The son of Wincenty and Anna, née Klukowska. He was born on 19 May 1895 in Saint Petersburg where he graduated from a classical secondary school in 1913 and began his studies at the Institute of Communication Engineers. During his studies, he was a member of the Brotherly Help organisation [Polish: Bratnia Pomoc]. In 1916, he was called up into the army of the Russian Empire and graduated from the Mikhailovsky Artillery School in Saint Petersburg. From July to December 1917, he fought at the front with the 3rd cavalry battery. In December 1917, he started his service in the 3rd Lancer Regiment and the 2nd Cavalry Battery in the 1st Polish Corps. After Poland regained its independence, he joined the reborn Polish Army and from November 1918, he served with the 1st Division of Horse Artillery. He was slightly wounded during the occupation of Vilnius. He took part in the Polish-Bolshevik war and was awarded the Silver Cross of Virtuti Militari for his bravery in the battle of Wolica Śniatycka.

In 1923, he was ordered to complete his studies at the Warsaw University of Technology. In 1924-1927, he held the post of Director of Science at the School of Artillery Cadets. From 1927 to 1929, he supplemented his education in the French Military College. In 1930-1932, he held the post of Squadron Commander of the 6th Heavy Artillery Regiment, and during the years 1932-1935 he served as the head of an independent office in Branch III of the General Staff. From 1935 to 1937, he served as the deputy commander of Armoured Troops at the Ministry of Military Affairs; in t1937-1939, he was the commander of the 1st Regiment of Self-Propelled Artillery, and from March 1939 he was the chief of Branch III of the General Staff/ Staff of the Commander-in-Chief.

After the September Campaign, he was briefly interned in Romania, and on 1 November he reached France and he was sent to Syria from there. From April 1940 to July 1943, he was the commander of the Carpathian Rifle Brigade and the 3rd Carpathian Rifle Division. In the years 1943-1947, he was the Chief of Staff of the Commander-in-Chief, and then – from 1947 to 1949 – General Inspector of the Polish Resettlement Corps (Polish: Polski Korpus Przysposobienia i Rozmieszczenia) in Great Britain. On 26 September 1946, the Provisional Government of National Unity (Polish: Tymczasowy Rząd Jedności Narodowej) deprived him of Polish citizenship which was not restored until 1972. From 1970-1976, the President of the Republic of Poland in Exile entrusted him with the post of Inspector General of the Armed Forces.

He died on 23 March 1976 in London, where he was buried at Northwood Cemetery. In 1926, he married Janina de Rathel and they had a daughter Anna and son Tadeusz.