My New Polish BD

[Gary Jucha]

Vic .. check this out

Vic,
If you haven't already ...... Check this site out

http://www.aforgottenodyssey.com/

(My father and his family also had the "priviledge" of Uncle Joe's hospitality in the Kotlas region of Archangel - 1940-41)

Regards

Gary J.

[Jack Dutton-Roberts]

Great BD thread

Items like this get tougher to find every day!

[Billy B]

Personally I don't like this BD one bit, I think that all the insignia had been added to it recently. This was a stripped BD to which someone decided to add some insignia. I have seen the back of the 7 lancers badge attached to this BD and it is a fake. There is also the lack of the corps and div patches. Whether the collar insignia are original I can't tell without handling them but I know for certain that they were not on this BD 6 weeks ago. This unit had plastic “trench” made insignia and proper metal collar insignia just like the other lancer units.

Frankly I am a bit shocked that so many of you gave thumbs up to this BD since in my opinion it is a crude attempt at a Polish Forces in Exile BD.




Gregs comments about Polish Soldiers from the exile forces being accepted by the communists are confusing to me . I personally know several people who spend 10 years in prison after returning to Poland and a few who managed to escape back to england after the communists started looking for them. Almost all of the polish pilots who returned ended up spending time in prison and a few of them where even killed. The communists imprisoned and tortured thousands of Polish AK veterans and Polish forces in exile veterans. Even Poland's highest scoring ace ended up in prison where he was tortured. I don't think that attaching electrodes to a man's or woman's private parts and putting cigarettes out on them can be called “ a "happy medium" in between “. Hundreds of thousands polish citizens have been killed by the communist regime after the war.

[Jack Dutton-Roberts]

Frankly I am a bit shocked that so many of you gave thumbs up to this BD since in my opinion it is a crude attempt at a Polish Forces in Exile BD.

I'm glad we have an expert on board that is so sure about these things

[GregK]

Thanks again.

Hi all,

Thanks again for all the responses.

I really hate turning these threads into political discussions. Ths will be my only reply of political nature.

I agree that Poland was a bad place to be post war. I have heard some horror stories as well but not everyone who returned was killed. My mother's father was in the AK and was interned in a Gulag in Siberia. He returned in 1946. True that he was undernourished but he was alive as were many who went with him. My mother also attests that they did in fact learn of Anders in school post war (although briefly). Mom and dad also told me of many exile soldiers that returned in the late 40's and into the 50's. All were well liked and respected by the general populace. They remained unscathed and were alive and well until my folks emigrated to Canada in the early 70's. I really don't know what else to say on the matter

Billy,

Thanks for your comments. I appreciate the fact that you may not like this BD and that it may look "put together" but I assure you that once you get it in hand you will see that it is a good one. In fact I am personally extending an invitation to you to come and inspect it for yourself. How can you be certain that this BD wasn't like this 6 weeks ago? Do you know the person that "faked it"? With regards to the badge I will be posting a photo of the reverse in the near future. If you have an original to post then please feel free to do so for comparison.

With regards to my original comments about the Communist situation in Poland you will see that I never stated that there weren't attrocities being commited. In fact there were many unspeakable horrors that took place on a regular basis but to say that exile soldiers were singled out is inaccurate. The fact is that it didn't matter who you were (exile soldier, AK, or Joe Blow) if you started "making noise" about the Communists you were a target...plain and simple. 'Nuff said.

Thanks again to all those that have posted.

Cheers,
Greg

[vicjoy1945]

Hey Greg,

I don't want this to become a heated political discussion either, but, I am VERY curious to hear the opinion on this subject matter from other Poles and non-Poles alike.

I'm very glad your family was well-treated, survived, and prospered in post-war Poland. I just haven't heard that this was the normal situation...virtually every other Pole I've spoken to regarding the treatment of Polish army-in-exile veterans was as I stated. I'm certain my Dad knew what lie before him if he returned. He also told me the only reason he was released from the Gulags in the first place was because someone on the outside knew he was being held. He told me that many other soldiers he was with in the Gulag never made it out simply because their name wasn't on a list. My Dad wasn't a troublemaker but he was a very, very proud patriot and I'm sure he would have spoken his mind in a postwar Poland.

My Dad returned to Poland in 1977 for the first time since the war. He was a bit afraid to return but he figured that if the communists wanted to take him again...it was OK...he was an "old man" (his term) by then. Had I known this at the time I would have pleaded with him NOT to go...fortunately, everything was OK...I'm not so sure it would have been in the same for him in 1946.

In terms of the BD...I'm NOT an expert. I'd have to hold the BD in my hand to make any judgement. It would certainly concern me that the cloth collar badges were no longer present and that there are different insignia in their place. I'd have to look at a front and back image of the badges. It bothers me that the Polish 2 Corp badge is on the pocket and the Lancers badge looks "new" to me but the image may be distorted in terms of color and whatnot. I'd like to see front and back images of this badge as well. I don't have an original to compare it to either. Anyone out there have an original one ???

Remember too...many veterans would take out there uniforms and wear them in parades and such...they even put uniforms together for this very purpose. Every year I go to a local cemetary where there is a section specifically for Polish soldiers and attend their Memorial Day services. Many of the Polish army-in-exile veterans wear unforms they've put together for these events.

Vic

[DJT]

Hello Billy B from the World. Can you explain how you know for a fact this BD was stripped 6 weeks ago and how you saw the back of the 7 lancers badge? Would be very interested in hearing your reply on that. Also please feel free to post your original Bd`s on the forum. We would all love to see them.

[Jack Dutton-Roberts]

Hello Billy B from the World. Can you explain how you know for a fact this BD was stripped 6 weeks ago and how you saw the back of the 7 lancers badge? Would be very interested in hearing your reply on that. Also please feel free to post your original Bd`s on the forum. We would all love to see them.

Now that is one hell of a post