![]()
![]()
REPUBLIC OF POLAND
![]()
LANCE PENNONS FOR CAVALRY UNITS
1920-45
![]()
Notes
The interwar Polish Army included 40 regiments of cavalry, all armed in whole or in part with the lance. Each regiment had a distinctive lance pennon, which was also worn in miniature form as a collar patch on the uniform. There were additional distinctive pennons for certain other mounted branches of the army. The crimson/dark blue pennon for cavalry headquarters was also used by cavalry units with no regimental affiliation, such as separate cavalry squadrons of infantry divisions and the Remount Service. Cavalry squadrons of the Frontier Defense Corps had dark blue/green pennons.
Cavalry brigades were formed with two cavalry regiments, a battalion of horse artillery, plus mounted pioneers, mounted signals troops and a mounted supply train. In the mid-1930's, recognizing that horse cavalry was becoming increasingly vulnerable on the modern battlefield, the Polish Army drew up plans for the conversion of a number of cavalry brigades into mechanized brigades. The cavalry regiments were to be reorganized as motorized infantry (though retaining their cavalry titles), the support units were to be motorized, and the brigade would also include an armored battalion, a mechanized reconnaissance battalion and a motorized antitank battalion. Pennon-style collar patches were introduced for these last three units (triangular for armored battalions), and actual pennons probably existed as well. Only two or three cavalry brigades had been converted by the time of the German invasion in September 1939, and these had little effect on the outcome of the campaign.
After the fall of Poland a Polish Army in Exile was organized, first in France, then in Britain and the Middle East. Its units took on the identities of various regiments and corps of the interwar army, including the 10th Mounted Rifles and the 24th Lancers of the Polish 1st Armored Division in Britain. This division, which fought with great gallantry in Normandy, flew these and other pennons from the radio masts of its vehicles.
![]()

CAVALRY
HEADQUARTERS & SEPARATE CAVALRY SQUADRONS

Left: 1st &
2nd LIGHT HORSE REGIMENTS Right: 3rd LIGHT
HORSE REGIMENT

Left: 1st LANCER
REGIMENT Right: 2nd LANCER
REGIMENT

Left: 3rd LANCER
REGIMENT Right: 4th LANCER
REGIMENT

Left: 5th LANCER
REGIMENT Right: 6th LANCER
REGIMENT

Left: 7th LANCER
REGIMENT Right: 8th LANCER
REGIMENT

Left: 9th LANCER
REGIMENT Right: 10th LANCER
REGIMENT

Left: 11th LANCER
REGIMENT Right: 12th LANCER
REGIMENT

Left: 13th LANCER
REGIMENT Right: 14th LANCER
REGIMENT

Left: 15th LANCER
REGIMENT Right: 16th LANCER
REGIMENT

Left: 17th LANCER
REGIMENT Right: 18th LANCER
REGIMENT

Left: 19th LANCER
REGIMENT Right: 20th LANCER
REGIMENT

Left: 21st LANCER
REGIMENT Right: 22nd LANCER
REGIMENT

Left: 23rd LANCER
REGIMENT Right: 24th LANCER
REGIMENT

Left: 25th LANCER
REGIMENT Right: 26th LANCER
REGIMENT
27th LANCER
REGIMENT

Left: 1st MOUNTED RIFLE
REGIMENT Right: 2nd
MOUNTED RIFLE REGIMENT

Left: 3rd MOUNTED RIFLE
REGIMENT Right: 4th MOUNTED RIFLE REGIMENT

Left: 5th MOUNTED RIFLE
REGIMENT Right: 6th
MOUNTED RIFLE REGIMENT

Left: 7th MOUNTED RIFLE
REGIMENT Right: 8th
MOUNTED RIFLE REGIMENT

Left: 9th MOUNTED RIFLE
REGIMENT Right: 10th
MOUNTED RIFLE REGIMENT

CAVALRY SQUADRONS,
FRONTIER DEFENSE CORPS

Left: HORSE &
MOTORIZED ARTILLERY Right: MOUNTED
& MOTORIZED PIONEERS

Left: MOUNTED & MOTORIZED SIGNALS TROOPS
Right: CAVALRY &
MECHANIZED BRIGADE TRAINS

Left: MECHANIZED RECONNAISSANCE BATTALIONS (MECHANIZED BRIGADES)
Right: MOTORIZED
ANTITANK BATTALIONS (MECHANIZED BRIGADES)

ARMORED BATTALIONS
![]()
BACK to POLAND Page