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Unit History
The 1st Polish Independent Parachute Brigade was offically formed on September 23, 1941. The primary purpose of the Brigade was to train and then to be dropped into Warsaw when the Home Army ( AK or Armija Krajowa ) would rise in revolt and retake the city from the Germans. Poles from all over occupied Europe came to England to join the Brigade. The Brigade was considered the "elite" unit of the Polish Armed Forces in Exile in the west. As such the Brigade was under direct control of the Government in Exile, and not Allied command.
By 1944 British authorities put political pressure on the exiled Poles to have the Brigade transfered to Allied command, and on June 6, 1944 it came under the orders of SHAEF. It would be re-assigned to 1st Allied Airborne Army and be dropped in Operation "Market Garden", the Allied airborne invasion of Holland.
While the Brigade awaited "Market Garden", the Polish Home Army on August 1, 1944 began "Operation Tempest" the long awaited uprising in Warsaw. Word quickly filtered back to England, and troopers of the Brigade pleaded to their Allies to be taken to Warsaw and dropped to fight and fulfill the oath they took to fight and liberate Warsaw. Alas, this was never to happen. The frustration of these soldiers is understandable.
The Brigade was assigned to the British 1st Airborne Division. The "Red Devils" and their Polish airborne brothers were tasked with dropping 64 miles behind enemy lines and to take and hold the bridge over the Rhine River at Arnhem until ground forces of British XXX Corps could race to their relief. At the same time the U.S. 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions were dropped at Eindhoven and Nijmegen to also capture bridges in their sectors for the same reason.
From the start Operation "Market Garden" was in trouble. Poor planning, faulty intelligence, almost non existant radio communications and bad weather all combined to begin the disaster that would come to be known to the world as "A Bridge Too Far."
History has been written to tell the story of the gallant, but doomed, soldiers of the 1st British Airborne Division. What is left out is the role the 1st Polish Independent Parachute Brigade played in the fighting. The Polish anti-tank squadron dropped with the British on the first two days and fought in Oosterbeek and provided the guns which held off German armor in the pocket. The balance of the Brigade dropped near Driel, Holland on September 21st. Shot at in their parachutes by the Germans as they desended, the Poles still managed to take and secure Driel and a bridgehead on the south side of the Rhine.
The Brigade made repeated attempts to reinforce the British in Oosterbeek on the north side of the Rhine River, with nothing more than a few flimsy ruber boats and under direct German fire. In spite of this a few hundred Polish troopers made it across as reinforcements and were some of the final rearguard for "Operation Berlin" the withdrawal of 1st British Airborne from Oosterbeek.
Operation "Market Garden" failed, and soon finger pointing and an Allied scapegoat were needed. General Sosabowski and the Brigade were quickly siezed upon for that purpose. By Christmas Sosabowski was relieved of command of the Brigade, and the unit was never to see action again.
Despite limited combat time the Brigade made a major contribution to the Allied war effort with the Polish jump school and Polish Special Unit #140. Special Unit #140 was one of, if not the toughest, physical training schools the Allies had. Just ask any Polish trooper about the "Monkey Grove" and you'll get the answer.
By 1944 British authorities put political pressure on the exiled Poles to have the Brigade transfered to Allied command, and on June 6, 1944 it came under the orders of SHAEF. It would be re-assigned to 1st Allied Airborne Army and be dropped in Operation "Market Garden", the Allied airborne invasion of Holland.
While the Brigade awaited "Market Garden", the Polish Home Army on August 1, 1944 began "Operation Tempest" the long awaited uprising in Warsaw. Word quickly filtered back to England, and troopers of the Brigade pleaded to their Allies to be taken to Warsaw and dropped to fight and fulfill the oath they took to fight and liberate Warsaw. Alas, this was never to happen. The frustration of these soldiers is understandable.
The Brigade was assigned to the British 1st Airborne Division. The "Red Devils" and their Polish airborne brothers were tasked with dropping 64 miles behind enemy lines and to take and hold the bridge over the Rhine River at Arnhem until ground forces of British XXX Corps could race to their relief. At the same time the U.S. 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions were dropped at Eindhoven and Nijmegen to also capture bridges in their sectors for the same reason.
From the start Operation "Market Garden" was in trouble. Poor planning, faulty intelligence, almost non existant radio communications and bad weather all combined to begin the disaster that would come to be known to the world as "A Bridge Too Far."
History has been written to tell the story of the gallant, but doomed, soldiers of the 1st British Airborne Division. What is left out is the role the 1st Polish Independent Parachute Brigade played in the fighting. The Polish anti-tank squadron dropped with the British on the first two days and fought in Oosterbeek and provided the guns which held off German armor in the pocket. The balance of the Brigade dropped near Driel, Holland on September 21st. Shot at in their parachutes by the Germans as they desended, the Poles still managed to take and secure Driel and a bridgehead on the south side of the Rhine.
The Brigade made repeated attempts to reinforce the British in Oosterbeek on the north side of the Rhine River, with nothing more than a few flimsy ruber boats and under direct German fire. In spite of this a few hundred Polish troopers made it across as reinforcements and were some of the final rearguard for "Operation Berlin" the withdrawal of 1st British Airborne from Oosterbeek.
Operation "Market Garden" failed, and soon finger pointing and an Allied scapegoat were needed. General Sosabowski and the Brigade were quickly siezed upon for that purpose. By Christmas Sosabowski was relieved of command of the Brigade, and the unit was never to see action again.
Despite limited combat time the Brigade made a major contribution to the Allied war effort with the Polish jump school and Polish Special Unit #140. Special Unit #140 was one of, if not the toughest, physical training schools the Allies had. Just ask any Polish trooper about the "Monkey Grove" and you'll get the answer.
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