The composition and origins of the units of the Polish Army in 1919-1920

[Hoplophile]

As I work on a historical map problem about the fighting at Zytomierz in the spring of 1920, I find myself wondering about the origins of various units of the Polish Army of the first few years of the Second Republic. In particular, I am wondering about the degree to which men who had served together in other armies continued to serve together in the new Polish Army, the continuation of conventions (ranging from drill and ceremonies to tactical symbols and terminology) derived from "armies of origin," and rules for the recognition of rank held in other armies.

[Eugen Pinak]

In particular, I am wondering about the degree to which men who had served together in other armies continued to serve together in the new Polish Army, the continuation of conventions (ranging from drill and ceremonies to tactical symbols and terminology) derived from "armies of origin," and rules for the recognition of rank held in other armies.

Short answer: it depended on unit. Units from Haller's Army or Welikopolska Army were more "aside" form your average Polish troops. But this changed with time.
Long answer requires a small book

[Hoplophile]

Such is the way of long answers!

[henryk]

In the source the origins and compositions of units can be seen by placing the mouse arrow on the unit name.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish-So ... _of_battle

Polish-Soviet War Polish order of battle
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

During the Polish–Soviet War of liberation fought between February 1919 and March 1921 between the Bolshevik Russia and the reemerging sovereign Poland – right after the conclusion of World War I in Europe – the Polish order of battle included broad disposition of personnel, strength, organization, and command structure.[1][2]

Formations
The following units and named commanders fought in the Polish–Soviet War on the Polish side.

Polnische Wehrmacht
Polish I Corps in Russia
1st Cavalry Division (Polish) Commander Juliusz Rómmel
1st Lithuanian–Belarusian Division (Polish: 1. Dywizja Litewsko-Białoruska, Belarusian: 1-ая Літоўска-Беларуская дывізія) Parts formed in 1920 the 2nd Lithuanian–Belarusian Division and in 1923 the 19th Infantry Division (Poland)
2nd Lithuanian–Belarusian Division(Polish: 2. Dywizja Litewsko-Białoruska) formed in part from 1st Lithuanian–Belarusian Division and formed in 1920 20th Infantry Division (Poland)
1st Legions Infantry Division (Poland) formerly I Brigade of the Polish Legions
Polish 2nd Legions Infantry Division (Polish: 2. Dywizja Piechoty Legionów)
Polish 3rd Legions Infantry Division (Polish: 3. Dywizja Piechoty Legionów)
4th Infantry Division (Poland) (Polish: 4. Dywizja Piechoty) {Later renamed 26th Infantry Division (Polish: 26 Dywizja Piechoty)}
5th Rifle Division (Poland) Polish 5th Siberian Rifle Division (Polish: 5. Dywizja Strzelców Polskich; also known as the Siberian Division and Siberian Brigade)
..... 1st Siberian Infantry Regiment under Franciszek Dindorf-Ankowicz; later renamed 82nd Siberian Infantry Regiment (Polish: 82 Syberyjski pułk piechoty).
......2nd Siberian Infantry Regiment under Józef Werobej.
6th Infantry Division (Poland) (Polish: 6. Dywizja Piechoty) Colonel Ignacy Pick.
7th Infantry Division (Poland) (Polish: 7. Dywizja Piechoty, 7 DP) Col. Szubert
....... 13th Bde under Herman,
........14th Bde under Pogórzelski
........7th Artillery Bde under Luberadzki
8th Infantry Division (Poland)
9th Infantry Division (Poland) (interwar)
......17th Infantry Brigade
............15th Infantry Regiment
............22nd Infantry Regiment
......18th Infantry Brigade
............34th Infantry Regiment
............35th Infantry Regiment
.......9th Artillery Brigade
............9th Artillery Regiment
10th Infantry Division (Poland) (Polish: 10 Dywizja Piechoty) formerly 4th Rifle Division (Poland) and the 2nd Brigade of the Polish Legions in World War I.
11th Infantry Division (Poland) (Polish: 11 Karpacka Dywizja Piechoty)
12th Infantry Division (Poland) (Polish: 12 Dywizja Piechoty (II RP))
13th Infantry Division (Poland) (Polish: 13 Kresowa Dywizja Piechoty) formerly 1st Division of Polish Rifles (1 Dywizja Strzelców Polskich)
14th Infantry Division (Poland) aka 14 Greater Poland Infantry Division (Polish: 14 Wielkopolska Dywizja Piechoty) General Filip Dubiski.
15th Infantry Division (Poland) aka 15th "Greater Poland" Infantry Division (Polish: 15 Wielkopolska Dywizja Piechoty)
16th Infantry Division (Poland) aka 16. Pomorska Dywizja Piechoty formed August 16, 1919. Formerly Pomeranian Rifle Division (Polish: 4. Dywizja Strzelców Pomorskich)
........ 31st Infantry Brigade (under Col. Mischke)
.........32nd Infantry Brigade (65th Infantry Regiment without 1,5 battalion; under Krauss)
.........16th Artillery Brigade (understrength)
17th Infantry Division (Poland) formed as 3rd Division of Greater Poland Rifles
18th Infantry Division (Poland)(18. Dywizja Piechoty) formed from Haller's Blue Army
(Note: 19th Infantry Division (Poland) not formed until 1923-formed from 1st Lithuanian–Belarusian Division (1918–1923)
20th Infantry Division (Poland)(Polish: 20. Dywizja Piechoty)Colonel Wilhelm Andrzej Lawicz-Liszka {formerly 2nd Lithuanian–Belarusian Division}
21st Mountain Infantry Division (Poland)(Polish: 21 Dywizja Piechoty Górskiej, 21 DPG)
22nd Mountain Infantry Division (Poland)(Polish: 22 Dywizja Piechoty Górskiej, 22 DPG)
23rd Infantry Division (Poland) (Polish: 23. Dywizja Piechoty)
24th Infantry Division (Poland) (Polish: 24. Dywizja Piechoty)
25th Infantry Division (Poland) (Polish: 25. Dywizja Piechoty)
26th Infantry Division (Poland) (Polish: 26 Dywizja Piechoty)
27th Infantry Division (Poland) (Polish: 27. Dywizja Piechoty)
28th Infantry Division (Poland) (Polish: 28. Dywizja Piechoty)
29th Infantry Division (Poland) (Polish: 29. Grodzienska Dywizja Piechoty)
30th Infantry Division (Poland) (Polish: 30. Poleska Dywizja Piechoty)

Individual Units/Regiments:
Polish Air Force
Polish Navy
Lwów Eaglets
Ochotnicza Legia Kobiet
14th Infantry Regiment (Poland) (formed mostly of the former 90th Regiment of the Austro-Hungarian Army. 5th Company commanded by Antoni Chruściel)
36th Infantry Regiment (Poland) aka Infantry Regiment of the Academic Legion
49th Hutsul Rifle Regiment formerly 15th Infantry Rifle Regiment of General Haller's Blue Army. In September 1919 it was renamed to 40th Kresy Infantry Rifle Regiment and changed March 1920 to 49th Hutsul Rifle Regiment
Free Cossack Brigade formerly the Red Army 3rd Don Cossack Cavalry Brigade led by yesaul Vadim Yakovlev

[T. Snorrason]

The easiest source on Polish regiments for your period is in Polish, but understandable via Google translate, if you do not read the language:

Pułki piechoty Wojska Polskiego II RP
https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pu%C5%82k ... iego_II_RP

Pułki kawalerii Wojska Polskiego
https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pu%C5%82k ... _Polskiego

Short regimental stories foreach regiment can be found by clicking on them in the text.

The Polish army and history 1917-1921 is well described on the internet.