Polish Forces

Morane MS 406 with Polish chess-boards.

When the 1939 war was lost, Poland did not capitulate, and the Polish government in exile managed to transfer to France thousands of Polish ex-servicemen, and the only reason was to continue the fighting. So, in France and on its territory Polish armed forces were organised. France was in that time the closest territorially but very reluctant Polish ally. The planes with chess-board markings, based on Lyon-Bron airfield, are a part of Polish four air divisions created in France. There were in that time, in France, 6600 Polish airmen and officers, all very keen to continue the war, and there were more than enough people to operate the divisions. In addition to the air divisions, the Polish Government managed to assembly in France three infantry divisions and one brigade of armoured cavalry. They took part in the French Campaign, but were drown late to the war. One more Polish unit was formed in Syria that was a French territory in that time; it was Independent Brigade of Carpathian Rifles. It seems that most of the Polish troops from France were shifted to British Islands when France collapsed; the UK needed them badly in that time. Those from Syria marched to the British held territory somewhere in the Middle East when France capitulated. They continued the war, on British side, in North Africa and in Italy. The Poles treated this war seriously. Polish officers in France were trying to advise the French about German war tactics, but who would listen to the Poles in that time?