Polish Armed Forces in the West

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Polish Armed Forces in the West refers to the Polish military formations formed to fight along the Western Allies and against Nazi Germany and its allies. The formations, loyal to the Polish government in exile, were first formed in France and its Middle East territories following Polish defeat and occupation by Germany in September 1939. After the fall of France, the formations were recreated in Great Britain. Polish military in the West was composed of both army, air and naval forces and during the war it was one of the most numerous Allied military formations. The formation was finally disbanded in 1947, with many of its soldiers chosing to remain in exile rather than to return to communist-controlled Poland.

Contents

[edit] General history

Polish Armed Forces in the West
at the height of their power
Deserters from the German Wehrmacht 89,300 (35.8%)
Evacuees from the USSR in 1941 83,000 (33.7%)
Evacuees from France in 1940 35,000 (14.0%)
Liberated POWs 21,750 (8.7%)
Escapees from occupied Europe 14,210 (5.7%)
Recruits in liberated France 7,000 (2.8%)
Polonia from Argentina, Brazil and Canada 2,290 (0.9%)
Polonia from United Kingdom 1,780 (0.7%)
Total 249,000
Note: Until July 1945, when recruitment was halted, some 26,830 Polish soldiers were declared KIA or MIA or had died of wounds. After that date, an additional 21,000 former Polish POWs were inducted.

Source: Reference #4

After the country's defeat in the 1939 campaign, the Polish government in exile quickly organized in France a new army of about 80,000 men; those units were subordinate to the French Army. In early 1940 a Polish Highland Brigade took part in the Battle of Narvik (Norway). A Polish Independent Carpathian Brigade was formed in French-mandated Syria, to which many Polish troops had escaped from Romania. The Polish Air Force in France comprised eighty-six aircraft in four squadrons, one and a half of the squadrons being fully operational while the rest were in various stages of training. Two Polish divisions (First Grenadier Division, and Second Infantry Fusiliers Division) took part in the defense of France, while a Polish motorized brigade and two infantry divisions were in process of forming.

After the fall of France, numbers of Polish personnel had died in the fighting or been interned in Switzerland. Nevertheless, General Władysław Sikorski, Polish commander-in-chief and prime minister, was able to evacuate many Polish troops (about 24,000) to the United Kingdom; those units would be subordinate to the British Army. Most of Polish troops were stationed in Eastern Scotland, helping to build coastal defences during reorganization of the Polish I Corps.

In 1941, following an agreement between the Polish government in exile and Joseph Stalin, the Soviets released Polish citizens, from whom a 75,000-strong army was formed in the Middle East under General Władysław Anders (Anders' Army, later the Polish II Corps).

A Polish flag flying over the ruins of the Monte Cassino monastery.
A Polish flag flying over the ruins of the Monte Cassino monastery.

The Polish armed forces in the west fought under the British command and numbered 195,000 in March 1944 and 165,000 at the end of that year, including about 20,000 personnel in the Polish Air Force and 3,000 in the Polish Navy. At the end of WWII, the Polish Armed Forces in the west numbered 195,000 and by July 1945 had increased to 228,000, most of the newcomers being released prisoners of war and ex-labor-camp inmates.

Polish Amred Forces in the West would fight in most of the Allied operations against the Nazi Germany in Middle East, Mediterranean, African and European theatres: the North African campaign, the Italian Campaign (with Battle of Monte Cassino being one of the most notable), the Western European Campaign (from Dieppe Raid and D-Day through Battle of Normandy and latter operations, such as Operation Market Garden).

After German Instrument of Surrender, 1945, Polish troops took part in occupation duties in the Wester Allied Occupation Zones in Germany. The formation was finally disbanded in 1947, with many of its soldiers chosing to remain in exile rather than to return to communist-controlled Poland, were they were often seen by the Polish communists as 'enemies of the state', influenced by the Western ideas, loyal to the Polish government in exile, and met with persecution and imprisonment (and in extreme cases, death). Failure of allied Western governments to keep its promise to Poland, which now fell under the Soviet sphere of influence, became know as the 'Western betrayal.' Polish Armed Forces in the West were finally disbanded in 1947. The number of Polish ex-soldiers unwilling to return to communist Poland was so high that a special organization was formed by the British government to assist them in settling in United Kingdom, the Polisch Resettlement Corps (Polski Korpus Przysposobienia i Rozmieszczenia); 114,000 Polish soldiers went through that organization. As dring the war many Poles were stationed in United Kingdom and served alongside British units, many Poles settled in United Kingdom after the war, becoming part of the Polish minority in United Kingdom.[1]

[edit] History by formation

[edit] Army

Polish Army in France, that begun to be organized soon after fall of Poland in 1939, was composed of about 80,000 men.

Four Polish divisions (First Grenadier Division, Second Infantry Fusiliers Division, 3rd and 4th Infantry Division), a Polish motorized brigade (10th Brigade of Armored Cavalry, 10éme Brigade de cavalerie blindée) and infantry brigade (Polish Independent Highland Brigade) were organized in mainland France. Polish Independent Highland Brigade took part in the Battles of Narvik in early 1940; after the German invasion of France, all Polish units were pressed in formation, although due to to French inefficient logistics and policies, all Polish units were missing much equipment and supplies; particulary the 3rd and 4th divisions which were still in the middle of organization. A Polish Independent Carpathian Brigade was formed in French-mandated Syria, to which many Polish troops had escaped from Romania and would later fight in the Middle East.

After the fall of France, numbers of Polish personnel had died in the fighting or been interned in Switzerland. Nevertheless, General Władysław Sikorski, Polish commander-in-chief and prime minister, was able to evacuate many Polish troops to the United Kingdom. Polish I Corps was the unit formed from the soldiers evacuated to UK, it comprised the Polish 1st Armoured Division and the Polish Independent Parachute Brigade and other units.

In 1941, following an agreement between the Polish government in exile and Joseph Stalin, the Soviets released Polish citizens, from whom a 75,000-strong army was formed in the Middle East under General Władysław Anders (Anders' Army, later the Polish II Corps). It was composed of Polish 3rd Carpathian Infantry Division, Polish 5th Kresowa Infantry Division, Polish 2nd Armoured Brigade and other units).

[edit] Air Force

Further information: Polish Air Forces in France and Great Britain

The Polish Air Force fought in the Battle of France as one fighter squadron GC 1/145, several small units detached to French squadrons, and numerous flights of industry defence (in total, 133 pilots, who achieved 55 victories at a loss of 15 men).

Later, Polish pilots fought in the Battle of Britain, where the Polish 303 Fighter Squadron achieved the highest number of kills of any Allied squadron. From the very beginning of the war, the Royal Air Force (RAF) had welcomed foreign pilots to supplement the dwindling pool of British pilots. On 11 June 1940, the Polish Government in Exile signed an agreement with the British Government to form a Polish Army and Polish Air Force in the United Kingdom. The first two (of an eventual ten) Polish fighter squadrons went into action in August 1940. Four Polish squadrons eventually took part in the Battle of Britain (300 and 301 Bomber Squadrons; 302 and 303 Fighter Squadrons), with 89 Polish pilots. Together with more than 50 Poles fighting in British squadrons, a total of 145 Polish pilots defended British skies. Polish pilots were among the most experienced in the battle, most of them having already fought in the 1939 September Campaign in Poland and the 1940 Battle of France. Additionally, prewar Poland had set a very high standard of pilot training. The 303 Squadron, named after the Polish-American hero, General Tadeusz Kościuszko, achieved the highest number of kills (126) of all fighter squadrons engaged in the Battle of Britain, even though it only joined the combat on August 30, 1940: these 5% of pilots were responsible for a phenomenal 12% of total victories in the Battle.

126 German airplanes shot down by the 303 squadron during the Battle of Britain. Painted on a Hurricane.
126 German airplanes shot down by the 303 squadron during the Battle of Britain. Painted on a Hurricane.

The Polish Air Force also fought in 1943 in Tunisia (Polish Fighting Team, so called "Skalski's Circus") and in raids on Germany (1940-45). In the second half of 1941 and early 1942, Polish bomber squadrons were the sixth part of forces available to RAF Bomber Command (later they suffered heavy losses, with little replenishment possibilities). Polish aircrew losses serving with Bomber Command 1940-45 were 929 killed. Ultimately 8 Polish fighter squadrons were formed within the RAF and had claimed 629 Axis aircraft destroyed by May 1945. By war's end, there were 14,000 Polish airmen in 15 RAF squadrons and in the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF).

Polish squadrons in the United Kingdom:

[edit] Navy

Just on the eve of war, three destroyers - representing most of the major Polish Navy ships - had been sent for safety to the British Isles (Operation Peking). There they fought alongside the Royal Navy. At various stages of the war, the Polish Navy comprised two cruisers and a large number of smaller ships. The Polish Navy fought with great distinction alongside the other Allied navies in many important and successful operations, including those conducted against the German battleship, Bismarck. Overall, Polish Navy took part in 787 naval military operations of the Western Allies during the Second World War.

ORP Sokól
ORP Sokól

The above list does not include a number of minor ships, transports, merchant-marine auxiliary vessels, and patrol boats.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ 'The Lion and the Eagle: Polish Second World War Veterans in Scotland'

[edit] External links

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