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Polish WWI volunteer uniform set IDENTIFIED!


grimble-nibitz
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BigDogMilitaria

As suggested, i will post an thread about the medals i mentioned. If interested, i do have some detailed pictures of each medal posted on my webshots. You can check it out here:

 

http://good-times.webshots.com/album/580723766HdYbKX

 

There was a couple of YMCA pins and several YMCA documents. In regards to the YMCA connection. Apparently Poland was dead broke when the war vs Russia was over. They didnt have the money to send the Americans home, so the YMCA stepped in to assist. The soldiers were said to be in pretty bad shape and needed clean clothes and delousing.

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grimble-nibitz

One wonders why these uniforms are so rare, enough men served, yet in 25 years of dealing I have only seen 3, this being one of them. What happened to them all...did they stay in Poland and get consumed in the conflagration of 1939-45? Or the communist era...??

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They are out there every so often. Being of Polish heritage I've always been on the lookout for Haller's Army stuff. In 25 years of going to shows and such, I estimate I've come across about 10-12 original French or Polish made set-ups and many more of the post-war vet uniforms. The true original ones that were worn in France and Poland are hard to come by because most were used up and discarded overseas and new ones issued before the guys came home so they looked sharp (most of the US contingent returned to the States). The true originals were from soldiers who were wounded early on and sent back before the main group was. I've even come across a tunic that was from a guy sent home early enough that it still had the un-modified French collar and no chest pockets. These modfications were made in the Fall of '18 to make the uniforms look nicer and also create a distinction for the Polish troops. Later uniforms were just made with these already in place so they didn't have to be reworked.

 

After the war many of these guys had replacements made for parades - I remember seeing vets wear these when I was a kid in the 1970's. The Polish Museum in Chicago has a few of these uniforms, both original and the later vet remakes. If you go to shows in heavily Polish areas like Pittsburgh, Chicago and upstate NY you can sometimes get lucky, many people don't know what these are.

 

Now if you want to talk about super-rare, how about finding a French Army Czech Legion uniform! Those look close to the Polish ones but the headgear was the blue chasseur beret and nice scalloped collar patches. I've only seen 1 of these in 25 years of collecting, but the one I did see was a whole complete grouping and was sold with the veteran's son's WW2 grouping as well, complete with a photograph of the 2 posing in the uniforms together!

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Ill do some research over the weekend as my great grandfather commanded a infantry batalion during the Polish-Soviet War and was at the Battle of the Vistula, I have some books on the War.

 

However the eagle on the cap is a 1940's Exile type, can you check the back of it and see if there is a makers mark. Ill try to find some Haller type eagles so you can see the diffrence. But the uniform looks good, theres a few of them around in Polish museums and in private collections in the US.

 

Also, Poland never had a civil war ;-) it was the Russians that had it. However you had Polish legions being formed with the Austrians, Russians and French and in 1917 the Polnische Wehrmacht.

 

Agreed !!

 

The eagle is of WWII exile vintage...I have many examples in my collection as I also collect WWII Polish Exile groupings.

 

I have seen several of these Haller uniforms over the years...they don't pop up too often. I collect WWII so I've never chased any of them down with any fervor. My father's oldest brother served as a cavalry officer in the Polish-Soviet War and was a career soldier. My father served in the Polish Army in the early 1930's and then was called up in 1939 and then fought again with Ander's Army-in-Exile as part of the British 8th Army during the war. Hence my collecting interest.

 

Very nice uniform !!

 

Vic

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  • 4 years later...

I am a big researcher of Haller's Army and it is great to see an engineer uniform instead of the more common infantry ones.

 

mightythor101: green on French WWI uniforms are for the light infantry or rifles branch Their symbol was the hunting horn. Haller's Army infantry units were light infantry or rifles and used green as their color and the horn as their insignia.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi, I am new to this forum. A very nice uniform. Could you be so kind and PM me regarding it? I am unable to PM you since I am new.

Regards,
Adam

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  • 1 year later...
klcoronato67

My great grandfather and 2 of his brothers enlisted to Haller's Army...I've had their enlistment forms for years so it was really great to see the uniform and hear a little more information.

Thanks for the post!

Kelley

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