To all Poles in the Forum

[Rantanplan]

Please Help Me.

Who are this Guys?

http://www.wiadomosci.tvp.pl/rzeszow/images/2002/08/16/613/img500.jpg

I saw them severel times on polish TV.

Whats the Backround of this Unit?

Why they wear this funny Hats and this Coats?

Is this a WW1, WW2 Tradition?

Thanks woot

[b00n]

I guess their wearing them for the same reason the british palast guards wear these furry hats. but i cant tell you what this reason it :cantbeli:

[Rantanplan]

In this case they would look like this Guy :fork:
http://www.pinakoteka.zascianek.pl/Kossak_W/Images/Szwolezer_w_starciu.jpg

[perdurabo]

this is traditional of our highlanders unit and it's caled "brygada strzelców podhalańskich" (i don't know how to translate -podhalan shooters brigade or smth like that)
górale (highlanders) use normaly huts like this it's their tradition and custom(in civil they are black also they have a coat like this but also black)
normal hut of Polish army is "rogatywka" you can see it on parades
BTW don't try to tell them that it looks funny they are highlanders they think that they ar invincibleble;-) and don't try to drink with them!-they are invicible in this!!!:D
(i'm highlander too but from sudety)

[Herrmannek]

Polish to English dict says that Hala from podhalański means alp so translation would be:
"brigade of underalp shooters"

[perdurabo]

http://www.wne.uw.edu.pl/pracownia_informatyczna/wrylski/odznaki/olszewski/13.jpg
their logo/sign
21 Brygada strzelców Podhalańskich their base is in Radom
they continue tradition from 2WW
they were "made" in france in 1940 under comand og gneSzyszko-Bohusz (counted about 5,000 men moustly highlanders) and send to Narvik were they fight (also Polish Navy fight there and PL destroyer "Grom" sunk there) nex they fight in Bretaigne (?) were unit was destroyed
(Name in Gr: Selbständige Schützenbrigade von Podhale)

[Argo AdAm]

21 Brygada strzelców Podhalańskich their base is in RadomNot Radom but Rzeszów

Main base of 21st BSP is Rzeszów placed near mountains (Bieszczady) where these soldiers can train as a mountain infantry. Part of their training is climbing (similiary in 6th Airborne Brig.), they uses to that rocks and artificial walls. Some of them, mostly instructors, improves their mountain skills in higher mountain - Tatra, which is the only one Alp style mountain range in Poland.
Their hut is not so funny as it may looks from this pic, I think. From the left side of this hut there is an eagle feather, which makes this hut looks pretty cool, IMO of course.
On their patches you can see an edelweiss, well known symbol of mountain infantry.
21st BSP is one of better Polish units. Their soldiers serve in KFOR.

Poland has another mountain unit with a WWII tradition - 22 Brygada Piechoty Górskiej Obrony Terytorialnej ( 22nd Mountain Infantry Territorial Defence Brigade) which was reorganized from the 22nd Mountain Inf. Brig. about 1-2 years ago and now its strength in soldiers and equipment very decreased :(

21st BSP has highlander's hut - "podhalański" (highlander's hut)
22nd BPG-OT has another version of hut - "huculski" (hucul hut). This looks funny.

http://www.wp.mil.pl/auths/67/files/czpodchgal.jpg

BTW: "Highlander" is one of my favorite films/movies... "There can be only one" ;)

[EvanL]

theres a difference between the highlander units in Poland than the real highland units in Britain, Canada, Australia. Highlander is used for regiments with scottish/irish backgrounds. I doubt theres many scots n irish in Poland. :lol:

[[AFSOC]]

yea..i know

Polish Highlanders?? lol

[Herrmannek]

than how you call guys living in mountains, drunking a lot, and stubborn so much you must make for them special unit

[tony6]

gods son: what's so funny about it?

[REMOV]

Whats the Backround of this Unit?They are soldiers from 21st Podhale Rifle Brigade (Podhale is Polish highland region, near Tatra Mountains) or in Polish 21. Brygada Strzelców Podhalanskich.

http://www.strzyzow.pl/wim/maj/album/szar.jpg

http://www.jw2771.mil.pl/photos/galeria1/przysiega05.jpg
http://www.jw2771.mil.pl/photos/galeria1/przysiega03.jpg

The Podhale Rifle Regiments (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th) were formed after 1918 when Poland regained its independence. In 1919 General Andrzej Galica (photo below) organized the first Polish highlanders units in Nowy Targ. During the 1919-39 they were organized in two Divisions - 21st Bielsko Mountain Infantry Division (1st, 3rd and 5th Podhale Rifle Regiments) and 22nd Przemysl Mountain Infantry Division (2nd, 4th and 6th Podhale Rifle Regiments). Those units fought in Silesia and at eastern borders of new Polish state, well, with Ukrainians (the battle of Lvov). Both units were destroyed in September 1939, when your grandfathers gave us a trashing ;)

http://www.bialydunajec.pl/grafika/galica.jpg
Brigade General Andrzej "Jedrus" Galica (1873-1945), father of the Podhale Rifle Brigade

Just after the defeat in September 1939, small groups of Polish soldiers were "leaking" into France in many different ways. It was obviously difficult to get there, since Poland was separated from France by a great block of Germany and their allies. Many soldiers were withdrawn with their units to Hungary and Romania in September 1939, and interned there. Despite these countries were German allies, most of Polish soldiers managed to ran away from internment camps thanks to rather friendly attitude of the local people. Then, they had to travel in secret across Yugoslavia, other Nazi-allied countries, like Italy or Spain, or even Middle East and North Africa. After 1939, the only way to escape from occupied Poland became secret and dangerous crossing of "green borders".

http://www.geocities.com/craigstatham2003/coet.JPG
http://wwii.valkiria.net/teksty/paw1.jpg
http://wwii.valkiria.net/teksty/paw2.jpg

Polish Army in France, 1940.

So, according to the Polish-French and Polish-British agreements (4th January 1940) in France (Coetquidan) were formed and organized Polish units - two Rifle Divisions the 1st Grenadiers Division (1. Dywizja Grenadierów, it fought in the French 20th Corps, since 26 May 1940 in Saar area), 2nd Foot Rifle Division (2. Dywizja Strzelców Pieszych, it fought in the French 45th Corps (Belfort, Maiche, the Doubs and the Saone rivers). Then interned in Switzerland), the Independent Podhale Rifle Brigade (Samodzielna Brygada Strzelców Podhalanskich - SBSP in Polish, but also known uder their French name Brigade Autonome de Chasseurs de Podhale or BACP) and 10th Armoured Cavalry Brigade (10. Brygada Kawalerii Pancernej - due to not entirely finnished organization, the Brigade in fact consisted only of the 1st tank battalion and one motorized dragoons battalion. During 5-day fighting it fought at Champaubert and Montmirail, on 16 June 1940 it carried out a succesfull assault on Montbard. Apart from it, the elements of the 2nd tank battalion fought separately, supporting the French units).

In may 1940 the Independent Podhale Rifle Brigade was sent to fight in Norway (28th May - 8th July 1940) and it fought at Narvik and capturing Ankenes on 28 May 1940. Then evacuated to France (14th July 1940) and it took part in some minor battles in Brittany (Bretagne). Than Brigade was annihilated.

http://www.ziemia-jasielska.gal.pl/040t.gif
Soldiers from 5th Podhale Rifle Regiment AK, summer 1944, occupied Poland

But in September 1944 in occupied Poland, in Podhale (sic!) the 1st and 5th Podhale Rifle Regiment were... re-create as a part of Polish undeground Forces (called Armia Krajowa or AK, so it's full name in Polish was 1. Pułk Strzelców Podhalanskich Armii Krajowej). They liberated several places and fought with Germans. Unit was disbanded in 1945.

http://www.pinkwart.pl/muzyka_i_tatry/WOP.JPG

So, back to history, Podhale Rifle Brigade was re-formed again after the WWII in Poland in 50s, and a little bit re-arranged in 90s.

http://www.polska.lex.pl/prasa/Waga-I_miecz/maj/album/s3.jpg
http://www.polska.lex.pl/prasa/Waga-I_miecz/maj/album/s13.jpg
http://www.polska.lex.pl/prasa/Waga-I_miecz/maj/album/s2.jpg
http://www.polska.lex.pl/prasa/Waga-I_miecz/maj/album/s7.jpg
http://wiadomosci.tvp.pl/rzeszow/images/2003/09/10/5222/img500.jpg
http://www.mbludzm.pl/grafika/strzel.jpg


Why they wear this funny Hats and this Coats? Is this a WW1, WW2 Tradition?Nope, this is Polish Highlanders tradition - the soldiers clothing comes form Highlander's dress.

http://www.wp.mil.pl/auths/67/files/podhalanczyk.jpg
http://www.wp.mil.pl/auths/67/files/czpodchgal.jpg

Like other highlanders (like Scots for example) all over the world our are also rough, stingy, simple short men, very hard to defeated, and dogged as hell :D And also like Scots uses traditional national dress and also have Polish version of bagpipes (Highlanders are strange, aren't they? ;) ).

http://www.pinkwart.pl/muzyka_i_tatry/Stokowski.JPG
http://www.jw2771.mil.pl/photos/galeria2/harnasie01.jpg
http://www.jw2771.mil.pl/photos/galeria2/harnasie02.jpg
http://www.jw2771.mil.pl/photos/galeria2/harnasie03.jpg
http://www.jw2771.mil.pl/photos/galeria2/wierchowianie01.jpg

Soldiers and Highlanders in traditional folk dress

[REMOV]

theres a difference between the highlander units in Poland than the real highland units in Britain, Canada, Australia. Highlander is used for regiments with scottish/irish backgrounds. I doubt theres many scots n irish in Poland. :lol:We have our own Highlanders, no need Scots to make a Highlander units ;) You know in Poland lives also several ethinc groups - Silesians, Highlanders, Kashubs, Tartars - most of them had even own military units in the interwar period.

[Rantanplan]

Thank you Guys :P
That was very informative. woot

[Seoulstriker]

what is the polish name for highlander? gural? guralka?

[Herrmannek]

Yes. Proper orthography góral(male) and góralka(female), ****aunce of ó in polish is the same as u in polish and they are similiar to
good in english.


BTW. What is difference between highlander and mountainer in English

[Deuterium]

My team went to 21st BSP in Rzeszów in 96 to train with them. What a motivated bunch of guys. Great fun. I was very impressed by the officers. Not so much for the NCOs and the enlisted. Poland was just starting to modernize the military and was struggling with the proffesional NCO concept. I hope they worked things out. I'd go back to Rzeszów in a heartbeat, super hosts and super time.

[Herrmannek]

I was very impressed by the officers. Not so much for the NCOs and the enlisted
Yup, what do you want from guys wich completed only elementary or occupation schools :) ? And yes things going better now but it still isn't super.

[Deuterium]

I didn't take too many photos but they took us to a training facility to shoot weapons and also to a mountain camp near the Ukranian border, here are a couple of pics.

http://users.adelphia.net/~jcbcpc/test/rpg.jpg

http://users.adelphia.net/~jcbcpc/test/gps.jpg[/url]

http://users.adelphia.net/~jcbcpc/test/john.jpg

http://users.adelphia.net/~jcbcpc/test/spg.jpg

[Herrmannek]

Nice pics. Very nice indeed.