THE POLISH ARMY

Evening Star, Issue 23687, 21 September 1940, Page 9

THE POLISH ARMY

ITS'FIGHTING SPIRIT The German offensive against the Low Countries found the Polish contingent in Prance almost fully organised into a considerable army, writes the military correspondent of ‘ The Times.’ The kernel of this force was the large number of officers and other ranks—also young volunteers who had not yet entered the service—who escaped from Poland and made their way to France , through neutral countries. To them were added tens of of Poles normally resident in France. At the same time there were many thousands of trained Polish airmen in France, though, owing to French lack of material, not nearly enough aircraft were available for all of them. In addition the Polish Mountain Brigade was serving in Norway, where it distinguished itself. It did not suffer a great loss. After the evacuation of Narvik it was transported to Brittany and was very heavily engaged there. When the French Government be- . gan negotiations for an armistice the ■ Polish Prime Minister and Commander- , in-Chief, General Sikorski, ordered all ; Polish formations which could do so to concentrate at the Atlantic- Those on the eastern frontier, which could , not possibly do so, he directed to pass into Switzerland. It cannot be said : that the Poles received much assist- i ance from the French authorities. On the contrary, General Coulson, Chief ; of the General Staff of the French ; armies, issued an order to all Polish troops to stand fast, an order which,_ if . it had been obeyed, would have involved their capture by the Germans. One division, which formed part of a i French corps hemmed in against the Swiss frontier, was ordered by the corps commander to lay down its arms. On General Sikorskfs orders, its commander pointed out that the Polish troops represented the. Polish nation, ; and so could not he included in terms i of surrender by their French commanders.

MATERIAL FOB CADRES. Another division forming part of the French Seventh Army was completely surrounded and must be considered as destroyed. The Mountain Brigade, after hard fighting and magnificent marches, was saved only in part. With the aid of the British Navy, however, a large number of fighting troops and, what is equally important, the material for fighting cadres in schools of instruction, have been brought to Great Britain. As regards the Navy, the Poles cannot find expression for their gratitude and admiration. It is to be noted that no Polish soldier was embarked in a French port without having been asked whether he wanted to cross to Great Britain. Considering that many of these men had lived long in France and might almost have been regarded as French citizens, their decision to throw in their lot. with' ns, who have nothing to offer them but blood and sweat, is in itself a remarkable tribute to their spirit. The old soldiers of the Polish campaign wore now setting out upon another cxpedi- , tion into the unknown, with no pros-

pect other than that of more desperat©; fighting. At least they have been pleased by their welcome here. General Sikorski relates that they have already composed a song to the effect that they like the island to which they have com© and are prepared to fight for it to the last. The general also declares that at his last meeting with our Prime Minister they shook hands and pledged each other to fight till victory was won, and never give in