In mid-June, during a military ceremony at the palace in Wilanów, British Deputy Minister of Defence Lord Vernon Coaker and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz paid tribute to General Stanisław Sosabowski and his soldiers from the 1st Paradote Brigade. During the ceremony, Major General Ollie Kingsbury handed to Brigadier General Michał Strzelecki, commander of the 6th Airborne Brigade, a proponent belonging to the Polish 1st Paratroop Brigade. He had a peculiar pronunciation during the creation of this elite unit.
June 15, 1944 1 Self-contained Parade Brigade she received a unique banner, due to the fact that made in occupied Warsaw by the Germans, then secretly transported to the UK. This banner was to emphasize even more that the destiny of an elite unit of Polish Armed Forces is to fight in the country. Paradoxically, however, erstwhile commander of the 1st Paradox Paradoxical Paradoxical Paradox, General Stanisław Sosabowski, he took from the hands of the president of the Republic of Poland Władysław Raczkiewicz the banner founded by the inhabitants of Warsaw, at the highest Allied level of staff it was already determined that the destiny of the Polish brigade would not be landing in the country.
Exactly June 6th, in the celebrated D-Day, or Allied landing day in Normandy, Chief Chief, General Kazimierz Sosnkowski, in view of the threat that the brigade would be cut off, he turned it over to British authority. He thus fulfilled the dream of many British commanders, including General Bernard Montgomery himself, that this large unit would be part of the Allied air-desanant troops.
This brigade must be ours.
This desire was besides full shared by General Frederick Browning, commander of the British First Air Corps and deputy commander of the 1st Allied Air Force. Even as the commander of the 1st Airborne Division on 21 November 1943, he handed Sosabowski – then to Colonel – a proponent. It was a gift from British paratroopers to their Polish colleagues as evidence of their advanced professionalism and symbol of brotherhood. This prophecy is visible, among another things, in the pictures from the ceremony of handing over the flag to the brigade, and it was on June 18, 2025 that he arrived to the hands of the 6th Airborne Brigade Brig. Gen. Stanisław Sosabowski.
General Browning, passing to Colonel Sosabowski a draft with symbols of British air-desant troops, confirmed how advanced the British commanders of these troops measure the Polish unit. 1 of the authoritative inspections of British parachutists in the Polish brigade, carried out in 1942, is enough. Its intent was to admit what Poles actually know about parachuting. After visiting 1 of the officers, Major Tony Hibbert, having lost his proverbial English restraint, stated that "Poles know diabolically more [about parachuting – P.K.] from the British".
The ceremony of awarding the 1st Parade Brigade. In the foreground, an amount with a partner - a gift of British paratroopers, Cupar on June 15, 1944. NAC
General Browning shared this opinion as much as possible, and during 1 of his many visits to the Polish brigade, on 17 May 1943, he made her commander, Colonel Sosabowski, a proposal without precedent in the past of the British army. Namely, he proposed to make a Polish-British airborne division and that Colonel Sosabowski should take command of it! The British were not utilized to surrender their soldiers under a abroad command, and here we were talking about an elite – selected and well trained volunteers... To the large astonishment of General Browning, Colonel Sosabowski refused, arguing invariably that his brigade was intended to fight in the country. The Polish commander could not do otherwise, but General Browning took it as an affront and the relations between the 2 officers clearly cooled off. It can be said with all work that the presentation of the proponent in November 1943, in addition to designation for the professionalism of Polish paratroopers, was besides a reminder of their commander of this unprecedented proposal.
Last bridge
Since then, the destiny of the Polish brigade has been decided beyond General Sosabowski at the highest levels of the Allied military authorities and this ruling entered a decisive phase in the spring of 1944. On 13 March 1st the Paradox Brigade was visited by General Bernard Montgomery, commander of the 21st Army Group. The Polish paratroopers made a phenomenal impression on him, so after completing the inspection, without any more diplomacy, he stated that this choice unit had to go to British command and participate in the upcoming offensive in the west of Europe. Polish military authorities with the Chief Chief, General Kazimierz Sosnkowski, tried to defend themselves against this temptation and hold the leadership of the brigade and its destiny to fight in the country. No success. present it is possible to conclude what General Sosabowski besides admitted after the war, that this was a mistake, due to the fact that if the brigade was then handed over to British command, he would be almost certain of it. participation in the Normandy massacre in early June 1944, the successful and victorious operation, and then the negotiating position would be completely different.
And yes, the Polish brigade was not only thrown into conflict in September 1944 in a badly prepared and conducted ‘Market-Garden’ operations, it was from her commander, who was not straight afraid to tell his British colleagues that they were liable for this defeat, that a scapegoat was made, and almost all work for defeat was cast upon him. The same Montgomery, who so sought the Polish brigade, posted to the chief of the Imperial General Staff of Marshal Alan Brooke on 17 October 1944: “The Polish parachute brigade fought here [under Arnhem – P.K.] very badly. Her soldiers showed no desire to fight if it threatened to hazard their lives. I don't want this brigade back at my place. possibly you would like to transfer it to Italy, to another Poles.”
It was an unfair — and let's face it — a liar. This was denied not only by Polish veterans, but besides by their British comrades of arms from the 1st Airborne Division, whom Poles sacrificed to aid under Arnhem And they fought side by side, and at the end of the conflict they covered the retreat. For telling General Sosabowski straight to General Browning and another British officers that they were liable for the demolition of the 1st Airborne Division, the “best volunteers of England”, not only paid for the failure of brigade command, slander, but besides for the post-war life in misery... Finally, this prophecy – the gift of soldiers of the 1st Airborne Division – was a visible proof of the actual assessment and values of Polish paratroopers. It is simply a good thing that from now on it will be in the hall of tradition of the 6th Brig. Gen. Stanisław Sosabowski Air Brigade as evidence of the brotherhood of Polish and British paratroopers.
Sources of quotes:
Piotr Korczyński, chaotic Division past of Red Berets, Kraków 2024; Marek Stella-Sawicki, Arnhem. Debt of shame, Poznań 2025
