Polish Army
The invasion of Poland by German forces on 1 September 1939, the action which began the war in Europe, was to have direct consequence for East Lothian. After the collapse of Poland under the weight of a combined attack from Germany and, from 17 September, the Soviet Union, what units of the Polish armed forces were able to escape, sought exile in France. The fall of France in June 1940 proved a bitter blow to the Poles, who lost their closest ally. However, having pledged to fight on, the Poles left France; by 18 July 1940 almost 17,000 had arrived in Britain.
During the initial few months in Scotland, the Polish troops shared the problems of lack of weapons and equipment faced by all units in Britain. However, eventually they organised and equipped themselves, forming new units in anticipation of the time when they would return to continental Europe and liberate their homeland.
Having experienced firsthand the German blitzkrieg tactics of rapid armoured attacks, the Polish Army appreciated the great importance of armoured units and the use of tanks in modem warfare. It was also realised that if Poles were to play a significant part in the invasion of Europe, the army in Scotland would have to include an armoured formation. In consequence, in February 1942 the 1st Polish Armoured Division was established, with General Stanislaw Maczek as its Commanding Officer. Many of the units which were part of the division were based in East Lothian. In March 1942 the 10th Mounted Rifles (an armoured regiment), part of the 10th Armoured Cavalry Brigade, arrived in Haddington where it would stay for about 14 months. Until the summer of 1942 the regiment was equipped with only a few old Polish light tanks and it was only later that a few Valentine tanks were issued.
During their time at Haddington the 10th Mounted Rifles were given thorough training, the instructors being sent on courses to English training centres, and also received more modem tanks in the form of Covenanters and then Crusader Mk. Ill Cruiser tanks. Much of the training took place up on the Lammermuir Hills, which provided the vast space needed for tank manoeuvres and training in the techniques of mobile armoured warfare which it was hoped would be put to good use after the invasion of Europe.
Mrs. Mary Stenhouse, a schoolchild living in the valley now occupied by the Whiteadder
Reservoir, recalls Polish tanks training in the vicinity: Polish soldiers tried to
make tanks climb walls or dry-
In February 1943 the 10th Mounted Rifles were presented with a flag and also a scroll
bearing the signatures of the members of the Haddington branch of the Scottish-
The story of the Polish forces in East Lothian is not, however, limited to ground units. No. 307 Squadron operated from Drem between November 1943 and March 1944 with Mosquito night fighter aircraft and No. 309 Squadron also flew from Drem, with Hurricane and Mustang fighters for day defence from April to November 1944. There were also great numbers of Polish aircrew under training at East Fortune, an experience which cost many of them their lives.
Mr. Edward Sanetra was one of the Polish airmen who flew from East Fortune, as a
test pilot for No. 289 Squadron, an anti-
However, the story of the Polish forces in East Lothian is not simply a catalogue
of the units based in the county. The links which were forged at that time between
the Poles and the local inhabitants are a more enduring indication of the Polish
wartime presence. The Poles, with their exemplary manners and unusual accents, proved
irresistible to many local girls and the marriages which took place resulted in many
Polish servicemen settling in East Lothian, and the extensive Polish community, now
fully integrated into Scottish society, is a continuing reminder of those dark days.
More formal links were created with the establishment in April 1941 of the Scottish-