The treatment of General Maczek was deeply shameful. As an Edinburgh resident I’m very pleased we now have a proper memorial to him in the city, one of a couple of prominent memorials to the Polish contribution to the Allied cause installed in our city in recent years.
What a messed up crime of justice. You want to talk about betrayal, though? How about the homosexuals that were left to rot in prison for another twenty (20) years after the War ended just for being who they were, with war criminals released before they were? o_O Not to mention Alan Turing.
Can't wait for your young leftists to rip it to pieces. Literally had democrats in America where I lived in 2020 break apart WW2 vets gravestones and memorial plaques. Sad day.
....of course it does. That's what "betrayal" means. Your enemies can't "betray" you if you didn't trust them in the first place. "The saddest thing about crapping your pants is that it never happens when you're already sitting on the toilet."
"The Polish soldier fights for the freedom of all nations, But he dies only for Poland.” General Stanisław Maczek. Thank you very much for this material, as a Pole, it is worth remembering about hundreds of thousands of Polish soldiers who, like these two famous generals, had no chance to return to free, independent Poland.
@@cliveengel5744 yes stanislaw maczek received proposal to return to the poland but he refused because as he said he dont have nowhere to go back to because lviv is not polish anymore[ lviv is his birthplace]
@@bartoszwalkowiak6590 Thank you - Stanislaw Wladyslaw Maczek, the famous Polish Tank Commander that helped liberate France in the Great Patriotic war, was born on 31 March 1892 in the Lwów suburb of Szczerzec (now Ukrainian: Shchyrets) then in Austro-Hungarian Galicia. He could never return to Poland because the Soviet Ukrainians annexed Lwow and made it part of Ukraine and called it Lviv! Stanisław Sosabowski, the famous Polish General from the Great Patriotic War that took part in Operation Market Garden in Holland was born on 8 May 1892 in Stanislau (Polish: Stanisławów), in what was then Austria-Hungary and is now Ivano-Frankivsk in western Ukraine. They could never return to Poland as the Cities and hometowns they came from were annexed by The Ukrainian SSR and became part of Western Ukraine. So now the Righteous Ukrainians are now up in arms complaining that the Russians are doing the same thing to them. However, as “Anna from Ukraine “ always points out that the Soviets made them do it - but who were the Soviets but the Ukrainian themselves. She loves to point out that the “ills of Ukraine fall on the shoulders of Russia” All these guys as we say in the US are just “Revisionist Historians” and apply “Wokeness” to their entire Historical being! They all flock to to the very cities they annexed themselves from the Poles and Hungarians to hide out from the Russians.
Thank you for this Mark a lot of Poles felt like they had no country to go back to after the war . A lot of Poles had difficulty settling into the west. Many of the Polish pilots had similar experiences.
"Hello RU-vid, how's everyone doing, it's Professional here." 😂😂 But seriously though, welcome! Never thought I'd see you here but I'm nonetheless glad!
I'm a Brit in 1975 I married and relocated from London to Peterborough Cambs when I arrived it had three large ethnic groups Asian Polish Italian The Asian were from Uganda(Thanks to Idi Amin)the Polish I had assumed a RAF bomber station because the East coast was the floating Airfield that Britain was in WW2 And the Italians because their was a POW camp close to the city
We had lots of poles after the war and now in my home town, and lot's of Ukrainians from ww2, they worked at a local asbestos factory TBA, my grandparents worked there, my grandad told me that there guys who had been in the Ukrainian SS, and escaped the wrath of the soviets
This story is very close to my wife’s family’s history. Her grandfather was a Polish solider during the war, but unlike many of his contemporaries, he chose to return to Poland to find the woman he loved. After the invasion of Poland, he left staff college to fight, was captured and escaped. He too found himself part of the Polish army being assisted by the British. He fought in Africa and Italy and ended the war as a General. On his return to Poland he was considered a traitor by the communist regime. His animals were killed and his house and land taken. Forced to move to Gdansk and given a menial role as a clerk in the shipyards there, he constantly faced intimidation. However, he found his fiancée and lived a good life. He once told me that the Germans he had fought were the bravest and well trained soldiers he’d ever faced. His attitude to Russians however, was rather different. I remember how happy he was when communism finally ended and he finally received the pension he so deserved. He was never as important as the men in this video, but he’s the only hero I’ve ever met.
Great post. My Dad was with a Canadian Armoured Regiment in Europe and talked about a Polish Armoured Regiment that was attached to their unit from the D Day landings to Germany. Perhaps he knew your grandfather. I'm now 90 years old. Everyone dead and gone.
Don't be so quick to label him as not as important as these men in the video. He did reach general, after all. I'm sure these heroes would consider anyone fighting under them as important for the fight for European freedom, and heroes themselves. I personally thank him.
Your grandfather was a badass. A badass that surpasses most people alive today. The one thing I have a hard time understanding as an American Marine Corps veteran is I just can't fathom ever stopping the fight if my country was under occupation, even for a significant other. It's just a completely alien idea, if you're alive and you have the ability to resist, you resist, until the occupation is over, or you no longer have the capability to resist (death). I must be a product of 1980s culture + 2000s Marine Corps training + a mature adult who sees what happens when you decide to let evil win.
My grandpa had similar experience. He escaped transport to Syberia, with help of Lithuanian nurse. Came back to grandma, she barely recognized him. Before war he was at some point one of Piłsudski's bodyguards.
My father told me of when he was an apprentice bus mechanic in Manchester in the late 50s. He struggled a little with his maths but was helped with his homework by one of the bus depot’s cleaners, a former WW2 Polish soldier known to all as “General Joe”. He’d studied Maths at Warsaw University before the war and had been in the Polish Army. My father asked him how he got his nickname “General Joe”. He explained that he had actually been a Brigadier General in the Polish Cavalry and brought in to work a photograph of himself with his regiment. I never found out his full name but the fact that a Brigadier General was reduced to sweeping the floor in a Manchester bus depot for a living was always a source of profound amazement to me.
Thanks for this Professor. As the son of a Polish RAF pilot that flew 300 combat missions in WWII, I only wish that I knew more about this before my dad died. He never said much at the best of times, never anything about his feelings. His mum and dad were deported by the Soviets to the gulags in 1939/40 and his brothers murdered at Katyn and 'somewhere in eastern Poland' also by the Soviets. He never spoke about this. I only found out from my mum whom he had told at some point. I obtained his RAF records and one of the last entries (thankfully in English) was when he tried to stay on in the RAF as a mechanic. He was turned down. Luckily he was one of the 19 ex-RAF pilots that went to Pakistan after Partition to start up the Pakistani Air Force (before that all pilots were either British or Indian apparently) -- on half pre-war pay of course. It would be wonderful if you could manage to produce an episode on this subject if you have the opportunity. Thank you.
On the subject of those RAF records (since you said you were grateful an entry was in English - If I've misinterpreted that and you can read Polish just fine then my apologies!) the Google translate app will let you point your phone camera at a document (or analyse a photo you've taken of it) and do it's best to translate what's written.
Hearing that the Polish soldiers going for a pint would salute General Maczek brings tears to my eyes. I'm glad he lived over 100 years and chose to be buried among the men he once commanded. I've said on another video it is a great honor to be buried among your brothers in arms. He didn't deserve the treatment from the governments that had forsaken him.
Poland, from its own gold reserves that were saved in 1939, paid for planes and military equipment used by Polish soldiers in the air battle for Britain... And after the war they could not take part in the Victory Parade in London. Strange because even Czechoslovak soldiers took part in it. The sad truth.
@@r2d2aa A sad testament to the folly of appeasement. Giving in to the demands of Stalinist USSR only brought us to the day where the West is once again threatened by a RuZZian dictator. I hope this generation has learned from the mistakes of the past.
I met General Maczek. He was my fathers commander. My father took me to meet him when I was about 10 years old. He was working as a barman. I couldn't understand why he didn't have a better job.
Polish heroes are not forgotten in Poland and never will be. Your video is one of many contributions to memory and commemoration of them and Polish history. As a Pole and a grandson of Warsaw Uprising fighter and AK fighter I just want to say thank you. And of course big thank you the lovely Dutch people who also remembered and still remember our heroes.
@@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684 They're war heroes for sure and glory to them, however can't see how their deaths benefitted Poland in particular. Said enslavement did not end up in 1945 which is the reason why those two generals couldn't return to fatherland.
@@arturgrodzicki1209 Look at the international situation in 1939, Artur. The 3 "major world powers" at the time were the USA, USSR & the British Empire. USSR - Stabbed Poland in the back to steal half of the country, whilst also supplying nazi Germany with millions of tons of raw materials and fuel which enabled her to conquer the rest of continental Europe. USA - Happily sat on the "sidelines" profitting from BOTH sides of the conflict at the same time as the nazis were setting about the destruction and murder of the Polish nation. British Empire (& France) - declared war on nazi Germany to symbolically support Poland, and to oppose (and reverse) nazi military expansion in Europe, (Then likely set about the "soviet problem" after that had been achieved). NO ONE else in the "international community" had lifted a finger to oppose the nazi/soviet occupation of Poland at the time. No one can deny that the British and French as it turned out were caught with their pants down, and were FAR from being fully mobilised militarily, therefore unable to actually assist the Poles in their 6 week struggle.... except indirectly by the blockade of the North sea by the RN thereby putting economic pressure in Germany while they readied their armies. BUT the flame had been lit by the British and French. IF they had not declared war in Sept 1939, or IF they had "stood down" after the conquest of Poland, or IF Britain had sued for peace with the nazis after the fall of France, instead of seeing the conflict through til the end, then its almost certain that nazi death camps which as events happened had been put of action by 1944 / 45, would have instead been operating on Polish (and ultimately European and Soviet soil until the 1950s & 60s or even beyond. The British Empire and France collectively sacrificed over 1 million of their citizens and completely bankrupted themselves to see that it did NOT turn out like that. Unfortunately after the apocalyptic bloodshed of WW2 NO-ONE could liberate eastern & central Europe from the terrible yoke of communism after WW2, without further millions of deaths. Its very easy to look at the course of history as it happened and pick fault with the decisions that were made, and the outcomes that came to pass, but its a lot harder to see how events would have turned out if different decisions had been taken. All the best, Artur.
@@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684 I'm not sure why you're presenting Britain and France declaring war on Third Reich as some selfless gesture. They were fulfilling their own pledge given to Poland earlier same year. Hitler's decision to attack Poland instead of France only came after British guarantees were given. British diplomacy had worked hard to deter Polish from the alliance with Germany and they succeeded but at the cost of making Poland Germany's next target. In fact in 30s Poland had good relations with Germany and some form of alliance wasn't off the table. Hitler was great admirer of Piłsudski. Ultimately it's only Polish who are too blame for choosing "honor" as minister Beck said over practicalities. Taking British guarantees was likely a mistake. If Poland had joined in with Germany we would have been way better off. As for Germany and their alliance that would be extra 1-2 million soldiers, 500 tanks and few hundred aircrafts with added ability to produce more. So as you see, we can do those IFs both ways. Had Polish politicians listened to Piłsudski, then even after his death they would keep the Germans happy
@@arturgrodzicki1209 So you would have preferred an "alliance" with nazi Germany, Artur? You do realise the geopolitical situation at that time don't you? Germany's number 1 national priority was the establishment of an empire of COLONIES (and not power sharing allies) in the east as was outlined in the traditional German policy of "Drang nach osten" or as Hitler described it "lebensraum" which had existed since the 19th century. Do you honestly think it was Germany's intention to treat Poland "as an equal"? See how the nazis operated after the "Sudetenland Crisis" in 1938? After Britain and France had signed an agreement to not declare war on Germany after international scrutiny had shown that the Sudetenland openly wanted to join Germany... What happened next? After Czechoslovakia had been left without her "shield" of defensive border fortifications, months later Germany after having diplomatically "coerced" the weakened rump Slovak govt, simply drove in and occupied the rest of the "Czechoslovak protectorate", and then ruled Bohemia-Moravia as a nazi "puppet" with murderous intent.... THAT was the sort of trustworthy regime that you're suggesting Poland should have allied with. Britain and France declared war with the wishful intention of preventing that happening to Poland and to attempt to maintain (or restore) a balance of independent nations across Europe and not allow an all powerful German empire to hold sway over the rest of Europe.
You have no idea, Mark, How much respect you have earned from us, Polish People, for pointing out in your videos all the Polish contribution to the war efforts of the Allies, and A Great and Special THANK YOU for this video in particular, we truly appreciate and owe You a lot for your outstanding historical productions 🥇♥️🇵🇱
As a kid in the 1970's I was fascinated by the film Battle of Britain. So much so that later in life I decided to learn more about the real battle and the vitally important role played by the Polish and Czech squadrons. I, for one, know that it wasn't a battle we won entirely by ourselves. Without those brave Polish and Czech pilots we would most surely have lost.
Dziękuję bardzo. Mój dziadek służył pod Monte Cassino i wiele razy opowiadał mi, kiedy byłem chłopcem, o męstwie polskich żołnierzy, którzy w końcu je zdobyli. Pamiętam jego słowa. Pamiętam też jako dziecko, że polscy weterani w średnim wieku nadal pracowali na budowach w Wielkiej Brytanii, nie mogąc wrócić do domu. Staram się zrobić wszystko, co w mojej mocy, aby uhonorować dług, jaki mój kraj ma wobec was podczas II wojny światowej.
@@barbararice6650 I fail to see how the deposed Kaiser and the Archduke of Austro-Hungary have anything to do with how Poland and the United Kingdom treated these two men after the Second World War as one died in early June 1941 and the other in late June 1914!
As a fellow Pole who grew up in the UK from a very young age this means a lot. I feel many from my youth group wouldn’t know about the war and especially the Polish sacrifices throughout the length of the conflict, especially from abroad living in another country. General Maczek holds a very special place in my heart, for not only his courage but his personality, there is a reason why his soldiers nicknamed him the “father of the troops,” and i personally couldn’t agree more.
Witold Pilecki, was a Polish officer who allowed himself to be taken prisoner, under an assumed name, and was taken to Auschwitz. There he started a resistance movement and smuggled out detailed reports about the camp's true nature. In April 1943, he and two other men broke out of the prison. They escaped. Pilecki made it to Warsaw and took part in the 1944 Uprising, hiding his rank for some time before the loss of other leaders prompted him to reveal himself. The Uprising failed. As part of the conditions of surrender, the Poles were considered prisoners-of-war and not taken to concentration camps. After the war, Pilecki continued as an intelligence officer in the now Communist-occupied Poland. He was accused of treason and arrested. In a show trial, the then-Polish prime minister, Józef Cyrankiewicz presented evidence against Pilecki. This was cruelly ironic as Cyrankiewicz himself was a survivor of Auschwitz, a person Pilecki tried to free. Despite all efforts, Pilecki was executed. Pilecki was a man who assumed many identities for his duty. One of the names he hid behind was Auschwitz prisoner #4859.
@@jankubiak3218 Another victim. He was charged and convicted by the new, Communist-backed, Polish government. Instead of being declared 'stateless' he was simply executed because of his dealings with the West.
I know this story. This man is the biggest hero ever lived. It saddens me that society takes to lightly on these few good men that have lived to do so imaginable much good.
@@fishsmiddy1048 Look at felton winding up the half educated against Britian, well I say thank god for the civil service looking into these foreign bozos service record and deciding not to pay out high command pensions ✌️😑
As a citizen of the city of Breda and as a Dutchmen I feel the highest honor for the Polish liberators. I also would like to thank you Mark for highlighting this forgotton history. Visiting the Maczek Memorial in Breda is recommended to anyone! Dziekujemy wam Polacy!
Ik zal altijd respect hebben voor Nederland en Nederlanders. We maken alleemaal domme fouten, maar jullie leunen ietsjes meer aan de kant "gezond verstand". Helaas ben ik niet Pools om dankbaarheid te kunnen uiten. I will always have respect for the Netherlands and the Dutch people. We all make stupid mistakes, but you lean a little more on the "common sense" side. Unfortunately I am not Polish to express gratitude.
As a Pole I can't express my gratitude enough for making videos such as this, spreading historical knowledge to people all around the world. So many don't realize how dirty Poland was dealt not just due to WW2 itself but afterwards as well.
The Poles get away with the fact they invaded and annexed parts of Czechoslovakia in 1938 right after the Germans, when it was at its weakest. So when they complain the Brits and French didn't do enough to help them then I bring this up, they love to act so innocently. The Czechoslovaks were the real victims of the war.
@@Gecko.... Ah yes, tiny Zaolzie, historically polish land which was also ethnically polish. Maybe 10 people died, truly comparable scale of an invasion. Regardless being just for people living there then it was diplomatic blunder that gets brought up here and there like you do.
Well obviously they were behind the Iron Curtain and were turned communist...... But are you referring to losses of territory to Belarus and the Ukraine
I am not sure drawing repeated attention to it (and thus the repeated flaming of comment sections with hateful remarks from both sides) is ideal really though. Yes Britain should have looked after these men better, and Monty shouldn't have blamed him for Market Garden when it was clearly the fault of different ground commanders (not saying which as its not the point) but I find the pendulum repeatedly swings the other way, and videos like this just sort of...increase the division instead of healing it. The Poles are aggressively salty and insecure, and the other Allies resent being called out on things like this, so all it ever does is cause issues.
@@AtheAetheling your comment works in favour of division especially labeling someone as aggressive, also reading the vast majority of comments your argument about bringing division simply falls flat on its face
I worked in childcare back in the 1990's - one of the parents of the nursery was called Sosabowski. Dr Hal Sosabowski was a senior lecturer of Chemistry at the University. He was the Grandson of the General and so, in my nursery, was the great Grandson of Stanisław Sosabowski. But I never made the connection until Hal mentioned it, having come to know of my interest in military history. I think I was thrown by the appalling prounciation of the name by Gene Hackman! Hal presented me with a book all about the General as a gift for caring for his son. I still have it and always remember grandson and great grandson when I see it on the shelf.
Was the title of that book by any chance "Freely I Served"? FYI It was one of the 1st books in English I read -- w/ the aid of a dictionary -- after immigrating to Canada. Well done, Dr. FELTON.
My uncle fought at Tobruk and Monte Cassino in Anders' army. He died in Argentina with no chance of returning to a free country. I will never forget the betrayal committed by the Allies.
I can assure you most people from Allied nations are not okay with stabbing them in the back either. Even from the United States, I dont know why we didnt step in and, if worried about making people upset internationally by upstaging them, at least offer the free Poles the ability to immigrate and a pension of a lower rank. Its quite literally the very least we could do. Though I do have to wonder why a larger press campaign wasn't made out of it? Its not that hard to get governments to buckle when they are made to look bad very publicly. Just another way people failed them, I guess. But I guess we havent changed. We just stabbed the Kurds in the back after they fought ISIS for us. That angers me to no end, I cant change things that happened before I was born, but this just happened.
@@booradley6832 I wholeheartedly disagree with your notion that these men should've been allowed to live in our country. It is my home, and it is also your home. Just like Poland is HIS home. His nation has my sympathy for the betrayal that Great Britain disserviced them with, because the very war in Europe itself, was started to defend Poland from foreign aggression. In essence, Great Britain completely compromised, and betrayed the virtues that originally brought Great Britain to war in Europe . . . the same war that she subsequently dragged the world into as a result of a military alliance with Poland, and alliance she betrayed when it was no longer convenient to be friends with the enemies, of the enemies of Great Britain.
As a Dutchman, with a hudge respect and gratitude for these men and the Polish soldiers, I loved this episode. Thank you for shinning the spotlight on the Poles, the often forgotten heroes.
@@fredjansen2659 What if Idid not and it is the other party who won? And my point is, that the common people and politicians are often quite difderent in opinions about many things.
The story of those two generals is a summary of the difficult path of the Polish nation during and after WWII. I'm glad that a British historian has raised such a subject. Those and many other Polish veterans should not be forgotten.
I’m appalled that our government did not support this man with something as little as a pension when he gave the blood to save our country im genuinely ashamed at this
I went to school in the 50's and 60's with the lads of three Polish families. who's fathers stayed after the war and married English girls. They were our best mates and of course we called them by our English version of their name because we couldn't pronounce the real version. Their fathers were scary in a nice way, hard, tough men who taught us lots of woodland skills from their homeland, like how to make whistles with willow and how to scavenge for wild mushrooms etc etc. 60 years later I still visit one of them on a regular basis. Salt of the earth people.
I am another one of them, with a Polish ( ex- free forces ) mother, hence my English name. Moved to NZ, still scavenging at age 69, and corrupted my Hong Kong Chinese wife to do the same, be self sufficient, and not paying all the time, for everything. Hate going back to plastic HK. We learned about WW2 from the Polish side, first hand, and it's different from what the 'English' kids were taught.
As a Pole, many thanks for the material. Most of us here have heard about how they were treated but you're the voice for English speaking viewers around the world.
A fellow workmate of mine, a Polish gentleman fought with the British 8th Army. He told me of some of his exploits. He fought in North Africa. When he passed away and at the funeral home he had on his chest the Tobruk Medal. RIP Walter Tyzecki.
Hearing how respectful the Dutch are to all their liberators always chokes me up. They care for our graves, our living, and even our country as if we liberated them just yesterday. I love the Netherlands.
You've obviously never been to a UK remembrance day parade, there you'll see wreaths laid to the Polish service personnel EVERY year, even at local ceremonies. The 3 Polish airmen's graves (From 302 Sqd flying out of RAF Woodvale) a couple of miles from where I live are also always well tended. Don't be fooled by the devious driving of a wedge between Britain and Poland. Lefties love to cuase discontent wherever they can. They call it "agitprop".
@@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684 Yeah, pretty sure it is modern day conservatives who are to blame for all of the hatred and anger on most issues these days.
@@Zer0.-_ Unburden yourself of the old outdated labels of "conservatives" "labour" "left" & "right". They're ALL just "brand names" now to keep the old arguments going while the TRUE power behind those labels, that is corporate globalism which finances ALL mainstream political parties in the west, continue to pull their puppet party's strings to keep the unthinkers enthralled while THEY continue to consolidate their grasp on the levers of power. THEY are the ones responsible for the setting of one country against another and for the instigation of the agendas which now cause so much disharmony and inflammation between the nations of the world.
As a Ph.D historian and a longtime fan of MF Productions YT channel, I`d like to thank You very much for this film. Although the biographies of gen. Maczek and gen. Sosabowski are very sad and embarrassing for the British and Dutch it was a real pleasure to watch a non-polish-made film about them, especially on such a recognized channel. Please accept my sincere appreciation and thanks for the work you have done.
Might be a slight relief to know that gen. Maczek did receive a general's pension from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 1951 onwards. Though for a long time this had to be kept secret due to how sensitive this was diplomatically.
I get that they were treated poorly in comparison to other men of similar rank- but it seems a little overblown- I'm sure that most Europeans behind the iron curtain had an even more dismal post war experience- and there is something romantic about returning to a modest civilian life- like a roman general retiring to be farmer- I think there is a quiet and humble dignity about it and it makes me respect these men even more
I flew to Krakow the day after watching this video coincidentally. I had written my dissertation on Operation Market Garden 12 years ago and touched on Sosabowskis input. However, i wasn't aware this was how things ended for him. While in Krakow I told as many people as would listen about his story, and then went to visit his statue in Jordan Park in tribute to the man.
When you return home to the UK Chris, you can visit the HUNDREDS of memorials and grave stones dedicated to the Polish war service personnel who served and died in the west after 1939. I wonder how many memorials to the >1.1 million British and French citizens who gave their lives to see the evils of nazism (that had previously conquered, enslaved and murdered Poland) destroyed. My guess is less than 10, if ANY at all.
@@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684 all those were put, after people realised how badly was their memory treated. Poland wasn't even invited to the victory parade. That's just a cover up for this grave injustice. Poland didn't even receive war reparations due to soviet occupation after the war.
@@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684 I don't really get it what's your point? That British and French don't have enough grave stones and somehow this is Polish fault or what?
@@ypabloworld he is a shill looking for attention as I have seen some of his other comments. I think the point he is trying to make (which makes no sense actually) is that there are many memorials to honor Polish troops in France and the UK while in Poland there are no memorials honoring British, Commonwealth nor French troops. I do not know if this is factual or not but it would make sense as no British, Commonwealth or French forces fought on Polish soil during WW2 while the Poles fought heavily on French and British soil. Likewise there are many memorials to U.S. soldiers in France as many Americans fought in France and probably none in the U.S. honoring French soldiers from WW2 as no French soldiers fought on U.S. soil (obviously). So really his point makes very little logic. After all thats why his screenname is Kronkite's left shoe. Perhaps if his knick was Kronkite's right shoe he would make slightly better arguments.
Hi Mark: One fact you left out about Sosabowski was that his fellow coworkers at CAV Electrics were unaware of his World War II accomplishment and exploits his rank and decorations till his funeral when they discovered this from his former subordinates and family and what medals he got when his eulogy was read despite the fact he was active in the polish community in Britain after the war . I bet when they found out needless to say they were dumbfounded their coworker was a recipient of a CBE and a former general in the polish army. Must have been one surreal experience.
I knew of these Polish generals but not their post-war fates. It is indeed a stain on not just Britain but all the allied nations. Thanks for bringing this to light, Dr. Felton.
Fucking hell the poles had to work for a living, My God the humanity 😕 My grandfather lost scores of fingers taking supplies to ungrateful eastern europeans, his merchant navy pension didn't cover his bus ticket into work, horrible world isn't it 👈😑
As an American, the more I read about how FDR threw Eastern Europe under the bus, I become absolutely sick to my stomach. I actually dread to think what might have happened to western European nations if he hadn't died and Truman taken over before war's end.
I was born and raised in Breda. We grew up with the stories about our liberators, the polish heroes of general maczek. Till this day the people of Breda have a close bond with the poles and the remembrance part of daily life.
My father-in-law was a Polish officer captured by the Germans. His ability to speak both fluent English and German got him placed with British POWs as a go-between. It saved his life because he ended the war in the American Zone and eventually made it to the US. He warned several of his friends not to go back but they didn't listen. They were never heard from against. While not as distinguished as the two generals he ended up not as well off as his defeated German opponents despite his university education.
Brother of my greatgrandfather was Liberated by Americans in Alps. He decided to cameback, not knowing borders of the country have changed, and rest of family being transported towards west by soviets. He was interogated by NKVD imedietly after crossing border checkpoint and sent to serve in Red Army unity for two years, in Bratislava, Czechoslovakia. Could be easly shot if they had any suspicious about espoinage. He eventually came back to Poland and rejoined with family. The most depressing thing about this is, he was captive by Germans as forced labour man for 5 years.
Dr. Felton, as a Englishman, I’m sure it pains you in the shoddy treatment of these two generals. Yet, as a historian, you honestly do not shrink from uncovering such dishonor! Bravo sir! A major reason your channel is far superior to other RU-vid history channels!
The Polish soldiers in my hometown of Cardiff during WW2 were highly regarded by folk. Thank you Poland for your brave men. They deserved the best from us.
Iam Polish, my grandfather fight under Gen Maczek, was wounded three times. Liberate with General Maczek Belgium, Holand(Breda), and they end war, as mention, in Wilhelmshaven. My grandfather die in 2000. Iam very graetful for this material. Was great, and thanks for restore a true about polish soldiers, and theirs sad history after wotld war II. My grandfather told me, that he was in many capital citys, during wwII, but never Was in Warsaw...
I served alongside Polish troops in Paktika Province, Afghanistan in 2007. I gained a great respect for their professionalism, bravery and combat proficiency! The Polish Soldiers and Airmen were treated very badly indeed after WWII!
@@Przem112207you are wrong they accused them of hidding terrorist but they didn't offer any proof of that and and when the afghans asked for proof of bin Laden being responsible the usa just attacked
My grandfather did as well! He fought alongside the Poles in Italy & then Canadians under Montgomery. He hated Montgomery with a passion until the day he died bc he had a habit of attacking territories then retreating to resupply then re-attacking the same place costing a lot of lives. He also hated him for delaying attacks for the same reasons (usually supply issues). He believed a lot of the conspiracy theories around why Eisenhower continued to indulge Montgomery’s incompetence. Also according to my grandfather the senior British generals & admirals hated Montgomery more than anyone else including Patton & that it was Eisenhower who always backed him (supposedly at the request of Roosevelt & Churchill).
Thanks for sharing this story. I live in a little village near Arnhem called Driel. It was de village where general stanislaw sosabowski was dropt during market garden. To this day, Sosabowski and his men are honderd by the citizens of Driel for what they did. The bust of him, as you talked about at the end of the video, there are only two of those in existence. One in Warsaw (as you mentioned) and one in the village of Driel.
"They fill his chest with medals while he's across the foam And they spread the crimson carpet when he comes marching home The next day someone hollers when he comes into view "Here comes the general" and they all say "General who?" They're delighted that he came But they can't recall his name"
I remember visiting Arnhem and Nijmegen in the late 1980s, and noticing many hotel bars were festooned with regimental emblems, from the numerous veterans who came over to visit. Our Dutch friends told us these veterans were still held in the highest regard by the locals, who had not forgotten their fight to liberate the Netherlands. I found this extremely touching that they remembered and honoured those men from decades before.
The Dutch people still honour the countries that fought to liberate them. The schoolchildren are taught, in great detail, what happened between 1939 and 1945. Their museums and memorials are well kept. In general, the Dutch people know more about the liberation effort than the people in the countries that liberated them do. The Dutch government, sadly, not so much. Politicians are unfamiliar with the concept of honour.
Yes, I was there 3 years ago. In the Airborne museum at Hartenstein, Oosterbeek. Almost every single house in the city has a blue Pegasus amblem flag, along with Union Jack. Amazing, very nice and touchy...
The treatment of the Polish people and their nation as a whole post war. Why have them go to war over one part of their territory, if you're just going to hand em over entirely to another different hostile foreign invaders? Poland would've been much better off if they were allied with Germany instead of England & France post WWI
The assistance contract of GB and FRA for PL only included assistance in the event of a German attack. You can see that the two countries were not concerned with the existence and security of Poland, but only with getting a reason for war against Germany.y.
@@earlpipe9713 It doesn't matter...such ideas of being allied to Nazi-Germany were complete nonsense...the slavic poles were seen as "Untermenschen". In case of alliance and attack on the Soviet Union the polish army would be just used as a meat shield and later on the country and its people would be exterminated like they planned it to do with all (opposing) slavic people et cetera...
In general the idea of attacking Germany after the Hitler became chancellor and later on "Führer" (one could say after the death of Hindenburg) would be a much better idea... Maybe Mark Felton can find some hints or documents about it, since that plan could only be carried out with (at least) the help of France from the West. (Should be around the timeframe of 1933-35 while Piłsudski was still alive.)
@@je-freenorman7787 Yeah well I've been learning about the death camps, genocide, betrayals and general inhumanity of one group of people to another. That is throughout human history, not just WW2. As far as handling the truth. I just accept it and go on.
Incredible to think some of these Polish warriors had fought in the Battles of Poland (1939), France (1940), Normandy (1944), and Netherlands (1944-45). Amazing heroes!
My Dad was in the Polish Armoured Brigade, he drove a quad gun tractor pulling a 25 pdr gun and ammo box. After a stint with the Polish Resettlement Corps in South Wales he eventually settled here in Liverpool and was a coal miner. He never returned to Poland; when his brother visited us in 1989, he remarked to me "your father he speak now like John Lennon" - meaning my Dad was speaking Polish with a Scouse accent, despite us considering his English rather "pidgin".
We, here in East Fife Scotland remember 1st Polish Independent Parachute Brigade that had its main training base at the now derelict Largo House in Upper Largo, Fife. We have a memorial in Leven Fife remembering them. Some of us also know how Major General Stanisław Sosabowski was treated during and after the war. I personally leave comments mentioning this on some WW2 videos. Than you for posting this video. Jim 🏴
As a Polish I thank You Mark for this video. You just did more for Polish WW2 heros than any British did before. Hope one day You will get reward for this. We, Polish will never forget about Polish heros and about You Mark. Thank You again.
"Nihil Novi" for us Poles. We learned a hard way that treaties are worth less then a paper it's write on. Thank you for reminding the English speaking World that our heroes were heroes to the end. They fought with courage and live with dignity after the war against the odds.
Lets be fair, there have always been people in the English speaking world who know (and knew) how bravely the Poles fought throughout world war 2, its disgusting how they were treated after the war and betrayed by the Western Allies both during and after the war.
As a dutchy it has always bothered me the Poles took great risks to secure places like Breda intact, only to get robbed by the people he liberated. Thank you Mark, thank you Poland.
Just look at France. Their white soldiers surrendered and joined the Nazis, so the Free French was mostly black Africans, and then the French refused to allowed them to liberate Paris so they made up fake white regiments instead. And then after the war and to this day France thanked those African troops by robbing their homelands blind.
You are definitley not a dutchy, if that's what you are trying to imply. A Dutchy is an area ruled by a duke or a duchess. Nobody was ever liberated. You all got more government
As the grandson of a Polish veteran, thank you so much for this. My grandfather fled communism to the UK and faced poor treatment there. He died and is buried on US soil still a proud Pole. Thank you for the recognition of the sacrifices and dedication our people showed to try and win freedom for our country.
Large numbers of Polish troops settled in England. In reality, they were treated the same as British and other demobbed troops, my father and his brothers included! Do not forget, Britain was bankrupt!
Gloria victis. My grandfather fought in a defensive campaign against German and Soviet invasion of Poland in September 1939. He was awarded a medal for this bravery in one of the biggest battle of the defensive campaign - Battle of Bzura. My grandfather was a very modest man and never talked to us grandkids as being a very brave soldier. We found out about it after his death after seeing his belongings.
@@nickjung7394 The post-war Polish Resettlement Act allowed British citizenship to all Poles and their families in the UK.150,000 of them chose to take it and those who wanted to keep their Polish citizenship were given the right of domicile in Britain. They enjoyed the same rights to housing, pensions, benefits, healthcare and education as British-born citizens, and were given preferential access to employment, through the Polish Resettlement Corps. Given the huge economic and human price Britain and France paid in guaranteeing Polish neutrality, albeit without the means to back it up, one wonders what more could be expected. Certainly, the USA and Commonwealth countries were not queueing up to take them. Poland's tragic history was not created by Britain, but by Germany and the Soviet Union, including traitorous Polish communists, and their soldiers were betrayed by them. Even Montgomery was impoverished after the war, to the extent that he petitioned the King for somewhere to live, but was refused. My father was a decorated tank commander and returned to Britain in 1946 to work as a coal-delivery driver. Bar-tending doesn't seem so bad by comparison. I worked for a Polish lawyer, a pre-war regular army officer, and his partner, a Polish BoB fighter pilot, both of whom qualified in law in Britain. They made a great success of their practice and were grateful for the help they received.
@@nickyl8980 i think you mean falkirk, falkland is way further south more souther than the equator in fact..but i could be wrong as never been up Scotland...and sorry to pull you up on another one, no catholic chapel can be royal!, its impossible and would be deemed blasphemous in the popes eyes, but there is many Catholic chapels spread far and wide across the UK, just not royal...
Congratulations Dr Mark Felton. The Poles did the world a great service in WW2 and deserved so much more than they received. Our little cemetery in Scotland has a collection of Polish pilots, like many others in the UK. Brave people.
MARK! AS A POLE MYSELF, I DO NOT KNOW HOW TO THANK YOU FOR THIS EPISODE AND REMINDING THE WORLD ABOUT BETRAYAL THAT HAS CHANGED THE POST-WAR POLAND FOR DECADES! Your amazing summary is showing massive unfairness against the polish people - and the Poland itself that took place during - and just after the war. Polish people tryully appreciating you for this fantastic episode!!!
My father was RAF & was Honoured to fight along with The Polish 303 Squadron They put him in Hospital after one evenings drinking after Hours!😂😂 He said to me that they never regarded the Training Manual & closed up to Shoot The Germans down nearly Point Blank I do believe they hold The biggest Shoot Down Record of The RAF Maybe until this Day Proud Folk I'm happy to have met several Old Men Who were bloody Lethal in a war bird I don't condone War & Violence to my Fellow Humans ..I did it as a Teenager It's not Glory It's Nasty & Brutal You can wash off the blood But that experience stains your Soul forever
First, you need to learn how to type in proper case: i) All CAPS is rude ii) polish -> Polish I'm sure it's the same in Polish so don't use English is not your Native language as an excuse, because it's neither mine.
@@obiwan88 First of all you need to learn how to spell: 1), 2) instead of i) and ii). Dont be so shure about polish luangage because apparently you know noting about it, its rules and how complex it is.....
I was born in 1987. When I visited Belgium and Netherlands. I couldnt hold my tears when I realised how they are still remembering general Maczek. Im greatfull for that as well as for your video.
As a Pole in some part - thank you Mark for mentioning the tragic fate of the Polish generals-heroes of WW2 that happened to them after the end of the war. It is also worth mentioning general Władysław Anders, commander of the entire 2nd Polish Corps that fought alongside the British 8th Army in Italy, famous for the capture of Monte Cassino, Ancona, Loreto and Bologna. His fate was similar to that of both generals mentioned in the movie. Also my great-grandfather fought in 1939 in the September Campaign as a pilot in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Krakow, continued to fight in France in 1940, in the Battle of Britain and until the end of WW2 in Europe as a pilot in the RAF and PSP (Polish Air Force) in 300 and 301 Squadron. In 1947 he repartied to Poland occupied by the communist Soviets because his wife, my great-grandmother and her 3 sons, including my grandfather live there and miraculously survived the German occupation in their homeland, thanks to the incredible bravery of my great-grandmother, despite her poverty (refusal of receiving any food rations by the Germans, because she could not for fear of persecution, reveal the fate of her husband, who was fighting from England against Germany), she miraculously kept her 3 sons alive on the verge of starvation, making a living as a seamstress. Unfortunately, after returning to communist Poland my great-grandfather was arrested, interrogated, beaten and humiliated many times by the communist occupiers for his participation in the fight alongside the Western Allies as an "unwanted Western element", his merits in the war for the liberation of Europe under German occupation were not recognized and he was refused proper pensions, so he was forced to work hard physically in the printing house to keep the family. Many of his Polish airmen colleagues returning to Poland after the war met a similar or even worse fate - many years of imprisonment, torture and being sentenced to death as an "enemy of the communist regime"... just to mention the fate of General Stanisław Skalski the highest scoring and the most experienced ace of the Polish Air Force during WW2. The fate of Poland or Czechoslovakia after WW2 is a tragic page of history, heroes fighting for freedom against the greatest evil of the twentieth century - was then recognized as "traitors and enemies" by the communist forces that occupied their country for nearly 50 years... May such history never be repeated! And I would like to thank all the British, French, Belgians, Italians and the Dutch for their kindness and the memory of Polish soldiers who fought bravely and gave their lives in the fight for the freedom of their countries. Politicians are treacherous opportunists, but ordinary people remember in their hearts. This selflessness no matter where you are from makes us all brothers. :)
Thank you for your valuable information. The history from 'ordinary people' is very important and must be told, written down and passed on to generations following. This history is the truest information, told with heart 💜
This is to often forgotten....I as a German are very sure about ONE Thing: Poland RESCUED Europe already 2 Times, first against the Turks in Vienna and then against our imported Austrian jobless Painter. And as I see it, in the Political Situation today, POLAND is a LEADING Government again in the Fight against Putin. The most Volunteers inside the Ukraine Army Foreign Legion from Europe are POLES!!! So, they do it again, even again under a different Government Leader Situation. In WW2 it was UK, now it´s Ukraine. So they do it a THIRD Time. And you know what is most SHAMEFUL at all??? No One realizing it!!! Especially not my " Wanne Be Government" in Berlin which is a HUGE FARCE in Comparison to Warsaw!!! THANK YOU POLAND!! LONG LIVE THE WHOLY POLAND!!!! (And SHAME to my WOKE German Wannebee Government which still refuses to send the "correct Aid" to Kiev!!!)
I know. My dad fought in Cyrenaica with the 8th too. Don't forget to mention the South Africans, Rhodesians and Ghurkas also who accompanied the Poles.
@@barbararice6650 wow, you have your facts sooooooo wrong! In WW1 he was drafted into the Austrian-Hungarian army…. Not the German. You may have read, Poland wasn’t a country back then…. Then during WW2 when Poland existed, he fought for the allies against the filthy Nazis.
@@fishsmiddy1048 You're American aren't you, the Tyrolean Jaegers were an elite part of the Austrian army during the first world war, however the collective military alliance is known as the central powers, they were all the same thing from day one of the war when Austrian heavy howitzers were brought up by the Germans to smash the lovely Belgian town of Liege 😁 I'm not getting a fee for this too 😕 btw officers aren't drafted, it's like a career choice, like I've said I'm not here to impune the guy's honour, only to point out Britian didn't owe him a bloody war pension 😑
@@pie7463 Officers aren't drafted common soilders are, so what's this telling us other than maczek was a conscientious proactive productive creature of the central powers during the first world war 🙄
Thank you for your work Mr. Felton. There are lots of sad stories of Polish officers who wasn't able to come back to Poland. My great-grandfather was also exiled Captain of Polish Armed Forces, he stayed in London, and never came back to communist Poland, because he was afraid of jail and execution after tortures by nkvd. He was noble and very well educated, so his life in UK wasn't bad, but it's always sad for me when i'm reading letters from him, there is so much nostalgia, sadness and anger when he describes things after 1945
@@wielmoznymaciej1678 a lokalizacyjnie skad oba sie wywodza? Bo moja rodzina od strony ojca z okolic Bartatowa kolo Lwowa pochodzi i stamtad byla wypedzona przez Ukraincow.
As an undergrad in the last 1980s - before the fall of the USSR - I took three courses in political science from Dr. Edward Rozek (1918-2009) - a Polish patriot and D-Day veteran and professor at the University of Colorado/Boulder. I wish now I'd gotten to know him better. His classes were tough and unforgiving - he'd assign 5-6 books to read and a typical exam question would be "Summarize Chaper 7 of "Victims of Yalta". His unit in WWII captured an SS colonel at one point - they shot him. There's a scene in "Fury" with an SS officer that reminds me of that story. I think there was always a sadness in his character because he (rightly) felt Poland was betrayed by the Western Allies. At least he lived to see Poland freed from Soviet control.
What ever they told you in University was a false narrative World War 2 was dubbed a "phony war" becasue, many people knew it was set up, by the Royals and their Jews
yes, quite often i will think decisions are contextual to the time may it be the way of thinking, the situation, yet in these cases it is hard to find reason to such injustice
Nothing surprising about it. The British upper class is the most racist group of people in world. The British upper classes don't think much of 'continentals' in general, although western Europeans may get some grudging respect. Eastern Europeans are considered to be sub-human...especially Slavs. Go have a look at some of the declassified British intelligence reports from before WWII regarding the USSR. The Russians were described as a 'Mongoloid race' incapable for building or maintaining an advanced civilization. British intelligence predicted that the USSR would collapse within weeks if attacked by a proper European army like the Wehrmacht. Funny, the British and US press are saying pretty much the same thing about the Russians now. The Ukrainians should take note. If Ukraine is successful at pushing the Russians out...and that remains to be seen...their US and British 'allies' will abandon them promptly.
I have to say, Mark Felton's continual, blatant and shocking adherence to facts, careful research, professionalism and sensitivity in presenting these forgotten, almost vanished, aspects of one of the most supposedly well researched wars in history makes him something of an anomaly on the internet. I already knew of Montgomery's darker, less heroic side due to his time in Ireland during our War of Independence, but it's very refreshing to see a clear eyed and balanced assessment by a British historian. Fair play to you, sir! Always a pleasure watching your videos.
Did you know that Jewish refugees who applied for asylum to the Irish free state ligation in Berlin we're not only refused that but their names were passed on to the Gestapo, and that's the official Irish channels, fuck knows what the IRA were up to even going so far as to set assurances of transportation of the final solution initiative 👈👀
Hi Mark, Dutch viewer here, born in 1980. This reminds me of the 2004 Dutch documentary 'God Bless Montgomery' about the same topic. The husband of our Queen Wilhelmina, and Dutch wartime commander, Prince Bernhard had always lobbied, up until then unsuccessfully, for rehabilitation and honor for the Poles that liberated Holland (and did so, unlike the Americans, with minimal use of firepower to protect the cities.) Because royals are supposed to be politically inert, his lobbying had come to nothing. The prince called the Poles 'The best soldiers he had ever witnessed'. In 2006, his wishes were finally honored, and the Poles were cemented as heroes in Dutch WW2 history, with the highly prestigious Military William Order (only 3 living recipients) awarded to the the Polish 1st Parachute brigade. Only one of two such awards to a foreign unit. (The other being the 82nd Airborne Division). I personally feel Western Europe owes the Poles a debt of honor: their partacipiation in WW2, AFTER the destruction of their country, is a an heroic tale of truly epic proportions.
Funny old world when you consider the Dutch were sending SS divisions to oppress and suppress the poles 👈😑 Did you know that mediaeval people believed otters would bite off their testicles to confuse their pursuers 😕
From Warsaw to Norway to Monte Cassino through Market Garden and to VE Day the Poles never quit. They may have lost their homeland but that didn't stop them liberating the homelands of their allies.
@@davidcox3076 👉Brigade I of the Polish Legions (Polish: I Brygada Legionów Polskich, Austrian German: Brigade I der Polnischen Legion, Hungarian: A Lengyel Légió I. Dandárja) was a unit of Austro-Hungarian Army, manned by Poles under Austrian occupation, part of the Polish Legions in World War I, existing from 1914 to 1917 👈😕 You wanna pay this lot their war pension feel free 😕
Not a Pole, but, a mountain boy in WNC, US A. The Polish forces in WW2 are rendered magnificent and heroic survive during WW2 including getting out of Poland once occupied by the Germans; the Best and Most successful fighter pilots in the Battle of Britain; heroic action during the battle of the Falaise gap when Montgomery failed to appear; and at Monte Casino when they suffered over 11, 000 casualties. Only to be removed from Britain and returned to Soviet occupied Poland after the war was over. I deeply admire our WW2 heroes, especially the Poles. No Polish jokes or criticizing Poles for me. Not to mention their magnificent contribution in brining down the Soviet Union. This is an important video honoring those that should be honored. Thanks for posting it.
A local football club in Driel, the Netherlands, are dressed in red and white as a honour to the Polish parachute brigade! They even have a parachute in their club logo. In Driel landed the brave Polish soldiers during the battle of Arnhem.
My late father, himself a Polish officer who had fought in Poland, North Africa and Italy told me of a General who worked behind a bar in Scotland. Sadly his fate was a reflection of many of that wartime generation who had settled into menial jobs and did not live to see through the events of 1989 and beyond. Worth also noting that many of those veterans came from regions that were annexed by the Soviet Union after the Yalta Conference, so really couldn't go back due to the Cold War. Some that did were executed, but that's another story.
Just to reiterate and clarify the point.The Polonia that had settled in the UK as part of the Allied forces couldn't go back as Poland's new borders had moved westwards and didn't incorporate the borders of 1939. Eastern administrative regions and territories eg Wileńskie, Nowogródskie, Poleskie, Wołyńskie, Tarnopolskie, Stanisławoskie and Lwówskie all but disappeared and mostly handed over to the Soviet Union. There was a vast relocation of ethnic Poles into the new Poland, but many stayed behind. Not one veteran I knew personally could bear to go through their experiences of moving and settling in a post war Soviet Union never mind relocating in the new PRL. To those who came from the Kresy, that was it basically.
My great grandpa was in the second corps, when he came back to Poland he had to bury his medals and his uniform because of the fear that he would be killed for it.
Thank you Mark. Gen. Sosabowski is my favourite WWII hero. I also respect Gen. Maczek not less. It was because of Gen. Sosabowski and Polish paratroopers I decided to jump with a parachute. To be like they. I had a pleasure to exchange a short mail years ago with James Anthony Hibbert who wrote that it was a shame on British Army to treat Gen. Sosabowski the way Gen. Urquhart did. It was very painful. The fact that you brought the history of Gen. Sosabowski to a big audience fulfil me with a hope. Thank you.
Dziękuję, Mark! History should not forget what sacrifices the Poles gave in order for the Allies to gain victory, and how the West betrayed them to the Communists.
Thanks Mark. My late grandfather was an officer and tank commander under General Maczek. He was seriously wounded in the Falais pocket. After the war my grandfather talked at great enthusiasm about General Maczek. Thank you for highlighting the sad ending to his life after the war
Such a nice man it seems. Stationed in Lvov(Lwow , Lviv) and Grodno during the interwar years. You do wonder what he was doing there. Surely he did not help with anything bad.
@@ivanmonahhov2314 both Lviv and Grodno were parts of Poland at the time, before the USSR took those lands from Poland after WW2, so it's no wonder he was stationed there, they were just cities in Poland.
@@johnnyenglish583 You are missing a few details here. These regions were populated in majority by Belorussians and Ukranians. Poland initially promised be respectful towards them. But very soon broke those treaties and began ethnic cleansing ( in modern terms integration or genocide depending what part of the world you are talking about ). They banned education in Ukranian and Belorussian languages , started to forcing conversions to catholicism and in the end speaking Ukranian or Belorussian in public was a finable offense. This sparked backlash , like forming of Organization of Ukranian Nationalists which for example assinated the Polish internal affairs minister. Glory to Ukraine , Glory to Heroes , Glory to the nation , Death to enemies. aka Slava Ukraine Gerojam slava Slava nacii Smert vorogam. So deployment to those regions want just a deployment , it was supporting ethnic cleasing.
@@ivanmonahhov2314 I think you're using the wrong term. "Ethnic cleansing" means physically liquidating people of a different ethnicity (for example what the Ukrainians did to the Polish population in Volyhnia in 1943-44 in collusion with the Nazis, or what the Russians planned to do in Ukraine in 2022). Polonisation/russification/ukrainisation in terms of education, culture and language is not ethnic cleansing. It's a pretty common thing. When parts of Poland were under German and Russian partition, German and Polish were the official languages taught at school. When Ireland was under British rule, English was taught at school. Now, in 21st century in Eastern Ukraine, you want the ethnically Russian people to use Ukrainian. So do you claim that it was not fair for Poles to expect that Ukrainians living in Poland speak the official language, but it's perfectly OK for Ukrainians to expect Russians living in Ukraine to speak the official language? And if you insist on claiming there was ethnic cleansing in pre-war Poland, please provide any RELIABLE source of information on the pre-war Polish Armed Forces carrying out ethnic cleansing in Lviv. "Reliable" means that UPA pamphlets don't count ;-) Also, please explain why they would need ethnic cleansing in a city like Lviv, which was mostly Polish and Jewish, with just a small percentage of Ukrainians.
@@johnnyenglish583 physically liquidating is genocide, but yeah definition is rather fluid. Destruction of language and culture to replace national identity is one of them. Ban on education and use of language in public spaces is not normal
In addition to what Mark said in his typically brilliant video, to their great credit the Scottish people also recently honoured Gen. Maczek by naming a walkway, that is located close to where he lived in Edinburgh, ‘General Maczek Walk’. Incidentally, My parents who themselveswere post WW2 Polish exiles living in UK met General Maczek several times in the UK, and I’m pretty sure I met him once in Cardiff in 1964, when the General was the guest of honour at a Polish veterans 20th anniversary of the D-Day landings, an event which my parents were actively involved in. Unfortunately, being only six at the time, and as my parents have both passed away, I can’t be certain of that. However, I do have a copy of the programme for the event which includes the names of both the General and my mother. At the risk of ‘going on’, personally, I think it’s very important to say that ordinary people in England, Scotland and Wales were incredibly supportive of my Polish parents and other family members as they adjusted to life in the UK as post WW2 ‘displaced’ Polish persons.
Thank you Mark Felton. My Father (Yorkshireman) battled the Germans at Monte Casino and he never had a bad word against the Polish Soldiers who finished the buggars at the top of that Mountain.
Thank you for making this video. My grandfather was a Polish Navy officer during the 30s and served on Polish destroyer Grom. In September 1939 he was responsible for organizing defense of Hel peninsula. During German occupation he was part of AK, Polish underground army under command of Polish government in London. I was told that he was part of the unit which managed to steal technical details of German U-boat torpedoes and sent it to England. He was arrested by communists after the war, I think it was 1946 or 1947, and since AK soldiers were not demobilized at that time by Polish government in London (I'm not sure about that. Maybe there was hope for war between west and Soviet Union) he still had his side arm pistol when he was arrested. He was interrogated for months and it was a miracle that he was eventually released. As a result, he was stripped of his rank and could never serve in military. He had to get a job as a cook. Overall, I think he was one of the lucky ones to survive in Poland when the war ended.
Your Grandfather was serving during the months that he was being interrogated, bravely, loyally, he remained a member of the military, no one could ever strip him of his status
Thank you for this documentary film. It poignantly reflects the general treatment of Polish soldiers, sailors and airmen after WW2 when they were "encouraged" to either go back to a now communist Poland or to quietly disperse in the British Commonwealth and USA and make new lives for themselves and their families. The naive hero worship of Stalin by the Western Allies meant that the exiled Poles were an embarrassment. WW2 started in Europe with the invasion of Poland in 1939 by Germany and Soviet Russia. It ended for Poland with a further 45 years of Soviet occupation. The current war in Ukraine is considered by many Poles to be simply an extension of WW2 as Russia tries to reassert its dominance and control of Eastern Europe.
Post WW1 Poland was a monstrosity that would have been carved up by Russia and Germany no matter which type of government they had, you can't occupy lithuania's capital, millions of russians and germans and expect your neighbors to respect your borders.
My Polish grandfather (bomber aircrew) help set up the Pakistani Air Force and was then told that he would have to be a coal miner to stay in the UK. He was told by his father in Poland not to come back to Poland as people were disappearing. The Russians were despised in my household (UK & in Poland) and we could never really understand why the West bent over backwards to accommodate the Soviet Union post 1945. My Polish uncle took part in the liberations of Breda (he remembered the beer & women!).
I am so grateful for your grandfather and uncles courage in WW2. PS Pakistanis and the PAF are still grateful for the work Free Polish 300 bomber Squadron did in helping helping set up their Air Force and aerospace industry after the war
Thank you Dr Felton. Thoses great men shouldn't be forgotten. My own grand father served under Gnl Anders and take the great risk to comeback to Poland where wife and son were waiting. In communist Poland he was a stranger on his forefathers soil. Lot of injustice met a lot of brave men backthen. Thanks again for honouring them. Best wishes from Warsaw Poland.
Thank you Dr. Felton for the courage to tell the stories of these two brave men. Many nations have similar histories of dishonoring the soldiers who served them.😇
For anyone interested in more about Stanislaw Sosabowski, you can read his memoir in the book, "Freely I Served", first published in 1982, but republished most recently in 2021. For anyone interested in Market-Garden, he gives a different perspective from the more common and usual sources. The saga of the Polish Parachute Brigade is tragic. It was the one Polish military unit that the Polish government in exile kept under it's direct control, hoping it could be used to help liberate Poland. Under increasingly intense pressure from British officers like Browning and Montgomery, it was finally released and put under British command. It was committed to Market-Garden in a poorly planned way, where it suffered heavy casualties, depressingly at the same time the Polish uprising in Warsaw was being ruthlessly crushed by the Nazis.
I like this channel for Mark Felton's unbiased quest to reveal interesting stories of gallantry and bravery and also displaying injustice. He really is an exemplary historian and watching his episodes is never a waste of time.
Unbiased? Hmmm why has Mark failed to research or include VERY relevant information regarding the "1947 UK Polish resttlement act" that gave full UK citizenship and residency rights to nearly 300,000 Polish ex-service personnel and their families?
I have to say, as an Englishman this makes me angry & makes me feel ashamed ! 💗 to all Polish people in the UK, we are grateful & glad that you are here.
They remember the Canadians too....one of the few grateful European nations. I doubt youd get too many Americans, Kiwis, Aussies or Canucks to sign up to save Europe from itself today.
Thank You Dr Felton for doing this video! A deeply touching story that is not known outside of Poland but we as Poles learned about it even under the communist boot. As a grandson of a Polish 2 Corps officer that fought at Monte Cassino and fell during the Ancona battle, I greatly appreciate every bit of information that you are able to share with your audience - about Polish effort in the WWII.
Nice to see a comment from an honourable Pole, not for once shitting over the sacrifices made by the UK both in people and gold to see nazism wiped from the face of Europe. Thank you.
Thank You Dr Felton for keeping the memories of these seemingly 'forgotten' Generals alive. I will visit the memorial in Edinburgh the next time i am there, to pay my respect to a brave man who deserved our thanks and gratitude .
Thank you for shedding light on these figures and through them on the fate of Polish ex-soldiers once the war was over. Many became mercenaries to get by, fighting in Biafra and other locations in Africa etc. So sad to see how the allies paid back for their support.
What a surprise! Monty played a crucial role in ensuring this honourable hero ended up on the bread line….due to petty resentment and insecurity! Imagine my shock! What a grub of a human he was
Montgomery was an all-for-me general and the devil can take the hind most. A seriously demented person to be in command of such a large number of troops.
Monty was a hero so far as I am concerned. Your opinion is both hateful and meaningless, but I should be used to people judging him online without knowing what the hell they're talking about. Nobody ever claimed he was perfect, and you won't find a fellow officer who made a friend of him, but his men adored him and to dismiss him as you have done is dreadful. He did a huge amount for Britain. It is a shame he blamed the general when other people on the ground were clearly at fault instead (not saying who, not the point) but it doesn't invalidate everything else he did.
As a person that grown up in Driel (close to arnhem), thank you for making this video, General Sosabowski luckily gets now his recognition. many of the people of driel made it there life project to get the general his recognition.
Pat Marek: Despite the actions of our Governments. In the hearts of many British people, the Polish people are held in great esteem. Governments, not so much. The Lion in Winter, may be old and grey but our heart is still stirred by courageous actions and courageous people. God bless the Polish people, each and every one of them. I hope that we can redeem some of that lost honour by standing by our Ukrainian brothers. Who seek only peace and freedom, until they too, win their war against the forces of evil, that seek to subjugate them.
