Cpt. Ludwik Zwolanski, 1st Polish Para Brigade
Article about: About 2 years ago I met a fellow collector who told me that he had a Polish Para Officers uniform for sale. Another made up uniform I told myself.... But I was very wrong. I asked if he want
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Cpt. Ludwik Zwolanski, 1st Polish Para Brigade
About 2 years ago I met a fellow collector who told me that he had a Polish Para Officers uniform for sale. Another made up uniform I told myself.... But I was very wrong.
I asked if he wanted to sell it, and asked for pictures.
He told me that he purchased the uniforms from a Polish Air Force collector in Australia, sometime about 2003 - 2004.
He told me that the Officer was in Market Garden, and that the Family in Australia did not wish to disclose his name. There was also a female BD, and the story I got was that the Captain fell in love with a girl, got her a job at Polska YMCA and later married her.
The set consisted of :
walk out BD,
female BD,
Denison Smock,
Beret.
Finally I received the pictures. And the price .....
After looking at the pictures I knew I had something special....... right away I sent the pictures to three People whose opinions I value very much. Tony Zawadzki, Gary Jucha, George Cholewczyski.
Here is the set as shown to me initially .
Tony Z was the first to get back to me and he ok'd the set. GFC said same. Gay J took a moment to respond.....
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Then Gary J responded..... He said : " These things belonged to Cpt Zwolanski who won a VM for swimming across the Rine. " Gary said that 10 or so years ago he was after this set, but somehow did not get to buy it. He also said that the Collector from Australia identified the set to him as Cpt Zwolanski's uniform.
I emailed the collector I bought the set from and said: " This set belonged to Cpt Zwolanski, I wanted you to know what you had.." He said : Bravo, you put it together ....
Gary has also sent me few pictures of Cpt Zwolanski, I just asked for his permission to show them, I am waiting for his response.
Captain Zwolanski got immortalized in the film " One Bridge too Far ".
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Picture from Marek Swiecicki book, " Czerwone Diably... "
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The very first SOE mission to destroy Pessac Power Plant, to hamper the italian submarine base in Bordeaux.
Operation Tangmere : 8/9 March 1941 : Cpt Kalcinski, LT Bogdziewicz, Dendor, Kruszewski, Miciek and Zwolanski. All qualified Paratroopers.
Mission : to blow up a Pessac Power Plant near Bordeaux, France.
There are different accounts as to what failed.... aircraft had to turn back and it crash landed killing at least one and wounding few. For Lt Zwolanski his leg wound form 1939 opened up again....
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