Meet the Black Devils of Normandy: The Polish 1st Armored Division
Formed in 1942 in Duns, Scotland, the 1st Armored Division was made up of Polish soldiers who were able to flee to Britain after the fall of France. Initially part of the Polish I Corps under Wladyslaw Sikorski, they were led by General Stanislaw Maczek, who was Poland’s premier mechanized commander and had managed to flee to the UK with what was left of his 10th Mechanized Brigade.
Once in Britain, they were organized on the British Armoured Division model, equipped with British uniforms and most importantly, given British tanks like the Crusader and Cromwell.
Action in Normandy and Beyond
By the time the Allies established a foothold in Normandy in 1944, the 1st Armored Division was equipped with American Sherman Tanks and British modified Sherman Fireflies. Now attached to the First Canadian Army as part of the 21st Army Group, the Poles would first see serious action during Operation Totalize. Despite suffering serious casualties due to friendly fire from Allied aircraft, the 1st Armored Division would be victorious at the Battle of Falaise and played a crucial role in trapping SS units within the Falaise Pocket and neutralizing them.
After this, the Poles would chase the Germans along the French coastline and into the Netherlands, liberating towns and even playing a key role in the liberation of the City of Breda.
The East Frisian Naval Base and Final Operations
On May 6th, 1945, the division would capture the Naval base at East Frisian. General Maczek would accept the surrender of not only the East Frisian Fleet, but more than 10 infantry divisions as well. The 1st Polish Division would remain in the area as part of the occupation force until they were officially disbanded in 1947.
~NC
