Normandy to Wilhelmshaven

Jurek and Leon arrived on the Clyde in Scotland in October 1942 - Their tank regiment was based in the borders near Duns and Kelso

The new uniforms would have a black shoulder strap in honour of the original Black Brigade

After training in Kelso, Jeremi and Longin Marczak as brothers ,were split into separate tank groups, initially using British Crusader tanks.

They moved to Bury St. Edmunds where they collected the American Sherman M4 tanks.

The Sherman M4.

Each tank had a crew of 5. - Jeremi and Longin were drivers - alongside was the front gunner (.30 calibre) . In the centre of the tank was the main 75mm cannon gunner - the loader and the radio operator. Engine was in the rear.

The tanks weighed 34 tons and had a top speed of 48kmh (30mph).

However as they would soon find out when confronted tank on tank the Sherman was no match for the German Tigers and Panthers.

The standard issue Sherman M4 with their 75mm/7lb guns had a firing range of around 500 metres and even then would not penetrate a Tiger even at close range, they had to aim at the Tiger bogey wheels.

Tigers were reported to have knocked out enemy tanks at ranges greater than 2.5 miles (4.0 km), their armour was difficult to penetrate, and had a top speed of 30 kph (24mph)

The Tiger with firing range of approx. 1500 meters would easily penetrate the Sherman's armour. In addition the Sherman ran on petrol so when the engine got hit the Sherman easily burst into flames - as a result the were nicknamed "Ronsons" by the Brits and the Germans nicknamed them "Tommy Cookers"!

As a stop gap development some Sherman Firefly's with an adapted 76mm/17lb gun with an 800-1200m range were introduced capable of penetrating Tiger tanks.

In addition after the first few days of real action to help deflect Tiger shells and improve penetration defences the Sherman crews would weld tank tracks around the tank bodies and turrets. So in the picture above of Jurek in his Sherman the tracks around his Sherman are for additional protection!

The great advantage was that the allies had lots of Sherman M4 tanks in reserve available behind the front lines, so as a crews tank was knocked out if they were uninjured and able to escape usually within an hour they were in a replacement Sherman.

Jurek and Longins regiment had 48 front line tanks - during the Normandy to Germany campaign the regiment had 53 tanks destroyed.

They were now in the Polish 1^st Armoured Division 16,000 soldiers, 380 tanks, 470 guns under Polish General Stanislaw Maczek and were subsequently integrated with the First Canadian Army. Specifically both Jurek and Leon were in the 1st Armoured Regiment = 51 - you see 51 on their tanks part of the 10th Armoured Cavalry Brigade. Below Jeremi and Longin appear on the Pulka Pancerny Roll List.

At the end of July 1944 they gathered at Aldershot for final equipment checks and then headed to Portsmouth and across the channel to Normandy.

Loading at Portsmouth

Part of the huge Mulberry B Harbour around Arromanches, St Come and Asnelles - Gold Beach

The armoured regiment disembarks on Gold Beach - the church on the horizon is St Come de Fresne.

The Infantry and foot soldiers disembark on Juno Beach Graye sur Mer

16,000 soldiers and 400 tanks

They docked at the Mulberry B Harbour around the town of Arromanches on August 1st-2nd. They then assembled in the fields between Bayeux and Creuilly. On August 7th they set of for their starting positions south of Caen.

On August 8th they had their first combat role in Operation Totalize - They would be in the thick of things from the outset battling to break though German defences at St Aignan/St Sylvan , Renemesnil/Soignolles, the river Laison at Rouvres and the river Dives at Jort.

They were then in a position to charge for Chambois via the high ridge and the Maczuga hill.

They were now formed into battle groups - each battle group combining elements of tank, Infantry, artillery etc. The Battle groups were formed around officers Stefanowicz for 1st Battle Group , Koszutski 2nd Battle Group, Zgorzelski 3rd and Szydlowski 4th.

Jurek and Leon were in Stefanowicz Battle Group they were both in squadron 1 "Triangle" sign - each Squadron had 16 tanks. The 1st Armoured Regiment 51 had around 48 tanks on the front line with a further HQ squadron a safe distance behind the action.

Assembly south of Tilly La Campagne Aug. 8th 1944

August 8th Day 1

This turned out to be a baptism of fire.

During the night of the 7th-8th The British and Canadian infantry regiments would begin the breakout surprising the Germans and dislodging them from their first defensive line. Totalise had got of to a good start.

The next morning on the 8th the Poles were able to move from their positions at Cormelles Sth Caen to the fields between Tilly La Campagne and Garcelles Secqueville waiting for the bombing raids which were to take place from 12:00 noon until 1:55pm to soften up the German second defensive lines in the region of Cintheaux - St Sylvan.

In hindsight this delay waiting for the bombing raid allowed the German 1st defensive line (St Martin - Tilly La Campagne - La Hogue) which was totally disorientated and on the run from the nights operations to regroup and consolidate. Had the allies swung into a full blown attack from dawn without waiting for the bombing raid they would have easily cut through all the German defences and had a good run then towards Falaise.

A number of disastrous events would now follow.

Start of the charge to St Aignan from fields sth of Tilly La Campagne against smoke background of friendly bombs dropped on the division.

When the bombing raid arrived not only were the bombs dropped on the German lines but also a whole USA Bomber squadron dropped their bombs on the Poles and Canadians on the startling lines inflicting a lot a fatalities and injuries and destroying equipment and ammunition stores.

Montgomery instructed Maczek to move out on a narrow front - they got to St Aignan without any trouble but as the moved out of St Aignan the German Tigers of the 12SS Hitlerjungen (fanatical brainwashed Super Aryans) hidden in woods and hedges 1.5 km away easily picked off and destroyed 40 Polish tanks and the Poles had to return to St Aignan to regroup and replace their losses. The next day Maczek would change his battle plan and attack with a wider front.

On August the 9th Jurek and Leon's regiment were tasked with taking hill 111 south of Renemesnil.

Canadian report regards to fighting at Rénemesnil and Hill 111 on Aug 9th of the Polish 1st Armoured Tank Regiment

1^st Armoured Regiment, which replaced the hard bled 2 Regiment, went out in the second wave. Leaving St Aignan with help from artillery they were able to reach Cauvicourt in good time ready to get to Rénemesnil before noon.

Polish 1 Tank Regt – distinguished itself in the battle for Rénemesnil on 9 Aug. About 1200 hours the Regt received a heavy artillery and mortar fire in the neighbourhood of the church in Soignolles. In the area of Hill 84 (S Rénemesnil) Tigers appeared, with the support of very acurate artillery. The regiment, in an attack, took Hill 84, but on the southern slope was stopped by very fierce Anti Tank defence. At 1300 hours CO Regt decided to attack Hill 111, along the axis 84 - Chemin Hausse (ancient track) a further 5km.

Of particular note is the way in which the 1^st Armoured Regiment Lieutenant Colonel Stefanowicz conducted the assault on Hill 111 It was almost a cavalry charge performed by tanks. It was decided not to wait for the German gun emplacements to emerge, but soon after the start of the attack, going at full speed tanks began to fire continuously on the enemy position. Hurling missiles almost without interruption guns and machine guns at German defences. Crushing and crushing everything in its path squadrons of the regiment reached the ravine of the river Laison at La Croix/Rouvres – a dash of some 7km..

Squadron captain Bartosiński reached the ravine La Croix/Rouvres and released from German captivity over 80 Canadians. who had been without food and ammunition for two days. The captured prisoners confessed that the attack demoralized the enemy inf garrison. There, they were stopped by intense enemy firewall, run from the vicinity of the hill 140 on their flank. The Germans shot very accurately from long distance, and soon eliminated from the fight as many as 22 Polish tanks (15 were destroyed and seven damaged). Killed three officers and 19 soldiers and 21 were injured. This was to be the worst day of losses for the 1st Armoured Regiment during the entire war.

Not being able to master the hill 140, the Poles changed the direction of the attack and returned to the hill 111, it was the right decision, as it allowed them to continue the attack. Crews of the Polish tanks, saw to the west north of the 30 Acre Wood a "tank graveyard" belonging to the unfortunate British Columbian Worthington Force that got lost in the night, they had been completely decimated only a handful of men escaping to the Polish lines. Destruction of the Worthington force were just 800mtrs from hill 111. Nobody knew where the Worthington force was - it should have been 7 km to the west and the force themselves indicated that they had reached their objective, artillery and support to help them was being directed 7 km's away. The Poles were in a position to give support but it was not to be.

Returning to hill 111 however, with the lack of infantry support, fearing a night attack by the Germans, the 1^st Armoured Regiment squadrons withdrew to spend the night at Renemesnil. There to plan attacks on entrenched German positions in the Quesney Woods and hill 140 over the next days. Totalize had actually stalled and a new offensive was necessary.

Today on hill 111 stands the Worthington Force Memorial.

Later Stefanowicz would be awarded the Order Virtuti Militari (Silver) (No. 10348) in recognition of his charge on hill 111 (Renemesnil) on August 9 1944.

One of Jureks stories:

- around this time - August 11-12th they encountered heavy resistance from German tanks that were sunk behind protective mounds and difficult to dislodge. Soldiers have to go on a walkabout from time to time and Jurek had just got to a copse of trees some way from his tank. At this point American planes arrived dropping bombs meant for the German tanks but falling all around Jurek and continuing towards his brigade. Jurek immediately dived into a bomb crater (on the basis that lighting doesn't strike twice in the same location).

He started hearing calls from some other soldiers on the other side of the copse and started diving from one crater to another before finally reaching three Canadian soldiers also sheltering from the friendly fire. When the raid had passed Jurek hopped into the Canadian jeep and they drove him back to his brigade. Mayhem was all around - the brigade had lost soldiers in the raid and many wounded. Jurek was covered in dirt from head to foot after diving from one crater to another and when his mates saw him they asked where on earth he had got to!!

Falaise Pocket

Commencing on 14th August with an attack on Falaise itself, very quickly it soon developed into classic pincer movement to encircle the entire German 7th Army heading them off between the towns of Falaise, Trun and Chambois.

Firstly General Maczek Division must cross the river Dives at JORT Calvados

After the Operation Totalize was launched on 7 August, the IInd Canadian Corps started its final offensive on Falaise on 14 August : the Operation Tractable. The 1st Polish Armoured Division under General Maczek progressed on the left flank of the IInd Canadian Corps, and rushed on toward Trun, to cut off the 7th German Army and 5th Panzer-Armee retreat. But The Polish troops had to capture the bridges on the river Dives. On 15 August, the Polish tanks of the 10th Cavalry Regiment hit German anti-tanks in front of Jort. Later on, Russian volunteers soldiers in the German Army were made prisoners, they told the Polish where to ford the river Dives. In the town, the 85th Infantry Division grenadiers were routed, and the Polish pushed back an armoured SS counter-attack. The Polish tanks crossed the river Dives and poured into the town. The reinforcement of the 10th Armoured Brigade and the 3rd Infantry Brigade enabled to strengthen the bridgehead, the engineer could build up a new bridge across the river Dives.

General Maczek was a very ‘modern’ armoured commander, having commanded brigades in the campaigns of 1939 and 1940 with great skill. He had carefully studied German tactical methods and applied what he had learned in the field. While 3rd Rifle Brigade (with the 1st & 2nd Armoured Regiments (51 and 52 markings) under command) was sent to seize ‘The Mace’ (Mont Ormel or Hill 262 North), the 10th Cavalry Brigade to seize and hold the village of Chambois, thereby linking up with the US XV Corps coming up from Le Mans and controlling the bridges over the River Dives at Trun - Magny - St Lambert s/Dives, Moissy and Chambois.

The British engaged the Germans in the east whilst the USA Pattons 3rd Army moved up from the south to Chambois ( Right hand pincer ) . The Canadians ( left hand pincer) took Trun and the Polish 1st had to break out from the Canadian ranks and force through to Chambois joining the Americans on August 19th thus hoping to encircle the Germans. Despite being somewhat exposed during this manouver they did link up the the Americans during the evening on the 19th August- candy bars were their reward.

However army resources were thin between Trun and Chambois and a gap developed "Faliase Gap" though which the German 7th were able to retreat between St Lambert and Moissy.

Northeast of Chambois and overlooking the Dives River valley, an elongated, wooded ridge runs roughly north–south above the village of Coudehard. The ridge's two highest peaks—Points 262 North (262N) and 262 South (262S)—lie either side of a pass within which the hamlet of Mont Ormel, from which the ridge takes its name, is situated. One of the few westbound roads D16 in the area runs from Chambois through the pass, heading towards Vimoutiers and the River Seine beyond.

General Maczek formulated a plan for cutting off the German retreat routes. First, a task force, consisting of two armoured regiments and three infantry battalions from his division's eastern group, was to capture and hold Mont Ormel, a complex consisting of Hills 262 North and 262 South, which the Poles referred to as the Maczuga (mace) because the hills' map contours resembled that weapon. In addition 2km north/w of Hill 262 was the Manor of Boisjos which the poles would nickname "Zameczek" which would act as a bastion and location for wounded soldiers but would also be involved in a major German counter offensive and the last escape route.The western battle group would seize and hold the crossroads at Chambois. Divisional artillery would provide fire support for both groups, while the 10th Mounted Rifles and the divisional Reconnaissance Regiment (equipped with Cromwell tanks) were to be held in reserve.

Hill 262 Maczuga "The Mace" :

On August 19^th Stefanowicz 1st Battle Group (including Jurek and Leon) (51/61) arrived first at 12:40. The Second battle group (Koszutski)(52/62) arrived at 17:30 after going walkabouts in wrong direction in the night ( they should have gone to Chambois) and Szydlowski’s (61/63) infantry group arrived around 19:30.

Having first got to Coudehard 51/61 battlegroup proceeded up the steep lane, past the chapel towards Hill 252 they arrived at 12:40 just in front of the cross roads with the cross (La Croix Tiret) to find the entire D16 full of retreating Germans. The first tank was just 40 meters away when they turned their turrets in the direction of the road and gave it everything they had for a solid half hour before they grouped on the ledge of Hill 252 where the museum/memorial is today. Hill 262 (N)was the primary target and is the general reference to this area. On the map below Boisjos “Zamaczek = Little Castle” is the northern end and Hill 252-Cross Tiret is the southern end. Further south is a further hill 262 (S) (trail right of the restaurant) which they couldn’t get to in view of the dense thick smoke and wreckage that was in the way.

The next day 20^th was the German counter offensive – starting in the morning with a surprise appearance of the 2^nd SS out of the woods and within 1 minute they had taken out 5 tanks of 51 / 3^rd squad stationed just south of Hill 262 itself. (pictured below)

Dad and Leon were in 51 squad 1 stationed near the name Maczuga on the map below

With Koszutski's group loosing site of Chambois (going north to Champeaux by mistake) Maczek gave Zgorzelski's force-comprising the 10th Dragoons, 24th Lancers and two anti-tank batteries of the western group-the task of capturing Chambois and uniting with the Americans.

The Canadian 4th Armoured brigade were meant to reinforce and supply the Poles on Maczuga but were held back by the German 9th SS Panzer Division leaving the Poles isolated and short of ammunition and food for three days -

On August 20th a major German counter attack was launched - the Poles were surrounded by German 7th Army/12th SS Hitlerjungen "fanatical aryan supermen" escaping from the gap at Moissy, and the 9th SS with the 2nd SS turning around and attacking Maczuga from the rear.

Stefanowicz, Lt Col of Regiment 1 (51) himself wounded during the day's fighting struck a fatalistic note as he addressed his men on the evening of the 20th Aug

"Gentlemen. Everything is lost. I do not believe [the] Canadians will manage to help us. We have only 110 men left, with 50 rounds per gun and 5 rounds per tank...

Fight to the end! To surrender to the SS is senseless, you know it well. Gentlemen! Good luck – tonight, we will die for Poland and civilization. We will fight to the last platoon, to the last tank, then to the last man."

The Poles held out just - the Canadians finally arriving on the afternoon of the 21st August.

Pictures of the Chambois to Vimoutiers road D16 nicknamed "Pies Pole" or "Field of Dogs" in region of Cross Tiret

Zameczek - Boisjos

When the Canadiens reached the Poles on the 21st Aug and witnessed the carnage and destruction they posted a sign by the roadside in honour of the Poles which simply said "Polish Battle Field"

Above Maczuga today view from memorial to the D16 and restaurant.- below restaurant after the Polish blitz..

The German 7th having substained heavy losses from the direction of the hill imediately set about eliminating the Polish position by throwing substantial forces at the hill including diverting the 9 SS Panzer division as well. The Poles were using up ammunitions as fast as they were getting re-supplied at times nearly running out. Fierce fighting lasted for two full days but the Poles clung on by August 21st the gap was closed.

The Poles lost 1290 men and 3820 were injured (30%) of the division. The Poles won the respect of all the Allies.

General Crerar sent the following telegram to Maczek: ‘First Canadian Army is very proud because of the fact that Polish Armored Division is a part of us. If in the future we all continue to fight as at the present time, the mutual celebration of final victory should not be much delayed.’

But for the Germans it was their biggest defeat since Stallingrad. In the week long battle 10,000 to 15,000 Germans were killed and 50,000 taken prisoner, most of their armoury was left behind in the pocket.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower commented,

"The battlefield at Falaise was unquestionably one of the greatest 'killing fields' of any of the war areas.

Forty-eight hours after the closing of the gap I was conducted through it on foot, to encounter scenes that could be described only by Dante.

It was literally possible to walk for hundreds of yards at a time, stepping on nothing but dead and decaying flesh.

No other battlefield presented such a horrible sight of death, hell and total destruction’

Belgium and Holland

After the Allied armies broke out from Normandy, the Polish 1st Armoured Division pursued the Germans along the coast of the English Channel. It liberated, among others, the towns of Ypres, Ghent and Passchendaele. Sometime after Falaise Jureks tank went over a mine and was badly damaged - the crew were fortunate to only get some small shrapenal wounds - they were soon patched up and given a new tank. Although Jurek was the driver - during stationary battle formations he occasionaly swopped with the cannon gunner to fire off a few salvo's.

Bridge built by Polish Engineer Filed Company's 41 and 46 - see Divisional Unit Markings

A successful outflanking manoeuvre planned and performed by General Maczek allowed liberation of the city of Breda without any civilian casualties (October 29, 1944).

Picture left shows Jurek on sentry duty guarding the tanks -

The Division spent the winter of 1944-1945 on the south bank of the river Rhine, guarding a sector around Moerdijk in the Netherlands. In early 1945 it was transferred to the province of Overijssel and started to push along with the Allies along the Dutch-German border, liberating the eastern parts of the provinces of Drenthe and Groningen with towns such as Emmen, Coevorden and Stadskanaal.

Germany

In April 1945 the 1st Armoured entered Germany in the area of Emsland. On May 6 the division seized the Kriegsmarine naval base in Wilhelmshaven, where General Maczek accepted the capitulation of the fortress, naval base, East Frisian Fleet and more than 10 infantry divisions.

After the war the Polish troups remained in their final destinations as occupying forces for a further 2.5 years before Leon and Jurek returned to England in 1947. They were allowed holidays and during one of these Jurek went to Italy and met up with Tadzik.

The Poles fought alongside the Allies hoping to gain a free and Independant land - they hoped to go back to their lands in Kresy, but it was not to be. Despite having the third largest army facing the Germans ( After Russia and GB) there was no room for Poland at the negotiating table in Yalta. Even though Roosevelt and Churchill had inaugurated the Atlantic Charter in Aug. 1941 laying down article 2 ] No territorial adjustments without peoples consent and article 3] peoples right to self determination it seems it had no bearing on the Yalta negotiations. The Russians retained the Kresy lands - the Poles were given part of the German lands (which had Polish roots historically) to compensate - but Poland would fall into the Soviet Communist block. As a result the Polish fighters and those that had escaped from the Gulags of Siberia and Kazakstan had no home to go back to, they were offered residence throughout the Allied lands, but weren't invited to participate in the Victory marches and celebrations.

Memorial at Duns Scotland to the 1st and 2nd Tank Regiments

Equipment

Destroyed by anti-tank guns: 43 Sherman's

Destroyed by anti-tank mines: 10 Sherman's

Total: 53 Sherman's

Jeremi and Longin were barracked at Tilset near Salisbury. Once de-mobbed Jeremi and Longin were sent to Dolgellau North Wales clearing trails in the forest around the old "Gold" mines. Companies from Sth Wales came to visit and offer work in the foundaries of Port Talbat/Swansea where they worked for 18 months before finally coming to Manchester.

Picture : 1947 Jurek on board ship heading back to the UK after t

Related Links

Polish Army in Exile GB. http://www.polandinexile.com/polisharmy.html

More details : 10th Armoured Cavalry Brigade http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/10th_Armoured_Cavalry_Brigade_(Poland)