Podhale Rifle Brigade

[Denbo1951]

I recently managed to get my late father, MARIAN BEDNARZ WW2 service record from RAF Northolt, however there are some mysteries! He had briefly told me about his time in the 1st Polish Independent Parachute Brigade and Operation Market Garden and I intend to do research into this later but something else has got me thinking. The records show 'he took part in the Norway Campaign of the Podhalanska Rifle Bgd' 28/02/40 to 25/06/40. Can anyone enlighten me on this, I believe it to be The Podhale Rifle Brigade? I've Googled this and read a lot about their exploits at the time but am wondering if it would it be possible to obtain any of his service records?

[andrzejku98]

Hello Denbo1951,

May I be the first to welcome you to the Forum, I have had a quick look through Kpt Jan Lorys book on the History of the Parachute Badge and found the following information Plut. (Lance Sergeant) Marian Bednarz awarded the Parachute Badge Numbered : 3581 and the Combat Jump wreath (For Arnhem) Numbered 366, he was in the 1st Company of the 1st Battalion under the command of Kpt Jerzy Bernatzik.

With regards to your Father and his service with the Podhale Rifle Brigade, this should have been mentioned in his Service Records that you obtained from the Ministry of Defence. Denbo1951 when applying for your Fathers Service record did you ask for all records that they have or did you just receive the normal 1 or 2 Page letter detailing his service.

With regards to the Norweigan Campaign the British, French and the Polish Brigade had been earmarked for the Campaign in Finland against the soviets but the peace treaty between the 2 was signed before they could be fully trained and deployed.

When the germans invaded Norway in 1940 it was decided to send Allied troops to Norway, the Podhale Brigade was sent to Ankenes.

The Allies wanted to take the post of Narvik through which the germans imported massive amounts of iron ore from Sweden, the germans got there first on 9th April 1940. You can read more of the norweigan campaign in books like "No gReater Ally" by K K KOskodan. No doubt other Forum members will be able to add other reading matter although I do remember seeing a book in Polish on the Norweigan Campaign, but unfortunately I can not remember the title.

Best wishes

Andrzej

[Denbo1951]

Hello Denbo1951,

May I be the first to welcome you to the Forum, I have had a quick look through Kpt Jan Lorys book on the History of the Parachute Badge and found the following information Plut. (Lance Sergeant) Marian Bednarz awarded the Parachute Badge Numbered : 3581 and the Combat Jump wreath (For Arnhem) Numbered 366, he was in the 1st Company of the 1st Battalion under the command of Kpt Jerzy Bernatzik.

With regards to your Father and his service with the Podhale Rifle Brigade, this should have been mentioned in his Service Records that you obtained from the Ministry of Defence. Denbo1951 when applying for your Fathers Service record did you ask for all records that they have or did you just receive the normal 1 or 2 Page letter detailing his service.

With regards to the Norweigan Campaign the British, French and the Polish Brigade had been earmarked for the Campaign in Finland against the soviets but the peace treaty between the 2 was signed before they could be fully trained and deployed.

When the germans invaded Norway in 1940 it was decided to send Allied troops to Norway, the Podhale Brigade was sent to Ankenes.

The Allies wanted to take the post of Narvik through which the germans imported massive amounts of iron ore from Sweden, the germans got there first on 9th April 1940. You can read more of the norweigan campaign in books like "No gReater Ally" by K K KOskodan. No doubt other Forum members will be able to add other reading matter although I do remember seeing a book in Polish on the Norweigan Campaign, but unfortunately I can not remember the title.

Best wishes

Andrzej

Many thanks Andrzej for your Help. I did get quite a few documents with his service record but nothing much referencing the Podhale Rifles, just dates. On his return to France he was 'In captivity 29/06/40 to 24/03/41', then 'In a labour camp in France 1/05/41 to 20/10/41', then 'Interned in Spain 4/12/41 to 24/03/43' then he 'Reported to the Polish Military Mission Gibraltar 25/05/43'. After this he was 'Enlisted into the P.L.F in the U.K. 5/06/43'. All this time spent in captivity is a mystery. I was wondering if there were any Polish service records for his time spent in the Podhale Rifles.

[andrzejku98]

Hello Denbo1952,

Many thanks for your post, I have looked through the PISM Archives online but with no luck at finding any chronicles of the Podhale Brigade, another Forum member "winnie" posted an article on his Father I have attached a photograph of his Fathers service record which shows his service in the Podhale Brigade. Did you receive a photocopy of your Fathers Polsih Service Record.

It would also be worth the cost of a stamp to write to the Polish Army Records Centre in Rembertow to ask them to check if they have any records on your Father if he served pre 1939 in the Armed Forces.



Click on the photograph to enlarge in a new page.

Other than that the best place to try would be the PISM in London to see if they have any records on the Podhale Brigade.

Best wishes

Andrzej

[TMZ]

That mention of his journey to Gibraltar may be of interest in this other thread: Polish soldier info request

I will cross-post a link to this thread there too.

[Krakow1]

Interned to Spain: Concentration Camp Miranda de Ebro. Here is a piece from a website...

[Denbo1951]

Many thanks Andrzejku98 for the follow-up. I didn't receive anything from RAF Northolt on my fathers Polish service record, there was just a 2 line summary on his Podhale Rifles Brigade service, presumably what he told them when he finally got to England through Gibraltar in 1943.

I believe my father enlisted into the Polish army in 1939, do you think it would be still worth contacting the Polish Army Records Centre in Rembertow?

I have thought about going to the PISM but wonder if there would be any specific record of my Fathers name in the records. I can read a lot on the internet about the Podhale Rifles. Again your comment would be appreciated.

[Denbo1951]

Many thanks TMZ! Much appreciated!

[Denbo1951]

Interned to Spain: Concentration Camp Miranda de Ebro. Here is a piece from a website...

Many Thanks Krakow1 for the response. I have seen this webpage before, Irene Ford is my sister. For your information the Polish gentleman who wrote the page served time in Miranda de Ebro at the same time as my father. He contacted my father a few years ago wanting to meet up but my father did not want to, I don't why, he would not say. I have his contact details and am thinking of trying to meet to discuss Miranda.