Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Armies in Italy
to the Polish Corps after the victory at Monte Cassino
Decorating Gen. Anders with the Order of the Bath
( in front of the 2nd Corpus troops )
In the name of His Majesty George VI, King of Great Britain, I confer on you the Order of the
Bath.....By conferring on General Anders the Order of the Bath, my Sovereign has
decorated the Commander of the II Army Corps for his excellent leadership, and also by it
expressed his appreciation for the extreme gallantry and great spirit of self-sacrifice shown
by the Polish soldiers during the battle of Monte Cassino. It was a day of great glory for Poland,
when you took this stronghold the Germans themselves considered to be impregnable; It was
the first state of a major battle that you went through for the European fortress It is not merely a
brilliant beginning;it is a signpost showing the way to the future. Today I can sincerely and
frankly tell you that, Soldiers of the II Polish Corps, if it had been given to me to choose the
soldiers I would like to command, I would have chosen the Poles. I pay may tribute to you.