Rare Original WW2 Polish Commemorative Monte Cassino Bracelet
Here on offer is rare original WW2 Polish bracelet commemorating the conquest of Monte Cassino by the 2nd Polish Corps of General Anders. On the 18th May 1944.
I believe this was made in Italy at the end or just after WW2.
It is made from a white metal alloy and has a larger central plaque with an elliptically rounded shape.
On the front in relief is the image of the hills with the ruins of a conquered Benedictine monastery over which the Polish eagle is visible.
Underneath this image is a decorative ribbon and below that the inscription:
“M. Cassino – 18 -V-1944”
Then either side of the central plaque are five small rectangular “links”, ten in total, that depict the emblems of various allied units that were involved in the battle.
They are:
6th Lwów Infantry Brigade,
14th Wielkopolska Armored Brigade,
2nd Warsaw Armored Division,
5th Kresowa Infantry Division,
2nd Polish Corps,
8th British Army,
3rd Carpathian Rifle Division,
7th Infantry Division,
Independent Commando Company,
Command of the Polish Army in the East.
The bracelet has a flat clip and slot at the ends which holds it securely in place.
It is in excellent condition and now has an aged patina to the finish.
The bracelet measures 7.9” (20cm) long, end to end and weighs 28g.
A brief history of the Battle of Monte Cassino.
The Battle of Monte Cassino in 1944, consisted of four engagements.
The first (January 17–February 11) was conducted by French and U.S. troops, and the Allies were repulsed by the Germans, led by elite Luftwaffe paratroopers.
The second (February 15–18) was controlled by the New Zealand and 4th Indian Divisions and involved an attack on the famous monastery. The British divisional commanders demanded that the monastery be destroyed, although the German military had formally declared that their troops would not use the building; the Germans had actually evacuated the monks and the art treasures housed at the abbey. Despite reservations, the monastery was flattened by U.S. bombers, whereupon Nazi paratroopers moved into the ruins, which made an excellent defensive position. The subsequent Allied assault was thrown back with heavy casualties.
The third engagement (March 15–26) was also an Allied failure.
The fourth engagement (May 11–18), spearheaded by the Polish Corps, which faced fierce counterattacks and suffered heavy losses, finally took the hill. The Germans had already decided to retire to a new defensive line farther north, and, when the lead Polish troops gained the summit of the hill on May 18, they found it unoccupied, except for some wounded soldiers unable to travel. More than 900 Polish troops had died in the battle; the large white "Monument to the Battle of Monte Cassino" in Warsaw commemorates the bravery and sacrifice of these troops.
Please see my pictures for the details of the condition, which complement this description.
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Code: 51067