Quest for Freedom

This new production by well-known authors Jack Didden and Maarten Swarts follows the principles of their previous books, such as ‘Autum Gale’ and ‘The Army that got away’, which have been sold worldwide to great acclaim. Key¬words of their books are: exciting stories, loads of photo¬graphs and accurate maps, everything based on in-depth research. This new book narrates and analyses the history of the 1st Polish Armoured Division from its prewar be¬ginnings until its demobilisation in 1946. The book focuses on the major battles, starting in Normandy, culminating in the battles on Mont Ormel where the division stood in the path of the German army fleeing the trap around Falaise. The division then followed the retreating Germans through northern France, into Belgium and The Nether¬lands as far as the banks of the Scheldt estuary. The advan¬ce was renewed in The Netherlands, ending at Moerdijk on 9 November 1944. The winter period was one of recovery, but also of intense patrolling with the bloody struggle at Kapelsche Veer as its lowest point. From early April 1945 until VE Day the division fought against desperate Ger¬man rearguards, often naval soldiers under the umbrella of Fallschirmjäger units, until it captured Wilhelmshaven, home of the German navy. All too often the role of the 1st Polish Armoured Division has been neglected in books about the war in the West in 1944 and 1945. Now this is finally rectified. Moreover, this book also pays great at¬tention to the German opponents with some interesting outcomes, especially for the battles fought in 1945. It is a must have for anyone interested in the war in the West.

It is the first English language edition that covers the exploits of the Polish division in great textual and visual detail. Both military enthusiasts and descendants of the Polish soldiers in the division are able to follow the actions during the long campaign. That is why the book has 110 full-colour maps which accurately show the operations day by day. The text is supplemented by nearly 600 photographs, many of them never published before. It also contains the stories of four individual soldiers, the awards handed out as well as appendices listing all the major units, their commanding officers and a brief history of General Maczek himself.