14 F A M I L Y R E S E A R C H L I N K S
Military Records
UK Ministry of Defence
The UK MoD holds records of Polish servicemen and women serving alongside the Allies during the war.
You can request copies of these valuable documents by completing the forms here.
Go to the section “Apply for records held by the MoD”
Read the guidance “What information you’ll get” and “How to Apply”.
You don't have to provide a death certificate, but without one, information will be withheld unless the person died in service or was born more than 116 years ago.
There is no longer a charge for the service.
You can apply online or by post.
On the forms please select the British equivalent service. Eg Army, if they were in the Polish army etc.
If you’re applying by post, send the completed forms to:
MoD, APC Polish Enquiries
Building 1, RAF Northolt
West End Road
Ruislip
Middlesex
HA4 6NG
Email: apc-sp-polishdisclosures@mod.gov.uk
Note that currently (November 2023) the team are working through a backlog of queries and it will take at least 9 months for your application to be processed.
Polish Institute and Sikorski Museum, London
The archives of the Sikorski Institute have a large collection of wartime documents that are available here.
Link to postal research enquiries
You can also visit the museum to see many fascinating artifacts, as well as doing your own research in the archives.
Opening hours are shown on the website.
20 Princes Gate
London SW7 1PT
England
Phone: +44 20 7589 9249
The Polish Underground Movement Study Trust, London
This museum holds records of the Polish underground army, including personal files of army personnel who parachuted into Poland to work with the resistance (Cichociemni). They have some materials available online, or you can visit the museum. Opening hours are shown on the website.
11 Leopold Road
London W5 3PB
England
Phone: +44 20 8992 6057
Polish 2nd Corps lists
A number of useful lists are available on the Polish Exiles of WWII site here
Women during the war
Women's Auxiliary Medical Staff, 316 Transport Company and Students at the Porto San Giorgio/Foxley school (1945-1948) on Polish Exiles of WWII site here
All-female 317, 318 and 320 Transport Companies
We have lists of members of these companies. Please use our contact form to request look-ups.
Monte Cassino Cross
This site has information about the Monte Cassino Cross, including a list of recipients, sorted by the unit in which they served. (Work in progress - not all units have been uploaded yet). You can search the site by entering the name in the box below (better results will be obtained if you use Polish characters):
Knights of the Virtuti Militari 1939–1945
A list of people decorated with the Order of Virtuti Militari for outstanding deeds in the ranks of the Polish Army and the Polish Armed Forces
Uniform and insignia identification
This document produced by Dr Mark Ostrowski, shows the insignia and medals awarded to soldiers of the 2nd Corps. It's very useful for identification from photographs.
Recruitment Offices outside Poland
This chart, produced by Dr Mark Ostrowski, shows the location of recruitment offices in the Middle East, Italy and UK. It is very useful for deciphering some of the recruitment locations quoted in military records obtained from the UK MoD.
Polish 1st Armoured Division lists
A number of useful lists are available on the Polish Exiles of WWII site here
Polish Air Force in Great Britain
- Lista Krzystka has a complete list of personnel of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain 1940-1947 here.
Including a list of women serving in the Polish Airforce here.
- Niebieska eskadra has a database of cemeteries and graves of Polish airmen killed or died during the war and after the war, scattered all over the world here.
Polish Navy
This site run by Robert Ostrycharz contains useful information about the Polish Navy.
This site lists allied ships active during WWII, including those of the Polish Navy.
Cichociemni - special-operations paratroopers
This wiki page lists all the soldiers who were dropped into occupied Poland.
Various Military schools
- Boy Cadet school - Junacka Szkoła Kadetów, JSK - Palestine
Published the memorial book "Księga Pamiątkowa Junackiej Szkoły Kadetów" in London in 2000. It includes a list of 1,276 cadets and teachers. The list is available here.
- Boy Cadet Mechanical schools
A book was published describing the life of these schools: Junackie szkoly mechaniczne 1942-1947
- Boy Cadet Airforce schools
A book was published describing the life of the air-force schools in Heliopolis, Egypt: Junackie szkoly mechaniczne 1942-1947
- Girl Cadets school in Ain Karem, Palestine
List of students is available here.
- Younger Girl Cadet school, SMO, in Nazareth, Palestine
Published the memorial book "Książka pamiątkowa szkół młodszych ochotniczek" Which can be found here
- Naval School - Polskie Gimnazjum i Liceum Morskie: Landywood 1945-1949
A book describing life at the school including a list of 250 students is available here
German Prisoner of War archive
This Instytut Pamieci Narodowej database contains information about Prisoners of War and people forced to work in Germany.
German army records
These sites provide sources of information and records of Poles conscripted into the German military:
https://www.bundesarchiv.de/EN/Navigation/Home/home.html
http://www.wehrmacht-polacy.pl/