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

It sounds as though your grandfather may have made it through France and was killed in the Netherlands. My Great uncle was killed in France on August 16, 1944 and is buried at Langannerie, France P.C.W. I haven't been able to find out anything about the 11th. My only guess would be, as a previous poster stated, they were combat engineers. The men who cleared mine fields and other obstacles. One interesting thing that was passed down through family history about my uncle, Stefan Zakowicz, is that it is said that he was in the French Resistance before he hooked up with First Armoured. I guess this could be possible, but I don't know how to verify. Sorry I couldn't be of much help.

Luke

I'll check the book by McGillivray and see if that has any info / details on it.

forourfreedomandyours.com Found this site in Scotland

"For much of the nineteenth and early twentieth century Poland was divided and ruled by its three imperial neighbours: Prussia, Austria and Russia. The Poles’ fight against this occupation forced thousands into exile. Many then joined the armies of other nations who shared their struggle for freedom. The title of the exhibition is a motto from these years that found new meaning during the dark days of World War Two".

I am sure if I have the right forum for this. Could any one please help me? I am trying to find information on the 24th Polish Lancers who were in Lauder, Scotland during the war. I am afraid that I do not know when they were there. I would welcome any help anyone could give me.

Thank you for all your help,

Johnnie

I am also trying to find any information on the Polish soilders who were based at Callendar House near Falkirk. I welcome any help any one could give me.

On page one of the forum Peter posted 3 small photos the top one shows some men in front of a large house. I think it might be Callendar House, but I am not for sure.

Thank you,

Johnnie

My father was part of the 24th Lancers and was also in Scotland. The pictures were his. I think I have a photocopy of where they were stationed between 1940-1945.

Hello ,
My father in law was also with the Black Devils. I have a few pictures from this unit.
And I have copies of his awards and enlistment somewhere. He fought in the Africa campaign and re-enlisted and fought to the end of the European campaign. His name is Julian Jankowski.

He was part of the 1500 liberated from the Siberian prison camps which fought for England.

Today is Armistice day please remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice in all wars .Remember our fathers and grandfathers along with the struggle of the Home Army.

A few Pictures of my father inlaw and his friends

I would love any pictures of this group also, my father in law trained in Scotland and fought in Africa.

I need someone that reads Polish to look at his papers and tell me a little about my father in law's military record. He refused to speak much about it.

He was part of the 1500 liberated from a Siberian Prison Camp 1939/1940 and I would love to find out more about this group of men. He formed life long alliances with a few of them. But they are all gone now.

• 
  Julian Jankowski is the tall one (far left back)
  
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The Kosciuszko Foundation - Petition on German Concentration Camps
thekf.org
WHEREAS the media uses the historically erroneous terms "Polish concentration camp" and "Polish death camp" to describe Auschwitz and other Nazi extermination camps built by the Germans during World War II, which confuses impressionable and undereducated readers, leading them to believe that the Holocaust was somehow Polish please sign the petition

Hi Peter,

Thank you very much for your reply. This is intresting, do you know if your father was ever in Lauder or at Callendar House near Falkirk during the war?

Thank you very much for all your help,

Johnnie

I've found this info on the location of the 24th Lancers after they arrived in Britain from France.

6 July 1940 - Douglas, Lanark
18 October 1940 - Arbroath
15 October 1941 - Montrose
11 April 1942 - Galashiels

It's quite possible that he may have been at or near Lauder and Callender House. I have a picture of him at Cortachy Castle.

Lauder and Galashiels are in the same area I think.

Hi Peter,

Thank you very much for this. Galashiels is in the area around Lauder, it is possble that they could have been there. I hate to truble you, would it please be possble to see the photo of your father at Cortachy Castle? I would be very instrested to see it.

Thank you for everything,

Johnnie

The top picture is Cortachy Castle.

There is a dedicated page were you can share your stories and pictures and see all posted on Facebook its a great site dedicated to keep our relatives names and contribution to the fore.Join

You have a link?

Just go to facebook type in 1st Polish Armoured Division

facebook.com/pages/1st-Polish-Armoured-Division/94791653143

Peter Apr 20, 08, 12:45 / #9
Well that's interesting. My father was at the University of Lwow in 39 and escaped through Romania. What happened in between has always been a mystery. You can PM me.

i posted previously about my grandfather, Henryk Sadowski, and with regard to the escape from Poland this was my grandfathers story.

He too passed through Lvov, in the Ukraine, but then went through Romania and passed through Ploesti, Bucarest and ended up in the port of Constanta. Along the way to Constanta he had help from generous Romanians and also local Jews who provided food and accommodation. In Constanta he got a ship which headed through the Bosphorus Straight (Turkey) and into the Aegean Sea. When they arrived at Crete the ship had a British naval escort to Malta and from there the ship sailed to Marseille, France.

In France my grandfather made his way north to try reach a northern French port for a ship to England. However, I know for certain that this took some time as on Christmas Eve 1939 my grandfather, Henryk Sadowski, was in Paris and weighed himself (!) I still have the stub from that day.

The northern french port my grandfather disembarked from was St. Nazaire and from there he sailed for Plymouth, England. On arrival at Plymouth there seems to have been some kind of military or humanitarian aid as he was given a cup of tea and a jar of marmalade. According to my grandfather the Poles were then told to get back on the boat and they headed back to France.

I'm afraid I cannot add much to this part of his story; what he did when he got back to France, where he went and when he returned to England suffice to say it was after Dunkirk (June 1940).

My grandfather was in the artillery division and was stationed at a place called Craig, near Ferryden close to Montrose and in Montrose he met my grandmother.

This is a long shot: anyone here with the Polish surname Pockhart? (Spelling is probably wrong).

Hope this information is of interest

looking
If your father was made a citizen of the town of St Nicholas, he was likely a member of the 1st Armoured Regiment under command of LtCol Stanislaw Stefanowicz. My Dad was also a member of that regiment. There is a wikipedia page on the 1st Polish Armoured Regiment. My Dad didn't like to talk about his wartime experiences and after going through his records and reading the history of the regiment, I understand why. He lost many comrades. There is also a 1st Polish Armoured Division facebook page. I wish you the best of luck in your search.

my father was in the 1st polish armoured division from november 1941 to april 1943 his name was michal szandrowski it would be nice to now more about my father as he never told us about himself before he left the army , or his past life

My grandfather was with the 1ste Polish AD, I don't know exactly what he did and which rank he held and he passed away many years ago so I can't ask him anymore.

Does somebody know if there are personal reccords in which I can search for his name?

Dear Jaox,

My name is John and I am helping my old school friend and his wife with their family history. My friends wife was born in Craig near Montrose and her deceased parents were Hendryk Sadowski and Helen Reith. Are we talking about the same family here?

Kind Regrads,

John

Hi all i am looking for any possible information on my grandfather a lt. Zbigniew Lachowicz formally of the third Carpathian Rifle Division, then the doctor I Armoured Division of General Maczek,

I am doing some much needed research into my family history and i would be great full if anyone could help me, i am also obtaining documents from the ministry of defence in the UK as well. They are very helpful and have a load of information on polish service men from the war including service records etc!

sadly as familys get older we lose information so please feel free to email me!

Henry

Does anyone have any photos or infor re Carpathian Rifle Division, I Armoured Division of General Maczek where my grandfather Zbigniew Lachowicz was a Doctor.

thanks

What was his name?

If you look back through the earlier posts in this thread you will see how to contact the MoD to obtain his personnel records.

jaox
Dear Peter,

My name is John and I am helping my old school friend and his wife with their family history. My friends wife was born in Craig near Montrose and her deceased parents were Hendryk Sadowski and Helen Reith. Are we talking about the same family here?

Kind Regards,

John

Amazing stories are being made here.

Correct polish pronounce is Henryk Sadowski.

Jamesz mentioned Henryk Sadowski as his grandfather in second post of this thread.

@Lech

Ive found something about your grandfather. Including one picture.

Zbigniew Lachowicz, (1913 we Lwowie - 2 grudnia 1970 w Manchesterze w Wielkiej Brytanii) s. Franciszka, absolwent IV Gimnazjum im. J. Długosza we Lwowie 1931, student i absolwent 1938 med. UJK, trzeci założyciel Slavii, akt. 1931-39, pierwszy sekretarz sem. let. 1931/32, prezes 1932/33 oraz 1934/35, olderman 1933/34 oraz sem. zim. 1938/39, prezes Wzajemnej Pomocy Medyków UJK 1936, w wojnie obronnej 1939 pchor. służby sanitarnej, w 1940 deportowany wraz rodziną do Semipałatyńska, w 3 Dywizji Strzelców Karpackich, później lekarz I Dywizji Pancernej gen. Stanisława Maczka, po wojnie na emigracji w Wielkiej Brytanii, lekarz-rentgenolog w Manchesterze

google translate:

Zbigniew Lachowicz, (1913 in Lviv - December 2, 1970 in Manchester, UK) p. Francis, graduated from the IV Gymnasium. J. Dlugosz, 1931 in Lviv, a graduate student and PhD UJK 1938, the third founder of Slavia Prague, the act. 1931-1939, first secretary sem. let. 1931-1932, President 1932-1933 and 1934-1935, and 1933-1934 olderman sem. winters. 1938-1939, president of Mutual Aid Medics UJK 1936, in a defensive war in 1939 Cadet. sanitary service, in 1940 and his family deported to Semipalatinsk, in three Carpathian Rifle Division, then the doctor I Armoured Division of General Maczek, after the war in exile in Britain, the doctor-radiologist in Manchester

Thanks a million shangrila. I now have James' email and have sent him a contact.

Kind Regards,

John

Do not know if this counts, but when I was still living at home in Belgium, I bought my first Nissan from a dealer called Nawrot. His father was with General Maczek's Armoured Division.

AUTHENTIC RARE INFORMATION FROM 5 BATERII, TRZECI DYON. 1 P.A.M.

The following names are taken from the journal/diary of a late member of this division who served under General Pilsudski, and through this experience ( where little information of those enlisted and deceased were not logged ) decided to keep a record of those entering his unit in WW2.

The journal starts with the unit being formed in Scotland prior to D-day, and up until the end of the war.
The journal contains maps, photos and illustrations, aswell as brief backgrounds to most all of the mentioned.

In memory

Porucznik Wladyslaw Pindelski, D.O.B. 22.6.1898.
Pod porucznik Alfred Leporowski, D.O.B. 14.5.1908.
Pod porucznik Stanislaw Ostrowski, D.O.B. 8.5.1918.
Aspirant Tadeusz Fuksa, D.O.B. 1.12.1915.
Plutonowy Jan Przytocki, D.O.B. 12.2.1903.
Plutonowy Stanislaw Grad, D.O.B. 26.3.1901.
Plutonowy Leonard Werner, D.O.B. 20.5.1901.
Plutonowy Antoni Radecki, D.O.B. 7.12.1903.
Plutonowy Stefan Fakadej, D.O.B. 1.6.1909.
Plutonowy Mikolaj Pilipas, D.O.B. 20.10.1910.
Plutonowy Stanislaw Toporowicz, D.O.B. 20.3.1905.
Kapral Klemens Drazkowski, D.O.B. 17.2.1916.
Kapral Lucjan Trochimczuk, D.O.B. 5.1.1912.
Kapral Jan Wentk, D.O.B. 26.6.1913.
Kapral Wladyslaw Krol, D.O.B. 1.10.1914.
Kapral Wincenty Rokicki, D.O.B. 3.4.1915.
Kapral Bronislaw Karpinski, D.O.B. 9.1.1905.
Kapral Antoni Centner, D.O.B. 21.11.1901.
Kapral Jan Szerszunowicz, D.O.B. 12.5.1911.
Kapral Bazyli Motorny, D.O.B. 31.1.1910.
Kapral podchorazy Jerzy Rucki, D.O.B. 24.5.1912.
Kapral podchorazy Tadeusz Jasienski, D.O.B. 3.3.1908.
Kapral Michal Sokolowski, D.O.B. 2.2.1914.
Kapral Jan Szczerski, D.O.B. 20.1.1913.
Bombardjor Tadeusz Dambrowski, D.O.B. 5.11.1917.
Bombardjor Stanislaw Cichowicz, D.O.B. 21.4.1915.
Bombardjor Boleslaw Mataczyna, D.O.B. 20.12.1904.
Bombardjor Stefan Iwanczuk, D.O.B. 7.6.1916.
Bombardjor Jozef Zakrzewski, D.O.B. 9.4.1903.
Bombardjor Tadeusz Klysz, D.O.B. 2.8.1915.
Bombardjor Jozef Czuckra, D.O.B.7.3.1899.
Bombardjor Jozef Adasiewicz, D.O.B. 29.9.1906.
Bombardjor Feliks Rutkowski, D.O.B. 6.7.1906.
Bombardjor Jan Sobczuk, D.O.B. 14.12.1914.
Kanonier Jan Larwa, D.O.B. 20.12.1917
Kanonier Jozef Siarkiewicz, D.O.B. 27.11.1018.
Kanonier Jan Antrzak, D.O.B. 25.11.1921.
Kanonier Wincenty Dick, D.O.B. 19.7.1922.
Kanonier Kaziemierz Goszcz, D.O.B. 11.12.1916.
Kanonier Bronislaw Karol, D.O.B. 18.8.1918.
Kanonier Mikolaj Ochladowski, D.O.B. 19.12.1918.
Kanonier Jan Lach, D.O.B. 6.1.1915.
Kanonier Kaziemierz Plaica, D.O.B. 21.4.1919.
Kanonier Jan Rotawski, D.O.B. 2.5.1923.
Kanonier Eustachy Arend, D.O.B. 21.8.1923.
Kanonier Marek Chackiewicz, D.O.B. 15.5.1901.
Kanonier Kaziemierz Lysy, D.O.B. 16.3.1921.
Kanonier Wladyslaw Chmieleski, D.O.B. 29.11.1919.
Kanonier Jozef Szczepanik, D.O.B. 7.1.1915.
Kanonier Leon Kozakiewicz, D.O.B. 9.9.1913.
Kanonier Jozef Laruszko, D.O.B. 5.10.1919.
Kanonier Wincenty Szabon, D.O.B. 4.4.1914.
Kanonier Leon Smolinski, D.O.B. 11.4.1919.
Kanonier Stefan Gruntowski, D.O.B. 14.8.1920.
Kanonier Augustyn Borodin, D.O.B. ?.9.1912.
Kanonier Ludwik Warchol, D.O.B. 25.8.1908.
Kanonier Stanislaw Sokolowski, D.O.B. 27.8.1923.
Kapral Wladyslaw Laszczyk, D.O.B. 4.4.1914
Ogniomistrz Zdislaw Chruszczeski, D.O.B. 13.3.1904.
Plutonowy Stefan Socha, D.O.B. 30.10.1912.
Bombardjor Ludwik Syczewski, D.O.B. 25.8.1914.
Kapral Stanislaw Krawiec, D.O.B. 17.2.1905.
Kapral Jozef Migdal, D.O.B. 10.11.1911.
Kanonier Andrzej Balicki, D.O.B. 28.11.1911.
Kapral Alexander Daglis, D.O.B. 16.3.1916.
Podporuchnik Karol Polarcyk, D.O.B. 9.12.1913.
Aspirant Jozef Sadowski, D.O.B. 19.2 1916.
Kapral Leonard Baranowski, D.O.B. 24.10.1909.
Kanonier Janusz Wisniewski, D.O.B. 7.12.1914.
Kanonier Bohdan de Rosset, D.O.B. 4.11.1925.
Plutonowy podchorzy Jozef Danielewicz, D.O.B. 16.2.1915.
Kanonier Artur Kudrycz, D.O.B. 9.1.1921.
Kanonier Roman Barylak, D.O.B. 18.12.1919.
Kapral Jozef Wolny, D.O.B. 17.3.1912.
Plutonowy Jan Kaluzynski, D.O.B. 3.5.1915.
Bombardjor Ernest Bednarz. No info.
Kanonier Bernard Puripirz. No info.
Dowodca baterii i porucznik Wladyslaw Magonski, D.O.B. 10.9.1916.
Kapral podchorazy Konstanty Alexander Jelenski, D.O.B. 2.1.1922.
Kapral podchorazy Wladyslaw Stankiewicz, D.O.B. 5.5.1922.
Kapral podchorazy Bohdan Silanowicki, D.O.B. 3.3.1902.

Translated to the best of my ability from handwritten manuscript. Apologies for any mistakes and for not using the Polish alphabet.

We are looking for more info on: mieczyslaw bulik, lance corporal 3rd supply coy RASC of the 1st PAD, served GHQ 2nd echelon received campaign star 39/45 and France & German star. We have pics from training camp in Scotland, he was in Africa and Italy and Normandie... wounded near Breda, and in the hospital in Paris. Lived his life with a Belgian women in Ardooie Belgium, was a photographer... please help us to find more info... I try my best to put the pics and documents on facebook, we only received the pics from our aunt yesterday...