The 1st Armoured Regiment () was an armoured regiment of the Polish Armed Forces in the West during World War II, part of the 1st Armoured Division.
France 1939 The 1st Polish Armoured Regiment of the 1st Polish Armoured Division has its origins in France. After the Soviet Army invaded from the East, with the German Army invading from the West, the Polish government went into exile and the Polish Army in units, and as individuals, made their way to France to regroup. Some Polish soldiers came from Poland through enemy territory. Others took a roundabout route through neighbouring countries by any means available, some after being interned for a period of time. They all made their way to the camp at Coëtquidan in Brittany. This camp became the centre of the Polish Army in exile. Additional Poles came from the large émigré community in France and Belgium to enlist.1ST Polish Armoured Regiment IN THE YEARS 1939-1946
On 20 November 1939, the Armoured Group was formed under the command of Major L. Furs-Żyrkiewicz. It was made up mostly of soldiers from the former armoured units of Poland. The 1st Tank Battalion was formed from these former armoured units on 2 December 1939 and left the camp at Coëtquidan for the village of Campenéac. On this day, it became an independent unit. Its name would change (65th Tank Battalion,LEXICON OF WORLD WAR II ARMED FORCES VOL. 1 - POLISH ARMOURED FORCES 1939-1945 ORGANIZATION AND ORDER OF BATTLE, page 40 1st Tank Battalion, 1st Armoured Regiment), but it could trace its roots to this date as its birth.
Living conditions at both camps were poor. The soldiers' morale was low because of the harsh winter conditions, lack of equipment, and poor living quarters. During February 1940, the Battalion left Campenéac for St. Cécile-les-Vignes. Here the 10th Motorized Cavalry Brigade was formed from all the armoured units. The Battalion fell under the Brigade in the chain of command. Soon afterwards, the first Renault FT tanks arrived, and training with these vintage and obsolete World War I tanks began.
The German offensive on 10 May caused the Battalion to accelerate its preparations and training for battle. On 27 May 1940, under the command of Major Stanisław Gliński, it moved to Versailles, where it received modern tanks and equipment. Also on this day, the 1st Company was transferred to airfield protection duties and the Finnish Company took its place. The Battalion had only ten days to learn how to operate the new Renault R35 and R39 tanks.
On 8 June 1940, the Battalion was deployed to Champagne, where the 10th Motorized Cavalry Brigade, under the command of General Maczek, was located. The situation at the front, as a result of the German offensive on 10 June, was hopeless. The Germans had infiltrated behind the French lines. Champagne and Burgundy were being surrounded from the west. The units in this pocket were being systematically destroyed from the air. The Battalion, from the day it arrived in Champagne on 12 June 1940, sustained heavy losses, due to German air attacks. Enemy aircraft broke the Battalion's first attack attempt. In the chaos that ensued, the Battalion retreated to the south while under constant assault from the air.
Lt-Col. Tadeusz Majewski took command of the Battalion on 15 June 1940. The Battalion was made the Brigade's spearhead for the breakout from the pocket created by the enemy. The attack began on the night of 16 June 1940 with the 4th Motorized Division in the town of Montbard in Burgundy. As a result of heavy losses inflicted during the night, the enemy withdrew from Montbard. This victory was short-lived, however, for the Battalion was out of ammunition and fuel. The next day, orders were issued for the crews to destroy their tanks, to prevent them falling into enemy hands, and disband The men were ordered to make their way south as best they could. The temporary disbandment of the Battalion ended its part in the French campaign.
The fates of these men were varied. The French people often risked their lives to help. Some made it across the German lines and reached French ports, in time to leave on the last ships leaving for England. Some were taken prisoner. Some were interned in the Spanish concentration camp of Miranda del Ebro after crossing the Spanish border. Others made it to North Africa, where they were interned and forced to work on the construction of the Trans-Sahara Railroad. The majority, however, after overcoming many obstacles (lack of money, lack of papers, lack of transportation etc.), in some cases taking years (some made their way through Russia to Japan to the U.S./Canada/South America to England; literally travelling around the world), made it back to their units regrouping in Britain.
Britain 1940
The arrival in Great Britain was in stark contrast to their previous arrival in France from Poland. They were welcomed into people's homes till permanent quarters were arranged, which were an improvement over those in France. The living conditions alone were enough to boost morale. This would aid them during the 4 years it would take to prepare and train for the upcoming battles on the continent.
The Battalion reported to Crawford in Lanarkshire. The camp was located in the Clyde River valley in Scotland. During its 4 months there, the Battalion was reorganized and brought to full strength by the return of 1st Company, but it still lacked equipment. Maj. Henryk Świetlicki took command in August 1940.
The start of the Battle of Britain highlighted the threat of invasion of the British Isles. The Battalion was now on a high state of alert. It patrolled the area and established guard posts in the surrounding hills. On 22 October 1940, the Battalion was moved to Blairgowrie in Perthshire, where it was stationed for 17 months. A close bond formed between the soldiers and the local population. Blairgowrie became the adopted home of the Battalion. Its men would never forget the kindness and hospitality of the people. Infantry training took place during the winter of 1940 and preparations made for the anticipated invasion. Tanks finally arrived in the spring of 1941. The first to arrive were Valentines. A few months later, they received Mark I's. Their arrival boosted morale. In the summer of 1941, the Battalion's duties included: protecting nearby airfields; guarding Broughty Ferry on the Scottish East Coast; and building anti-invasion obstacles around Dundee. In addition to their military duties, the Battalion assisted the local population with the harvesting of wheat and potatoes.
During the autumn of 1941, the Battalion received the new 40-ton Churchill tanks. The Churchill was later followed by three other tank models. As a result, the Poles were experienced in various types of armoured vehicles (not just tanks).
On 27 September 1941 the Battalion was renamed the 65th Tank Battalion. During December 1941, volunteers arriving from the United States and South America were inducted into the Battalion. In early April 1942, the Battalion left Blairgowrie for Camp Langton near Duns in Berwickshire. The local population, here again, welcomed the soldiers of the Battalion into their homes. In both Blairgowrie and Duns, the Battalion left commemorative plaques, thanking the local population for their hospitality. Shortly after arriving at Camp Langton, the Battalion's Churchills were replaced by Covenanters. On 25 March 1942, General Maczek was appointed Division Commander. The 10th Armoured Cavalry Brigade and 16th Armoured Brigade formed the core of the division.1ST Polish Armoured Regiment IN THE YEARS 1939-1946, pages 39-40 Maj Bolesław Sokołowski assumed command of the Battalion in June 1942.1ST Polish Armoured Regiment IN THE YEARS 1939-1946, page 40 On 12 August 1942, 16th Tank Brigade was renamed 16th Armoured Brigade. As a result, the 65th Tank Battalion on 13 August 1942,1ST Polish Armoured Regiment IN THE YEARS 1939-1946, page 26 as a result of the formation of the 1st Polish Armoured Division, the Battalion was renamed the 1st Armoured Regiment. In the autumn of 1942, Crusader tanks arrived. Now training was mainly focused on the Covenanter tanks and the Crusaders. During 1943, more Polish soldiers arrived from the Middle East. These men, making their way from Russian internment camps under General Anders, helped to make up the shortfall in manpower in the division. From May till the end of September 1943, the Regiment participated in Divisional manoeuvers in south-east England near Bury St. Edmunds in Suffolk. Afterwards, the regiment returned to Camp Langton. On 21 September 1943, the 16th Armoured Headquarters was absorbed into the 10th Armoured Cavalry Brigade.1ST Polish Armoured Regiment IN THE YEARS 1939-1946, pages 49 On 12 October 1943, the combined Brigade was renamed the 10th Armoured Cavalry Brigade. The 1st Armoured Regiment was now under the 10th Armoured Cavalry Brigade.1ST Polish Armoured Regiment IN THE YEARS 1939-1946, page 52 Maj Aleksander Stefanowicz assumed command of the Regiment in November 1943. At this time, the Regiment had begun to receive its final allocation of equipment, which included Sherman and Stuart tanks. The winter of 1943 was spent training on these new tanks. This included practice on the gunnery range at Kirkcudbright. In May 1944,1ST Polish Armoured Regiment IN THE YEARS 1939-1946, page 28 the Regiment left Duns for Bridlington in Yorkshire, where it remained for 2 months. In mid July 1944, it moved to Aldershot, south west of London. This was the Regiment's last staging area for the continent. Having made the final preparations and received its final equipment, the Regiment left for the marshalling area in Portsmouth for embarkation.
France 1944 The Regiment disembarked at the artificial Mulberry Harbor near Arromanches in Normandy. On 1 August 1944, the Regiment assembled in France. The Regiment's first battle on the continent occurred on 8 August 19441ST Polish Armoured Regiment IN THE YEARS 1939-1946, page 30 south east of Caen. As part of the 1st Polish Armoured Division, it was ordered to attack the heavily defended German lines at Falaise.
The regiment distinguished itself in the battle for Renemesnil on 9 August 1944. Around 1200hrs, it received heavy artillery and mortar fire in the neighbourhood of the church. Between 1220 and 1255hrs, the Regiment reached the western outskirts of Cauvicourt. In area 84 (S Renemesnil), Tiger tanks appeared with very effective supporting artillery fire. Attacking, the Regiment took Hill 84 by about 1600hrs, but was stopped on the south slope by very fierce anti-tank defences. At 1300hrs, the Commanding Officer of the Regiment decided to attack Hill 111 (along the axis 84 Chein Hausse). Second Squadron of the Regiment captured the hill. The enemy had put up a very heavy fire of mortars, artillery and anti-tank guns. The 1st Armoured Regiment had broken the German defences by the Laison River and reached Hill 111. In this operation, the Regiment suffered heavy losses: 3 officers killed (including the 2 in command) and 10 other ranks; 4 officers wounded and 11 other ranks; 1 officer missing and 7 other ranks. During the action on Hill 111, the 1st Armoured Regiment freed from the Germans about 100 Canadian soldiers who had been without food and ammunition for 2 days. Captured German prisoners confessed that the attack had demoralized the German infantry garrison.1st Armoured Division Operational Reports, 7 August- 6 October 1944
On 15 August, the Regiment took part in the crossing of the Dives River near Jort. On 16 August 1944, 3rd Rifle Brigade less 8th Rifle Battalion held the bridgeheads in Jort (1st Mountain Rifle Battalion) and Morieres (9th Rifle Battalion) reinforced by the 1st Armoured Regiment, which reconnoitered in the direction of the woods of Courcy.