Romance Author - Alinka Zyrmont

My father served as a tank commander with the 1st Polish Armored Division, under the command of General Stanislaw Maczek. On July 31st, they crossed the Channel from Tilbury to Arromanches, fighting their way through France. Maczek had been ordered by Montgomery to close the Falaise gap trapping the escaping Germans "like a cork of a bottle." They mistook their French guide's pronunciation of the word "Chambois" and ended up in "Champeaux," coming face-to-face at a crossroad with an enemy column. The German traffic controller halted his men to allow the Poles through. The Polish regimental commander thought that the Germans had recognized them but pretended not to notice for fear of a direct close-range encounter. Later, they came in contact with vehicles from the 2nd. Panzer Division, which they decimated. Colonel Koszutski now was on his way proceeding six miles south-west towards Chambois.

But on August 7th, the Germans launched a counter-attack in the hopes of destroying the armies that had broken out of the beach head. The 70,000-strong German force was held at Mortain, while the Allied armies made sure they did not emerge from the trap. So on August 15th Maczek's tanks headed towards Falaise to block the Nazi's escape routes. Then headed south to block a second escape route. The third was Chambois, which the Poles captured on August 19th.

It was one of the bloodiest battles of WWII. It was an inferno of death and destruction as the Germans tried to hammer a way through, while the Allies launched salvo after salvo of bombs and shells on to their Seventh Army. But the Poles holding Hill No. 262 (The Mace) were on their own, totally isolated surrounded by the German 1st and 12th Divisions, fighting with the desperation of the doomed. Polish tanks fought German Panzers at close range, but their Shermans, nicknamed "lighters" were no match for their long-range guns. Hand-to-hand combat ensued as the Poles were running out of ammunition. There was no food, water, nor medical supplies. The Americans had dropped badly needed supplies five kilometers away into enemy hands due to bad visibility.

Colonel Koszutski had had no sleep for three nights. They had somehow managed to take 800 German prisoners. They were anxiously awaiting the Canadians and Americans to break through, but they did not arrive. He called his officers to his tent: "Gentlemen, the position is serious; we are completely cut off and surrounded by Germans and they are still fighting. There is no question of surrender. I speak as a Pole. Tonight we die."

On August 20th, early that dreadful morning, he sent my father's tank to seize the tail of The Mace, where the Vimoutiers road ran across it, intending to block it, but then changed his mind when he saw an enemy counter-attack. Too late - the Germans mounted their counter-offensive and five Shermans went up in flame. The 1st Armored Division had held the ring, but in doing so, my father was killed, standing up in his tank looking through his field glasses.

The next day General Maczek accepted an Iron Cross from a German prisoner who had won it five years earlier in the Carpathian battle. 325 Polish bodies, including my father, were put in makeshift graves where they had fallen. When the Royal Canadian Engineers, finally found them, they erected a wooden sign: 'A Polish Battlefield.' It had seen some of the worst carnage of the war.

On August 21st, the day after my father died, the Poles had taken 5,000 prisoners, including a general and 140 officers. The Falaise Pocket had claimed 10,000 lives. The entire German force with their infantry had come down on 1200 Polish soldiers holding Mont Ormel. The determination of these Polish men, and fighting spirit, in Maczek's army were responsible for one of the greatest disasters which the German army suffered in France.

After the battle, the much bruised and battered Polish Division was given six days rest before setting off for Germany. As it pushed forward it liberated Abbeville, St.Omer, Ypres, Passchendaele and Roulers, and managed to relieve the 7th Armoured Divison at Ghent.

From here the Poles linked up with the 1st British Corps and captured Baarle Nassau, Alphen, and liberated Breda. General Maczek earned the undying gratitude of the Dutch, who awarded these men honorary citizenship. Moerdijk, which was heavily fortified fell shortly afterwards. General Maczek was then ordered to hold the Maas. The Poles later doubled back for further operations in Holland but finally marched in to Germany. And on May 6th, this brave Division hoisted the Polish flag over Wilhelmshaven, where Maczek was one of the officers who accepted the surrender of the German forces. His men called him "Baca" (Chief Shepherd) for the care he took with their lives.

Lech Walesa promoted him to full general and conferred upon him the Order of the White Eagle, Poland's highest award. He was also awarded the DSO in 1944. He refused to return to Poland after the war under Stalin's control; as did my step-dad who had served in the Royal Air Force. We chose to go to Argentina rather than return to another dictator's tyranny. For his 80th birthday Prince Bernhard of The Netherlands and the Brabant Symphony Orchestra flew to London for a celebration. General Maczek died at the age of 102, and judging from the old yellowed photos which I have from my father's legacy, he was proud to serve and die under the command of such a great man. And so today, I honor him and all those Allied soldiers buried in France.