SWAP -Stowarzyszenie Weteranow Armii Polskiej (w Ameryce) meaning
Polish Army Veteran's Association (of America) or PAVA. Persons who
fought in Polish units in the First World War, the 1918-21 War and the
Second World War who live or lived outside Poland (USA, Canada and France
especially) were often members of this Association. Haller's
(Blue) Army is closely associated with SWAP because American Veterans who
fought under Haller returned to the USA after the war and formed SWAP in
1922.
Their National address is:
Polish Army Veteran's Association of America
National Headquarters,
119 East 15th Street,
New York, NY USA
10003-2392
There is a database of most names of the American and Canadian WW I
Blue Army Volunteers at:
http://feefhs.org/pol/pafi/halrdesc.html
Haller's Army searchable Index
http://www.pgsa.org/haller.htm
POLISH COMBATANTS ASSOCIATION in CANADA (SPK)
Stowarzyszenie Polskich Kombatantow Prezes Marian Fijal
Polish Combatants’ Association in Canada
206 Beverly Street; Toronto, Ont M5T 1Z3
Tel.: 001-416-591-6584, Fax: 001-905-881-9039
E-mail: jferenc@execulink.com (John Ferenc)
http://www.polish-combatants.ca/
POLISH LEGION OF AMERICAN VETERANS
http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/Quarters/1331/
For Information on Exile Veterans groups, see the list of Veterans Associations
in UK & Australia below.
You can write to this address for information about Official Polish
Government pre-WW II records. They will not likely have too much
on specific individuals and it may take a long time for a reply.
Centralne Archiwum Wojskowe
00-910 Warszawa-Rembertow
ASG Blok 124
Poland
Information relating to the award of medals and orders to specific individuals is maintained by the Cabinet of the President of Poland. This office will not do the research. Research must be conducted in person, in Warsaw.
The Central Military Library in Warsaw (Centralna Biblioteka
Wojskowa) has a website:
http://www.cbw.pl
They have books and reference material relating to military topics.
WW II Exile records are maintained by the Sikorski Institute.
These will be the Polish service records:
Polish Institute
and Sikorski Museum
20 Princes Gate
London, SW7 1PT
The British Government records of Poles who served under British Command
during WW II can be obtained from the British Ministry of Defense.
You will be required to prove a family relationship to the individual that
you are researching.
The Ministry of Defense
Army Records Center, POLISH SECTION
Bourne Avenue
Hayes Middlesex, England UA3 1RF
PHONE 0181-573-3831 FAX 0181-569-2751
REPLACEMENT MEDALS FROM THE BRITISH MINISTRY
OF DEFENSE
The British Army Medals Office issues WW II medals to those entitled
persons who have never received them. It also issues replacement medals
under certain conditions for entitled personnel.
Send a letter to the Medal Office explaining the precise request and
the circumstances behind it. As much of the following information as possible
concerning the original recipient or entitled person should be included.
Send PHOTOCOPIES of any supporting documents that you have.
Include:
Full Name,
Date of Birth,
Service Number,
Date of joining first unit,
Date of leaving/transfer/demob.
Inquiries about British Medals granted to Polish Soldiers serving in British units made be made to the following address:
Officer in Charge
The Army Medal Office
Government Buildings
Droitwich Spa
Worcester
WR10 8AU
For more details, visit:
http://www.army.mod.uk/contacts/divisions/medals.htm
Instytut Jozefa Pilsudskiego
(Jozef Pilsudski Institute)
240 King Street, London W6 0RF
Tel: 44 181 748 6197 (UK: 0181 748 6197)
Prezes - Mieczyslaw Stachiewicz
Instytut Polski I Muzeum im. gen. Sikorskiego
(Polish Institute and General Sikorski Museum)
20 Princes Gate, London SW7 1Pt
Tel: 44 171 589 9249 (UK: 0171 589 9249)
Prezes - Ryszard Dembinski
Stowarzyszenie Polskich Kombatantow w W Brytanii (SPK)
(Polish Ex-combatants Association)
240 King Street, London W6 0RF
Tel: 44 181 741 1911 (UK: 0181 741 1911)
Fax: 44 181 748 4558 (UK: 0181 748 4558)
Prezes - Czeslaw Zychowicz
Kolo Oficerow Dyplomowanych na Obczynie
(Circle of the Staff Officers in Exile)
10 Leigh Gardens, London NW10 5HP
Prezes - plk Jan Sochacki
Zwiazek Zolnierzy 5 KDP
(Association of the Soldiers of the 5th Infantry Division)
58 Rydal Gardens, Wembley, Middx. HA9 8RZ
Tel: 44 181 908 4951 (UK: 0181 908 4951)
Prezes - Waldemar Szczepanski
Zwiazek Karpatczykow 3 DSK
(The Third Carpathian Division Association)
21 Noel Road, London W3 0JD
Prezes - Jozef Wojtecki
Stowazyszenie Lotnikow Polskich
(Polish Air Force Association)
14 Collingham Gardens, London SW5 0HT
Tel: 44 171 373 1085 (UK: 0171 373 1085)
Prezes - Ludwik Martel
Stowarzyszenie Marynarki Wojennej
(Polish Naval Association)
14 Collingham Gardens, London SW5 0HT
Tel: 44 181 560 5319 (UK: 0181 560 5319)
Prezes - Konstany Zubkowski
Zwiazek Polskich Oficerow Marynarki Handlowej
(Polish Merchant Navy Officers Association)
240 King Street, London W6 0RF
Tel: 44 181 876 0794 (UK: 0181 876 0794)
Prezes - Boleslaw Pogorzelski
Zwiazek Polskich Spadochroniarzy
(Polish Paratroops Association)
240, King Street, London W6 0RF
Tel: 44 181 876 9315 (UK: 0181 876 9315)
Prezes - Zbigniew Gasowski
Kolo b. Zolnierzy Armii Krajowej
(Ex Home Army Soldiers Circle)
240 King street, London W6 0RF
Tel: 44 181 992 7421 (UK: 0181 992 7421)
Prezes - Jozef Huczynski
Kolo Oficerow Artylerii
(Artillery Officers Circle)
13 Chatsworth Road, Croydon, Surrey CR0 1HE
Tel: 44 181 688 4784 (UK: 0181 688 4784)
Prezes - Ferdynand Pasiecznik
Zwiazek Inwalidow Wojennych PSZ
(Association of the Disabled Polish Ex-Servicemen)
240 King Street, London W6 0RF
Tel: 44 181 563 2528 (UK: 0181 563 2528)
Prezes - Karol Lesiak
Kolo Szkoly Podchorazych Piechoty
(Circle of Infantry Officer-Cadets)
8 Marsden Road, London SE15 4EE
Tel: 44 171 732 8612 (UK: 0171 732 8612)
Prezes - Jozef Kovar
Kolo Junackie Szkoly Kadetow
(Cadet School Members Circle)
27 Hamilton Road, Bedford Park, London W4 1AL
Tel: 44 181 994 5911 (UK: 0181 994 5911)
Prezes - Jerzy Kulczycki
Zwiazek Kadetow 1918-1939
(Association of the Cadets of 1918-1939)
c/o Instytut J. Pilsudskiego, 240, King Street, London W6 0RF
Prezes - Boleslaw Gozdek
Kolo Kobiet Zolnierzy PSZ
(The Circle of the Women Soldiers of the Polish Armed Forces)
14 Warrick Mansions, Cromwell Cresc., London SW5 9QR
Tel: 44 171 373 3836 (UK: 0171 373 3836)
Prezes - Jadwiga Morozewicz
Kolo Pomocniczej Lotniczej Sluzby Kobiet
(Circle of the Auxiliary Women's Air Force)
14 Stanley Avenue, Wembly, Middx
Tel: 44 181 902 4675 (UK: 0181 902 4675)
Prezes - Alicja Kaliniecka
Carpathian Club Melbourne Polish Rats of Tobruk
61 Elwood Street
Brighton North Vic 3186
Polish Branch Air Force Association Victoria
Greenways Road
Glen Waverley Vic 3150
Polish Ex-Servicemen's Association
13 Saunders Street
Westall Vic 3169
Polish Home Army Ex-Servicemen
3 Libra Court
Tempelstowe Vic 3106
Kolo SPK Nr 2 w Adelaide
Kolo SPK Nr 14 w Adelaide
Stowarzyszenie Polskich Kombatantow Kolo Nr. 8
Polska Szkola Brisbane - Capalaba
Holland St., Capalaba, QLD 4157, Brisbane
Krajowe Stowarzyszenie Polskich Kombatantów w Australii
Polish Ex-Servicemen's Association in Australia
GPO Box 1509, Adelaide 5001
Helpful site for those requesting records from Poland
http://www.polishroots.com/genpoland/index.htm
Many more military resources can be found at:
http://maxpages.com/poland/Military_Records