Poland’s Reorganised Fighting Forces

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 301, 21 December 1939, Page 7

Poland’s Reorganised Fighting Forces

AIR, SEA AND LAND ACTIVITIES (British Official Wireless.) Received Wednesday, 9.20 p.m. RUGBY, Dec. 19. Speaking to the press on Tuesday in London, Major Ilinsky, of tho Polish Military Mission, outlined Polish efforts being made to re-orguniso her lighting forces. “Those Poles who were able to escape from Poland and make their way towards the friendly borders of France i and Britain will form the first nucleus of our army, the re-organisation of which in both countries is in progress according to agreements concluded with the British and French Governments. The army, navy and air force of Poland exist again. ’ ’ Speaking of the raval activities, he recalled that Polish ships now constitute part of tho Allied forces operating under tho Polish flag, under the command of Polish officers and manned by Polish crews. A special naval depot, Major Ilinsky said, will be established, with tho purpose of training further personnel and for the formation of reserves. “As to our land forces, which are being trained somewhere in France, it is intended to form four or five infantry divisions as well as armoured and mechanised units, taking into account the possibilities now available. The Polish Army will bo under the Polish High Command and will remain to the end of tho hostilities as ono of tho Allied armies under the inter-AUied Supreme Command. ’ ’ Training centres, he said, for officers and men for the Polish Army already were in full swing. “The average duration in such training centres is three months and as the first of these courses was started early iu the uuturnn wo may calculate how soon the first large Polish units, fully trained, will bo ready to leave their camps and face again the enemy. ’ ’ Concluding, Major Ilinsky said: “The organisation of the Polish Air Force units is divided into two equal groups—one in Britain and the other in France. We were lucky to get out of Poland a fairly large number of our air force personnel.” He could not give the correct figures, but said they were sufficiently large to enable tho organisation of several squadrons for a start. The machines for the Polish squadron would be British in Britain and French in Franco.