Today the Netherlands highest military award (Militaire Willemsorde) was awarded (for the first time in 40 years) to the Polish parachute brigade in recognition for their part in the Battle for Arnhem. Better late then never, i.m.h.o. The Poles and Sosabowski in particular got an unfair deal in the aftermath of Arnhem from all allies to cover for the mistakes of others. Our queen called it a correction of a mistake.<O:p</O:p <O:p</O:p Regards, Marco<O:p</O:p <O:p</O:p
Today the Netherlands highest military award (Militaire Willemsorde) was awarded (for the first time in 40 years) to the Polish parachute brigade in recognition for their part in the Battle for Arnhem. Better late then never, i.m.h.o. The Poles and Sosabowski in particular got an unfair deal in the aftermath of Arnhem from all allies to cover for the mistakes of others. Our queen called it a correction of a mistake.<O:p</O:p <O:p</O:p Regards, Marco<O:p</O:p <O:p</O:p Thanks for that info Marco. Did you know that a memorial to Major General Stanslaw Sosabowski is to be erected in the Polish Square in Driel (near Arnhem)? It's supposed to happen in September 2006. Link to MOD website asking for donations for the memorial: http://www.army.mod.uk/para/appeals_for_information_page.htm Marek
The Poles and Sosabowski in particular got an unfair deal in the aftermath of Arnhem from all allies to cover for the mistakes of others. I stand to be corrected but the way I read it is that the Poles were never happy with anything the British did to help them in WW2 and after. They were either betrayed or had an unfair deal, hear very little or nothing about what the USSR or the Germans did to them! IMHO. Warsaw uprising 1944. Gen. Sosabowski asked for the Polish Paras. to be dropped to reinforce the uprising, but when he was answered in the negative and could not get his own way the Brits were off his Christmas list. The political and military implications of the drop were not worth thinking about.
I stand to be corrected but the way I read it is that the Poles were never happy with anything the British did to help them in WW2 and after. They were either betrayed or had an unfair deal, hear very little or nothing about what the USSR or the Germans did to them! IMHO. Warsaw uprising 1944. Gen. Sosabowski asked for the Polish Paras. to be dropped to reinforce the uprising, but when he was answered in the negative and could not get his own way the Brits were off his Christmas list. The political and military implications of the drop were not worth thinking about. The truth about some of my compatriots opinions, often overwhelmed by emotions, is little oversimplified in your own statement. The primary purpose for the brigade was indeed to reinforce the expected uprising of the Polish Home Army (the AK) against the German occupiers.
I see Sosabowkski himself was posthumously decorated too. The more recognition the better for the man as far as I'm concerned. One of the fathers of airborne warfare who's enormous contribution in knowledge and experience to the building and training of our 'Red Devils' became mired in petty squabbling between British Officers looking for someone else to blame. Nobody's perfect but we definitely squandered a useful asset by our treatment of the man and his Independent Brigade. As for accusing the Poles of moaning I think a certain bitterness is to be expected from a population that were even barred from the Victory Parade (until 2005) as victims of political machinations (rather pathetic machinations at that) in spite of their combat record. The Man Himself.... Nothing like Gene Hackman.
I have a lot of respect for the men who fought on the side of the Allies in the west, I have a distant relative who was in Italy at Monte Cassino. However, Poland was part of the Warsaw Pact until 1990 or there abouts, and if my memory serves me correct, were an enemy to the western way of life. It's all different now of course, smiles, friendship and the EU. How could Britian praise an enemy country, now is the time to do it. I should like to see some of the Polish history books edited by the USSR pre-1990 telling how Russia won the Patriotic War in the west and liberating Poland from the British hands of betrayal. Propaganda can be poisonous for all concerned.
