Polish 1st Independent Parachute Brigade

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1. Samodzielna Brygada Spadochronowa
1st Independent Parachute Brigade

1st Independent Parachute Brigade Badge.
Active September 23, 1941—June 30, 1947
Allegiance Polish Government in Exile
Branch Polish Army
Type Brigade
Role Airborne force, rapidly deployable aeromobile infantry force.
Part of Directly subordinate to Polish Government in Exile
On 6 June 1944 transferred under British command
Garrison/HQ London, England
Motto “Najkrótszą drogą” (By The Shortest Way)
Engagements Operation Market Garden
Battle honours Order of William
Commanders
Notable
commanders		 Gen. bryg. Stanisław Sosabowski

The 1st (Polish) Independent Parachute Brigade was a parachute brigade under command of Maj.Gen. Stanisław Sosabowski, created in Scotland in September 1941 with the exclusive mission to drop into occupied Poland in order to help liberate the country. All Polish units under British command (over 240,000 soldiers) could be sent into action at any part of the Western front. The 1st Polish Independent Parachute Brigade would fight for Poland on Polish territory.

The unit was eventually used during Operation Market Garden in 1944. The Poles were initially landed by glider from the 18th September, whilst due to bad weather over England, the Parachute section of the Brigade was held up, and jumped on the 21st September at Driel on the South bank of the Rhine. The Poles suffered significant casualties during the next few days of fighting, but still were able, by their presence, to cause around 2,500 German troops to be diverted to them for fear of supporting the remnants of 1st Airborne trapped over the lower Rhine in Oosterbeek.

Contents

[edit] History

During Operation Market Garden, the brigade's anti-tank battery went into Arnhem during the first days of the battle, supporting the British paratroopers at Oosterbeek. This left Sosabowski without any anti-tank capability. The light artillery battery was left behind in England due to a shortage of gliders. Owing to bad weather and a shortage of transport planes, the drop into Driel, was delayed 2 days. Finally the 2nd Battalion, and elements of the 3rd Battalion with also the support troops from the brigades Medical Company, Engineer Company, and HQ Company were dropped under German fire East of Driel. They over-ran Driel, after it was realised that the Heveadorp ferry had been destroyed. In Driel, the Polish Paratroopers set up a defensive "Hedgehog" position, from which over the next two nights further attempts to cross the Rhine were made.

The following day, the Poles were able to produce some make-shift boats and attempted the crossing. With great difficulty and under German fire from the heights of Westerbouwing at the northern bank of the river, the 8th Parachute Company and later additional troops from 3rd Battalion, managed to cross the Rhine in two attempts. In total about 200 Polish Paratroopers made it across in two days, and were able to cover the subsequent withdrawal of the remnants of the British 1st Airborne Division.

On the 26th of September 1944, the brigade (now including the 1st Battalion and elements of the 3rd Battalion, who were parachuted near to Grave on the 23rd September) was ordered to march in the direction of Nijmegen. The brigade had lost 23% of its fighting strength, amounting to 400 casualties.

In 1945 it was attached to the Polish 1st Armoured Division and undertook occupation duties in Northern Germany until 30th June 1947 when it was disbanded. The majority of its soldiers stayed in exile.

[edit] Exoneration

Soldiers dressed in uniforms of the Brigade during a Polish Indepencence Day Parade, Warsaw, November 11, 2007
Soldiers dressed in uniforms of the Brigade during a Polish Indepencence Day Parade, Warsaw, November 11, 2007

More than 61 years after WW II the Brigade, whose traditions are kept alive by the Polish 6th Air Assault Brigade, was awarded the Military Order of William (31st of May 2006) for its distinguished and outstanding acts of bravery, skill and devotion to duty during Operation Market Garden (September 1944). This is the highest and rarest honour of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

[edit] Brigade Order of Battle

  • Brigade HQ CO: Maj.Gen S. Sosabowski
    • Deputy Brigade CO: Lt.Col. S. Jachnik
  • 1st Parachute Battalion CO: Lt.Col. M. Tonn
    • 1st Parachute Company
    • 2nd Parachute Company
    • 3rd Parachute Company
  • 2nd Parachute Battalion CO: Lt.Col. W. Ploszewski
    • 4th Parachute Company
    • 5th Parachute Company
    • 6th Parachute Company
  • 3rd Parachute Battalion CO: Maj. W. Sobocinski
    • 7th Parachute Company
    • 8th Parachute Company
    • 9th Parachute Company
  • Airborne Anti-tank Battery CO: Capt. J. Wardzala
  • Airborne Engineer Company CO: Capt. P. Budziszewski
  • Airborne Signals Company CO: Capt. J. Burzawa
  • Airborne Medical Company CO: Lt. J. Mozdzierz
  • Transport and Supply Company CO: Capt. A. Siudzinski
  • Airborne Light Artillery Battery CO: Maj. J. Bielecki

Polish paratroopers in positions on the southern bank of Rhine (Arnhem).

[edit] Equipment

Garment
  • standard British paratrooper battledress with Polish markings
Rifles
  • Lee-Enfield Rifle
Machine pistols
Machine guns
Sniper rifles
  • Lee-Enfield Rifle, No.4, Mk.I
Other weapons

The Polish paratroopers were also extensively trained in usage of German weapons and Polish pre-war weapons available to the Polish Underground

Anti-tank weapons
  • PIAT missile

[edit] External links

[edit] See also

[edit] References