POLISH FORCES IN SCOTLAND
during and after World War Two
SPECIAL TOPICS
LOCATIONS: POLISH ARMY IN SCOTLAND
Introduction
The four tables below indicate some of the locations in Scotland where units and formations of the Polish Army in Scotland were based between 1940 and 1945.
Four different dates are covered:-
Tables
Table 1
I Polish Corps: unit/formation locations on 1st February 1941
During and after the War the Polish Army was quartered in different areas of Scotland. Initially it was based in camps located south-east of Glasgow. (see OB for August 1940) but in October 1940 moved to the east coast of Scotland, to Fife, Angus and Perthshire.
Table 1a
I Polish Corps and other unit/formation locations on 15th January 1942
Polish troops were located in the same counties as in February 1941.
The Cadre Rifle Brigades had been converted into two officer training battalions whilst the 4th Cadre Rifle Bde was renamed 1st Para Bde. The 1st Tank Regiment expanded into the 16th Tank Bde, with three tank battalions and services. A Corps Machine-Gun Battalion was formed. The artillery of the 1st and 10th Brigades was expanded into an artillery regiment within each of the brigades.
With the order to form the 1st Polish Armd Div in February 1942, and the subsequent move of units which formed part of the Division in April 1942, Table 2 below shows the impact of these changes.
Table 2
Polish Army in Scotland by the beginning of 1943 units/formations (battalion and above)
Major changes were made in the locations of the Polish Forces in Scotland in 1942 and by the beginning of 1943 their locations are shown in this table.
Table 3
Polish formations and units (battalion and above) based in Scotland on 25th November 1944
With the 1st Polish Armoured Division fighting in Europe the Polish Army in Scotland still retained a number of units/formations based in Scotland.
Table 4
Polish Army in Scotland as of 1st April 1945.
Polish formations and units (only battalion-sized or equivalent and above, incl Trg Centres) (listed in alphabetic order by location).
These tables may be regarded as 'snap-shots' of the geographical distribution of the Polish Army in Scotland. Between these dates troop transfers occurred and Polish Army units would be relocated. Not all locations are listed in the tables but the extent of the friendly "Polish Invasion" of the cities, towns and villages of Scotland is revealed.
Today, scattered throughout Scotland iin places where Polish Army units had been based are numbers of memorials, tableaux and plaques and other "souvenirs" left by Polish troops - very often as a 'thank you' for the hospitality and friendship they received from their Scottish hosts.
During the war many Scottish cities, towns and villages became very accustomed to seeing Polish soldiers with their distinctive POLAND shoulder flash. Several of the Polish Army units based in Scotland adopted unit badges which included a Scottish motif. Some Scottish towns and Scots presented standards to Polish units.
With the demobilising of the Polish Army through the Polish Resettlement Corps commencing in 1946 and the return of the 2nd Polish Corps from Italy, many other camps were set up, particularly in England, to house the returning troops.
Note
In the intervening period since the end of the war in Europe and by the summer of 1946, further major relocations took place of the Polish Army in Scotland. Many units of the 4th Infantry Division and the 16th Independent Tank Brigade were moved away from the central belt of Scotland to the north of Scotland, to the counties of Caithness, Nairn, Ross and Cromarty, Inverness, Banff, Moray and Aberdeenshire.
February 1941
Location of units (organized by types) of the I Polish Army Corps in Scotland on 1st February 1941 (minor units and establishments excluded).
Principal counties where Polish troops were located at this time: Angus, Fife and Perthshire.
Unit/Formation
Location area
Corps
HQ I Polish Army Corps
near Bridge of Earn
Infantry
1st Rifle Bde
Cupar (Infantry Battalions based at Cupar, St Andrews and Tentsmuir)
3rd Cadre Rifle Bde (Btl)
Cowdenbeath
4th Cadre Rifle Bde (Btl)
Leven
5th Cadre Rifle Bde (Btl)
Broughty Ferry
7th Cadre Rifle Bde Detachment
Kirkcaldy
7th Cadre Rifle Bde (Btl)
Dunfermline
10th Armd Cav Bde
Forfar (Regiments based at Arbroath, Buddon Camp and Forfar)
Tank/A-Tk Units
1st Tank Rgt
Blairgowrie
two A-Tk companies
Dairsie or Osnaburgh and Arbroath
armoured train group
Perth
Recce Units
Corps Recce Group
Perth
two recce dtchmts
Ceres and Forfar
Artillery/A-A Art Units
medium artillery group
Dundee
two field artillery battalions
St Andrews and Glamis
three A-A artillery companies
Burrelton and Coupar Angus
Engineer Units
engineer battalion
Dundee
two engineer companies
Tayport and Carnoustie
Signals Units
three signals companies
Springfield, Fife; Forfar and Bridge of Earn
Training Centres
Central Trg Camp HQ
Alyth
Specialist Troops Centres
Blairgowrie, Dundee, Dunfermline, Alyth-Meigle, Alyth and Coupar-Angus
Officer's Camp
Rothesay
Clearing Office
Abernethy
three motor transport companies
Ladybank, Kirriemuir and Blairgowrie
January 1942
Location of units (organized under their higher formation) of the I Polish Army Corps in Scotland in January 1942 A number of training establishments existed, but these are not shown, as are minor units.
Principal counties where Polish troops were located at this time: Angus, Fife and Perthshire.
ADV GHQ
Perth, south west of
HQ I ARMY CORPS
Bridge of Earn
HQ 1ST RIFLE BDE
Cupar
1st Ind Bde Recce Gp
Ceres, Fife
1st Rifle Bn
Cupar
2nd Rifle Bn
Tentsmuir
3rd Rifle Bn
St Andrews
HQ 1st Fd Arty Regt
St Andrews, Batteries at St Andrews and Newport
1 Lt AA Bty
Kelty
1st A Tk Bty
Newburgh
1st Indep Bde Gp Sigs Coy
Springfield
1st Engr Coy
Tayport, Westmuir
1st Bde Ord Wksp
Kingskettle
1st Bde Train
Ladybank
1st Fd Amb
[to be added]
HQ 10TH ARMD CAV BDE
Forfar
10 Bde Recce Coy
Forfar
10th Mtd Rifles Regt
Arbroath
Bn of the 14th Lancers Regt
Brechin
24th Lancers Regt
Montrose
10 Fd Arty Regt
Arbroath, Troops at Marykirk; Inverarity, west of
HQ 16th Fd Arty Bty
Glamis
10 Lt AA Bty
Cowdenbeath
10th A Tk Bty
Friockheim
10th Indep Bde Gp Sigs Sqn
Forfar
10th Engr Coy
Carnoustie
10th Bde Train
Letham
10th Bde Ord Wksp
Forfar
10 Fd Amb
Forfar, near
HQ 16TH TANK BDE
Blairgowrie
65 Tk Bn
Blairgowrie
66 Tk Bn
Rattray
67 Tk Bn
Alyth
16 Indep Bde Gp Sigs
Alyth
16 Sply Coy
Alyth
HQ 1 PARA BDE
Leven
1 Para Bn
Largo
2 Para Bn
Elie
HQ TRAINING BDE
Broughty Ferry
1 Offrs Trg Bn
Dunfermline
2 Offrs Trg Bn
Dundee
Corps Units
1st Recce Bn
Perth
HQ 1st Med Arty Regt
Coupar Angus, other elements at Meigle; Kinrossie; Burrelton
1 Med AA Arty Bty
Cowdenbeath, elts in Dundee
HQ 1 MG Bn
Newport, Companies at Dairsie, Tentsmuir, Arboath and Ferryden
11 Corps Sigs Coy
Bridge of Earn
11 Corps Engr Coy
Buddon Camp
11 Corps Fd Pk Coy
Buddon Camp
11 Fd Amb
Kenmore
11 Wksp Coy
New Scone
1 MAC
Newburgh
HQ 4 Armd Tr Gp
Perth
Armd Train No 10 "J" "Warszawa"
Stirling
Armd Train No 11 "L" "Wilno"
Aberdeen
Armd Train No 12"K" "Krakow"
Longniddry
HQ 1st 2nd, 3rd Armd Train Gps
Various locations in England
Mil Hosp No 1
Kenmore
Mil Hosp No 2 "SEFA"
Perth, south of
Central Officers Depot
Rothesay
January 1943
By the beginning of 1943 formations and units (approx.battalion and above) of the Polish Army in Scotland were located as follows (in alphabetic order of location). Principal counties where Polish troops were located:
Principal counties where Polish troops were located in January 1943:
Berwickshire, Clackmannanshire, East Lothian, Fife, Midlothian, Perthshire, Roxburghshire, Selkirkshire, Stirling.
NOTE: Units of the 1st Polish Armoured Division are shown below in red.
Plotting on a map the territory of the Division shows a split into a northern and southern group.
MAJOR HEADQUARTERS are shown in BLOCK CAPITALS.
In the case of 1st Polish Armd Div there were a number of its smaller company/squadron sized units
located in Chirnside, Dalkeith, Galashiels, Gosford, Haddington, Melrose, Musselburgh, Newton, Ormiston and Sunlaws.
Unit/Formation
Location area
1st Mot Arty Regt
Aberlady
1st A/Tk Regt
Aberlady
HQ 1ST INDEP RIFLE BDE
Alloa
One infantry battalion and a recce unit
Bridge of Allan
elements of a medium artillery regiment
Clackmannan
1st Armd Car Regt
Dalkeith
One rifle battalion
Dunfermline
16th Motor Bn
Duns
1st Armd Regt
Duns area
2nd Armd Regt
Duns area
14th Armd Cavalry Regiment
Earlston and area
2nd Para Bn
Elie area
4th Para Bn
Elie area
3rd Para Bn
Falkland
HQ 10TH ARMD CAV BDE
Galashiels
24th Lancers Regt (less a Sqn)
Galashiels
10th Dragoons Bn
Galashiels
1st Sqn of 14th Armd Cav Regt
Greenlaw
1st Lt AA Arty Regt
Gullane
10th Mounted Rifles
Haddington
HQ SUPPORT GP
Haddington
HQ 16TH TANK BDE
Kelso
3rd Armd Regt
Kelso
One medium artillery regiment
Kincardine
HQ TERRITORIAL UNITS
Kirkcaldy
1st Para Bn (-)
Largo
3rd Sqn of 24th Lancers Regt
Lauder
HQ 1ST PARA BDE
Leven
HQ 1ST ARMD DIV
Melrose
ADV FD HQ C-IN-C
Perth, south-west of
Two Military Hospitals
Perthshire
HQ I ARMOURED MOTORISED CORPS
Stenhousemuir, near
One field artillery regiment and one infantry battalion
Tillicoultry
1st Rifle Bn/Support Gp
West Garleton
Table 3
Late November 1944
Polish formations/units (only battalion and above) based in Scotland in late November 1944 (listed in alphabetic order by location). There were many other Polish Army establishments, training centres and small units located in Scotland. The 1st Polish Armoured Division was on the Continent at this time and the 1st Indep Para Bde in England.
Principal counties where Polish troops were located: Berwickshire, Selkirkshire, Perthshire, City of Edinburgh, Stirlingshire
Location area
training battalion
Crieff
motorised artillery regiment and one battalion of an armoured anti-tank regiment
Duns
16th Tank Bde, one Tank Rgt and 14th Armoured Cavalry Regiment)
Earlston
HQ Polish Forces in Gt Britain
Edinburgh
HQ I Polish Corps
Falkirk
9th Lancers Rgt
Galashiels
reserve battalion
Gilmerton, near Crieff
HQ Grenadier Bde and one grenadier battalion
Kelso
Armoured Grenadier Division and one battalion of an AA-artillery regiment
Melrose
grenadier battalion
Selkirk
Table 4
April 1945
Polish formations/units (only battalion sized or equivalent and above, incl Trg Centres) based in Scotland in April 1945
(listed in alphabetic order by location). Counties where Polish troops were located:
Aberdeenshire, Angus, Ayrshire, City of Edinburgh, City of Glasgow, Clackmannanshire, East Lothian, Fife, Kincardineshire, Kinross-shire, Morayshire, Perthshire, Roxburghshire, Stirling, West Lothian
Location areas
Inf Btl
Alva
Gren Btl
Alyth
Sigs Btl
Arbroath
Inf Btl
Banchory, Kincardineshire
1st Grenadier Bde
Blairgowrie, Coupar Angus
8th Infantry Bde, 9th Lancers, and one Inf Btl
Bridge of Allan
4th Infantry Div (and numerous divisional units)
Broughty Ferry
Inf Trg Centre HQ
Crieff
2nd Infantry Bde
Culter, Aberdeenshire
Ordnance Trg Centre
Dalkeith
Hvy MG Btl
Dunblane
Rear Services Trg Centre
Dunfermline
Lt Art Rgt (mot) and Fd Art Rgt
Duns vicinity
Mil Hosp
Dupplin Castle (5m SW Perth)
14th Lancers Armd Rgt
Earlston
HQ Pol Units in Gt Britain (JWWB) and numerous military administration offices and establishments; Mil Pol units
Edinburgh
Para Bde Rsvr Depot
Elie, Fife
HQ I Corps and a number of Corps units, Trg Centres, Sigs Btl
Falkirk
Gren Btl
Fordoun, Kincardineshire
Gren Btl
Forfar
Inf Btl
Forres
Lt Art Rgt, 9 Lancers Recce Rgt
Galashiels
Art Trg Centre
Haddington
A-Tk Art Rgt
Hawick
Inf Btl
Invergordon
Inf Btl
Inverurie, Aberdeenshire
Engr Trg Centre
Irvine
16th Armoured Bde, Armd Rgt and other brigade units
Kelso
Signals Trg Centre
Kinross
two training centres
Kirkcaldy
Parachute Bde Gp HQ Depot
Leven, Fife
Medical Services Trg Centre
Monkton, Ayrshire
elt Lt AA Art Rgt
Newport, Fife
Reception and Transit Camp
Polkemmet, nr Whitburn
A-Tk Art Rgt
Rosemarkie, Ross and Cromarty
Fd Art Rgt
Selkirk
Inf Btl
Stonehaven
Mil Hosp
Taymouth Castle, nr Kenmore
Inf Btl and a Fd Art Rgt
Tillicoultry
Fd Art Rgt
Walkerburn, Peebles-shire
last modified 23 Jan 2014
Locations.htm
© Copyright R M Ostrycharz 2001