A POLISH EXAMPLE

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 113, 8 November 1940, Page 6

A POLISH EXAMPLE

A good deal has been heard of what Polish destroyers and submarines have done, but how many people realise the strength of the Polish army in Egypt? When an Australian war correspondent visited their camp recently, he made the mistake of referring to their force as the Polish Legion. "No, monsieur," replied a Polish officer, "we are not a legion; we are the sovereign Army of Poland, with our own flag and our own national anthem." The Australians, always critical and always good judges of soldier-like quality, have greatly taken to the Poles. The correspondent states :■ The average Australian is rarely very demonstrative about anything, but the Poles' enthusiasm and cheerfulness in the face of adversity have completely won the hearts of our troops, who on every possible occasion go out of their way to show them friendliness, though they find the Poles' habit of kissing them on both cheeks somewhat embarrassing. The Poles, for their part, have accepted the Australians as their own. special "camarades de guerre." It is a friendship based on mutual respect. Here is one extraordinary instance of the Poles' enthusiasm. Private soldiers are now receiving the British scale of pay which they regard as munificent. As a token of gratitude, the privates in different units have spontaneously subscribed from their pay to purchase additional equipment. Some units in this way have bought trucks and lorries, others have bought motor-cycles. The Australians ask themselves: "Are these Poles the kind of men who should be under Hitler's heel?"— and return but one answer. The Poles, who number several thousands, are well equipped with modern weapons, including Bren guns and anti-tank rifles. They are described as "well trained, well disciplined, and hard as nails." Brigaded with the Australians, they won great admiration when they paraded before Mr. Eden in Egypt. First came magnificently-mounted Polish cavalry, with drawn swords, then battalion after battalion of infantry, who goose-stepped past in the Continental style, mechanised cavalry, artillery, engineers, and medical services. After the review the Polish horsed cavalry gave a display which drew roars of approval from a party of Australian officers who had been invited to see the parade. Many of these Poles broke away from Syria to Egypt when the French commander in Syria, General Mittelhauser, acknowledged the Vichy Government. But many more have broken away from Germany, or from German-occupied countries, in order to join the Polish army of the Middle East in its stop-Hitler crusade. To say crusade is no exaggeration, for most of these Poles have lost everything, either before their internment by the Germans, or since. Most have no news of their families, and all are animated by an almost fanatical bitterness against the Germans. "We have, each one, our little tragedy," said one soldier. They are a formidable fighting unit, more than 85 per cent, of them with previous war experience. Most of the leaders were regular officers before the war. In the Polish army there are serving as privates the Polish Minister of Justice, several Deputies, and several diplomats ranging up to Ambassa-, dorial rank. Surely the existence of this Polish army of exiles, fighting for Poland | in Egypt, is an inspiration to peoples which have not yet felt the keen edge of the blitzkrieg; and surely their brigading with the Australians to fight out in Africa a European quarrel (which may develop into an Asian quarrel) proves that the world is but a small place and that military policy even in the so-called antipodes must be framed accordingly.