15th Poznań Uhlans Regiment 15th Poznań Uhlans Regiment ( ; 15 p . uł . ) – unit of Polish cavalry , part of Greater Polands Army , Polish Army of Second Republic and Polish Armed Forces in the West during World War II . Regimental colours . The Regimental colours were founded by females from the Poznań society " Ognisko Żołnierza Polskiego " . The regiment received the colours from the hands of Gen . Józef Dowbor - Muśnicki in Poznań on 29 July 1919 . Despite the fact that Colours were irregular to Polish Army military code , the standard was used for all the time of the regiment ' s existence during the interbellum . During the occupation , the standard was kept in the Visitationist Church in Warsaw . The nuns , after the assassination of Franz Kutschera , cut off the image of the Holy Mother and burned the rest of standard . The standard was reconstructed , with usage of parts of previous colours in 1960 . Currently the Standard is kept in Greater Polands Military Museum in Poznań . History and traditions . " 15th Uhlans Regiment " was first formed as a part of the Army of the Duchy of Warsaw . Later , during the November Uprising , volunteers from the Prussian partition created the Poznań Cavalry Regiment ( ) . Close to the west wall of the St Anthony of Padua ' s Church is a monument of the 15th Poznań Uhlan Regiment . World War I and post - war period . Regiment of uhlans that appeals to those units was created on 30 December 1918 during the Greater Poland Uprising ( 1918 – 1919 ) as Mounted Rifleman of Poznań Guard ( ) with 2nd Lt . Kazimierz Ciążyński as first commander . The national colours white and red were adopted as the colours for the unit pennants . On 14 January 1919 , 2nd Lt . Józef Lossow replaced Ciążyński as temporary commander . Soldiers took a military oath on 26 January 1919 as 1st Greater Poland Mounted Rifleman Regiment ( ) . On 29 January 1919 , the regiment one again changed its name to 1st Greater Poland Uhlan Regiment ( ) . Two days later Col . Aleksander Pajewski became commander of the regiment . On January 1920 , after unification of Grater Polands Army with rest of Polish Armed Forces , the unit was renamed to 15th Uhlans Regiment ( ) . In July 1920 , the reserve squadron of 15th Reg . detached 1st Sqn . of newly created 115 Greater Poland Uhlan Regiment ( ) and 215 Grater Poland Volunteer Cavalry Regiment ( ) . On 5 August 1920 , on proposal of President of Poznań , Jarogniew Drwęski , the regiment was renamed to 15th Poznań Uhlans Regiment ( ) . On 22 October 1927 , the Poznań City Council and the regiment ' s officers revealed a monument of the Poznań Uhlans on Ludgarda Str . in Poznań . The statue , made by Mieczysław Lubelski and Adam Ballenstaed , shows an Uhlan as Saint George attacking a dragon with his lance . During the September Campaign , the regiment was part of the Greater Poland Cavalry Brigade ( ) in frames of Poznań Army ( ) . Western Polish Army . In 1942 , the Regiment was recreated in the Anders Army as Battalion " S " ( ) . The battalion , along with other units of the Anders Army , left the Soviet Union and went to Iran , Iraq and later to the Middle East , where on 8 October 1942 it was transformed into an armoured reconnaissance unit named 15th Armoured Cavalry Regiment ( ) . On 1 December 1943 , the unit was named 15th Poznań Uhlans Regiment . Later , as part of the II Corps ( Poland ) , the regiment took part in the Italian Campaign ( World War II ) . At the end of December 1944 , the regiment was moved to the south of Italy for rest . There unit was split into the 15th Reg . and the 25th Greater Poland Uhlan Regiment ( ) . The new 15th Reg . was transformed into an armoured unit and subordinated to the " 14th Greater Poland Armoured Brig . " . During this time , reinforcements for the regiment were trained in Egypt . After the end of the war , the regiment was moved to United Kingdom . After demobilization in 1947 , remains of the regiment in July 1947 formed " Basie Unit 340 " of the Polish Resettlement Corps at Slinfold Camp . The unit was dissolved in 1948 . Modern regiment . In 1996 due to efforts of the " Society of Former Soldiers and Friends of 15th Poznań Uhlans Regiment " ( est . in 1991 in Poznań ) and the " Wheel of Poznań Uhlans of LtGen . Władysław Anders " ( est . in 1946 in Italy , later in London ) , a newly created armoured cavalry brigade in Wędrzyn was named 15th Greater Poland Armoured Cavalry Brigade ( ) , and its 1st Tank Battalion received the pennant colours of 15th Poznań Uhlans Reg . After the dissolution of 15th Brigade , traditions of the 15th Reg . were passed on to the armoured battalion ( since 2007 mechanized infantry battalion ) of 17th Greater Poland Mechanized Brigade ( ) named 15th Poznań Uhlans Battalion ( ) . Pre - war uniforms of the 15th Regiment are used by the reenactment group Volunteer Representative Uhlans Unit of City of Poznań ( ) . During the interbellum the regiment was dislocated to Poznań . The regiment anniversary was held on 23 April , as commemoration of Virtuti Militari decoration in 1921 . Operational history . Greater Poland Uprising 1918 - 1919 . During the night between 5 and 6 January 1919 , a squadron of Mounted Rifleman under command of 2nd Lt . Kazimierz Ciążyński took part in the Battle of Ławica Airfield . At the night between 9 and 10 January 1919 , the Squadron was moved to Gniezno , and on 11 January took part in fights near Szubin . In later days the whole regiment was used as mobile reserve on different parts of Polish - German front line . Polish – Soviet War . On 1 August 1919 , the regiment moved to the front line as a part of 14th Greater Poland Infantry Division ( ) . The regiment campaigned through Maladzyechna , Małe Gajany , Minsk , Ihumen , Bochuczewicze and Babruysk , which was captured on 28 August . Babruysk became the base of the regiment during the fights in the Berezina River valley and in Polesia until May 1920 . In this period , Soviet soldiers nicknamed the regiment " rogate , czerwone czorty " ( ) , due to the red colour on their rogatywka s . In May 1920 the regiment took part in stopping the offensive of the Soviet 16th Army , taking many soldiers from the Soviet cavalry brigade as prisoners . In June 1920 , due to next Soviet offensive , the regiment was forced to retreat . During fights near Ivachnoviche , on 29 July the regiment ' s CO , LtCol . Władysław Anders , was wounded . As a part of the Polish counteroffensive the regiment broke through the Soviet lines on 16 August , near Maciejowice . Later the regiment took part in the Battle of the Niemen River . In the second half of September 1920 cavalryman took part in fights near Mezhiritch , Zelva and Snovy . The last city captured by the regiment was Minsk , from where the unit was withdrawn after the ceasefire . On 16 January 1921 , the regiment returned to Poznań under the command of Władysław Anders . For their valor during the war , all regiments of the 14th Division received Virtuti Militari . The colours of the unit were decorated by Marsh . Józef Piłsudski on 22 April 1921 . September Campaign . On 1 September 1939 the regiment , as a part of the Greater Poland Cavalry Brigade , was near Zaniemyśl . After the outbreak of the war , the Regiment moved to Uniejów and Bzura River . Between 9 and 18 September 1939 the regiment , located on the eastern flank of the " Poznań " Army , took part in heavy fighting near Brochów and Walewice as a part of the Battle of Bzura . On 12 September in Ziewanice , the CO of regiment , LtCol . Tadeusz Mikke , was killed in action . After the battle of Bzura , the regiment formed the rear guard during the retreat of the " Poznań " Army and remains of the " Pomorze " through Puszcza Kampinoska to Warsaw . The regiment arrived in the Polish capital on 20 September . The regiment subsequently took part in the defence . The unit was disbanded on the day of the city ' s capitulation on 28 September . Polish Armed Forces in the West . On 17 April 1942 , " Battalion " S " " was formed in Yangiyo ' l near Tashkent under command of Cpt . Zbigniew Kiedacz . On 8 October 1942 , in Iraq , the unit was transformed into the 15 Regiment of Armoured Cavalry , reconnaissance unit of the 5th Borderlines Infantry Division . At the end of 1942 , the regiment was renamed to 15th Poznań Uhlans Regiment . In next months , the unit was trained in Iraq , Palestine , Liban and Egypt . During February and March 1944 , the regiment was moved to Italy . Uhlans took part in fighting on 6 April 1944 near Capracotta , and during the following days reached Genoa . Between 3 and 29 May 1944 , the regiment took part in the Battle of Monte Cassino fighting on Castellone hill , and later broke through Hitler Line capturing Pizzo Corno and Monte Cairo . On 20 July , the unit ended its fights in the battle of Ancona . In October 1944 , the regiment was fighting in the Emilian Apennines as a part of the breaking through the Gothic Line . On 23 October , the commanding officer of regiment , Col . Zbigniew Kiedacz , was killed in action . The regiment received the award Virtuti Militari for a second time for the Italian Campaign . In the winter 1944 and 1945 , the " 25th Greater Poland Uhlan Regiment " ( ) was detached from the regiment . In January 1945 , the 15th Reg . was moved to Egypt , where the unit , after receiving new tanks , was subordinated to the " 14th Greater Polish Armoured Brig . " ( ) . In October 1945 , the brigade was moved to Giulianova in Italy and in June 1946 to Browning Camp near Horsham near London . In 1947 , the regiment was disbanded .