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Richard K. Tice, 1st Polish Airborne Brigade


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  • 1 month later...

Controversial? Why? Amazing story. A Yank who wanted to get into the fight anyway he could. Never heard before of Americans with the WWII Polish forces.

R.I.P Lt Tice. Bobgee

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Life is not black-white but full of grey shades. Thing presented here is the same.

 

Why Richard K. Tice presence and death in the Polish 1st Independent Parachute Brigade have two versions -- official and unofficial? Why nobody in the USA is going to research it in both the US and Polish (London-based) archives and documents? Why nobody from the USA discuss about it with the Polish researchers of that Polish Brigade?

 

How and why three uniformed US Army servicemen of various ranks (Richard K. Tice among them) joined the Polish 1st Independent Parachute Brigade? How come it took place? Were they delegated by the US military to poorly organized and poorly commanded foreign unit? No. Was the US Army looking for new experience, new know-how in the airborne unit organized in total isolation from the Polish and Allied glider pilots and the other experts of transport aviation? No.

 

Can the history have two versions?

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Life is not black-white but full of grey shades. Thing presented here is the same.

 

Why Richard K. Tice presence and death in the Polish 1st Independent Parachute Brigade have two versions -- official and unofficial? Why nobody in the USA is going to research it in both the US and Polish (London-based) archives and documents? Why nobody from the USA discuss about it with the Polish researchers of that Polish Brigade?

 

How and why three uniformed US Army servicemen of various ranks (Richard K. Tice among them) joined the Polish 1st Independent Parachute Brigade? How come it took place? Were they delegated by the US military to poorly organized and poorly commanded foreign unit? No. Was the US Army looking for new experience, new know-how in the airborne unit organized in total isolation from the Polish and Allied glider pilots and the other experts of transport aviation? No.

 

Can the history have two versions?

 

You are so right on many points here. There is the way it's "supposed to be" and the way it actually was so often. I often wonder why so many collectors have trouble wrapping their heads around the shades of gray in collecting U.S. material. That's really a big part of the fun for me. I know this was a real problem for T.R. collectors rolling into U.S. stuff in years passed. Not even the black light can save you in some cases! Thanks for sharing this "who'd a thunk it" post!

 

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:)

 

The American-Polish military relations of WWII era are very interesting but -- unfortunately -- too many times composed of understatements, half-truths, quarter-truths or conflicts between Normandy vets as in the case of the US 90th ID and Polish 1st AD. Sad but true.

 

• Anybody in the USA researched why such a fighter ace as Witold Urbanowicz (PAF) fought in the USAAFꞌs Flying Tigers?

 

• Anybody in the USA researched why such a fighter ace as Bolesław Gładych (PAF) fought in the USAAFꞌs 61st FS not being the US citizen, not being the USAAF member, not being delegated to the USAAF by the Polish military authorities? This would be an ideal story for good movie including Gładychꞌs postwar adventures and his life when he had the US citizenship.

 

• Anybody in the USA researched Brig. Gen. Sosabowskiꞌs relations with the USAAF I TCC?

 

• Anybody in the USA researched common training of the US 101st Abn pathfinders and above mentioned Polish 1st IPB pathfinders?

 

• Warnham Court -- anybody in the USA researched very close cooperation between two elite units, the US OSS and Polish SKG?

 

• Operation Bardsea (and the other Jedburgh threads) -- anybody in the USA researched the American-Polish cooperation?

 

• SAARF -- anybody in the USA researched American-Polish cooperation?

 

• Normandy -- anybody in the USA researched why vets of the Polish 1st Armoured Division do not like Cpt. Laughlin E. Waters, a vet of the US 90th ID?

 

 

Etc., etc., etc. Long to talk. Two friendly nations and states but knowledge about it not impressive.

 

Giant subject of underresearched or never researched American-Polish relations and cooperation during WWII.

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Literally was just reading about him last night in Antony Beevors Arnhem book....its a great read.

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Very good!

 

Richard is an iconic person also in the circles of the Polish reenactors of the Polish 1st Independent Parachute Brigade.

 

:)

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  • 2 weeks later...
Glidertrooper

The following may be of interest to this thread:

 

Podporucznik (2nd Lieutenant) Richard TICE of I.Korpus (1st Corps) was awarded Polish Parachute Badge no. 1669. No Combat Wreath number is shown, likely due to none having been awarded due to TICE's KIA status, although having made a combat landing for Operation Market Garden he was entitled (some Polish paratroopers were delivered by glider due to a shortage of planes to drop them - command of 1.Samodzielna Brygada Spadochronowa (1.SBS / 1.Polish Independent Parachute Brigade) ordered that although paratroopers had been forced to arrive via glider, they had still made a 'combat landing' and therefore were entitled to the grant of a Combat Wreath to be added to their Parachute Badges).

 

Private James BURNHAM (the newspaper article gives his name as 'Burnside') of I.Korpus (1st Corps) was awarded Polish Parachute Badge no. 1670. No Combat Wreath number is shown. The consecutive badge serial numbers obviously indicates TICE and BURNHAM completed jump training together via the Polish Parachute Course at RAF Ringway, Manchester, England.

 

Only one other citizen of the USA is detailed as having been awarded the Polish Parachute Badge qualification:

 

Kapitan (Captain) Cecil LEE of 1.SBS was awarded Polish Parachute Badge no. 6534. No Combat Wreath number is shown.

 

The Polish Parachute Badge is the only WWII parachute jump wing fully attributable to the soldiers and special operatives who were awarded them, due to each badge and Combat Wreath having a unique serial number, which 1.SBS kept comprehensive records of. An example of a genuine Polish Parachute Badge with attached Combat Wreath is shown below, the eagle badge being made of silver, while the wreath is gilt metal.

 

Cheers......John

 

post-166956-0-55877200-1548293792_thumb.jpg

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This book, in fact, writes nothing about Richard K. Tice's death in the Netherlands. The Americans ought to discuss about it with the Polish researchers of that fact and vets who were eyewitness of it.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Just like to add this information to this post.

 

It's highly possible that Tice was a Jump Instructor at the Polish Parachute Brigade HQ & Training Centre @ Largo House in Fife. This was a precursor 2 week Polish Parachute training course run by Polish Instructors, the trainees were then sent to the No. 1 PTS at RAF Ringway, for a additional 4 week Parachute Training course. Under Polish supervision at Largo House other Allied troops received basic parachute training, such as Free French Forces. The Poles used a 100 feet high Training Tower for basic parachute training at Largo.

 

To qualify for the Znak Spadochronowy * Parachutist badge *, Polish Paratroopers were required 8 jumps at Largo and 6 jumps (5 daylight & a final night jump) at Ringway. The badge was only awarded after completion of the training at No. 1 PTS RAF Ringway.

 

Following the airborne assault at Arnhem, the order regulating the combat parachutist badge was amended - a gilded laurel wreath held in the eagle claws replaced the golden beak and talons.

 

Below is a image of the Roll of Honour at the Polish Memorial in Netherlands. Richard Tice's name appears in First Column, 12th entry.

post-161992-0-94709800-1550422080.jpg

 

 

 

CDub

 

 

 

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Some additional information about Richard Tice

 

Army no. 22539

Unit: 1st Polish Parachute Brigade Group

Company: 7th Company, 3rd Parachute Battalion

Decorations: Parachute badge, Virtuti Militari, Militaire Willems-Orde and Combat Parachute Badge

 

Richard Tice was an American volunteer from Newton, Sussex, New Jersey who joined the Polish Forces under British Command in Canada on 1 September 1940.
Tice parachuted from a Dakota with chalk number 62 near Driel on 21 September 1944. The platoon lead by 2nd Lieutenant Tice was defending farm 'De Baarskamp' at the eastern outskirts of Driel. On 22 September 1944, De Baarskamp was attacked by enemy infantry and armoured cars, Tice was killed in action in a field at the back of Baarskamp Farm.
Richard Tice is buried at Oosterbeek War Cemetery, Netherlands.
Confirmed from a list of Parachute Insertions i have on file. 21 September 1944, the 1 Polish Para Bde inserted in the Arnhem area during Operation Market Garden as Reinforcements.
CDub

 

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Just like to add this information to this post.

 

It's highly possible that Tice was a Jump Instructor at the Polish Parachute Brigade HQ & Training Centre @ Largo House in Fife.

 

No, he was not.

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Missing soldiers

The Polish soldier already landed on earlier on the 17th/18th/19th, at Wolfheze/Papendal area.

 

Liaison offficers, and Anti tank Battery.

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The Polish soldier already landed on earlier on the 17th/18th/19th, at Wolfheze/Papendal area.

 

Liaison offficers, and Anti tank Battery.

 

Unfortunately this information is incorrect. You are correct that a majority of the P-panc landed north of the Rhine in British First Airborne Div. held sector of Arnhem by Horsa Gliders on the 18th and 19th of September, however Tice was not one of the Polish Paras who took part in these landings.

 

Tice parachuted with chalk number 62, who were dropped on LZ 'K' around 1700 hours on 21 September 1944.

 

 

CDub

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Missing soldiers

I didn't say tjat Tice landed their, I did mention that the Polish Parachute Brigade landed in these days and on these locations.

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