Representatives of The 1st Polish Airborne Brigade visit to Airborne Assault

Representatives of The 1st Polish Airborne Brigade visit to Airborne Assault 28 January 2023. Mark Pitt, living historians, members of RHQ Para, members of the Sikorski Institute, Arnhem Fellowship and museum volunteers all created an event for this Polish delegation. 

The 3 Colours of the 1st Polish Independent Parachute Brigade

The Brigade was unique amongst the allied formations in bearing 3 colours on parade. These colours were presented at different times before the unit had the opportunity to engage with the enemy and symbolise the complex nature of the formation of a unit far from home. First Colour The first colour is perhaps its best known, stitched by the ladies of Warsaw, and utilising the scarlet fabric from the clerical robes of Cardinal Dunajewski the 19thC Polish patriot, it was blessed in the Canon Church in a secret ceremony on 3 November 1942, attended by Brigade members, serving with the Cicochemni. It would later be secretly smuggled from Poland to the Brigade – it bears the legend “Surge Polonia”. Long after the war and upon the disbandment of the Brigade the Warsaw colour was laid up in the Sikorski Institute in London, where it still lies. Shortly afterwards the Brigade HQ (21 November 1942) was alerted to a New Year gift being presented by the Divisional Commander of the British 1st Airborne Division.

It should be noted that elements of the Division (1 Brigade) had engaged the enemy for the first time during Operation TORCH – just 2 weeks before. Second Colour This gift constituted the second colour a maroon/scarlet silk banner emblazoned with the Pegasus surmounted by Bellerophon device and heavily embroidered in
silver wire with the wings of the Polish and British parachute forces. Delivered to the Polish Brigade in January 1943, Major General Browning declared: “This is a symbol of our brotherhood of arms, which will be sealed on the battlefield with our mutual enemy”. Laid up with the Sikorski Institute, the banner was returned to the British Airborne in the 1950s to symbolise the continued brotherhood of British and Polish Airborne forces in the war.

The Third colour was gifted, as a symbol of their training and development period in Scotland, while headquartered at Largo, by the ladies of Fife. It was ceremonially presented by the Kings representatives in Fife, the Lord Lieutenant, to commemorate the 2nd Anniversary of the formation of the Polish Brigade on 23 September 1943. Shortly after the Brigade would move south to complete its training before declaring itself ready for action. This colour has
recently been restored and is with the Sikorski Institute in London.