Polish

[Redwolf]

Polish Commandos participating in a training exercise in England.

Is that a Bren without a magazine?

 

[Louis]

Is that a Bren without a magazine?

For an exercise, they probably wouldn't use ammunition.

 

[Louis]

Róża Maria Goździewska (1936/1989). His daddy was killed by the Gestapo in 1943. A year later she was the youngest nurse active during the Warsaw Uprising. She was 8 years old at the time. She survived the war and died at age 53.

 

[Louis]

Polish Valentines tanks during an exercise in Scotland, Aug 1941

 

[Louis]

On the turret of this Cromwell VII, at the left is Stanisław Maczek (1892/1994), commander of the1st Armoured Div, France, 1944.
The Polish 1st Armored Div played a crucial part in routing the German 7th Army at Falaise in a breakthrough that historians say shortened the war by many months. The 1st Armored went on to liberate cities in Belgium and the Netherlands and took Wilhelms haven, the German port city on the North Sea.

 

[Gunner]

Awhile back I over did a lengthy post on our 6th and last day of on our tour of Normandy ending at the Falaise Gap.

Part of the thread dealt with the Polish and Hill 262.
The Poles now call that hill “Maczuga”, which means “The Mace”. And that is it exactly: the battle of “Maczuga” hill was the final, crushing blow which broke German power."

Here are some pics of the Polish Memorial on top of the hill:

A bronze dedicated to Polish General Stanislaw Maczek is nearby:

Here is the view from the Memorial. You can see what a good Line of Sight it had over the Falaise Gap.

 

[Louis]

PZL 23 Karás shot down in Poland, 1939.

 

[mTk]

In better days.
-----

 

[Gunner]

And modern days...

 

[mTk]

How cold of a job do you think that rear gunner was?

 

[Nort]

Reminiscent of the Dauntless.

 

[Louis]

80 years ago... Polish insurgents during the Warsaw Uprising. Aug 6, 1944.

 

[mTk]

He brought his axe so he wouldn't have to share his last smoke.
The other guy is still thinking about going for it.