Hello Indy and team! What was the overall involvement and impact of the Polish troops that fought in the West after Poland fell to the Germans and Soviets and where did they fight? Were there any notable Polish war heroes that came from these armies in exile? What equipment did they use and who gave it to them? Thanks for all the hard work you guys do and keep it up!
3 Likes
I found these two people to be interesting, particularly Tice. Neither had any Polish ancestry or could speak Polish. They knew how Poles had helped America during the Revolution and wanted to help them back. Tice was nicknamed "Tex" for the way he handled a revolver.
2nd Lieutenant Richard Kresge Tice born 1 July 1922 Newton, Sussex, New Jersey USA. K.I.A 22 September 1944 Driel, Holland, Operation Market Garden, Burial Location Arnhem-Oosterbeek War Cemetery Grave number 34-A-13. Unit 7th Company 3rd Parachute Battalion 1st Polish Independent Parachute Brigade Group. Medal entitlement ordinary Parachute badge No 1669, Combat Parachute Badge, Virtuti Militari 5th Class.
This site Polish Military Mission in Canada during WW2 mentions another American, James Ace Burnham, who was a good friend of Tice’s but washed out from the Polish Paratroops due to a medical condition. (Misspellings/grammer are as they were on the website.)
“One of those recruits was an American by the name of James Ace Burnham. He was from northeast Ohio. James volunteered to serve in the Polish Army tank corps after being rejected y both the RCAF and Polish Air Force…same recruiting doctors rejected him. So he ended up in the tank corps.
James had no Polish connection whatsoever. But he was a young man looking for excitement and adventure. He found a home with the Poles. He trained at Owen Sound. and shipped off to England. In Scotland he trained wit 16 tank brigade. He met another American volunteer in Scotland. Richard Tice. They would become fast friends. In fact Jim would be his best man when Dick wed his Scottish bride Elisabeth. Dick also suggested to Jim that they volunteer for the newly formed Polish parachute Brigade that Colonel Sosabowski had formed.
They both trained and became qualified Polish paratroopers having been issued consecutively numbered para badges #1669 Tice & #1670 Burnham. Richard Tice would go on to become a lieutenant in the brigade and Jim would be discharged for medical complications developed during his service. Jim Burnham also married a Scottish bride and returned to Northeast Ohio. Sadly, Lt Richard Tice would be killed at Arnhem and lies in the cemetery there.
2 Likes