“The soil of the fields in Holland was pressed tight, very tight. For several years even after the war had ended, we could still see the tracks the tanks had left, as the growth of crops in their former tank-tracks was less thick and high. But never mind , we were free at last”- says an old Dutchmen.
Our guide through the documentary is a group of Polish motorcyclists “Patria” who follow the former battle crusade of the 1st Polish Armoured Division through Europe in order to pay homage to the men who fought and died as heroes fighting for freedom.
During the battles in Western-Europe the men of the 1st Polish Armoured Division earned the nick-name “liberators of cities” , and carried this name with pride. Their General, Stanislaw Maczek, once said: “The Polish soldier fights for the freedom of other nations, but dies only for Poland!” Forgotten and often surpressed in Poland by the post-war Polish Government installed under Soviet Regime, the veterans of the Polish Forces remained remembered in Holland and other liberated countries as the heroes who brought Freedom.
The battle-corridor of the 1st Polish Armoured Division started in Normandy in August 1944. Through famous battlefieds, like the “Falaise -pocket” in France, cities like Roeselare, Tielt and Gent in Belgium, towards Holland, where they liberated many towns of which the most remembered city remains Breda.
April 1945, the Division reaches the Dutch-German border. Over there probably one of the most astonishing, incredible and emotional actions takes place. Totally unexpected they liberate the prisoner of war camp of Oberlangen where they found 1728 women of the Warsaw Rising. Many of these soldiers have liberated their own wives, daughters, mothers or sisters. A few days later, they accept the surrender of the German town Wilhelmshaven.
The story of the General Stanislaw Maczek is narrated by both former officer of the Division Wladyslaw Kohutnicki, as well as the Dutchman Eric van Tilbeurgh, expert of the history of the Polish Forces in Exile. Dutch eyewitnesses tell about their memories of the funeral of general Maczek. He died at the age of 102, and his last wish was to be buried at Breda at the Polish Military Cemetary amongst his soldiers.
This motor-raid of “Patria” ends here, at the Polish Military Cemetary at Breda.
We can hear the original recorded voice of the General Stanislaw Maczek:
“We know very well, why we were here… to fight for your and our freedom!.. we know very well, why we are here again today: this marvellous motto -For Your and Our Freedom- for which we fought may not wither like a bouquet of unwelcomed and flung away flowers!”