Sealing the Trap

Over 2 months removed from D-Day, the allies were on the verge of finishing their fight in Normandy. They had pushed the Germans back to the town of Falaise and had started to encircle them, trapping the German 7th Army and elements of the 5th Panzer Army in what became known as the Falaise pocket. The Polish 1st Armoured Division moved toward the small town of Chambois, east of Falaise and ran into German forces at Hill 262, northeast of the town. After taking the position on August 19th, they linked up with the US 90th Infantry Division attacking from the South. The German counterattack was unable to break the allies line and on August 21st, Chambois finally fell and the pocket was sealed with 50,000 Germans trapped inside.

This scene depicts the Polish 1st Armoured Division during the battle which was equipped with British equipment and armor such as the A27M Comwell cruiser tank. The division was created in February 1942 out of 18,000 Poles that had escaped Poland, taking refuge in Scotland. It was attached to the First Canadian Army and commanded by Major General Stanisław Maczek, Poland’s top mechanized commander. After the Battle of Chambois, the 1st Armoured continued to play a significant role in the liberation of Europe.