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Polish Army in France (1939-1940)
Encyclopedia
The Polish Army in France formed in France under the command of General Władysław Sikorski (and hence sometimes known as Sikorski's Army) in late 1939, after the fall of Poland resulting from the Polish Defensive War
. About 85,000 troops were in the process of being organized into fighting formations (four infantry divisions, two independent brigades and air support) when the battle of France
started. The army was partially destroyed in the hostilities, but over 20,000 soldiers were evacuated and formed a new Polish army in the United Kingdom.
The creation of Polish formations in France marked the beginnings of the Polish Armed Forces in the West
.
. France, a Polish ally
, had formally declared war on Germany September 3 in response to the invasion, although it had not yet undertaken any major operations against the Germans (see Phony War
) before the creation began. France welcomed the Polish refugees (as well as the Polish government in exile
) and started organizing them into several military formations.
The main military camps for Polish formations were in Coëtquidan
and Parthenay
. The new army was partially recruited from Polish army personnel who escaped from occupied Poland and émigrés volunteers. By May 1940, the army numbered about 80,000 personnel; of which about 45,000 were army escapees or former refugees, and the rest came from the Polish minority in France
.
Due to inefficient French logistics and policies, the formation of Polish units was delayed by missing equipment and supplies. Consequently by May 1940
, only two infantry divisions, two independent brigades, and one air squadron were able to become fully equipped and operational, with another two infantry divisions in the process of being completely formed. Polish high command had planned for two full corps, an armoured division, and over fifteen air squadrons. Also, rear units were being formed - a Polish military academy and a cartographic institute. The Polish command also issued a document "Most Important Conclusions and Experiences from The September Campaign" ("Najważniejsze wnioski i doświadczenia z kampanii wrześniowej"), in which it analysed German blitzkrieg
strategy and proposed some countermeasures. This document was ignored by the French high command.
Four Polish divisions
:
a Polish motorized brigade
:
and a Polish infantry brigade:
In French-mandated
Syria
,
a Polish Independent Carpathian Brigade was formed
to which about 4,000 Polish troops had escaped, mostly through Romania
and would later fight in the Middle East
.
in France comprised 86 aircraft in four squadrons, one and a half of the squadrons being fully operational while the rest were in various stages of training.
ships which left the Baltic during Operation Peking where attached to the Royal Navy
of United Kingdom
, not the French command, and as such are not counted as the part of the Polish Army in France.
, at first only Polish armoured units were pressed in formation, but after the Germans broke through the French front, all Polish formations were moved to the front-line, although the units still had not received all of their equipment and supplies from the French logistics services. None of the units were completely equipped by the time they entered combat and particularly the 3rd and 4th divisions were still in the middle of organization. Polish units fought in the southern section of the front and all continued to fight despite Philippe Pétain
’s call for an armistice
and demobilization
on 16 June. The Polish commander-in-chief, general Władysław Sikorski, on June 19, announced in a radio bulletin that Poland would continue to fight as an ally of the United Kingdom. Polish units were ordered to reach the French ports in the north, west and south in preparation for naval evacuation to Great Britain, or if that would prove impossible, to cross the Swiss frontier.
First Grenadier Division (16,165 soldiers) under Bolesław Bronisław Duch was based in Lorraine
, manning part of the Maginot Line
from June 9 as part of the French 4th Army. It fought from 14 June. After two days, having withstood German assaults on its positions near Lagarde
, it was forced to fall back, covering the retreat of the disintegrating French 52nd Division. On 21 June, with the collapse of the nearby French defences, general Duch ordered the unit to disband; many of the soldiers, including the general, were able to evacuate to United Kingdom.
The Second Infantry Fusiliers Division
(15,830 soldiers) under Bronisław Prugar-Ketling was based between late December 1939 and May 1940 at Parthenay
in Eastern France. Commanded by Brigadier-General Prugar-Kietling the division was charged with the defences around Belfort
. Engaged in heavy fighting from June 17 to 19 near Doubs
and Saône
rivers, it stopped the German attack on the Clos-du-Doubs hills, but due to the retreat of the nearby French forces it was surrounded by the Germans; nonetheless, it managed to break through to Switzerland
on 20 - 21 June 1940, where its soldiers (including general Prugar-Ketling) were interned.
The 3rd and 4th Infantry Divisions were still being formed when France capitulated and took relatively little part in the hostilities.
The 10th Brigade of Armored Cavalry (1,079 soldiers) under general Stanisław Maczek fought in the Champagne
and Bourgogne
regions. It protected the flank of the 4th and 6th French Armies near Champaubert
, northwest of Dijon
, and on June 16 routed Germans near Montbard
, but by then the brigade was fighting alone, with the French units on both flanks either routed or in retreat. By 18 June the unit was mostly surrounded and without fuel and ammunition. General Maczek ordered the destruction of the unit equipment and withdrawal; the unit would be later recreated under his command in United Kingdom as the Polish elite 1st Armoured Division; gen. Maczek would be considered one of the best Polish - and armoured - commanders of the war.
The Polish Independent Highland Brigade
(5,000 soldiers) under general Zygmunt Bohusz-Szyszko
took part in the Battles of Narvik
, Norway
, in 1940 (28 May - 4 June). Returning to France, together with some formations quickly formed from the Polish recruits in the nearby training camps, it took part in the defence of Brittany
. Disbanded, some of its soldiers (including general Bohusz-Szyszko) were evacuated to Britain
and Egypt
, while others joined the French resistance
.
Polish Independent Carpathian Brigade (4,000 soldiers) under general Stanisław Kopański in Syria refused to follow the Vichy
government and joined British troops in nearby Palestine
.
The Polish Air Force
fought in the Battle of France
as one fighter squadron GC 1/145 "Warsaw", several small units detached to French squadrons, and numerous flights of industry defence. Approximately 130-135 Polish pilots participated in the fighting in France, achieving some 50-55 victories at a loss of 15-25 men (sources vary slightly).
. General Władysław Sikorski, Polish commander-in-chief
and prime minister
, was able to evacuate many Polish troops to the United Kingdom
(estimates range from about 20,000 to 35,000), where a new Polish army was formed. Many soldiers with ties to France opted to remain in occupied France and join the French resistance
(see Polish resistance in France during World War II
).
Invasion of Poland (1939)
The Invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign or 1939 Defensive War in Poland and the Poland Campaign in Germany, was an invasion of Poland by Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small Slovak contingent that marked the start of World War II in Europe...
. About 85,000 troops were in the process of being organized into fighting formations (four infantry divisions, two independent brigades and air support) when the battle of France
Battle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
started. The army was partially destroyed in the hostilities, but over 20,000 soldiers were evacuated and formed a new Polish army in the United Kingdom.
The creation of Polish formations in France marked the beginnings of the Polish Armed Forces in the West
Polish Armed Forces in the West
Polish Armed Forces in the West refers to the Polish military formations formed to fight alongside the Western Allies against Nazi Germany and its allies...
.
Creation
The army began to be organized soon after the fall of Poland on October 6, 1939Invasion of Poland (1939)
The Invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign or 1939 Defensive War in Poland and the Poland Campaign in Germany, was an invasion of Poland by Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small Slovak contingent that marked the start of World War II in Europe...
. France, a Polish ally
Franco-Polish Military Alliance
The Franco-Polish alliance was the military alliance between Poland and France that was active between 1921 and 1940.-Background:Already during the France-Habsburg rivalry that started in the 16th century, France had tried to find allies to the east of Austria, namely hoping to ally with Poland...
, had formally declared war on Germany September 3 in response to the invasion, although it had not yet undertaken any major operations against the Germans (see Phony War
Phony War
The Phoney War was a phase early in World War II – in the months following Britain and France's declaration of war on Germany in September 1939 and preceding the Battle of France in May 1940 – that was marked by a lack of major military operations by the Western Allies against the German Reich...
) before the creation began. France welcomed the Polish refugees (as well as the Polish government in exile
Polish government in Exile
The Polish government-in-exile, formally known as the Government of the Republic of Poland in Exile , was the government in exile of Poland formed in the aftermath of the Invasion of Poland of September 1939, and the subsequent occupation of Poland by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, which...
) and started organizing them into several military formations.
The main military camps for Polish formations were in Coëtquidan
Coëtquidan
Camp Coëtquidan is a French military educational facility located in Guer, Morbihan département, in Brittany, France...
and Parthenay
Parthenay
Parthenay is an ancient fortified town and commune in the Poitou-Charentes region in western France, sited on a rocky spur that is surrounded on two sides by the River Thouet...
. The new army was partially recruited from Polish army personnel who escaped from occupied Poland and émigrés volunteers. By May 1940, the army numbered about 80,000 personnel; of which about 45,000 were army escapees or former refugees, and the rest came from the Polish minority in France
Polish minority in France
Poles in France, or the Polish community in France is one of the oldest in Europe.About one million people of Polish descent live in France, concentrated in the Nord-Pas de Calais region, in the metropolitan area of Lille and the coal-mining basin around Lens and Valenciennes...
.
Due to inefficient French logistics and policies, the formation of Polish units was delayed by missing equipment and supplies. Consequently by May 1940
Battle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
, only two infantry divisions, two independent brigades, and one air squadron were able to become fully equipped and operational, with another two infantry divisions in the process of being completely formed. Polish high command had planned for two full corps, an armoured division, and over fifteen air squadrons. Also, rear units were being formed - a Polish military academy and a cartographic institute. The Polish command also issued a document "Most Important Conclusions and Experiences from The September Campaign" ("Najważniejsze wnioski i doświadczenia z kampanii wrześniowej"), in which it analysed German blitzkrieg
Blitzkrieg
For other uses of the word, see: Blitzkrieg Blitzkrieg is an anglicized word describing all-motorised force concentration of tanks, infantry, artillery, combat engineers and air power, concentrating overwhelming force at high speed to break through enemy lines, and, once the lines are broken,...
strategy and proposed some countermeasures. This document was ignored by the French high command.
Army
The following units were organised in mainland FranceFour Polish divisions
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
:
- 1st Grenadier Division
- 2nd Infantry Fusiliers DivisionSecond Infantry Fusiliers DivisionPolish 2nd Fusilier Division or 2nd Rifle Division was part of the recreated Polish Army in France in 1940.The division was commanded by Brigadier-General Bronisław Prugar-Ketling, and was based from late December 1939 to May 1940 at Parthenay in Eastern France...
- 3rd Infantry DivisionPolish 3rd Infantry DivisionPolish 3rd Infantry Division can refer to several formations of that name:*Polish 3rd Legions Infantry Division *Polish 3rd Infantry Division , 1940*Polish 3rd Infantry Division , 1944...
- 4th Infantry Division
a Polish motorized brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
:
- 10th Brigade of Armored Cavalry (10éme Brigade de cavalerie blindée)
and a Polish infantry brigade:
- Polish Independent Highland BrigadePolish Independent Highland BrigadeThe Polish Independent Highland Brigade was a Polish military unit created in France in 1939, after the fall of Poland, as part of the Polish Army in France. It had approximately 5,000 soldiers trained in mountain warfare and was commanded by General Zygmunt Szyszko-Bohusz...
In French-mandated
League of Nations mandate
A League of Nations mandate was a legal status for certain territories transferred from the control of one country to another following World War I, or the legal instruments that contained the internationally agreed-upon terms for administering the territory on behalf of the League...
Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
,
a Polish Independent Carpathian Brigade was formed
to which about 4,000 Polish troops had escaped, mostly through Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
and would later fight in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
.
Air force
The Polish Air ForcePolish Air Force
The Polish Air Force is the military Air Force wing of the Polish Armed Forces. Until July 2004 it was officially known as Wojska Lotnicze i Obrony Powietrznej...
in France comprised 86 aircraft in four squadrons, one and a half of the squadrons being fully operational while the rest were in various stages of training.
Navy
Polish NavyPolish Navy
The Marynarka Wojenna Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej - MW RP Polish Navy, is the branch of Republic of Poland Armed Forces responsible for naval operations...
ships which left the Baltic during Operation Peking where attached to the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
of United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, not the French command, and as such are not counted as the part of the Polish Army in France.
Operations
With the German invasion of FranceBattle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
, at first only Polish armoured units were pressed in formation, but after the Germans broke through the French front, all Polish formations were moved to the front-line, although the units still had not received all of their equipment and supplies from the French logistics services. None of the units were completely equipped by the time they entered combat and particularly the 3rd and 4th divisions were still in the middle of organization. Polish units fought in the southern section of the front and all continued to fight despite Philippe Pétain
Philippe Pétain
Henri Philippe Benoni Omer Joseph Pétain , generally known as Philippe Pétain or Marshal Pétain , was a French general who reached the distinction of Marshal of France, and was later Chief of State of Vichy France , from 1940 to 1944...
’s call for an armistice
Armistice
An armistice is a situation in a war where the warring parties agree to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, but may be just a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace...
and demobilization
Demobilization
Demobilization is the process of standing down a nation's armed forces from combat-ready status. This may be as a result of victory in war, or because a crisis has been peacefully resolved and military force will not be necessary...
on 16 June. The Polish commander-in-chief, general Władysław Sikorski, on June 19, announced in a radio bulletin that Poland would continue to fight as an ally of the United Kingdom. Polish units were ordered to reach the French ports in the north, west and south in preparation for naval evacuation to Great Britain, or if that would prove impossible, to cross the Swiss frontier.
First Grenadier Division (16,165 soldiers) under Bolesław Bronisław Duch was based in Lorraine
Lorraine (région)
Lorraine is one of the 27 régions of France. The administrative region has two cities of equal importance, Metz and Nancy. Metz is considered to be the official capital since that is where the regional parliament is situated...
, manning part of the Maginot Line
Maginot Line
The Maginot Line , named after the French Minister of War André Maginot, was a line of concrete fortifications, tank obstacles, artillery casemates, machine gun posts, and other defences, which France constructed along its borders with Germany and Italy, in light of its experience in World War I,...
from June 9 as part of the French 4th Army. It fought from 14 June. After two days, having withstood German assaults on its positions near Lagarde
Lagarde
-People with surname Lagarde:* Alfred Lagarde , Dutch voice actor* Christine Lagarde , French political figure* Claude François Chauveau-Lagarde , French lawyer and political figure...
, it was forced to fall back, covering the retreat of the disintegrating French 52nd Division. On 21 June, with the collapse of the nearby French defences, general Duch ordered the unit to disband; many of the soldiers, including the general, were able to evacuate to United Kingdom.
The Second Infantry Fusiliers Division
Second Infantry Fusiliers Division
Polish 2nd Fusilier Division or 2nd Rifle Division was part of the recreated Polish Army in France in 1940.The division was commanded by Brigadier-General Bronisław Prugar-Ketling, and was based from late December 1939 to May 1940 at Parthenay in Eastern France...
(15,830 soldiers) under Bronisław Prugar-Ketling was based between late December 1939 and May 1940 at Parthenay
Parthenay
Parthenay is an ancient fortified town and commune in the Poitou-Charentes region in western France, sited on a rocky spur that is surrounded on two sides by the River Thouet...
in Eastern France. Commanded by Brigadier-General Prugar-Kietling the division was charged with the defences around Belfort
Belfort
Belfort is a commune in the Territoire de Belfort department in Franche-Comté in northeastern France and is the prefecture of the department. It is located on the Savoureuse, on the strategically important natural route between the Rhine and the Rhône – the Belfort Gap or Burgundian Gate .-...
. Engaged in heavy fighting from June 17 to 19 near Doubs
Doubs River
The Doubs is a 453 km long river in eastern France and western Switzerland, left tributary of the Saône. Its source is near Mouthe in the western Jura mountains....
and Saône
Saône
The Saône is a river of eastern France. It is a right tributary of the River Rhône. Rising at Vioménil in the Vosges department, it joins the Rhône in Lyon....
rivers, it stopped the German attack on the Clos-du-Doubs hills, but due to the retreat of the nearby French forces it was surrounded by the Germans; nonetheless, it managed to break through to Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
on 20 - 21 June 1940, where its soldiers (including general Prugar-Ketling) were interned.
The 3rd and 4th Infantry Divisions were still being formed when France capitulated and took relatively little part in the hostilities.
The 10th Brigade of Armored Cavalry (1,079 soldiers) under general Stanisław Maczek fought in the Champagne
Champagne, France
Champagne is a historic province in the northeast of France, now best known for the sparkling white wine that bears its name.Formerly ruled by the counts of Champagne, its western edge is about 100 miles east of Paris. The cities of Troyes, Reims, and Épernay are the commercial centers of the area...
and Bourgogne
Bourgogne
Burgundy is one of the 27 regions of France.The name comes from the Burgundians, an ancient Germanic people who settled in the area in early Middle-age. The region of Burgundy is both larger than the old Duchy of Burgundy and smaller than the area ruled by the Dukes of Burgundy, from the modern...
regions. It protected the flank of the 4th and 6th French Armies near Champaubert
Champaubert
Champaubert is a commune in the Marne department in north-eastern France....
, northwest of Dijon
Dijon
Dijon is a city in eastern France, the capital of the Côte-d'Or département and of the Burgundy region.Dijon is the historical capital of the region of Burgundy. Population : 151,576 within the city limits; 250,516 for the greater Dijon area....
, and on June 16 routed Germans near Montbard
Montbard
Montbard is a commune and subprefecture of the Côte-d'Or department in the Bourgogne region in eastern France.Montbard is a small industrial town on the river Brenne. The Forges de Buffon, ironworks established by Buffon, are located in the nearby village of Buffon...
, but by then the brigade was fighting alone, with the French units on both flanks either routed or in retreat. By 18 June the unit was mostly surrounded and without fuel and ammunition. General Maczek ordered the destruction of the unit equipment and withdrawal; the unit would be later recreated under his command in United Kingdom as the Polish elite 1st Armoured Division; gen. Maczek would be considered one of the best Polish - and armoured - commanders of the war.
The Polish Independent Highland Brigade
Polish Independent Highland Brigade
The Polish Independent Highland Brigade was a Polish military unit created in France in 1939, after the fall of Poland, as part of the Polish Army in France. It had approximately 5,000 soldiers trained in mountain warfare and was commanded by General Zygmunt Szyszko-Bohusz...
(5,000 soldiers) under general Zygmunt Bohusz-Szyszko
Zygmunt Bohusz-Szyszko
Zygmunt Piotr Bohusz-Szyszko was a Polish general. During World War I he served in the Imperial Russian army....
took part in the Battles of Narvik
Battles of Narvik
The Battles of Narvik were fought from 9 April-8 June 1940 as a naval battle in the Ofotfjord and as a land battle in the mountains surrounding the north Norwegian city of Narvik as part of the Norwegian Campaign of the Second World War....
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, in 1940 (28 May - 4 June). Returning to France, together with some formations quickly formed from the Polish recruits in the nearby training camps, it took part in the defence of Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
. Disbanded, some of its soldiers (including general Bohusz-Szyszko) were evacuated to Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, while others joined the French resistance
French Resistance
The French Resistance is the name used to denote the collection of French resistance movements that fought against the Nazi German occupation of France and against the collaborationist Vichy régime during World War II...
.
Polish Independent Carpathian Brigade (4,000 soldiers) under general Stanisław Kopański in Syria refused to follow the Vichy
Vichy
Vichy is a commune in the department of Allier in Auvergne in central France. It belongs to the historic province of Bourbonnais.It is known as a spa and resort town and was the de facto capital of Vichy France during the World War II Nazi German occupation from 1940 to 1944.The town's inhabitants...
government and joined British troops in nearby Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
.
The Polish Air Force
Polish Air Force
The Polish Air Force is the military Air Force wing of the Polish Armed Forces. Until July 2004 it was officially known as Wojska Lotnicze i Obrony Powietrznej...
fought in the Battle of France
Battle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
as one fighter squadron GC 1/145 "Warsaw", several small units detached to French squadrons, and numerous flights of industry defence. Approximately 130-135 Polish pilots participated in the fighting in France, achieving some 50-55 victories at a loss of 15-25 men (sources vary slightly).
Aftermath
About 55,000 of the 85,000 Polish soldiers in France were in formations organized enough to fight the Germans. 1,400 Polish soldiers died fighting in the defence of France, 4,000 were wounded, 16,000 were taken prisoner, and about 13,000 Polish personnel were interned in SwitzerlandSwitzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. General Władysław Sikorski, Polish commander-in-chief
Commander-in-Chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
and prime minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
, was able to evacuate many Polish troops to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
(estimates range from about 20,000 to 35,000), where a new Polish army was formed. Many soldiers with ties to France opted to remain in occupied France and join the French resistance
French Resistance
The French Resistance is the name used to denote the collection of French resistance movements that fought against the Nazi German occupation of France and against the collaborationist Vichy régime during World War II...
(see Polish resistance in France during World War II
Polish resistance in France during World War II
After the fall of France, many Poles who were not involved in the regular Polish Army in France during World War II, or who were unable to reach the United Kingdom where the Polish Army in the United Kingdom had been formed, became the pillars of the Polish resistance in France.-Origin:That...
).
See also
- Polish Legions (Napoleonic period)
- Blue Army (Polish Army in France in World War I)
External links
- The Polish Army In France 1939 - 1940
- Campaign in France - The Poles on the frontlines of WWII
- Kowalski's War A Polish veteran recalls his daring escape from France Wojsko Polskie we Francji. Świat Polonii. Polskie Siły Zbrojne na Zachodzie - Polskie Siły Zbrojne we Francji, WIEM EncyklopediaWIEM EncyklopediaWIEM Encyklopedia is a Polish Internet encyclopedia....
WOJSKO POLSKIE WE FRANCJI W II WOJNIE ŚWIATOWEJ, Interia Encyklopedia