Photograph

Communications Company 390 was a mixed one, composed of male and female soldiers. Halina joined it as a volunteer of the Women's Auxiliary Service [Polish: Pomocnicza Służba Kobiet], a formation established by Gen. Władysław Anders during the formation of the Polish Armed Forces in the USSR. In 1944, the PSK was included in the 2nd Polish Corps fighting in Italy. It was dissolved in 1946. From the abbreviation of the Polish name of the formation, women serving in it were colloquially referred to as 'pestka' ['pip']. The PSK numbered about 7,000 volunteers at its peak.