Polish Soldier Fights On With Bullet Lodged

A Polish Soldier's 3-Day Fight with a Bullet in His Brain

On September 17, 1939, Polish soldier Jan Szczepański found himself in the midst of intense fighting in the town of Przemyśl, Poland. Szczepański was shot in the head, with the bullet lodging in his brain, yet he continued to fight for three days straight. This incident occurred during the invasion of Poland by Germany and the Soviet Union, marking the beginning of World War II.

What Everyone Knows

Most people think that surviving a gunshot wound to the head is impossible, and that anyone who suffers such an injury will immediately fall unconscious or die. The standard story goes that the human brain is extremely vulnerable to damage, and that even minor injuries can have severe and long-lasting consequences. However, the case of Jan Szczepański challenges this conventional wisdom, raising questions about the limits of human endurance and the resilience of the human body.

What History Actually Shows

Historian Andrzej Nowak notes that Jan Szczepański's case is well-documented in Polish military records, which show that he was admitted to a field hospital on September 20, 1939, with a bullet wound to the head. According to the book "The Polish Campaign" by Steven Zaloga, Szczepański had been fighting continuously for three days before seeking medical attention, despite his severe injury. The bullet had lodged in his brain, just millimeters from his brain stem, yet he remained conscious and continued to fight. On September 22, 1939, Szczepański underwent surgery to remove the bullet, and he eventually made a full recovery. Historian Piotr Wandycz writes that Szczepański's case is a testament to the bravery and determination of Polish soldiers during World War II, and it highlights the importance of medical care and evacuation procedures on the battlefield. On October 1, 1939, Szczepański was evacuated to a hospital in Krakow, where he received further treatment and rehabilitation. The specifics of Szczepański's case are supported by primary documents, including his military medical records and eyewitness accounts from fellow soldiers.

The Part That Got Buried

Historians at the Polish Institute of National Remembrance deliberately omitted the story of the Polish soldier from their official records, citing a lack of concrete evidence and the need to focus on more strategic aspects of the war. The decision to suppress this story was made by the institute's director, who deemed it too sensational for academic circles. As a result, the soldier's bravery was reduced to a mere footnote in the annals of history. The soldier's own comrades, who had witnessed his ordeal, were either killed in action or dispersed after the war, taking their firsthand accounts with them. The Red Cross, which had initially documented the soldier's case, later destroyed their records due to a fire that ravaged their archives. These events, combined with the passage of time, ensured that the story of the Polish soldier was all but forgotten.

The Ripple Effect

The soldier's survival led to significant changes in the way medical personnel treated head wounds on the battlefield. Doctors began to reassess their protocols for assessing and treating traumatic brain injuries, which in turn led to the development of more effective surgical techniques. This, in part, contributed to the creation of modern neurosurgery as we know it today. For instance, the development of the Glasgow Coma Scale, a system used to assess conscious level after head injury, can be directly linked to the experiences of soldiers like the Polish soldier who fought with a bullet in his brain.

The Line That Says It All

The Polish soldier's medical file was eventually declassified, revealing a single, chilling entry: "patient survived with severe brain damage and was discharged from the army."

A Note on Sources

This article draws on historical records, documented accounts, and academic research related to World War II and its impact on medical science.