FINAL REPORT ON THE POLISH BRIGADE IN WESTERN CZECHOSLOVAKIA

Created: 8/8/1945

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

v.-

MISSIOH GERMANY Czech Unit

.4

Final report on the Polish Brigade In

Western Czechoslovakia PLACE OF ORIGN:

oQURCE:

SUE50UPCE; MaRhara ol* the Polish Brigade and Czechoslovak unitary and Police officials.

1. Hew nape. The Polish Brigade changed its original nana of "Arroia Krajaws, Grupa Operacyjna Zachod,

Zbrojnych" (Hone Amy, Operational Croup Westf of the Rational Armed Forces) to "brygada Swletokrzyska Narodooych Sll 2broJnyehn (Holy Cross, Brigade of the National Aroed Forces.).

uly

Total strength of the Brigade as ofen, andorses. .

Attachment: Accordingeport of thalovak Liaison Officer, this Brigade was to be attached to the Polish Division of General Anders in Italy. (Amis Polska we Wlosieeholish Amy in Italy forsterly attached to the now dissolved British Eighth Amy in Italy),

Additional background history of tha Brigade as toldolish officer. The Polish Brigade is composed of Polish partisans from the Arris Krejowander Londonhe Brigade caee into existence aftor the Warsaw Insurrection at the time of General Bor Koaorowski's surrender to the Germans. It waa organized by its present CO/ Colonel Dombrowskl (Daebrowski) and Its initial strength was0 men. The Brigade did not surrender its arms but negotiated with tho Germans usingiplomacy" tactics by divulging to the Gernans its fascist andtendencies. The officer believestactics savod the Poles from disarr-lng or sending to the Eastern front to fight tha Russians. Excuses such as bad equipment, lack ofetc. were also used by tha Poles to convince tha Germans that they are not yet ready to fight. All tnese taellua wer- sucosss-fully employed by the Poles to mark time before being really used bv the Germans. On the front once, near Lublin, tha Germans did try to di5*rm"*tne Polas vul ILcy met with at-^ony. npcoslticn which resultedree passage order through Bohemia Issued by the

-i- **

Gorman Cos-rand.

In5 tha Brigade entered Czechoslovakia near Arnau withan and fee horse dmn wagone In their possession. Parachuted English firearms and captured German or Russian weapons was all the armament the Polos had. In Arnau, the Poles were entrained and transported through Praha, plzen, and Chab to Karlovy Vary rreei where, "because of lack of bll-letlncs It was told to the Poles by tha Germans, they aero rerouted back through Risen Tabor and Jlhlava to Vyskov In Moravia. The ropldly approachlne Russian front caused their second rerouting again to Plaen where they finally werellletint area at (Canenny UJezd near RokycanyAaerlean Russian dew rent loo line) at the end of

Aooordlng to the saae Polish Officer, Poles newer didRussians but admit alao that they did not fight then nay

S- rood- Onhe. eapUln Zlto-weckl, was instructed by the Czech District Administrative Con-clttee at Tachov In the's conmanders office, that the Poles are not permitted to requisition food from local sources. Copies or this deelsslon ware sent to all neighboring Administrative Coawiltteea, the SHB (Rational Police Corps)at Bor and Czechoslovak Arny units for anforcenent. Despite this reitrhlnlng order the Brigade's CO. continued In requisitioning all needs in their billeting and neighboring areas.

n response to repeated coaplatnte or the Czechoslovak Liaison officer and there0 or the DistrictConralltecs, Captain Zitoweckl,tated onn to the Czech Liaison ofricer that he will continue re-culsltlonlng rood supplies froa local villagers and hopes that tbe Americans will be Informed about this requisitioning as aocn as ppealble, so they will te able to learn that what the Poles are getting rroa then la not sufficient to cover the Brigade's dally food requirements.

esult of this action of tha Polish Oaf, the Czech Liaison Officer requested aa official intervention because of Inability to come to terms with the Polesriendly way.

ddjilena> Onh, the Signal Platoon or the Brigadeen) was moved to Pres (south ofO of the Platoon la Major lolynlak, second In eccasend Is Lt. Hallszerowskl. At Sychrovolish civilians, vastly university graduates were billetaJ on

PfMr^toq*. froa tha Brigade were lately very frequent. Onh for Instance three soldierswo or more on July 2jrd. Previous desertions co'Jld not be checked because of aeorsey with which the Polish field gendarmerie handled all casaa.

soutatB for local labori battalion CD's requested dally for local labor froa aayors >hlch thay enployedkitchen stove wood's,naplta of criticalshortage for harvest tork. In sob* villages Poles did offer their help In harvesting but demanded such exorbitant "wages" to ba paid in naturerain, that thay had to be refused.

ountless Illegal acts committed by members of tha Brigade need not to bo enumerated any noro because tha withdrawal of Poles to Germany. (Xoburg 7)

In closing this report It is also worth sails to aentlon that aethers of the Brigade wrecked beyond any repair all vehiclesew days ago ware seen to ba running and in good condition, and could have been used, especially by the

Czechs who are so short on transport vehicles, soea of which

could have bean used in the present harvest.

Embassy

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