Polish paratroopers in the

	Polish paratroopers in the "Market-Garden" operation

The Polish airborne unit was established on 23 September 1941 as the 1st Independent Parachute Brigade. The initiator of its formation was the commander of the 4th Cadre Marksmen Brigade, Colonel Stanisław Sosabowski.

Thanks to his endeavours, at the end of January 1941 the first group of volunteers was sent to the British paratroopers' training centre in Ringway. From the moment of commencing airborne training, the soldiers of the 4th Brigade organized their own centre at Largo House. Part of the equipment was bought using the soldiers' money; some was borrowed from Ringway, whilst the rest was made by soldiers themselves. Only in 1943, after the British approval of the composition of the personnel of the brigade, was official aid granted.

In addition, the French as well as Czechs and Norwegians, were trained at the centre established at Largo House. Some of the Polish training ideas were also adopted by the British, and the Polish training methods became known in the USA. Eventually, on 10 June 1944 basic parachute training in Ringway was completed. All in all, over 2200 Polish soldiers took part in the traning courses.
 

General Sosabowski's 1st Independent Parachute Brigade consisted of three airborne batallions, as well as of light artillery and anti-tank companies, a sappers' company, a communications company and a services unit. Its personnel consisted officially of 3009 soldiers, but in reality amounted to 2200 soldiers.

Polish military authorities had anticipated that in the period of a general uprising in Poland, the unit would be transferred by air to the country, where it should take part in combat. In light of the changing political situation those plans, however, were dropped, whilst the Brigade was incorporated into the 1st Allied Airborne Army.

After landing in Normandy the allied troops defeated the German army in France and at the beginning of September 1944 they reached the line of the Rhine, along which the enemy's line of defence stretched. It was known as the "Siegfried Line". Field Marshall Montgomery, the commander of the allied 21st Army Group, not wishing to waste time on attacking the line, proposed to carry out of an operation in order to open the way for armoured units towards Arnhem whiche was to enable them to enter German territory and to flank the German forces defending the "Siegfried Line".

This operation involved a combined action of airborne ("Market") and land ("Garden") forces. On land, along the road Eindhoven - Veghel - Nijmegen - Arnhem, the British 30th Corps was in readiness to attack, whilst from the air: General Browning's 1st Airborne Corps (the American 82nd and 101st Divisions, the British 1st Division and the Polish 1st Independent Brigade). The paratroopers' task was to seize the bridges in Eindhoven, Grave, Nijmegen and Arnhem and to hold them until the arrival of 30th Corps' troops.

The British 1st Airborne Division, under the command of Gen. Robert Urquhart, and Gen. Sosabowski's brigade were given the task of seizing Arnhem, around 130 km away from the initial positions of the 30th Corps. Polish troops were to enter combat in the third echelon.

The "Market-Garden" operation commenced at noon on 17 September. The allied intelligence, however, neglected information about the presence of the German 2nd Armoured Corps in the Arnhem area. Its unit almost immediately attacked the British paratroopers who had managed to enter Arnhem and take control of the bridge over the Rhine and part of the city.

In light of the 30th corps' slow march, the 1st Airborne Division, which was left to its own devices, could only count on the swift support from the Polish 1st Independent Parachute Brigade.

The first glider throw of the Brigade landed on 18 September. The soldiers reached Oosterbeck (an Arnhem suburb), organizing the defence of the hotel "Hartenstein". On the next day the second part of the glider throw arrived there. Unfortunately, because of the atmospheric conditions, the parachute throw had to depart from England as late as 21 September, by which time the situation of the paratroopers fighting inside and in the vicinity of Arnhem had deteriorated dramatically.

Gen. Urquhart tried to concentrate the remnants of the 1st Airborne Division in the Oosterbeck area. On his request it was the neighbourhood of Driel that was marked out as the dropping area. From there the paratroopers were to cross the river, get to the northern bank of the Rhine and support the British.

The landing of the Poles followed on 21 September at around 5.00 pm, but unfortunately, only 53 aircraft, carrying 1067 soldiers, managed to reach the Driel area. The remaining 61 planes were turned back by the British air command. Eventually all the remaining soldiers were dropped on 23 September, in the Grave area, situated around 30 km from the Brigade's first throw.

Together with the newly arrived soldiers Gen. Sosabowski seized Driel and from there he tried to transfer forces to the other side of the river. In the course of two successive nights around 250 Polish soldiers managed to cross the river, using improvised equipment. They supported the soldiers from the 1st Airborne Division, who were by now completely exhausted.

In spite of the fact that the leading units of the 30th corps had reached Driel, the allies were unable to cross the Rhine. Field Marshall Montgomery took the decision to withdraw the remnants of the 1st Division and the Polish brigade to the southern bank of the river. The withdrawal of the troops took place on the night of 25/26 September, under cover from the Polish 3rd parachute batallion. By dawn German tanks had arrived at the crossing. Not wishing to surrender, soldiers from the Polish batallion tried to swim across the river, but only a few of them survived.

The Brigade's losses in the Arnhem area amounted to 411 soldiers. After the battle the unit was transferred to the Ravenstein-Herpen Nnerloon area. On the 10 October it embarked on ships in Ostende and sailed back to England.

The pennant offered to the 1st Independent Parachute Brigade
by the British 1st Airborne Division

 

General Stanisław Franciszek Sosabowski (1892-1967) During the First World War he served in the Austro-Hungarian army, and from 1918 he served in the Polish Army. In 1939 he commanded an infantry regiment. Later on he served in France and Great Britain. From October 1940 he was the commander of the 4th Cadre Marksmen Brigade, which he re-formed into the 1st Independent Parachute Brigade. In 1944 he received the rank of General of Brigade. He was one of the few higher commanders who had reservations as to the "Market-Garden" operation's plan. Along with the Brigade he took part in the battles for Arnhem in Holland. After the war he lived in Great Britain and worked as a worker in a factory. He died on 25 September 1967 in Hillingdon. He was decorated with the Virtuti Militari of the 5th class.

 

1st Independent Parachute Brigade Founded on 23rd September 1941, it participated in the "Market-Garden" operation, being involved in the fighting in the Arnhem area of the Netherlands (18 - 26 October 1944). On 10th October it embarked and returned to Great Britain. In May 1945 it became part of the British occupational forces in Germany. Commanders: - Gen. Stanisław Sosabowski; until 9 Dec. 1944, - Lt. Col. Stanisław Jachnik; 9 Dec. 1944 - 14 March 1945, - Col. Jan Kamiński; 29 March - 6 April 1945, - Lt. Col. Antoni Szczerbo-Rawicz; from 12 April 1945. Losses in the Arnhem area: - 101 killed, - 158 wounded, - 152 missing The Brigade was liquidated at the end of July 1947.