DISCONTINUED Adalbertus 35007 Żołnierz Piechoty, Francja 1940 (Infantryman France 1940 #1)

After the defeat of the Polish army in the course of the September 1939 campaign, some of the soldiers fighting in it made their way - through various routes - to France, where already in 1939 the formation of the Polish Army in France began, which later became the Polish Armed Forces in the West. Politically, these armed forces were subordinated to the Polish Government in Exile, whose prime minister was General Władysław Sikorski. It is worth adding that he quickly became the Commander-in-Chief, and therefore also the military superior of the Polish Army in France. The first units within the same Army began to be formed in November 1939, and the French side was responsible for their equipment and training (maybe better - training). In total, four infantry divisions were formed (1st Grenadier Division, 2nd Infantry Division, 2nd and 3rd Infantry Division), 10th Armored Cavalry Brigade and two independent brigades: the Independent Carpathian Rifle Brigade (formed in Syria) and the Independent Rifle Brigade Podhale. In the course of the French campaign, these forces totaled about 85,000 people. These units were largely armed by the French side with a considerable delay, sometimes even during the fighting in 1940 - especially the 10th Armored Cavalry Brigade. Despite a certain organizational disorder, the Polish Army took an active part in the French campaign, and the Independent Podhale Rifle Brigade with considerable success participated in the Norwegian campaign in 1940. It is estimated that after the defeat of France in June 1940, about 25,000-30,000 Polish soldiers were evacuated.