Does anyone have any relatives who served with 1st Polish Armoured Division (Gen. Maczek)

Hello, I'm looking for any information I can find regarding my grandfather who served in the 24th Polish Lancers based in Scotland during WW2. Unfortunately I never new him and his name is all I have, his name if spelt correctly is Alojzy Adamczyk. Due to personal circumstances at the time my grandfather only met my mother (his daughter) one and then contact was lost. Being Scottish this is a side of my family I know nothing about and would desperately like to find out more about him and what ended up happening to him. The only other information I have is he was in a hospital somewhere in England after being wounded in the leg, this is the only time my mother met him when she was taken to visit him in hospital, she thinks she was only 3 years old at the time and remembers nothing of him or meeting him, very sad. Any information would be gratefully received. Thank you, Craig.

Toosh63,

1. Maybe it was Adamski?
2. Your mother was 3 years old in what year?

Do you have your mother's birth certificate? Is her father's name noted on it?
Is your mother still alive?

You can use this info to get his service record from the MoD. This should also have the names of his parents and where he was from in Poland.

PM me if you need any help!

Hi,

Can anyone help please?

I am trying to research my father's side of the family tree. He never knew who his father was. My grandmother let it slip that he may have been a soldier.

I'm particularly interested in Polish soldiers who lived or worked in Dairsie, Fife at the beginning of 1941. Does anyone have any names or photos?

Many thanks

Graham.

I'm pretty sure my dad did his name was Jan Poitr Reisch.
I have stated a blog and hope I have the details right as he wrote in his short life sketch.
The link to the blog is. knightreischfamilyhistory.blogspot.co.uk/
I need to verify a lot of the stuff but it will take time.
I got a lot of the information from his records and a lot from Wikipedia

Merged:

24th Polish Lancers.

Hi Peter, unfortunately I don't have any more information, my mother is still alive and she tried years ago to go through the MOD war records but unfortunately her fathers name is not on her birth certificate due to the fact that her mother was already married at the time when she fell pregnant to him. Very frustrating because a local army officer found information on my grandfather but because his name is not on the birth certificate they cannot give out any information.

Yes, that makes it much more difficult. Do you know if he became a naturalized UK citizen after the war?

You can also try contacting Robert Ostrycharz who has a lot of information about the Polish forces in Scotland. polishforcesinbritain.info

I also have a list of the manpower of the 24th Lancers in July 1944 but "Alojzy Adamczyk" does not appear. There is a "Zygmunt Adamiak" and "Eryk Adamski". Do you know if your grandfather received any decorations?

Above all else, never give up hope or stop searching! :)

My Name is Alonzo MacDonald and my great Uncle Gordon James Macdonald was killed August 14th 1944 by Raf and RCAF bombers in a misbombing incident .Many Canadians and Polish Troops were killed and injured during this bombing. I would life any personal stories anyone may have from the Polish side ,I can find lots on Canadian side but have a hard time on Polish side. I would love and stories either personal or from books or newspapers from the Polish Perspective on this incident. I am writing a book and want to make sure the Polish troops get a real mention and not just the customary Poles were killed as in other accounts. The Polish 1st armored was the unit bombed on the date. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I am only interested for stories on this date I am aware of the other bombing the previous week but I am focussing on the 14th August 1944.

Alonzo

I have the war rapport from 13/8 until 20/10 in english. Maybe it can help and can send it by mail.

Gilles.lapers@skynet.be

I have pictures of Taymouth Castle were dad was treated and also of Dupplin Castle another Polish hospital .
I can share if you e-mail me at stephen.stelmaszuksnr@sky.com

This is fantastic!!

I have been searching so much lately to try and find information. My grandfather Pawel Florian Kiermasz (some documents referred to as Paul and surname spelling changed to Kiermasch in places) served in this Division during WWII. He doesn't recall a lot of information, some through choice I believe, but I'm glad to say he will turn 92 next month and lives in Harrow. At some point in his service he was based at Cultybraggan Camp but so far that is all the information I have.

I would love further information I anyone can share it? Or even photos, I have some that I can scan and send back in return. I'm trying to track any medals he may have earned as he has lost them and I would like to obtain replacements if this is possible as a gift for him.

Thanks for anyone that can help

My email is nashakespeare@live.co.uk

Hi, My father was Stanislaw Trebacz, he served under General Maczek 1st Armoured division (2 pulk pancerny) and they remained close friends after the war. My father was heavily involved with many of the Polish ex-combatants in London with all their annual meetings and memorials. I am planning on following in their footsteps from Caen to Wilhelmshaven this year. My father arrived in England 1st September 1939 aged 19 having taken the escape route through Hungary Czechoslowakia etc. Sadly he died 1st September 1997. If anyone has any information that may be useful for my journey it would be appreciated. The best guide I have is an book byTadeusz Wiatrowski "2 Pulk Pancerny w walce" which is a photographic diary of their journey. I am hoping to blog or video diary the experience. Any information or ideas miawalker66@me.com. Thanks

My Uncle Rudolph Kopel (or maybe Kopelski) served in the 1st Polish Armoured Division in Scotland and later in northern Europe being wounded in a friendly fire incident during the advance on Caen. He later served as a Camp Commandant for displaced eastern Europeans in Surrey. Later working for the Army disposing of redundant ammunition and bombs stored at a local airfield near Buckingham.

I am trying to find associates and comrades to piece together his history He is currently living in Lincolshire

Any clues would be most welcome

@ Trebacz

2pamot.blog4ever.com/photos/documents-divers-1ere-db

Regards
Gilles

Yes, my father was in The First Polish Armoured Division. His name was Jan Zielinski. He came from Stryj in the south east of Poland. Stryj is now in the Ukraine. He was a tank driver and a Corperal. He was on hill 262 at the battle of Falaise. He was stationed at Dunns in Scotland. He also talked about being at Blargowrie in Scotland as well. In 1939 he was in the Polish Cavalry. Retreated into Hungary into an internment camp in 1939, escaped in with others in February 1940 and made his way to France after been given documents from the Polish Embassy in Budapest. He trained in France in 1940 with other Poles which were forming I believe under General Maczek. He said they engaged the Germans in Northern France holding them back to allow forces to get off the beaches at Dunkirk. The Poles had to retreat and got out of France at Marseille on ship called the Andora Star after dumping their equipment in the sea.

@lucassmith99
My father is buried at Langannerie. Killed 8 August 1944 in Operation Totalise, first Polish officer to be killed after D Day. Emil Hajek-Garczynski. Lived at Brezezany.

You mean Brzeżany?

My father Julian Opiela, (born in Ocieka, Poland 1917 or 1919) and uncle Jan Herman both served in the 1st Armoured Polish Division. After the war they lived in England for a time and eventually immigrated to Chicago, Illinois and were active in the veterans group in the area. My father was a driver and I believe my uncle served on a tank crew. My father passed away in 2009 and my uncle is still alive. Any information others may provide would be appreciated.

My father Jan Hapel served in the tenth mounted rifles. He received the star of merit with crossed swords at the end of the war. He married my mother after meeting her while on coastal defences in Scotland and lived the rest of his life in Birmingham UK.

@bolo5
My father was also at St Niklaas...and he married my mother there. Theirs was the first wedding after the liberation and have photo of his comrades in uniform at the reception...

My father, Stanislaw Tomaszewski, escaped from Poland in late 1939 having fought in the 1939 campaign for which he was awarded the Polish Cross of Valour . He escaped through Czechoslovakia into Romania and into Yugoslavia,now the Balkan States . He boarded a French ship bound for Verdun in France thence to Coetquidan in Brittany where he joined up with Gen. Maczek's Armoured Brigade. By May 1940 Germany had overrun France and the Polish and French Armies came to UK. My father was stationed in Scotland and later on the Armoured Train in Kent.

Sgt. Jozek Marciniszyn

Correction: Plutonowy (Platoon Leader) Josef Marciniszyn served in the 1 Pulk Artileria Przeciwlotnicza ( anti-aircraft artillery) 1 Diwizja Pancerna

I am looking for information about Franciszek Cicirko. Born about 1920 at Zebrzydowice, Poland and was in the 1st Polish Armoured Division. He survived the war and died in1997.

My Grandfather was Władysław Krasucki he served with the 24 Pułk Ułanów, Upon my grandfathers return from War he sold his medals and destroyed all bar a few pictures, I'm guessing the memories were too much for him.

I am just looking for any information on the unit, and documents, pictures that could potentially have my grandfather on? Any help would be appreciated.

I have seen Peter has posted about Pictures a few times in this thread but I cannot PM you as I am new and need to post before I can contact you.

Thank you.

@DaveMac
Please contact me I have pictures of 24th Uhlans.

gilles.lapers@skynet.be

regards
Gilles
Belgium

@Lilolil
Do you have a picture of his grave, because I have friends who can make it one if needed?

regards
Gilles

I believe that my grandfather served with the 1st Polish Armoured Division. Sadly I don't have a name - my grandmother married somebody else shortly after she fell pregnant - but he would have been stationed in or around Kelso in October 1942. I have so enjoyed reading these forum posts - they have brought me a tiny bit closer to my father's story.

I would love to know more about the camp at Floors Castle; I imagine that that was where my grandparents met (almost the only thing I do know was that my grandmother volunteered at the mess there).

Thank you for reading.

elly@spilberg.co.uk

Have you ever considered doing a DNA test? It is a long shot but it is an option.

Also, you can check here for some background information as to unit locations

polishforcesinbritain.info

polishforcesinbritain.info/Locations.htm

Thank you so much for your reply. I have had my DNA tested; I have a few distant matches that have given me some clues, but nothing definitive - yet. One day!

do you have the picture of him

Hi, my grandfather was a senior shooter (elite sniper) for the polish army. He was under Aleksander Stefanowicz' commands. He was in the 16th tank brigade and then moved to 1st armoured division. Im not 100% sure but I think he was in command of a squadron.

He was born in Poland near Szczucin in 1913. His name is Stanislaw (Stanley) Baran. He moved to Canada after the war. In Poland, he was married and had a daughter. I think his wife left him for another man. He moved to Canada alone, and then his daughter joined him later.

Sorry for my bad english. I also have his britain and polish military # number.

Anyone?

Dave

@drtjmar
My father Stanislaw Wojciech Wojciechowski was also anti aircraft artillery 1st Polish Armoured Division