The 1st Polish Parachute Brigade was, in the words of its commander Major General Stanislaw Sosabowski, “An Army bastard, born out of wedlock, unwanted and with most of the qualities and faults of a love-child – strength, stubbornness and determination.” Although it then stood at fewer than 2,000 men, General Wladyslaw Sikorski, Commander of the Free Polish Forces, officially announced the Brigade was formed in Scotland on 23 September 1941.
Like all Polish fighting units in the west, the brigade was primarily composed of Polish officers and men, who following the invasion of Poland had managed the most extraordinary journeys and daring escapes before ever reaching Britain. Yet unlike the Polish Army, Navy and Air force, which were all placed under Supreme Allied Command, the Brigade held a unique position…
