Organization

Contents

Servicemen1

15/IV 1944 4 139

Actual numbers During Market Garden

Air landing 1 Sea tail
st

2 Sea tail

nd

1 Headquarters, staff Platoons: Plt. of Military Police Plt. of Staff security Plt. of Healthcare Squad of Intelligence Military field court Field postal office

2 Brigade commander: General Stanislaw Sosabowski Second in Command: Lieutenant-Colonel Stanislaw Jachnik Chief of staff: Major Ryszard Malaskiewicz Operational officers: Captain Jan Lorys, Captain Wladyslaw Stasiak Quartermaster: Lieutenant-Colonel Marcin Rotter. Officer of airforce communication: Lieutenant Jerzy Dyrda Aide-de-camp: Lieutenant Tadeusz Sieczkowski Pastoral chief: priest Captain Franczisek Mientki Commander of the Military Police platoon: 2nd Lieutenant Ignacy Zajac Chief medical officer: Major dr. Jan Golba

3 161 128

5 1054

6 40

7 64

In total 8 209

Equipment and armament 9 79 revolvers 30 rifles 82 SMGs 3 Bren LMGs 2 PIAT 4 trucks 2 field cars 7 Willys jeeps 6 motorcycles 17 bicycles

Translated from Polish to English by Alexander Kawczynski: http://anatolisgameroom.blogspot.com

Document provided by Andrew Parkes

Organization

Contents

Servicemen1

15/IV 1944 4 437

Actual numbers During Market Garden

Air landing 1 Sea tail
st

2 Sea tail

nd

1 1st Parachute Battalion Command company Platoons: Supply, communication and heavy weapons. +3 rifle companies Each with 3 platoons. Each platoon with 3 teams.

2 Battalion commander: Marian Tonn Command company: Lieutenant Mieczyslaw Jenner 1st company: Captain Jerzy Bernatzik 2nd company: Lieutenant Jan Pic 3rd company: Lieutenant Zbigniew Ziemski

3 613 565

5 353

6 15

7 24

In total 8 392

Equipment and armament 9 60 revolvers 600 rifles and SMGs 27 Bren LMGs 18 PIAT 6 3 mortars 27 2 mortars 10 radio nr 18 5 radio nr 22 45 radio nr 36 5 trucks 10 Willys jeeps 5 motorcycles 20 bicycles

Translated from Polish to English by Alexander Kawczynski: http://anatolisgameroom.blogspot.com

Document provided by Andrew Parkes

Actual numbers Organization Contents Servicemen1 15/IV 1944 4 468 During Market Garden
Air landing 1 Sea tail
st

2 Sea tail

nd

1 2nd Parachute Battalion Identical to 1st battalion

2 Battalion commander: Major Waczlaw Plosewski Command company: Captain Wladyslaw Hojnor 1st company: Captain Henryk Obarski 2nd company: Captain Marian Pobozniak 3rd company: Captain Stefan Malanek

3 613 565

5 351

6 17

7 27

In total 8 395

Equipment and armament 9 Identical to 1st battalion

3 Parachute Battalion Identical to 1st battalion

rd

Battalion commander: Captain Waczlaw Sobocinski Command company: Lieutenant Stanislaw Slesicki 1st company: Captain Wladyslaw Parylak 2nd company: Lieutenant Albert Smaczny Pobozniak 3rd company: Captain Ignacy Gazurek

613 565

480

374

12

20

406 Identical to 1st battalion

Translated from Polish to English by Alexander Kawczynski: http://anatolisgameroom.blogspot.com

Document provided by Andrew Parkes

Organization

Contents

Servicemen1

15/IV 1944 4 138

Actual numbers During Market Garden

Air landing 1 Sea tail
st

2 Sea tail

nd

1 Parachute Light artillery division Division command

2 Division commander: Captain Jan Bielecki 1st Battery: Lieutenant Wladyslaw Kozak 2nd Battery: Lieutenant Stanislaw Staron

3 138 138

5 4

6 12

7 120

In total 8 136

Equipment and armament 9 30 revolvers 60 rifles 60 SMGs 5 Bren LMGs 3 PIAT 8 75mm US pack howitzers 1600 artillery rounds 7 radios 28 Willys jeeps 13 motorcycles ----------------------------24 revolvers 140 SMGs 10 Bren LMGs 16 6-punder AT guns (of which only 15 took part in the fighting) 1600 artillery rounds 5 radio nr 18 20 radio nr 36 42 Willys jeep 10 motorcycles

Communications platoon 2 Batteries with 4 guns each

---------------------------Parachute Anti-tank gun division Division command

---------------------------------------------------------Division commander: Captain Jan Wardzala 1st Battery: Liuetenant Tadeusz Lang 2nd Battery: Liuetenant Jerzy Halpert

----------------161 161

--------140

-----------133

----------4

--------5

-------142

Communications platoon 4 batteries with 4 guns each

3rd Battery: Liuetenant Mieczyslaw Mikulski 4 Battery: th

Translated from Polish to English by Alexander Kawczynski: http://anatolisgameroom.blogspot.com

Document provided by Andrew Parkes

Actual numbers Organization Contents Servicemen1 15/IV 1944 4 147 During Market Garden
Air landing 1 Sea tail
st

2 Sea tail

nd

1 Parachute Sapper company 2 officer patrols 3 platoons, each with 3 teams.

2 Company commander: Captain Piotr Budziszewski

3 173 167

5 133

6 8

7 5

In total 8 146

Equipment and armament 9 25 revolvers 170 SMGs 9 Bren LMGs 9 PIAT 500 anti-tank mines + explosives 5 trucks 6 Willys jeep 12 motorcycles 6 rubber raft 20 revolvers 30 rifles 80 SMGs 4 trucks 5 Willys jeep 6 motorcycles 10 bicycles Platoon A 4 radio nr 9 12 radio n 22 Platoon J 8 radio nr 18 12 radio nr 22 Platoon C 12 phones

Parachute communication company Command platoon Platoon A communication with high command Platoon J with Brigade units Platoon C - with HQ Platoon D runners with motorcycles and bikes

Company commander: Captain Jozef Burzawa

117 110

117

93

108

Translated from Polish to English by Alexander Kawczynski: http://anatolisgameroom.blogspot.com

Document provided by Andrew Parkes

Actual numbers Organization Contents Servicemen1 15/IV 1944 4 114 During Market Garden
Air landing 1 Sea tail
st

2 Sea tail

nd

1 Parachute supply company Supply platoon Transport platoon Repair/mechanical platoon Airdrop supply platoon

2 Company commander: Captain Piotr Budziszewski

3 155 65

5 43

6 69

7 42

In total 8 154

Equipment and armament 9 15 revolvers 50 rifles 60 SMGs 28 trucks 10 Willys jeep 7 motorcycles 10 bicycles 11 revolvers Medical sets Surgical sets, with blood transfusion equipment 8 ambulances 4 trucks 6 Willys jeep 12 motorcycles 18 bicycles

Parachute field hospital company 3 medical teams 2 surgical teams

Company commander: Lieutenant dr. Janusz Mozdierz

122 113

122

90

16

17

123

Translated from Polish to English by Alexander Kawczynski: http://anatolisgameroom.blogspot.com

Document provided by Andrew Parkes

Actual numbers 1st Independent Polish Parachute Brigade Servicemen1 15/IV 1944 2302 171 During Market Garden
Air landing 1 Sea tail
st

2 Sea tail

nd

2866 2577 Off- duty reserves General notes about the manpower of brigade
1

1679

199

333

In total 2211 171

) The numbers show the general state as well as the number of parachutists
th th

Medical transports joined up with the main force on September 24 , the rest of the medical unit on the 27
nd

The 2 group taking part in the so called sea tail never joined up with the main force during the fighting in Holland. The brigade was also joined by 2 war correspondents, Lance Corporal Eugeniusz Romiszewski and Lance Corporal Marek Swiecicki, and two officers who volunteered before the battle; Captain Julian Gebolys and Lieutenant Jan Kaminski. Regarding the battalion weapons and equipment in the roster Battalions had, beside their standard equipment, also had 3 heavy machineguns per battalion. Depending on the combat situation they could be taken into the field. During the action outside of Arnhem all three parachute battalions exchanged 3 of their 3 mortars for 3 HMGs because of the intended d efense of the bridgehead. The number of rifles and SMGs for the parachute battalions isnt specified since the battalions were authorized to exchange any number of rifles for SMGs (and the other way around) depending on the combat situation and mission. The amount of small arms ammunition and hand grenades was not limited by any number. In the combat outside of Arnhem, all soldiers were equipped with 2 defensive grenades. The number of trucks is higher than it might have been, since it isnt completely certain. Different sources state different numbers, but the difference between them is small. Translators note about spelling of Polish names: All Polish names are written with regular letters because my keyboard lacks the Polish letters. See attached original document for the proper Polish spelling of all names.

Translated from Polish to English by Alexander Kawczynski: http://anatolisgameroom.blogspot.com

Document provided by Andrew Parkes

Translated from Polish to English by Alexander Kawczynski: http://anatolisgameroom.blogspot.com

Document provided by Andrew Parkes

Translated from Polish to English by Alexander Kawczynski: http://anatolisgameroom.blogspot.com

Document provided by Andrew Parkes