Fans of NAC Breda, the Dutch football club playing in the city that was liberated 80 years ago by the 1st Armoured Division of Gen. Stanisław Maczek, will organise a collection for the victims of the floods in Poland.
NAC Breda fans and collection on September 21-22
.NAC Breda fans belonging to a group called Fr0nt76 will organise a collection for flood victims in Poland on 21st and 22nd September.
“This year, thanks to the Poles, we celebrate 80 years of freedom in Breda. Unfortunately, people in Poland are currently experiencing flooding, which is causing many injuries, destruction and even deaths. Many people left their belongings to evacuate to a safer place. Fr0nt76 would like to get involved in helping,” the fans said on social media and via official club website.
On Saturday, September 21, NAC Breda fans will take part in the Gen. Stanisław Maczek Liberation March. “Thanks to this, we hope to raise money to donate to the flood victims in Poland,” Fr0nt76 reports.
The collection will also take place the following day. “On Sunday, September 22, between 9:00 and 11:00, you will be able to donate everyday items that we will give to WOŚP. These items include long-life food, household items, sanitary products, or simply warm clothing or blankets. The collection address is: Stadionstraat 9C, 4815 NC Breda,” wrote NAC Breda fans.
During World War II, Breda was under German occupation. The city was liberated on October 29, 1944 by the 1st Armored Division of General Stanisław Maczek, which fought on the Western Front after landing in Normandy on August 1. The Poles not only liberated the city, but in order to minimize the destruction, they refrained from using heavy artillery and air support. Thanks to this, Breda survived and regained its freedom.
Gen. Stanisław Maczek and his division – wartime victors
“The First Armoured Division was formed in 1942 on the basis of an order from the Commander-in-Chief, General Władysław Sikorski. The soldiers who made up its composition had previously taken part in the September Campaign of 1939 and in the defensive war in France in 1940. Initially, the task of the 1st Armoured Division was to cover part of the eastern coast of Scotland. When World War II entered its decisive phase, the unit was incorporated into the 2nd Canadian Corps (part of the 1st Canadian Army) and transferred to Normandy,” writes Patryk PALKA, historian and publicist who heads the “Piękno Historii” section in “Wszystko co ostatnia” (Everything That Matters).
As he emphasizes, “The 1st Armored Division joined the fight on August 8, 1944, and only a dozen or so days later it gained fame in the Battle of the Falaise Pocket (Falaise-Chambois Pocket), during the decisive phase of the fight for Normandy. Gen. Maczek’s soldiers daringly penetrated the rear of the German army and took control of the hills near Mont-Ormel (the so-called Maczuga), cutting off the Germans’ escape route from the Allied encirclement. The British military magazine Tank wrote at the time that “The Polish Armored Division under the command of Gen. Maczek played a leading role in achieving the Allied victory in Normandy (…). During six days of very heavy fighting, the Polish division withstood the full fury of the attacks of two German SS corps. Among the battlefields of Normandy, none presents such a picture of hell, destruction and death as that which stretches to the north-east of Chambois.”
“The further route of the 1st Armoured Division led through Belgium and the Netherlands. Along the way, the “Maczek men” liberated more villages, towns and cities, winning all battles and skirmishes. They became famous for the way they fought. Among other things, the liberation of Breda, which was carried out without civilian casualties or damage to local buildings, went down in history. Just one day after the end of the fighting for Breda, its residents awarded General Maczek and his soldiers Honorary Citizenship of the City. In 2020, the General Maczek Museum-Memorial was opened there,” writes Patryk PALKA.
He adds that “Breda is the most famous case, but not the only one. The 1st Armored Division used tactics to minimize losses among the civilian population and their property whenever possible. The unit commander, General Maczek, ordered his soldiers to “fight hard, but in a knightly manner.”
Patryk PALKA writes more about the epic of the 1st Division of Gen. Stanisław Maczek in the text “Gen. Stanisław Maczek and his division – victors of war”, the link to which is below:
EverythingWhatTheMostImportant / nac.nl
Copyrighted material. Further distribution only with the publisher’s consent. September 18, 2024
Fot. fr0nt76 / Instagram.
