Formowanie 1 Dywizji Pancernej w składzie Polskich Sił Zbrojnych W osiemdziesiątą rocznicę wydania rozkazu Naczelnego Wodza o formowaniu 1 Dywizji Pancernej
Forming the 1st Polish Armoured Division of the Polish Armed Forces. On the 80th Anniversary of the Order of the Commander-in-Chief concerning the Formation of the 1st Armoured Division

Summary/Abstract: It has been eighty years since the order that initiated the process of forming the 1st Armoured Division was issued by the then Commander-in-Chief of the Polish Armed Forces, Gen. Władysław Sikorski. The Polish troops that had been evacuated from France to Great Britain in June 1940 constituted a solid foundation that allowed the first armoured division in the history of the Polish Army to be contemplated. During 1940–1941 Polish officers developed their own views on the organizational model of their armoured forces, but they were forced to adopt plans that were put forward by the British. The decisive period regarding the formation of the armoured division was the fall of 1941, when studies concerning the possibility of forming such a tactical association were completed and talks on the subject were initiated with the British. The result of these actions was the order issued by General Sikorski on 25 February 1942. The Commander-in-Chief went ahead with his plans without the approval of the British side, which was faced with a fait accompli, however, the higher British military authorities did not object. The British did however point out that some of the Polish ideas regarding the formation of an armoured division were unrealistic, having insufficient manpower being one such example. The British were also against the idea of transferring the Polish forces, who had escaped via the Soviet Union and were at the time stationed in the Middle East, to the British Isles. Despite the various limitations and challenges, the process of forming the 1st Armoured Division and the process of training its units should be assessed favourably. The key role played by General Stanisław Maczek in the described events should also be noted.

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