As the Division bears the 'Kresy' name and majority of it's sub units were from the Wilno, Wolyn and Lwow regions I thought it appropriate to include this page within this domain
Originaly the 5th Infantry Division was stationed in Lwow - Commanded by gen. Juliusz Zulauf, after the disastrous September '39 campaign the division was disbanded. After the German invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941 the Polish forces were to be reformed and they were to fight under the Allied command in the west, then it became part of the Polish 2nd Corps fighting on the Italian Front. Shortage of manpower dictated that only two Infantry Brigades were formed from the soldiers released from the Soviet camps. The table below describes the Division as it was prior to the outbreak of World War 2.
The title "Kresowa" was bestowed upon the division when it was transferred to the Middle East 1941-42
Prior to the Second World War the division consisted of;
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10th ' Wolynski' Inf Battalion (Batalion Strzelcow) |
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11th ' Wolynski' Inf Battalion (Batalion Strzelcow) |
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12th ' Wolynski' Inf Battalion (Batalion Strzelcow) |
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13th ' Wilenski' Inf Battalion (Batalion Strzelcow ‘Rysiow’) |
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14th ' Wilenski' Inf Battalion (Batalion Strzelcow ‘Zbikow’) |
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15th ' Wilenski' Inf Battalion (Batalion Strzelcow ‘Wilkow’) |
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16th ' Lwowski' Inf Battalion (Batalion Strzelcow) |
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17th ' Lwowski' Inf Battalion (Batalion Strzelcow) |
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18th ' Lwowski' Inf Battalion (Batalion Strzelcow) |
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5th ' Kresowy' Heavy Machine Gun Battalion (CKM) |
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25th Regiment of Ulanow Wielkopolskich |
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4th ' Kresowy' Artillery Regiment |
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5th ' Wilenski' Artillery Regiment |
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6th ' Lwowski' Artillery Regiment |
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Light Artillery Regiment |
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5th ' Kresowy' Anti Tank Regiment |
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5th ' Kresowy' Light Anti Aircraft Artillery Regiment |
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Sappers 5th ' Kresowej' Inf Division |
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Signals |
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5th ' Kresowy' Communication Battalion |
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15th Regiment Ulanow Poznanskich |
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3rd Regiment Ulanow Slaskich |
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10th Regiment of Huzzars |
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14th Advanced Repleacement Tank Squadron |
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14th ' Wielkopolska' Sapper Company |
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14th ' Wielkopolski' Communication Squadron |
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Divisional History - soon |
© Copyright 2003; Paul Havers