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POLONICA IN SCOTLAND A Register of Polonica of the physical manifestations of the Polish presence in Scotland WORLD WAR TWO |
HADDINGTON, EAST LOTHIAN |
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“10TH MOUNTED RIFLES REGIMENT TO HADDINGTON”. |
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Sunday, 14th February 1943 An important day for the inhabitants of Haddington – in the afternoon
the
The plaque with a silver eagle was inscribed, “10th Mounted Rifles Regiment to Haddington”.
In return, the Town presented the Regiment with a St. Andrew’s Cross Scottish national flag.
The Scottish-Polish branch presented to the Regiment a parchment with the signatures of all the Scottish members of the Society,
It was a solemn ceremony – all the clergy wore liturgical vestments, the Mayor and Council members were in robes and with decorations. Squadron of tanks and the Guard of Honour platoon, Regimental band and Scottish pipers in kilts all took part. After the ceremony there was a parade march past and then a glass of wine in the Town Hall. |
1942-1943 10TH MOUNTED RIFLES REGIMENT, 1ST POLISH ARMOURED DIVISION
1942-1943 Moved to Haddington on 11th April 1942 mainly to Amisfield Park Camp, at Haddington. Regt HQ and HQ Sqn in the town. Besides the 10th Mounted Rifles, other Polish Army units were stationed in the Haddington area. In 1942-1943, the Support Group (Battalion) of 1st Polish Armoured Division. It later moved to East Linton around May 1943). By the beginning of 1943, there was also a signals squadron and a supply company.
1945 Artillery Training Battery of Artillery Training Centre
TO COMPLETE |
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SCOTTISH POLISH SOCIETY – HADDINGTON BRANCH 1942 A branch of the Scottish-Polish Society was soon formed in Haddington. The following are some examples of the types of educational and social events that were organized. On 1st September 1942, there was a meeting of the Society dedicated to the anniversary of the outbreak of war. A few days later, the 10th Mounted Rifles presented to the Society some 50 books about Poland in English. On 27th October, a “Halloween Party” was organised by the branch – Scottish folk traditions were similar to the Polish “Andrzejki”.
1943 On 8th January, a dance at the Scottish-Polish Society organised in the Polish style. In February, Polish language lessons were organised for the Scots with lessons twice a week. There were 35 participants. On 3rd March, a dance was organised by the branch. On 23rd March, a lecture was given entitled, “The Romance of Old Haddington.”
One diarist of the regiment noted that, during its several months stay at Haddington, the regiment had established a cordial relationship with the local Scottish population, which resulted in the formation of the Scottish-Polish Society with the objective of strengthening the friendship between the two nations, aid for Polish POWs in Germany and deportees in Russia, and cooperation after the return of peace.
The Society organised musical evenings, lectures and other appropriate entertainment for its soldier members, and on the 13th February one of the many lecture evenings was entitled “Poland and its People”. |
10TH MOUNTED RIFLES REGIMENT The 10th Mounted Rifles had an excellent and active regimental choir which had given a number of performances in the Haddington area. The propaganda value of their performances did much to enhance relations between the Scots and Poles. For example, on Tuesday 6th April, the Regimental Choir gave a concert for the Scottish Polish Society. On Saturday, 5th June 1943, the population of Haddington arranged a
ceremonial farewell for the soldiers of the regiment. “To commemorate the stay of such fine soldiers and friends, the town council agreed to install a commemorative plaque on one of the buildings occupied by the Regiment.” (quotation from the Provost’s speech.) The farewell was an expression of the friendship that existed between the Scots and the Poles. The Provost of Haddington, in his speech stated: “The soldiers of the 10th Mounted Rifles regiment were, and are, good ambassadors of their country.”
Picture above is of an Open Field Mass at Haddington on the occasion of the Regimental day – 29th April 1943 (Photo from original collection of Stanisław Czerny)
By 7th June 1943, the first transport of the Regiment departed for its new location, a camp not far from Newmarket in Cambridgeshire. Each departing transport was accompanied by crowds of locals who farewelled the soldiers with tears in their eyes. By 11th June, all of the regiment was now in their new station. |
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Museum Regimental Museum Łańcut Poland (Pol) |
Other external links East Lothian at War (Eng) |
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Created 5 May 2013 |
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PolonicaHaddington.htm |
© Copyright R M Ostrycharz 2013 |