Polish September Campaign thread

[StefanM]

Indeed I love posters from 1939 sadly theres barely any originals,
All Germans in these photos are POWs

Hi Emil,

I am sure the photos in no. 4 post are not from Harrison Forman collection but Julien Bryan who was also an American photojournalist in Warsaw during September 1939. Bryan released a 10 min. documentary Siege shown in the US in 1940-41 which was nominated for an academy award.

The guy on the left with the light jacket in photo three and the last photo is Julien Bryan himself. The USHMM holds most of the J.B. photo archive as well as the uncut Siege film footage. Much of which never made it into the documenatry as it was felt to be too graphic for public tastes of the day... how times have changed.

Here is link to Julien Bryan

Julien Bryan

and to the Siege documentary streamed from USHMM


Steven Spielberg Film and Video Archive at USHMM -- RG-60.4705

[3mk]

Thanks Skorpian I got a little mixed up between the 2


Tony Indeed people laugh at the roll of Poland,When I doubt they realized what there country did.Poland only had 24 hours to get ready while France and the other Low Countries had over a year and gave up.I remember hearing a story where a fort in France (I think) with 500 soldiers defending was over runed by 80 fallschirmjager soldiers.And the Battle of Britain,I doubt the battle would of been won if the Poles werent flying.I think more British men would keep on dieing for over a year at Monte Casino if the Poles werent there to take the hill.More men would die if we didnt break the egnima code.And the list doesnt end there, theres ALOT more.

Also Polish resistance became active as early as October 1939 while most other countries became active in 1944.Poland also had the largest resistance force during World War 2 which made fake money and documents,Resistance documents,news papers,homemade radios,badges and medals,uniforms,bombs,and guns and probably alot more,If anyone says Poland is a ``pussy`` country then I suggest you try achiving what Poland did.

[3mk]

Bought on ebay last night,
Nice photo of Polish soldiers
-1 officer in Dredlich uniform
-Private in regular uniform
-2 tankers in Armoured Overalls
-1 tanker in a wz.19 woolen uniform

Taken in 1939 its really hard to find a photo where soldiers look like there having fun in the Campaign

The photo was probably taken from September 1-15 as regulations stated that summer uniforms were worn May 15th-September 15th but as you know regulations are one thing and a soldiers life is another.

The soldier in the wz.19 wool uniform was issued that right before mobilization.

[StefanM]

Taken in 1939

Good purchase, Emil Ebay .pl or .com?

Do you think the soldiers were already POWs when the photo was taken?

Have attached a couple of 1939 photos of Brest-Litovsk:

a) German troops enter the outskirts of Brest-Litovsk under a banner decorated with the Soviet Red Star.
b) German and Soviet officers meet in Brest-Litovsk to negotiate the final demarcation line between the two occupying forces.

[3mk]

Thanks Skorpion it was .Ca/.Com dont remember anymore the guy selling it was in Poland,I asked if they were POW`s when the picture was taken and he said they werent.

Nice pictures,Especially the one with the Germans and Russians,All the soviets commenting on the Katyn videos on youtube cant argue about that one

[3mk]

Heres a very intresting photo,I wonder what happend to this guy during the campaign (The picture looks to be taken in the summer months before the campaign)

Zbiory NAC on-line - prototyp

[OKW]

I don't believe that anyone thinks Poland is a 'pussy' country, on the other hand Poland didn't win the war either. Its contribution and sacrifice has been sadly neglected certainly by the western allies, possibly because of the embarrassment that the reason of going to war against Germany, to defend Poland, was forgotten and the country given to Stalin. Poland wasn't then anything to do with us anymore, the iron curtain had descended and what happened behind it wasn't our responsiblity. Even if it was there was nothing we, the British, could do. The country was bankrupt, the people tired and young men in short supply. Real politik. The U.S wasn't interested they wanted to go home. A faraway country about which we know little.
A question that has always interested me, being of the NATO generation, how would, what would the Poles have done had the Soviet army invaded the west, fought with them, revolted or compromised. Real politik!

[3mk]

on the other hand Poland didn't win

The September Campaign was not a War nor Battle it was a Campaign just like the Italian Campaign.We didnt lose the war as our units were fighting in the Battle Of Berlin and the Polish flag was raised over Berlin so yes we did win the war.But the Campaigns victors were Germany,Soviet Union and Slovakia.I dont like to get into ``What if ```situations but if we werent attacked by the Soviet union the result of the Campaign who be very very different.

About the Soviet Union invading the West Poland would surely fight as Poland is right in the way of the Soviet Union, Poland and Russia have a history of having wars against each over,But luckly those days are over.

[Mariusz]

As we all know September Campaign started in September, 1 1939, but when did it ended? Did it end when Warsaw had fallen on September, 27? As far as I know there were fights until October, 6. General Franciszek Koleeberg collected about 16,000 troops under his command and intended to move westward to reinforce the Warsaw defenses. Out of radio communication, they had no idea that Warsaw had fallen and they continued to push west. Encountering the German 13 Motorized Inf. Div. they fought a for-day battle around Kock before finally surrendering on October, 6 1939. Did polish government surrender to Germans or Russians? Poland was the only one country that did not surrender to Germans. Poland was the only one country that had fight from 39 to 45. So why do I hear from different “history channels” that September Campaign was lees than month? And why ““Popular history” of WW2 and the Blitzkrieg generally shines the spotlight on the Poles and their poor showing against the Germans.”
Mariusz

[Mariusz]

I think Poland had contributed the most to win WWII. If you take away brave solders fighting from 1939 to 1945, Polish resistance, Polish providing intelligent rapports about Germans troupes, V2 racket … if you take all of that together it will not much importance of breaking ENIGMA CODE. Now Alice could reed all the orders to: nave, air force, infantry, intelligence, armored rapports … I think breaking enigma code had signalhandle won WWII, and Poland had the biggest contribution to it.
But that is only my opinion.
Mariusz