Battle-Dress

Battle-Dress is a military field uniform used in the 10th Mounted Rifle Regiment since 1942, when the formation became a part of the 1st Polish Armoured Division led by General S. Maczek. Officially the uniform was introduced in the British Army in 1939 and later adopted by other armies including the Polish Armed Forces in the West. It replaced the Service-Dress created in 1900, as a less restrictive and warmer uniform, which was better suited to be used by drivers. The Polish Armed Forces in Great Britain adopted the British uniform, while adding pre-war emblems, colours and badges – elements indicating their nationality. They also feature Polish ranks and commemorative badges of the units recreated in the Polish Army in France. In case of the 10th Mounted Rifle Regiment, these included green and yellow pennants on the collar with a white line in the middle, as well as a black epaulette on the left shoulder, which was originally a special badge of honour given in 1940 to the soldiers of 10th Armoured Cavalry Brigade by Commander-in-Chief, General Władysław Sikorski for the September Campaign in 1939. Additionally, soldiers wore the “POLAND" patches on the sleeves of Battle-Dresses, which resembled those worn by British troops from dominions and colonies. They confirmed the Polish character of the army. Due to the fact that the regiment was a reconnaissance regiment of the 1st Armoured Division, below the POLAND patch there was a division sign in a form of an escutcheon and a hussar wing. The uniform consisted of a short woollen jacket attached with buttons to the trousers made of the same material. On the trousers there was a large map pocket on the front of the left leg, and an additional special pocket for a personal first aid kit was placed near the right hip on the front side. To prevent the buttons from coming undone, soldiers wore suspenders. The space between the trousers and shoes was covered with fabric uppers, and the uniform was complemented with a sackcloth belt with a metal buckle. The Battle-Dress was worn with a khaki cotton shirt often worn with a sweater and a tie. The described Battle-Dress belonged to the commander of 10 Mounted Rifle Regiment, Major Jerzy Wasilewski. The left pocket features the officer's badge, above the ribbon. Joanna Kluz