1st Polish Independent Parachute Brigade English Roster

Translated from Polish to English by Alexander Kawczynski: http://anatolisgameroom.blogspot.com Document provided by Andrew Parkes

Organization

Contents

Servicemen1

Actual numbers Equipment and armament

15/IV 1944

During “Market Garden” Air landing 1

st Sea

tail 2

nd Sea

tail In total

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Headquarters, staff Platoons: Plt. of Military Police Plt. of Staff security Plt. of Healthcare Squad of Intelligence Military field court Field postal office

Brigade commander: General Stanislaw Sosabowski Second in Command: Lieutenant-Colonel Stanislaw Jachnik Chief of staff: Major Ryszard Malaskiewicz Operational officers: Captain Jan Lorys, Captain Wladyslaw Stasiak Quartermaster: Lieutenant-Colonel Marcin Rotter. Officer of airforce communication: Lieutenant Jerzy Dyrda Aide-de-camp: Lieutenant Tadeusz Sieczkowski Pastoral chief: priest Captain Franczisek Mientki Commander of the Military Police platoon: 2nd Lieutenant Ignacy Zajac Chief medical officer: Major dr. Jan Golba

161 128

139 1054 40 64 209 79 revolvers 30 rifles 82 SMGs 3 Bren LMG’s 2 PIAT 4 trucks 2 field cars 7 Willys jeeps 6 motorcycles 17 bicycles


Organization

Contents

Servicemen1


15/IV 1944


st Sea

tail 2

nd Sea

tail In total

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

1st Parachute Battalion Command company Platoons: Supply, communication and heavy weapons. +3 rifle companies Each with 3 platoons. Each platoon with 3 teams.

Battalion commander: Marian Tonn Command company: Lieutenant Mieczyslaw Jenner 1st company: Captain Jerzy Bernatzik 2nd company: Lieutenant Jan Pic 3rd company: Lieutenant Zbigniew Ziemski

613 565

437 353 15 24 392 60 revolvers 600 rifles and SMG’s 27 Bren LMG’s 18 PIAT 6 3” mortars 27 2” mortars 10 radio nr 18 5 radio nr 22 45 radio nr 36 5 trucks 10 Willys jeeps 5 motorcycles 20 bicycles


Organization

Contents

Servicemen1


15/IV 1944

During “Market Garden” Air landing

1st

Sea tail

2nd

Sea tail

In total

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

2nd Parachute Battalion Identical to 1st battalion

Battalion commander: Major Waczlaw Plosewski Command company: Captain Wladyslaw Hojnor 1st company: Captain Henryk Obarski 2nd company: Captain Marian Pobozniak 3rd company: Captain Stefan Malanek

613 565

468 351 17 27 395 Identical to 1st battalion

3rd Parachute Battalion Identical to 1st battalion

Battalion commander: Captain Waczlaw Sobocinski Command company: Lieutenant Stanislaw Slesicki 1st company: Captain Wladyslaw Parylak 2nd company: Lieutenant Albert Smaczny Pobozniak 3rd company: Captain Ignacy Gazurek

613 565

480 374 12 20 406 Identical to 1st battalion


Organization

Contents

Servicemen1


15/IV 1944


st Sea

tail 2

nd Sea

tail In total

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Parachute Light artillery division Division command Communications platoon 2 Batteries with 4 guns each ---------------------------- Parachute Anti-tank gun division Division command Communications platoon 4 batteries with 4 guns each

Division commander: Captain Jan Bielecki 1st Battery: Lieutenant Wladyslaw Kozak 2nd Battery: Lieutenant Stanislaw Staron ---------------------------------------------------------- Division commander: Captain Jan Wardzala 1st Battery: Liuetenant Tadeusz Lang 2nd Battery: Liuetenant Jerzy Halpert 3rd Battery: Liuetenant Mieczyslaw Mikulski 4th Battery: -

138 138 ----------------- 161 161

138 --------- 140

4 ------------ 133

12 ----------- 4

120 --------- 5

136 -------- 142

30 revolvers 60 rifles 60 SMG’s 5 Bren LMG’s 3 PIAT 8 75mm US pack howitzers 1600 artillery rounds 7 radios 28 Willys jeep’s 13 motorcycles ----------------------------- 24 revolvers 140 SMG’s 10 Bren LMG’s 16 6-punder AT guns (of which only 15 took part in the fighting) 1600 artillery rounds 5 radio nr 18 20 radio nr 36 42 Willys jeep 10 motorcycles


Organization

Contents

Servicemen1


15/IV 1944


1st

Sea tail

2nd

Sea tail

In total

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Parachute Sapper company 2 officer patrols 3 platoons, each with 3 teams.

Company commander: Captain Piotr Budziszewski

173 167

147 133 8 5 146 25 revolvers 170 SMG’s 9 Bren LMG’s 9 PIAT 500 anti-tank mines + explosives 5 trucks 6 Willys jeep 12 motorcycles 6 rubber raft

Parachute communication company Command platoon Platoon “A” – communication with high command Platoon “J” – …with Brigade units Platoon “C” - …with HQ Platoon “D” – runners with motorcycles and bikes

Company commander: Captain Jozef Burzawa

117 110

117 93 6 9 108 20 revolvers 30 rifles 80 SMG’s 4 trucks 5 Willys jeep 6 motorcycles 10 bicycles Platoon “A” 4 radio nr 9 12 radio n 22 Platoon “J” 8 radio nr 18 12 radio nr 22 Platoon “C” 12 phones


Organization

Contents

Servicemen1


15/IV 1944


1st

Sea tail

2nd

Sea tail

In total

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Parachute supply company Supply platoon Transport platoon Repair/mechanical platoon Airdrop supply platoon

Company commander: Captain Piotr Budziszewski

155 65

114 43 69 42 154 15 revolvers 50 rifles 60 SMG’s 28 trucks 10 Willys jeep 7 motorcycles 10 bicycles

Parachute field hospital company 3 medical teams 2 surgical teams

Company commander: Lieutenant dr. Janusz Mozdierz

122 113

122 90 16 17 123 11 revolvers Medical sets Surgical sets, with blood transfusion equipment 8 ambulances 4 trucks 6 Willys jeep 12 motorcycles 18 bicycles


General notes about the manpower of brigade 1) The numbers show the general state as well as the number of parachutists

Medical transports joined up with the main force on September 24th

, the rest of the medical unit on the 27th

The 2nd

group taking part in the so called “sea tail” never joined up with the main force during the fighting in Holland.

The brigade was also joined by 2 war correspondents, Lance Corporal Eugeniusz Romiszewski and Lance Corporal Marek Swiecicki, and two officers who volunteered before

the battle; Captain Julian Gebolys and Lieutenant Jan Kaminski.

Regarding the battalion weapons and equipment in the roster

Battalions had, beside their standard equipment, also had 3 heavy machineguns per battalion. Depending on the combat situation they could be taken into the field. During

the action outside of Arnhem all three parachute battalions exchanged 3 of their 3” mortars for 3 HMG’s because of the intended defense of the bridgehead.

The number of rifles and SMG’s for the parachute battalions isn’t specified since the battalions were authorized to exchange any number of rifles for SMG’s (and the other

way around) depending on the combat situation and mission.

The amount of small arms ammunition and hand grenades was not limited by any number. In the combat outside of Arnhem, all soldiers were equipped with 2 defensive

grenades.

The number of trucks is higher than it might have been, since it isn’t completely certain. Different sources state different numbers, but the difference between them is

small.

Translators note about spelling of Polish names: All Polish names are written with regular letters because my keyboard lacks the Polish letters. See attached original

document for the proper Polish spelling of all names.

1st Independent Polish Parachute Brigade

Servicemen1

Actual numbers

15/IV 1944


1st

Sea tail

2nd

Sea tail

In total

Off- duty reserves

2866 2577

2302 171

1679 199 333 2211 171



Documents

1st Polish Independent Parachute Brigade English Roster