information on ww2 polish army tunic

[burnieboozle]

Hello Members.

Could you please help me indentify what the skull and crossbones cloth insignia is on this Polish Uniform and also the flashes on the collar.

Also would anyone be able to identify what medals the soldier was entitled to through looking at the medal ribbons.

Thank you

[henryk]

Here is another Polish Army badge with a swastika:
http://www.flagsforum.com/viewtopic.php ... 4697#p4697

[Njorl]

Could you please help me indentify what the skull and crossbones cloth insignia is on this Polish Uniform and also the flashes on the collar.

The skull and crossed bones on black triangle is a badge of so called 'Death's Battery' (4th battery, IIRC) of 1st Motorized Artillery Regiment, that was a part of 1st Polish Armoured Division. The origin of this sign comes from Polish-Bolshevik war.

Regards,
MJU

[John G.]

The "swastika" pocket badge is the "Corps Badge" of the 1st Motorized Artillery Regt., the collar tabs are for "Cavalry Squadron (F.D.C.) according to Wesolowski's "Polish Orders, Medals, Badges, and Insignia Military & Civilian 1705-1985" the Skull patch was establish in Holland in 1944.

The ribbons are (starting at the top...the left to right) are: US Bronze Star; Unidentified (Dutch I think); Brit. Africa Star;
Brit. War Medal 1939-45; Brit. Defense Medal; Brit. France & Germany star; Brit. 1939-45 Star; Pol. Medal Wojske; & Pol. Krauz Walecznch medal.

I couldn't find the other pocket badge in the book....probably there but I didn't see it....
Great tunic...
John G.

[history1]

On both sleeves: Red badge with inscription "Poland" introduced 1940 in GB.
Left sleeve: orange/black badge = identification badge of the 1st Tank Division
Right sleeve: skull badge = 1st Motorised Artillery Regt. from 1945
Collar tabs: 1st and 2nd Motorised Artillery Regiment

No findings for the swastika style badge. And no for the other badge labbeled "SPA". "SP" is reffered as Szkoła Podchorążych = Cadett School. The initial "A" stands for "Artillery", but that is my guess no picture with this explanation was found in my source. Just a lot of courses mentioned at wikipedia.pl

Source:
http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Szko%C5%82a_Podchor%C4%85%C5%BCych_Rezerwy
and Wojsko Polskie 1939 -1945 Barwa i Bron

[Njorl]

"SP" is reffered as Szkoła Podchorążych = Cadett School. The initial "A" stands for "Artillery", but that is my guess no picture with this explanation was found in my source.

Exactly, it's a badge of Szkoła Podchorążych Artylerii in Scotland, silver-plated white metal produced by Rattray and Co., Dundee, established in 1941.
Source: Zdzisław Sawicki, Adam Wielechowski Odznaki Wojska Polskiego 1918-1945: Wojsko Polskie 1918-1939, Polskie Siły Zbrojne na Zachodzie, Pantera Books, Warszawa 2007

The swastika-style badge is of course a badge of 1 Pułk Artylerii Motorowej 1 Dywizji Pancernej (1st Motorized Artillery Regiment of 1st Armoured Division). The badge is identical to that of pre-WW2 1 Pułk Artylerii Motorowej that was created from 4th battery of 1 Pułk Artylerii Górskiej (1st Mountain Artillety Regiment). This battery was awarded the Virtuti Militarii cross and the honorary title baterja śmierci ('Death's Battery') after the battle of Dytjatyń - so called 'Polish Thermopylae' - September 16th 1920, where it bitterly fought Bolsheviks alongside with 7th battery of 8th Field Artillery Regiment and III battalion of 13th Infantry Regiment. The battery fought to the very last and was annihilated, losing almost all of its men (56 KIA, including its commander, kapitan Adam Zając). According to some sources, soldiers of this battery were also allowed to wear skull and crossed bones insignias on their caps.
Source: Piotr Zarzycki 1 Pułk Artylerii Motorowej, Oficyna Wydawnicza "Ajaks", Pruszków 1992
Some more on topic (unfortunately in Polish only) - http://www.dytiatyn.pl/, skull - http://www.dytiatyn.pl/tradycje.html#trupia

As a sidenote all mountain-related regiments of pre-WW2 Polish Army utilised swastika-motif eg. in their regimental badges.

The ribbons are (starting at the top...the left to right) are: US Bronze Star; Unidentified (Dutch I think); Brit. Africa Star;
Brit. War Medal 1939-45; Brit. Defense Medal; Brit. France & Germany star; Brit. 1939-45 Star; Pol. Medal Wojske; & Pol. Krauz Walecznch medal.

Strangely, the ribbon bar is upside down!!

Regards

[history1]

"SP" is reffered as Szkoła Podchorążych = Cadett School. The initial "A" stands for "Artillery", but that is my guess no picture with this explanation was found in my source.

Exactly, it's a badge of Szkoła Podchorążych Artylerii in Scotland, silver-plated white metal produced by Rattray and Co., Dundee, established in 1941.
Source: Zdzisław Sawicki, Adam Wielechowski Odznaki Wojska Polskiego 1918-1945: Wojsko Polskie 1918-1939, Polskie Siły Zbrojne na Zachodzie, Pantera Books, Warszawa 2007
[...]
Strangely, the ribbon bar is upside down!!
Regards

Thanks Njorl for your confirmation and aditional informations!
Pozdrawiam, (regards)
Roman

[history1]

[...]
No findings for the swastika style badge. [...]

Correction: Top image on page 273 is showing it,
described as Odznaka pamiątkowe - 1 pułk. artylerii motorowej
= remembrance badge 1st Motorized Artillery Regt.

Source: Wojsko Polskie 1939 -1945 Barwa i Bron