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The Polish Armed Forces in the West refers to the Polish military formations formed to fight alongside the Western Allies against Nazi Germany and its allies. (Other Polish forces were raised within Soviet territories; the Polish Armed Forces in the East). The formations, loyal to the Polish government-in-exile, were first formed in France and its Middle East territories following the defeat and occupation of Poland by Germany and the Soviet Union in September 1939. After the fall of France, the formations were recreated in the United Kingdom. Making a large contribution to the war effort, the Polish military in the West was composed of army, air and naval forces. The Poles soon became shock troops in Allied service, most notably in the Battle of Monte Cassino where the Polish flag was raised on the ruined abbey on May 18, 1944.〔 The forces were finally disbanded in 1947, with many former soldiers choosing to remain in exile rather than to return to communist-controlled Poland. ==General history== After Poland's defeat, the government in exile quickly organized in France a new fighting force originally of about 80,000 men.〔 Their units were subordinate to the French Army. In early 1940 a Polish Highland Brigade took part in the Battles of Narvik in Norway. A Polish Independent Carpathian Brigade was formed in the French Mandate of Syria, to which many Polish troops had escaped from Poland. The Polish Air Force in France comprised 86 aircraft in four squadrons, one and a half of the squadrons being fully operational while the rest were in various stages of training.〔 Two Polish divisions (First Grenadier Division, and Second Infantry Fusiliers Division) took part in the defence of France, while a Polish motorized brigade and two infantry divisions were being formed.〔James Dunnigan, Albert Nofi; ''Dirty Little Secrets of World War Ii: Military Information No One Told You By'', HarperCollins, 1996, ISBN 0-688-12288-4, (Google Print, p.139 )〕 at the height of their power〔Mark Ostrowski. ''To Return To Poland Or Not To Return" - The Dilemma Facing The Polish Armed Forces At The End Of The Second World War.'' (Chapter 1 ) Retrieved on 31 July 2007.〕 At the capitulation of France, General Władysław Sikorski (the Polish commander-in-chief and prime minister) was able to evacuate many Polish troops—probably over 20,000—to the United Kingdom.〔 After initially regrouping in southern Scotland 〔 these Polish ground units (as Polish I Corps, comprising the 1st Independent Rifle Brigade, the 10th Motorised Cavalry Brigade (as infantry) and cadre brigades largely manned by surplus officers at battalion strength) took over responsibility in October 1940 for the defence of the counties of Fife and Angus; this included reinforcing coastal defences that had already been started. I Corps was under the direct command of Scottish Command of the British Army. While in this area the Corps was reorganised and expanded.〔 Meanwhile, Polish fliers had an important role in the Battle of Britain. The opportunity to form another Polish army came in 1941, following an agreement between the Polish government in exile and Joseph Stalin, the Soviets releasing Polish soldiers, civilians and citizens from imprisonment. From these a 75,000-strong army was formed in the USSR under General Władysław Anders (Anders' Army). This army, successively gathered in Bouzoulouk, Samarkand, was later ferried from Krasnovodsk across the Caspian Sea to the Middle East (Iran) where the Polish II Corps was formed.〔〔General Władysław Anders ''Mémoires 1939–1946'', Paris 1948, ed. La Jeune Parque〕 By March 1944, the Polish armed forces in the west fighting under British command numbered 195,000, 165,000 at the end of that year, including about 20,000 personnel in the Polish Air Force and 3,000 in the Polish Navy. At the end of World War II, they were 195,000 strong, and by July 1945 had increased to 228,000, most of the newcomers being released prisoners-of-war and ex-labor-camp inmates. The Polish Armed Forces in the West fought in most Allied operations against the Nazi Germany in Mediterranean and Middle East Theatre and European theatres: the North African campaign, the Italian Campaign (with Battle of Monte Cassino being one of the most notable), the Western European Campaign (from Dieppe Raid and D-Day through Battle of Normandy and latter operations, especially Operation Market Garden).〔 After the German Instrument of Surrender, 1945, Polish troops took part in occupation duties in the Western Allied Occupation Zones in Germany. A Polish town was created: it was first named Lwow, then Maczkow. Polish troops were incorporated into the 1945 top secret contingency plan, Operation Unthinkable, the hypothetical attack on the Soviet Union that would have led to an independent Poland. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Polish Armed Forces in the West」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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