II Polish Corps in Italy

[Bob Potter]

I need to pick the collective brains of the MLU Crew here.

This year for National History Day (ask me about this program later -- as a teacher I LOVE it), I talked one of my students into doing the II Polish Corps in Italy, for their motivation to keep the idea of a free Poland alive in Allied minds.

I am trying to build a bibliography useful and informative for a motivated secondary school student (and, frankly, for me later). I have Anders' autobiography, some decent general Italian campaign histories, and plenty of photographic sources. I also recommended "A Question of Honour" by Olsen and somebody else whose name I forget.

What I really want are primary sources, letters, journals, diaries or reminisciences of Polish soldiers from that theater. Other ranks preferred but any leads will be cheerfully pursued.

I know and have been to the Sikorski Insititute in London, which has just started to digitalize their photo archives.

Thanks for reading and for your help.

Bob Potter

[Garry Shipton (RIP)]

My father,who was 1st Division,when in his scuppers after a fine meal,always repeated his story of the crazy Poles.He always said that they were so keen to get at the Nazis that they would take their sherman tanks up steep inclines, and that they would "roll-over ass over tea kettle", down the incline of the abby's mountain.You hit a nerve and that's all I can tell you.My uncles in the RCHA also commented on watching the "rolling tanks"

[Robert Dabkowski]

... by Morgan & Lasocki, Collins 1970 describes the Italian war fought by "Voytek", the brown bear mascot of the 22nd Transport Company, Polish Army Service Corp(Artillery). My father's unit carried artillery ammunition and cleaned up after the bear. An unusual read about an unusual Free Polish unit.

Robert Dabkowski