Wladyslaw Anders was born in Blonie, a village about 100 miles west of Warsaw.
During World War I he served in the 1st Squadron of the 1st Krechowiecki Lancers
Regiment in the Tsar's army. After the war he was apppointed leader of the 15th
Poznanski Lancer's Regiment in the newly formed Polish army - a regiment he led
into battle during the Polish-Soviet war of 1919. He rose to the rank of General.
When Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939, the Novogrodek Cavalry
Brigade under General Anders' comm fought at Lidzbark. The Germans were so
overwhelming in men and materiel that Anders had towithdraw.He was shot twice
but continued to lead his men to safety. Within days, the Soviets invaded eastern
Poland. Anders was captured by He survived the most notorious prison at Lubyanka
for two years.
The tide changed when the Nazis invaded Russia. A Soviet-Polish agreement was made which allowed for the
formation of a Polish army on Soviet territory. Anders was hastily released from prison and named Commanding
General of the new army.; Poles who had been deported when the Red Army invaded eastern Poland were interned
in labor camps and concentration camps throughout Russia. Now they were being released to join the new army.
Along with them were thousands of Polish civilians who followed the army in order to survive. When the Polish troops
were all assembled for inspection, General Anders was shocked and visibly moved to see that they wereall severely
emaciated and starving, dressed in rags and no shoes. But each and every one stood at attention proud of their rank and
the ability to serve again.
Anders knew first hand the lengths of Soviet deception and tried to warn the Churchill but to no avail.; The decisions
taken at Yalta were irreversible.; It was a betrayal of Poland's confidence in its Allies, and sealed Poland's fate for the next
50 years. When World War II came to an end, the Polish soldiers who had fought so bravely on the side of the Allies found
themselves homeless, and stateless.They suddenly became pariahs - unwanted by the British government nor by the
British people. Despite the Allied victory, the British government was adamantthat Poles never again speak of the war,
so great was their fear of offending the Soviet Ally .
The Grand Victory Parade held in London on June 8, 1946, was a celebration of all the nations who fought against the
Nazis. .Every country was represented.but the II Polish Corps was not invited.
In the United States, the Commanding General of American Forces in the Mediterranean, General Lee, introduced
a bill to the US Congress calling for special emigration rights to the men of the II Polish Corps and their families, and
granting American citizenship to those who can't return to Poland. The Bill was killed by Secretary of State Dean Acheson.
In Communist Poland, the popular song about the II Polish Corps, The Red Poppies of Monte Cassino was banned.
Many Polish servicemen emigrated to the US, Canada, and Australia.; Other remained in England.. General
Anders lived the rest of his life in England, but never applied for British citizenship. He died on May 12, 1970,
and at his request was buried with his men at the Polish Cemetary at Monte Cassino.
