On the Polish Dragoon trail

Below we present a report of the members of the “Odwach” (Guardroom, Hauptwache) Association from Poznań from the trail of the Polish Dragoons in Belgium and the Netherlands which took place on 20-24 September 2018. We are very grateful for the author, Mr. Michał Różyński, for this relation.

Historical and military journeys along the route of the 1st Polish Armored Division, and especially our beloved 10th Regiment of Dragons, are an important element of our activity. In recent years the “Odwach” Association was in Normandy, England, Scotland, northern France, the Netherlands and the Polish Beskidy Mountains. Between 20 and 24 September 2018, once again, we decided to visit the Netherlands, enriching it with Belgium. This time, when it comes to the Netherlands, we had not visited the well-known Breda, and decided to take a closer look at the battlefield on the Axel-Hulst Canal.

The province of Zeeland greeted us with stormy weather, which, however, during the day was dispersed by white clouds moving in the blue sky. Our invaluable guide to the area, Mr. Jaap Geensen, joked that he had reserved the good weather especially for the visit of the “Odwach”.


Od lewej: Szymon Mindykowski, Jerzy Dreger, Jaap Geensen, Michał Różyński, Krzysztof Kokoć

We had the opportunity to see the area of heavy and bloody fights at the southern approaches to Scheldt River, such as Fort St Ferdinandus, the Du Bosch farm, the Zoutepand intersection. There our 10th Dragon Regiment fought, there, in the harsh conditions of flat, swampy terrain, Polish soldiers died. Thanks to Jaap we could put on the map or see with our own eyes places known to us from the literature and the archives. Such a history lesson in the battle field gives a much better view of events from years ago than even the best books.

Axel itself impresses with a multitude of Polish accents: the square named after Colonel Szydłowski, his monument, the well-run path of historical information boards, the well-kept cemetery on which our soldiers lie…

You should add to this an endearing action involving children from local schools, which were transported by original military trucks from the epoch to the place of the ceremony under the Dragons’ Cross! A great idea for combining fun for the little ones together with a history lesson about their liberators. At this point, special thanks and obeisances are due to Mario Maas, the founder of the Oorlogsmuseum Gdynia on the outskirts of Axel, who is doing a fantastic job to commemorate the struggles of Polish soldiers for the liberation of southern Zeeland.

The next day we went to Hulst, which fortunately had not experienced any war damages, so amazes with the historical architecture and remnants of modern fortifications. It impresses with a basilica with a high tower from which the Polish national anthem is played on the anniversary of the liberation.

Hulst

We hailed from Hulst south to Belgium. There we got to Sint-Gillis-Waas, visiting the grave of Captain Sylwester Bardziński, then the graves of Polish soldiers buried in the cemetery in Stekene, Aalter and the Ghent Channel, Ruiselede, to reach Tielt, full Polish reminders.

Hosted there by Dirk Verbeke, a historian  devoted to history of the 1st Polish Armored Division, we saw a tank-monument, stained glass, plaques, and finally: eight graves of General Maczek soldiers who died fighting for this Flemish city.

In the last days we watched the battlefields of the First World War in the Ypres-Zonnebeke-Passendaele region. Thousands tombstones of the killed soldiers, tens of thousands of names of missing British, Germans, Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders, Belgians, and French make a very depressing impression. It is difficult to pass it by indifferently, it is difficult not to think about the tragic history of Europe, the nonsense of human self-destruction. A visit to the bloody fields of Flanders allows us to understand better the nightmare of events from 1914-18, as well as its impact on the next decades of the past century. And in this Flanders, however, there were Polish accents! After all, Ipres and Passendaele were also liberated by the Polish division, and we eagerly sought out all those places of remembrance and visited them.

Ypres

During the long way back on 24 September 24th we had a stop in the Belgian Lommel, where 257 Polish soldiers are buried in the quiet cemetery, as well as in the Dutch Driel, in which our 1st Independent Parachute Brigade landed 74 years ago.

Travel educates! It is hard to deny this saying, when after driving on a distance nearly 2,800 kilometers, you have seen so many historical places, you met so many interesting people. It is impossible to omit the simply tourist values like beautiful lands, architecture, tasty food, excellent beers. The most important for us was however the direct look at the next stage of the route of the 1st Polish Armored Division. The memory of the Dutch and Belgians about the liberators from 1944-45 is fantastic, very touching. We met numerous, spontaneous evidence of kindness and gratitude from the people watching us dressed in historical uniforms. Sentences “for our freedom and yours” and “we will never forget” are probably the most up-to-date.

Michał Różyński, Stowarzyszenie “Odwach”

Photo: Association “Odwach”, Jaap Geensen


The “Odwach” Association, based in Poznań, has been operating continuously since 2004. “Odwach” deals with historical reconstruction of the 10th Regiment of Dragons from the 1st Polish Armored Division from 1940-47. In addition to participating in stagings, picnics and historical shows it  conducts research, organizes military-historical trips, cooperates with military units, veterans, scientists and similar organizations from Poland and abroad. He has the privilege to cultivate the colors and traditions of the 10th Dragon Regiment given by the Association of Confederate Cavalry Regiments of the Second Polish Republic in London.

2 thoughts on “On the Polish Dragoon trail

  1. I was born on the 29th May 1944, in Nethermains Cottages in Chirnside, Scotland. one week before D Day. My father 7953 Plutonowy Josef Zawadzki was at the time serving with 10 Bacnu Dragonow. One week after my birth, my mother along with my elder sister Sandra moved from Nethermains Cottages to Bridlington in Yorkshire to be closer to where my father was stationed.

    At some time during the period 6th June – 30th July 1944, General Stanislaw Maczek addressed the 10th Dragoons and other members of the 1st Polish Armoured Division in the Bridlington area. While addressing his men, he took me into his arms and raised me up, for all to see and stated ‘THIS IS WHAT WE ARE FIGHTING FOR’ I was being used as an inspiration to the members of the 1st Polish Armoured Division in the coming fight against the Nazi Armed Forces in Normandy. I fully understand the statement as at the time the General must have known that his Polish Army had very little chance of ever seeing or returning to Poland once the war was over.

    I am proud to have been that child in the Generals arms and being an inspiration to the Polish Armed Forces even though I was only a few weeks old at the time. I know this happened as on a number of occasions, I met up with General Maczek at the Polish Club in Kennsington (Sikorki Museum) where he always told me about the occasion in great detail.

    I have no documented evidence that what I have wrote is true. I have written to the editor of the Bridlington Echo, as I know the occasion would have been covered by the local newspaper, but alas no comeback to date. I also know that photographs of the occasion would have been taken and documented by members of 10th Dragoons, but where do I go to find out?

    I know in my heart, that photos were taken of the occasion and it would surly be a miracle if I could get my hands on one or two of these photo’s which could also show a photo of my mother with Gen Maczek and myself.

    I am also in contact with Karolina Maczek, the granddaughter of Gen Maczek, who is also trying to find out more details of the event for me, but in all honesty, I believe that somewhere in your records, details of the event would have been recorded. Is there any chance that someone could check out your records for me. I would be very grateful if this was possible.

    Leon (Fred)Zawadzki.

    Son of a Reluctant Immigrant.

    • Dear Mr Leon,

      I will try to help you by our website and post on FB. This is all I can do – let’s hope for help. Regards!

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