3 9 , ▁W ac ław ▁was ▁th ir teen ▁years ▁old . ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 4 ▁he ▁became ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Polish ▁anti - N azi ▁resistance ▁group , ▁the ▁Arm ia ▁K raj owa ▁( Home ▁Army ). ▁He ▁took ▁part ▁in ▁the ▁Wars aw ▁U pr ising ▁as ▁a ▁commander ▁of ▁the ▁Ż m ija ▁Group ▁( V i per ▁Group ), ▁fighting ▁in ▁the ▁Ż ol ib or z ▁district . ▁He ▁was ▁wounded ▁on ▁ 1 4 ▁September ▁in ▁Mary mont . ▁Sub sequently , ▁he ▁hid ▁in ▁the ▁ru ins ▁of ▁the ▁destroyed ▁city ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁Robinson ▁Cr uso es ▁of ▁Wars aw , ▁until ▁November ▁ 1 9 4 4 . ▁He ▁surv ived ▁the ▁war , ▁although ▁all ▁three ▁of ▁his ▁brothers ▁were ▁killed ▁during ▁the ▁German ▁occupation ▁of ▁Poland . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁war ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁war , ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 8 , ▁W ac law ▁was ▁arrested ▁by ▁the ▁Commun ist ▁authorities ▁of ▁the ▁People ' s ▁Republic ▁of ▁Poland ▁for ▁keeping ▁in ▁contact ▁with ▁former ▁Home ▁Army ▁soldiers ▁who ▁had ▁gone ▁into ▁anti - comm un ist ▁resistance ▁and ▁for ▁belonging ▁to ▁a ▁student ▁group ▁named ▁" Ke ep ▁Sm iling " ▁( original ▁name ▁in ▁English ). ▁The ▁secret ▁police ▁believed ▁" Ke ep ▁Sm iling " ▁to ▁be ▁an ▁American / B rit ish ▁sp y ▁network ▁because ▁of ▁its ▁foreign ▁name . ▁He ▁was ▁be aten ▁and ▁tort ured ▁during ▁inter