The story of the Polish II Corps has never been adequately told before but the author has followed the story from the invasion of Poland by Russia and Germany, the imprisonment of Polish soldiers by the Soviets, the efforts by the Allies free them when the Soviets were invaded by Hitler, their service in Italy and the neglect of their interests at the end of the war. – Highly Recommended.
NAME: From Warsaw to Rome, General Anders' Exiled Polish Army in the Second World War FILE: R2566 AUTHOR: Martin Williams PUBLISHER: Pen & Sword BINDING: hard back PAGES: 276 PRICE: £25.00 GENRE: Non Fiction SUBJECT: WWII, World War 2, World War II, Second World War, armour, tanks, AFV, Armoured Fighting Vehicles, gun tank, flak tank, assault gun, mortar, infantry, Warsaw, Russian prisoners, North Africa, Italy, post-war neglect
ISBN: 1-47389-488-3
IMAGE: B256gjpg BUYNOW: http://tinyurl.com/yc84wtes LINKS: DESCRIPTION: The story of the Polish II Corps has never been adequately told before but the author has followed the story from the invasion of Poland by Russia and Germany, the imprisonment of Polish soldiers by the Soviets, the efforts by the Allies free them when the Soviets were invaded by Hitler, their service in Italy and the neglect of their interests at the end of the war. - Highly Recommended. When Britain declared war on Germany, to honour its commitment to defend Poland, it was to some extent gesture politics. Britain and France were without the resources to send an army into Poland before its collapse. Some politicians hoped the declaration of war would shake the Germans sufficiently to encourage their retreat back over the German border, followed by a peace treaty and the end of the possibility of war. Only the most ardent appeasers really believed that was realistic. The Phony War inevitably followed the German and Russian occupation of Poland, to be followed in turn by a German attack on the neutral Low Countries, invasion of France and evacuation of the BEF back to Britain. A number of Polish soldiers, sailors and airmen managed to escape and find their way to Britain, but most became prisoners of war. Those falling into Soviet hands faired worst. The Soviets murdered most of the Polish officers in their custody and treated the other POWs badly. Then, the German invasion of Russia forced the Soviets to become allies of Britain, France and the US. That opened the way for the Allies to demand the Soviets release all Polish POWs. It resulted in the exiled Polish Army as it had survived Soviet captivity being evacuated en masse over the border into Iran, where they would be subsequently incorporated into the British Army. Formed as the Polish II Corps within the British Army under the command of General Anders, the Poles proved to be tenacious and loyal allies, fighting their way up Italy. Their service is detailed in this book, making the most complete account of their history from Warsaw to Rome. After WWII, the Poles should have been supported fully by the British. Sadly, lack of planning and incompetence led to a shameful fate. They were not alone amongst allies and POWs from central and Eastern Europe. Partly this was a result of the overwhelming task of sorting out the wreckage of war and the massive migration of people around Europe. Partly it was a failure to see Stalin for what he was, an even more blood spattered despot than Hitler. Uncomfortable reading but necessary