POLONICA IN SCOTLAND A Register of Polonica of the physical manifestations of the Polish presence in Scotland WORLD WAR TWO	COWDENBEATH OUR LADY & ST BRIDES
PICTURE OF OUR LADY OF CZĘSTOCHOWA PRESENTED AS A GIFT BY THE 3RD CADRE RIFLE BRIGADE TO THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN COWDENBEATH IN SCOTLAND Photo Copyright © R Ostrycharz 2004	OBRAZ MATKI BOŻEJ CZĘSTOCHOWSKIEJ OFIAROWANY PRZEZ 3 BRYGADĘ KADROWĄ STRZELCÓW KOŚCIOŁOWI KATOLICKIEM W COWDENBEATH W SZKOCJI Photo from Bóg i Ojczyzna, Wspomnienia kapelana Wojska Polskiego, Ks. Mientki, Franciszek. Instytut Prasy i Wydawnictw „Nov Photo from Bóg i Ojczyzna, Wspomnienia kapelana Wojska Polskiego, Ks. Mientki, Franciszek. Instytut Prasy i Wydawnictw „Novum” Warszawa 1987.
3RD OFFICERS CADRE RIFLE BRIGADE On the 23rd August 1940 an order was given to form the 3rd Officers Cadre Rifle Brigade. It was subordinated to HQ Polish Camps and Units in Scotland.  The first station of the brigade was at Moffat and in command was Maj. Gen. Langner.  Around the time it moved to the Abernethy region (late October 1940) , the cadre brigade had reached a strength of 509 men, of whom 411 were officers.  In early November, the brigade moved to the mining area of Cowdenbeath. On the 11th November 1940, (Polish Independence Day) soldiers of the brigade were able celebrate the occasion with a Mass in the local Roman Catholic Church in Cowdenbeath.	BLESSING OF THE PICTURE OF OUR LADY OF CZĘSTOCHOWA On Sunday 2nd February 1941, the Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh (Archbishop Andrew Thomas McDonald, O.S.B.) performed the solemn dedication. The picture was donated by the Officers Corps to the Roman Catholic Church in Cowdenbeath.  The picture was painted by Corporal Wondraczek of the staff of the 3rd Cadre Rifle Brigade. On 5th March 1941, the 3rd Brigade moved from the Cowdenbeath area to Dunfermline.
	Created 4 May 2013
PolonicaStBrides.htm	© Copyright R M Ostrycharz 2013