1st Polish Independant
Parachute Brigade
The 1st Polish Independant Parachute Brigade was formed in September of 1941.
It was formed from the survivors of the Polish Army who had escaped to Great Britain after the fall of France
Carpathian Regt and reinforced by elements that were finally released from prisoner of war camps in Russia and repatriated
to England via Persiaand the Middle East. It was the only Allied parachute unit to untirely comprise men from
LWP - Army in the East an occupied country.
While the call went out for volunteers to enlist in the British Airborne Forces, the Polish Brigade commander
Stanislaw Sosabowski did not wait for volunteers. 'Why', he asked, 'should only the brave die?'.....
POLISH PICTURES During the early stages of the war the Brigade was only responsible to Polish command, it's sole purpose
being to parachute behind enemy lines into Poland and assist with the liberation of their country - an operation that the troops had been training long and hard for. As time wore on the likelyhood of this ever
Para Equipment happening rendered the operation impractical and the unit was finally incorporated into the 1st Allied Airborne
Army.
OPERATION MARKET GARDEN
On Thursday, September 21st, approx.1000 Polish paratroops jumped into the battlearea south of the Rhine
at Driel, opposite the Oosterbeek perimeter, once again being met with a curtain of fire from every enemy
weapon available. Taking up defensive positions around the village, all efforts to reinforce the British perimeter
by assaulting the Rhine using dinghys and rafts were met by concentrated enemy machinegun fire and only
250 men eventually suceeded in reaching the beleaguered British position.