WW2 Medals

and other insignia.

Medals in Jureks and Longins collections

1 Polish War medal 1939 - 1945

• Army Medal for the 1939-1945 War (Medal Wojska za Wojnę 1939-1945) - issued by the Polish Government in Exile in 1943.

2 Polish Armed Forces in the West Military Action Cross

• This cross was established on 17 May 1989 for award to former members of the Polish Armed Forces of the Exiled Government in London that participated in any campaign. The relevant campaigns are denoted by ribbon bars and the following were created : NARWIK, LAGARDE, MAICHE-St. HIPPOLYTE, BITWA O ANGLIE (Battle of Britain), TOBRUK, MONTE CASSINO, ANKONA, FALAISE-CHAMBOIS, AXEL, ARNHEM, BREDA, BOLONIA, WILHELMSHAVEN, DZIALANIA BOJOWE LOTNICTWA (Air Force war operations), BITWY I KONWOJE MORSKIE (sea battles and convoys).

3 The French & German Star

• The medal was awarded for operational service in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Germany from 6 June 1944 (D-Day) to 8 May 1945.

4 War Medal 1939 -1945

• Awarded for 28 days service with the armed forces during the second world war.

5 The Defence Medal

• If you served either full-time or part-time for not less than 3 years in the United Kingdom during the period of active hostilities in Europe between September 1939 and May 1945

6 1939-1945 Star

• The 1939–45 Star was a campaign medal of the British Commonwealth, awarded for service in the Second World War. The medal was awarded for operational service between 3 September 1939 and 2 September 1945.
• Army personnel had to complete 6 months service in an operational command. Airborne troops qualified if they had participated in any airborne operations and had completed 2 months service in a fully operational unit.

7 Cross of the Deported to Siberia

• Established 2003 to honour Polish citizens deported to Siberia, Kazakhstan and northern Russia by the U.S.S.R during World War II.

8 Thank You Liberators – from Netherlands

• These medals were instituted by the Thank You Canada and Allied Forces National Committee to celebrate the 55th Anniversary of the Liberation of the Netherlands in 2000

9 Polish 1st Armoured Division Cross

10 1st Armoured Regiment Cross

11 Winged Hussar Logo of the Polish 1st Armoured Division

• They bore the "Coat of Arms" of feathered wings and helmet of the elite Polish Winged Hussars. Between the Battle of Lubiszew in 1577and the Battle of Vienna in 1683, the Polish-Lithuanian hussars fought countless actions against a variety of enemies, and rarely lost a battle.
• Polish Hussars were also famous for the huge 'wings' worn on their backs or attached to the saddles of their horses. The wings were made of a wooden frame and, most commonly, eagle feathers.
• The Hussars were the original heavy cavalry brigade which evolved into the armoured brigade.

12 10th Armoured Cavalry Brigade Badge

13 Lance pendant of the 10th Armoured Cavalry Brigade

10-13 were worn on the uniforms of Jurek and Longin

14. Black Shoulder Epaulette

• The uniform of the 10th Cavalry Brigade also bore an honoury black shoulder epaulette strap on the left side - in honour of the original Black Brigade. Attributed to the 10 Armoured Cavalry Brigade in 1940 by General Wladyslaw Sikorski to commemorate the heroism of the Black Brigade in 1939, the badge was approved in the Official orders of Chief of Military Affairs 31st March 1941.
• http://www.10bkpanc.wp.mil.pl/pl/68.html

Not on picture

15. Operation Overlord D-Day 50th Anniversary Commemorative Medal (Medaille de Jubilé de Liberté), 1994

• Circular gilt metal medal with integral loop for ribbon suspension; the face with a map of the Normandy coast from the Cotentin peninsula in the west to Dieppe in the east, circumscribed lower right with the names of the D-Day landing beaches, ‘UTAH . OMAHA / GOLD . JUNO . SWORD’, the flags of the allied nations above, circumscribed left and above ‘OVERLORD 6 JUIN 1944’; the reverse with the torch of liberty imposed on a ‘V’ for Victory, circumscribed ‘LIBERTE’ above, inscribed ‘DIEX’ and ‘AIE’ (the ancient battle cry of the Dukes of Normand; Norman French = God is with us) to left and right, circumscribed below ‘NORMANDIE’ and dated ‘MCMXCIV’ (= 1994); on original ribbon. The medal was created at the instigation of the Conseil Régional Basse Normandie (Regional Council of Lower Normandy), based in Caen to be presented to participants in the D-Day landings of 6 June 1944 at the ceremonies marking the 50th anniversary in 1994. Although as many as 35,000 veterans were present, many more were unable to attend and further medals were distributed through the agency of the now-defunct Association Debarquement et Bataille de Normandie 1944. The medal is still available commercially to those who can prove entitlement. In France, the medal is usually referred to as the ‘Medaille de Jubilé de Liberté’ (Medal of the Jubilee of Liberty).

16. The French Liberation Medal

• or more precisely Liberated France Medal (Médaille de la France libérée) is a decoration of the French Republic which is issued to any veteran of the Second World War who participated in the liberation of France.
• The Medal was created in 1947 for any person, military or civilian, who participated effectively in the Liberation of France from German occupation and for any Allied or French soldier who fought on French soil during the war. It has not been awarded since 1957
• This medal was created at the instigation of the Conseil Régional Basse Normandie (Regional Council of Lower Normandy), based in Caen to be presented to participants in the D-Day landings of 6 June 1944 at the ceremonies marking the 50th anniversary in 1994. Although as many as 35,000 veterans were present, many more were unable to attend and further medals were distributed through the agency of the now-defunct Association Debarquement et Bataille de Normandie 1944. The medal is still available commercially to those who can prove entitlement. In France, the medal is usually referred to as the ‘Medaille de Jubilé de Liberté’ (Medal of the Jubilee of Liberty).

The Brigade has now been reformed in Poland and has it's own web page

http://www.10bkpanc.wp.mil.pl/pl/36.html

17. Regimental Standard.

God, Honor, Fatherland (Polish: Bóg, Honor, Ojczyzna) is one of the unofficial mottos of Poland.

The phrase originated around 16th or 17th century in Poland, and is commonly associated with Polish patriotism.

It appeared on Polish military standards in the Second Polish Republic in 1919 and is the most common phrase on currently issued military standards in Poland.

The Manchester Circle of the 1st Armoured Division Standard also bears the names of the main battles within laurel leaves.

Falais Chambois - Aug 1944

Ghent - Sept 1944

Breda - November 1944

Wilhelmshaven - May 1945.

Longin is the current and possibly the last standard bearer of the Manchester Circle of the 1st Armoured Division.