LAB, SERV, COMP, (RAMP, GUARD) Polska Kompania Wartownicza

[StefanM]

Now this does clear up the "POLAND" flash query I had. Many thanks for reposting ... and for remembering it was on the forum already

[StefanM]

a holy cross grouping
which included POLAND patches

I remember this group being for sale last year on Allegro. This is most definitely NOT a grouping of correct or even original badges!!! I hope the buyer wasn't taken in?


For example the 5th from left top row is a poor quality fake of the original German made badge in my collection which I posted on this forum :

The Holy Cross Mountains Brigade (Brygada Świętokrzyska)

on the 24 March 2011

The fake badge was on sale via Allegro a few months later in June 2011:

The Holy Cross Mountains Brigade (Brygada Świętokrzyska)

[Thomas the Tank Engine]

I'm glad that some contribution to this overlooked Labor Service thread has been made lately...
I remember this NSZ group too. The Holy Cross Brigade items are definitely fake.
POLAND shoulder titles appeared in the Brigade on July 15, 1945, though in some cases soldiers didn't wear them until November 1945.

Regards,
Tom

[StefanM]

POLAND shoulder titles appeared in the Brigade on July 15, 1945, though in some cases soldiers didn't wear them until November 1945.

Thanks Tom

The July 1945 adoption of a "POLAND" flash would make sense because in June 1945 the Holy Cross Brigade, billeted in Pilsen, were still not considered to be part of Allied forces. The Brigade's arms had been impounded, and they were treated as displaced persons. This situation arose was because of the Brigade's period of cooperation with German forces.

Interestingly Gnat-Wieteska doesn't mention or illustrate the "POLAND" flash on or in his book(let)?



Here is a thought?

Maybe there was a cross-over point when In April of 1946, Col. Dąbrowski was forced to surrender his formal command of the Brigade because of pressure exerted by the Soviets on the US. Leading to the Americans deciding to wrap-up the Brigade HQ and to put all the separate companies under direct US command on June 17, 1946. At this time the more overtly Polish insignia might have been replaced by the mainly US symbols combined with the Polish red and white?






Attached is recently purchased Legitymajca/identity card for the Holy Cross Brigade dated 16 October 1945 signed by Col. Dąbrowski. The translated title used is "Polish Provisional Brigade"
and maybe this was a transitional status before the brigade became an official Guards Unit under US contorol?
Also attached IRO residential ID card for same serviceman dated September 1948.

* * *

By winter 1945 a total of 63 Labor Service Companies (Polish Civilians) (Escort Guards) (Prov) were organised in the areas of Mannhiem-Karfertal, Nurnberg-Langwasser, Winzer and Darmstadt. The Holy Cross Brigade had their own base in Marsfeld near Nurnberg. Five of these were trained for the U.S. Air Forces in Europe and for HQ US Forces European Theater, leaving 57 companies now operating under the 9th Labor Supervision Area.

At the end of 1945/1946, the Brigade had grown and had included 15,334 members of the Mobile Civilian Guard Units in the Third Army area, 5,042 guards in the Seventh Army area and approximately another 5,000 guards working in the Oise area of France. (Source: The Anabasis of the Holy Cross Brigade GLAUKOPIS NR 5/6-2006)

It was from France that the Brigade command sent representatives to London in a failed attempt to gain support for a "Free Polish Legion" to fight in Korea.

[StefanM]

Holy Cross Brigade soldier on the right is clearly wearing the "Indian Heads" patch on his right sleeve in May 1945 but neither have the "POLAND" shoulder flash.

Whereas the Polish Guards below do, so it confirms adoption of the "POLAND" shoulder flash in July 1945.

[dorava]

very interesting photos!
and good information...

[Mariusz]

and a Polish US lobour guard in Germany with POLAND patches as well

Nice picture

[Mariusz]

Thank you Stefan foe all that Information, rely interesting, and great pictures.

[StefanM]

Hoping not to sidetrack the thread... too much

Last night I was rereading a copy of a British MI5 file released into the public domain in September 2011 and found a fascinating reference to the "Polish Brigade" 1945 linked to the German Intelligence Service (G.I.S) plans to set up an intelligence network which included former German FATs and FAKs personnel as well as SD members to maintain contacts with Ukrainian Underground and Polish Brigade!



The file is: MI5 FILE SF52-4-16
MISCELLANEOUS INDICATIONS OF G.I.S. POST·WAR PLANS FOR CONTINUED ACTIVITY.
Reports dating from November 1944 to November 1949



The "Polish Brigade" mentioned in the report is obviously referring to the Holy Cross Brigade which is called "Polish Provisional Brigade" on the Legitymajca/identity card for the Holy Cross Brigade of 16 October 1945 which I recently purchased.

Although the report says it could not find any other confirmation at the time to substantiate this network, I have.

From a copy of an unpublished NSZ Holy Cross Brigade intel officers memoir the connection between the Brigade and German Frontaufklärungs-Trupp (Abwehr) 202 (or FAKs 202) and Vlasov's Russian Liberation Army—(ROA from Russkaya Osvoboditel'naya Armiya) seems to go back at least a year before the end of WWII in Europe with a mission of the Brigade to Berlin (in which the NSZ intel officer took part) to visit ROA HQ with the cooperation of Maj.Gen. Reinhard Gehlen & Gen. Guderian. FAKs was also supporting Ukrainian nationalists with arms and materiel at the same time.

[Adrian Stevenson]

Very interesting documents.

Cheers, Ade.