Books

[dastier]

Excuse me but what's up with this cover? I saw this on Amazon.com This is the cover for the 'Eagle Unbowed'?



Those are SVT40s being carried by the marching soldiers in winter dress. They may be Polish - I can't tell from the photo, but even so that would be Berling's Army.

[StefanM]

Mike, I think this is either the US market cover or a prerelease cover. A publisher has to have a cover to place with its distributors at least 8-10 months ahead of release because that is the lead times of their promotional catalogs. This often means publishers have not even finalised the design or content of the book before this deadline hits hence prerelease covers are not updated as they should be. The version on the books I bought in Uk have the Rising cover.

It would be big PR mistake if the publishers use a Berling army image on the front cover for any Polish market. I don't even think they are Berling's troops because as you point out they don't appear to be wearing eagle cap badges.

The eagle ryngraf also looks wrong period but the scan is too lores to be sure.

[dastier]

Yes I couldn't make out the ryngraf as the resolution was too low. I expect the publisher will change (or already has changed) the cover once it goes to print. Amazon.com should update its page as well and use the cover photo from Amazon.ca.

It is a poor choice by whomever was responsible!

I have a book about the Polish 2nd Republic 'Poland 1918-1945' by Peter Stachura that shows the Polish Eagle without the Crown as the cover image! A huge gaff that the publisher Routledge apologized for but very disrespectful imho.

[StefanM]

I agree if that is the final cover it is not the best choice or indeed the most neutral from a historical perspective. At least the Rising cover image conveys the "unbowed" Polish spirit

But we shouldn't also overlook the fact that the 1 Kosciuszko Infantry Division, as a component in the Berlin Offensive, fought in the final battle for Berlin around the Reich Chancellery and the Reichstag building on which they planted the Polish flag after suffering casualties of just under 10,500 men. This was more than twice the 4,199 casualties of 2PolCorps in the highly celebrated Polish capture of Cassino!



Above: Raising the Polish national flag over Berlin by Kosciuszko Infantry Division.

The Polish under the Soviets were a substantive force in the Red Army's push through Poland and the defeat of Nazi Germany and in the end consisted of some 200,000 men. 25% of the senior officers were Polish the rest were Soviet—probably due to the fact that the Soviets had earlier executed most of the potentially available Polish senior officers at Katyn and elsewhere and of course because the Soviets wanted ultimate control over the Polish forces. 60% of the junior officers and technical specialists were Polish the rest again being Soviet.

The Polish First Army was initially formed from Polish recruits that volunteered after they had been previously deported to the USSR (just as men in Anders 2PolCorps had done) but their contribution and sacrifice is sometimes overlooked or denigrated.

[dastier]

I agree that we should not denigrate the accomplishments of the 1 Kosciuszko Infantry Division or the Polish First Army. But lets not forget that these Poles were in the Soviet Union and subsequently the Soviet Army not by choice. They were either prisoners of war or forcibly exiled civilians used as slave labour by the Soviets.

[StefanM]

I agree that we should not denigrate the accomplishments of the 1 Kosciuszko Infantry Division or the Polish First Army. But lets not forget that these Poles were in the Soviet Union and subsequently the Soviet Army not by choice. They were either prisoners of war or forcibly exiled civilians used as slave labour by the Soviets.

And of course many Poles were forcibly conscripted into the Red Army as they were into the German Army. I wonder how the " "Wehrmacht" Poles were treated after the war, if indeed many returned to Poland?

[dastier]

It would be interesting to read of the experiences of Poles conscripted into the Wehrmacht. I believe I known of one such book but it is in Polish.

I have two books about the Poles experiences post war in Canada and Britain: Providence Watching and The Poles In Britain 1940-2000. The last one was written by a professor where I live and interviewed former Polish soldiers that I believe my father would have known.

There's a third book I want to get that examines the Polish soldiers experiences emigrating to America.

[StefanM]

It would be interesting to read of the experiences of Poles conscripted into the Wehrmacht.

I agree. My assumption is that it would not have been a subject that was spoken openly about, I seem to remember reading that those Poles who deserted from the Wehrmacht in Italy to join Anders forces were not entirely welcomed by other troops and treated with suspicion? I wonder if they are recognised as a Polish veterans group in Poland?

The Poles In Britain 1940-2000.

I haven't read this book but it reminded me of one of Churchill's alleged comments to Sikorski when they first met and Polish servicemen started to arrive in Britain en masse having fled France. Churchill is supposed to have said something along the lines of "Why on earth have you brought them here, what am I supposed to do with them?" hardly the welcoming picture that is usually presented of the events. I think it is recounted in Retinger's memoir?

[Adrian Stevenson]

One of my school friends Dad and Uncle were Polish and deserted (to a Free French unit if I remeber correctly?) in Italy. Both having fought in Russia in the winter of '41 and did not want to go back! My friends Uncle ended up in the Polish Airborne at Arnhem/Driel. I do have a copy of a photo my friends Dad in Heer uniform. I did see pics of him in KD's, so he must have stayed in Italy with II Corps.

They settled in the UK and the eldest son later joined the British Army.

Cheers, Ade.

[A.J. Zawadzki]

Interesting story, thanks for sharing that Ade. Poles that had been conscripted into the German Army and later ‘jumped ship’ were not entirely uncommon. Here are some bilingual leaflets from my collection aimed at the "Polacy w Armii Niemieckiej" ("Poles in the German Army") to “come on over” to the Polish forces fighting on the Allied side.

Regards,
Tony