Juliusz Drapella

Juliusz Alfred Drapella was a Polish brigadier general of the Polish Armed Forces who was most notable during his service in World War II.

Biography Juliusz Alfred Drapella was born on November 3, 1886, in Wieprz, to the family of Ludwik Drapella (1852–1935) and Maria née Mierowska. In 1906 he graduated from a seven-class real school with a high school diploma in Kromieryż and began studying at the TU Wien. In 1908 he moved to the Vienna University of Economics and Business.

In the period from October 1, 1907, to October 30, 1908, he completed his compulsory one-year military service in the Austro-Hungarian army . He completed his commercial studies in Vienna. In the years 1910–1914 he was a member of "Sokoł" in Żywiec. He was appointed to the rank of cadet with seniority on January 1, 1911, in the corps of officers of the infantry reserve, and his parent unit was the infantry regiment No. 56 in Kraków. In 1913 he was renamed a cadet to a warrant officer with the preservation of seniority. In the years 1912–1913, he took part in the mobilization of the armed forces of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, introduced in connection with the First and Second Balkan Wars with the mobilization of Austria-Hungary and in the years 1914–1918 he fought on the fronts of World War I. His parent unit was still the 56th infantry regiment. He was appointed to the rank of lieutenant with seniority on November 1, 1915, in the corps of infantry reserve officers In 1915 he received the highest praise for bravery.

On July 7, 1919, he was admitted to the Polish Army from the former Austro-Hungarian army, with the approval of the rank of lieutenant with seniority from November 1, 1915, included in the 1st Army Reserve with simultaneous appointment to active service during the war and assigned to the 12th Infantry Regiment. During the Polish–Soviet War, he was, among others, commander of the backup battalion in Żywiec, chief of staff of the Group of General Aleksandrowicz and General Krajowski, deputy chief of staff and chief of the Operational Department of the Staff of the 4th Infantry Division and chief of staff of the 18th Infantry Division (September 26, 1920 – June 30, 1921).

Delegation of the 27th Infantry Division with the President of the Republic of Poland Ignacy Mościcki in 1936 (gen. Drapella, 3rd from right)

On November 20, 1922, he was appointed deputy chief of staff of the Command of the Corps District No. II in Lublin. On April 1, 1923, he was decommissioned for a period of 6 months without the right to conscription. He died of heart disease on October 25, 1946, in Nice. He was married and had a son.