

• not directly fighting
• worked as auxiliary support
• did things like secret education, smuggling messages, scout postal service in uprisings. 

combat schools (15–17 yrs)

• this crew did small sabotage & intel
• painting patriotic symbols (like kotwica)
• distributing leaflets & underground press
• spying on german movements & sending info to allies

assault groups (the oldest)

• full-on armed resistance fighters
• major sabotage, raids, liberating prisoners, blowing bridges
• fought in things like the warsaw uprising organized into battalions like “zoska”, “parasol”, “wigry"

example missions and activities

• office sabotage & propaganda — posting slogans, spraying resistance symbols, spreading anti-german flyers.
• operation arsenal — freeing prisoners from german custody.
• assassinations of nazi officials
• support roles — girls worked as nurses, liaisons, munitions carriers and delivered messages.
• white couriers — smuggled people across enemy lines early in the war.