11th supply company, 1st armoured div.

[A.J. Zawadzki]

Hi Colin,

To get back on track with your questions:

2, What his unit badges/uniform were as we have only got his Polish 1st arm badge,black shoulder sergeant stripes, black lanyard and beret badges.

Mike did a great job answering your questions. To add a little bit more, here are a couple of pieces from the collection:

- the unit badge (made by Steinhauer located in Ludenscheid Germany shortly after the war) to correspond with the award document posted by Mike
- a great coat that belonged to a lance sergeant

Regards,
Tony

[48ppsk]

Greetings,

Spectacular greatcoat!!

Here are a couple of photos of the dispatch helmet. This one belonging to the 9th rifle battalion.

Mike

[islandboy1772]

Hi to you all,

Thanks for the post of the greatcoat as it is the same rank and badges as my late grandfathers, is there a name in it, could it be his? A picture says a thousand words.

I have looked up the 1 Dywizja Pancerna w walce book on the internet and seen some pictures of it and it looks a wonderful book, Mike could you post a picture of the page before the one that you posted to me i.e the one on the left of it so i can read it . As to buying one I think that hens teeth may be easier to get.

Also I have found a book on the internet ( ISBN 9788392564218 ) from a shop in London about the polish supply branch of the 1st armoured division. Only one problem it's in polish and I can't read polish so google spell check could get a hammering and it may take a few weeks to read.

I must get around to finding out how to post pictures on to this site so I can show you what we have got in the way of badges etc.

Thanks to you all,

Colin

[A.J. Zawadzki]

Hi again Colin,

Yes, quite a coincidence that this greatcoat matches your grandfather’s rank and unit. It remains the one and only uniform item that I have ever encountered from a 1st Armoured Div supply and transport unit. I’d hesitate stretching what already is an improbability to consider that it may actually have belonged to him! It was purchased a couple of years back from an old collection located in Scotland. Unfortunately, there is no name in it. Did your grandfather by chance settle down in Scotland after the war?

. . .I must get around to finding out how to post pictures on to this site so I can show you what we have got in the way of badges etc.

I’ll send you some instructions via private message.

Regards,
Tony

PS Nice helmet Mike!

[48ppsk]

Greetings,

i hope that this is what you are referring to. If not please let me know.

Mike

[islandboy1772]

Hi Tony,

Yes my Grandfather settled down in Scotland after the war to live in Glasgow. p.s I will have a think ref your message that you added with the photo instructions,

Cheers,

Colin

[islandboy1772]

Hi Mike,

Yes that was the page. On the subject of your nice helmet I thought that the polish used the British tin helmet as this looks like a paratroopers helmet to me, could you put me right,

Cheers,

Colin

[48ppsk]

Greetings Colin,

This helmet is different from the typical 'Tommy' helmet. There are also some differences between the para helmet and the dispatch riders helmet. I will send some photos of the inside when I get a chance. (hopefully tonight--I have karate class and my wife usually kicks my you know what pretty good)

Mike

[islandboy1772]

Hi All,

Here are the photos of what we have got of my grandfathers uniform, some of it I have worked out but what the buttons and epaulettes are from and what does the lanyard represent,

Cheers,

Colin

[A.J. Zawadzki]

Hi Colin,

Needless to say, the probability that this greatcoat is the one that belonged to your grandfather is slim, but thus far the way everything has lined up is uncanny. Lightning has been known to strike – although without a name marked inside there is no apparent way positively confirming that it was once his. I’ll look again for a name though.

Thanks for your pics. It’s a shame that the uniform items these parts were once fastened to no longer exist. The shoulder strap pictures are rather dark, but the fabric looks like wool serge indicating these were likely from a battledress tunic. The black one would have been mounted to the left shoulder. The idea of the black epaulette was to commemorate the 10th Motorized Cavalry Brigade that had fought with great distinction during the invasion of Poland in 1939. Many of the members of “The Black Brigade” (named this for their distinctive black leather jackets) formed the nucleus of the reformed 10th Armored Cavalry Brigade in France 1939-40, which eventually went on to become the 1st Polish Armoured Division on British soil.

The eagles and the small rank device are from a beret. By the way, that one bullion thread eagle is especially nice! The buttons are a type that would typically be found on a service dress uniform, and also greatcoat, although I have seen them used on battledress as a custom dress up touch by the owner. There is a ribbon bar for the Polish Cross of Merit, and also the British 1939-45 Star. There’s the black honorary lanyard worn by many of the regiments and auxiliary units of this armoured division to indicate regimental affiliation. And lastly the commemorative booklet of a type issued by many of the Polish units immediately following the war. The orange binding thread represents the other colour adopted by the ‘armoured cavalry’ corps (black and orange) dating back to the pre-war years.

Regards,
Tony