Sergey Zagorsky

Sergey Zagorsky came from a military family and entered the Naval Cadet Corps after completing a gymnasium degree in Zhitomir. He did not graduate from the course at the Naval Cadet Corps, but enrolled in the Nikolaev Cavalry School in St. Petersburg as a cadet in 1906. Two years later, he graduated from the school and was assigned to the 15th Ukrainian Hussar Regiment in the town of Plock (now POL). In 1910, he was transferred to the Guards Reserve Cavalry Regiment stationed in Krechevitsy, near Novgorod. Still a cornet, he represented Russia in show jumping at the Stockholm Olympics in 1912. With his horse Bandoura, he placed 18th in the individual event.

Zagorsky participated in World War I, serving in the Life Guards Dragoon Regiment until 1917. He was promoted to staff captain in 1916 and captain in 1917, and then seconded to the Guards Rifle Regiment. Later that year, he was transferred 1st Uhlan Regiment of the 1st Polish Uhlan Division and was appointed deputy regiment commander. He was awarded various degrees of the Orders of St. Vladimir, St. Stanislav and St. Anne, as well as the St. George’s Cross.

After World War I, Zagorsky joined the reconstituted Polish Army with his regiment and fought in the Polish-Soviet War. After acting as commander of the 14th Uhlan Regiment during the offensive on Kyiv in 1920, he returned to his previous position in the 1st Uhlan Regiment. In 1921, he completed a training course at the cavalry officers’ school in Italy. In 1920, he continued to compete in international equestrian events as a member of the Polish team, sometimes together with Karol von Rómmel.

Promoted to colonel, Zagorsky became deputy commander of the 16th Greater Poland Uhlan Regiment in 1922. After completing a training course at the Higher Military School in Warszawa (Warsaw), he was assigned the command of the 11th Legionary Uhlan Regiment (1924) and subsequently the command of the 1st Cavalry Brigade in Warsaw. In 1926, he headed the military cabinet after the May Coup in Poland. He then took over new commands: the 12th Cavalry Brigade in Ostrołęka in 1928 and the “Poznań” Cavalry Brigade in 1929. One year later, he was promoted to brigadier general. As a Polish officer he was awarded the Order of Polonia Restituta, the Military Order of Virtuti Militari, the Gold Cross of Merit and in other countries he was appointed Commander of the Legion of Honour (France), Knight of the Order of the Crown (Italy), Officer and Knight, respectively, of the Orders of the Crown and of the Star (Romania).

In 1931, already aged 45, he married the Belgian Alina Paulina Dewitte. Beginning in 1936, Zagorsky served in the cavalry directorate of the Ministry of Military Affairs until his retirement in 1938. Called up to the reserve after the German invasion in 1939, he was evacuated through Romania to France after the Polish defeat. There, he served at the disposal of the Commander-in-Chief of the Polish Forces. In 1940, he was again evacuated, this time to Great Britain, where he was interned in an officers’ camp on the Scottish Isle of Bute and discharged in 1942. Living in London after World War II, he was a member of an organisation of former high-ranking commanders.