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ORDERS AND DECORATIONS OF POLAND Republic of Poland since 1990 (Click here to see updates) |
1.Obverse(Krzyz Za Udzial w Wojnie 1918-1921)
Instituted by act of Parliament of July 21, 1990. Conferred in a single grade on all living veterans of the Polish-Soviet war of 1918-1921.
Badge: silver Greek cross, 42 x 42, similar to the Independence Cross. Obverse: the years 1918 and 1921 on the upper and lower arms respectively; and the inscription OBRONCY : OJCZYZNY (to a Country defender) through the horizontal ones. The square central medallion is enameled white and bears a crowned eagle. Reverse: plain.
Ribbon: 37 mm, three stripes of red of equal width, separated by two narrow white ones.
Note: the cross is identical to the Volunteer Cross for War 1918-1921, except for the altered inscription.
1.Obverse(Medal Wojska za Wojne 1939-1945)
Instituted on July 3, 1945 by decree of President of the Republic in Exile in London. Conferred in a single grade on all members of the Ground Forces, irrespective their rank, for at least 6 months of meritorious service with a unit engaged in military operations against an enemy, or a year service with another unit. The medal could be conferred up to four times; for a subsequent award the period of service was doubled.
Badge: bronze medal 36 mm of diameter. Obverse: a crowned eagle sitting on a sable. Reverse: the inscription POLSKA / SWEMU / OBRONCY (Poland to Her defender) and a small oak leaf above and below.
Ribbon: 37 mm dark crimson with white pinstripes on either side and
white edges. Each subsequent award is denoted by a bronze bar with oak
leaves attached to the ribbon.
1.Obverse (with three bars)(Medal Lotniczy za Wojne 1939-1945)
Instituted on July 3, 1945 by decree of President of the Republic in Exile in London. Conferred in a single grade on all members of the Polish Air Forces, irrespective their rank, for at least 6 months of meritorious service with a unit engaged in military operations against an enemy, or a year service with another unit. The medal could be conferred up to four times; for a subsequent award the period of service was doubled.
Badge: silver medal 36 mm of diameter. Obverse: a chessboard - the symbol of the Polish Air Forces (copies issued in the 60's have the chessboard enameled white and red). Reverse: the inscription POLSKA / SWEMU / OBRONCY (Poland to Her defender). The obverse and reverse are surrounded by a laurel wreath.
Ribbon: 37 mm light blue with white side stripes. Each subsequent award is denoted by a silver bar with oak leaves attached to the ribbon.
1.Obverse (with three bars)(Medal Morski za Wojne 1939-1945)
Instituted on July 3, 1945 by decree of President of the Republic in Exile in London. Conferred in a single grade on all members of the Navy, irrespective their rank, for at least 6 months of meritorious service on a ship engaged in military operations against an enemy, or a year service on another ship. The medal could be conferred up to four times; for a subsequent award the period of service was doubled.
Badge: silver medal 36 mm of diameter. Obverse: an armored hand - the symbol of the Polish Navy in a laurel wreath. Reverse: the inscription POLSKA / SWEMU / OBRONCY (Poland to Her defender) and a small oak leaf above and below.
Ribbon: 37 mm navy blue with narrow white side stripes. Each
subsequent award is denoted by a silver bar with oak leaves attached to
the ribbon.
1.Obverse(Medal Morski Polskiej Marynarki Handlowej za Wojne 1939-1945)
Instituted on July 3, 1945 by decree of President of the Republic in Exile in London. Conferred in a single grade on all members of the Merchant Marine for at least 6 months of meritorious service on a ship participating in military operations or a year service on another ship. The medal could be conferred up to four times; for a subsequent award the period of service was doubled.
Badge: silver medal 36 mm of diameter. Obverse: a shield with the Polish crowned eagle superimposed on an anchor; all in a laurel wreath. Reverse: the inscription POLSKA / SWEMU / MARYNARZOWI (Poland to Her mariner) with a small lozenge above and a laurel leaf spray below.
Ribbon: 37 mm navy blue with double narrow white side stripes.
Each subsequent award is denoted by a silver bar with oak leaves attached
to the ribbon.
1.Obverse(Krzyz Kampanii Wrzesniowej 1939)
Instituted: by decree of President of the Republic in Exile of September 1, 1984, to commemorate the struggle against nazi Germany and soviet Russia in September and October of 1939. Conferred on soldiers of the Polish Armed Forces and other people who took part in the fight or who aided them.
Badge: silver Greek cross 39 x 39 mm. Obverse: a crowned eagle sitting on the Amazon shield, surrounded by a laurel spray with a semicircular inscription WRZESIEN (September) and the year 1939 below. On the left arm there is a date 1.IX (beginning of the German aggression), on the right - 17.IX (beginning of the Russian aggression) and the letters RP on the lower one. Reverse: plain with the place for a recipient's name.
Ribbon: 38 mm, white with a broad red stripe in the center, flanked
by red pinstripes, and with narrow red edges.
1.Obverse
(Krzyz Monte Cassino)
Instituted on July 26, 1944 by the Commander-in-Chief of the Polish Armed Forces, Gen. Sosnkowski, as a commemorative badge and awarded to soldiers of II Polish Army Corps who took part in the battle of Monte Cassino during the campaign in Italy in May of 1944. By the Act of September 16, 1992 the cross was promoted to the rank of a state decoration.
Badge: bronze fork cross, 40 x 40 mm. On a square central shield of the obverse there is an inscription MONTE / CASSINO / MAJ / 1944. On the reverse an award number is cast.
Ribbon: 35mm, with six alternate medium blue and five red stripes. The ribbon bar bears the inscription "Monte Cassino" of bronze metal, attached to the ribbon.
Note: the shape of the cross was based on the honorary
badge of the 3rd Carpathian Rifles' Division.
1.Obverse(Krzyz Armii Krajowej)
Instituted on August 1, 1966 by the former commander of the Home Army, Gen. Bor-Komorowski, as a commemorative badge and awarded to soldiers of the Home Army and the Resistance organizations fighting prior to its creation. Promoted to the rank of a state decoration by the act of September 16, 1992.
Badge: silver Greek cross of very wide arms, 36 x 36 mm. In the center there is a large pentagonal shield. The obverse shows the "anchor", combined letters PW (Polska Walczaca - fighting Poland) - the symbol of the Home Army and of Polish Resistance. The "anchor" is encircled by a laurel wreath and depicted on a brick wall in the background, as it was often drawn on the wall in the occupied country. The reverse of the shield bears the inscription 1939 / ARMIA / KRAJOWA / 1945.
Ribbon: 37 mm, white with six red pinstripes, representing the
six years of occupation, and with broad red edges.
1.Obverse, [Reverse]
(Krzyz Batalionow Chlopskich)
Instituted by decision of the Presidium of the Committee of the United People's Party - a political party made up mostly of farmers - of December 28, 1988, in order to reward the veterans of the Peasants' Battalions (Bataliony Chlopskie, BCh), an independent military formation of WWII, operating mostly in the rural areas. By the Act of September 16, 1992 the decoration was promoted to a state decoration.
Badge: gilt, fork cross, 42 x 42 mm. Obverse: green enameled, with gilt inscription on the arms: BCh (left), WP (Wojsko Polskie - PolishArmy, right), 1939 (upper), 1945 (lower). In the center there is a half white, half white shield with a crowned eagle sitting on the Amazon shield. Reverse: non-enameled, granular, with the inscription ZYWIA I BRONIA (they feed and they defend) along the horizontal arms.
Ribbon: 39 mm, light green with a black central stripe and white-red
side stripes (the red being the outer ones).
1.Obverse(Krzyz Narodowego Czynu Zbrojnego)
Instituted on December 14, 1944 in the National Armed Forces (Narodowe Sily Zbrojne, NSZ), an independent nationalist military formation, and introduced as a state decoration by the act of October 16, 1992. Awarded to soldiers of the National Armed Forces.
Badge: silver cross of concave arms and arm bases, similar to the Cross of Valor, 41 x 41 mm. Obverse: on the left arm there is the year 1939, on the right - 1945. Through the vertical arms runs a pointed down sword. Central medallion shows a crowned eagle on the Amazon shield, and is surmounted by the letters NSZ. Reverse: the abbreviations of the military formations forming the NSZ: ZJ (left arm), NOW (right) and NZW (down). The central shield bears the inscription NARO- / DOWY / CZYN / ZBROJ- / NY (National Military Achievement).
Ribbon: 36 mm, black with broad dark green side stripes and a
narrow white-dark red central stripe.
