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3 unusual facts about Polish Independent Carpathian Rifle Brigade


Marian Hemar

Soon after the outbreak of World War II Hemar fled Warsaw after being searched for by the Gestapo and reached Romania, and eventually the Middle East, where he signed up and served in the Polish Independent Carpathian Rifle Brigade.

Polish Independent Carpathian Rifle Brigade

On 30 April 1941, during the offensive of Erwin Rommel's Afrika Korps, the brigade was moved near to the front at the fort of Mersa Matruh, where it spent the next 10 weeks strengthening defensive positions.

Rommel made a fighting withdrawal to defensive positions around El Agheila but a counterattack by him on 21 January 1942 led to the armies once more facing each other at the Gazala position by early February.



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