Monte Cassino Poster - Polish Speaker Wanted

[BWEF]

I hope that I am in the right section of the forum for this query.

I recently won a poster on ebay. This was produced for the 45th Anniversary of the capture, by the Free Polish Army, of the Abbey at Monte Cassino.

At the top of the poster are a few words in Polish, and I wonder if anyone can tell me what they say?

"Zotnierze Polskich sit zbojnych na zachodzie

Zotnierze Polskich sit zbojnych srodowiska Polskie

Monte Cassino"

[Unknownsoldier]

Can you post a photo, as that doesn't read like Polish (I think your missing some distinct letters....).

Tom

Edit, no worries, I found it, I'll try and get a closer image..... and see if I can get a friend to translate it

It's written in Czech from what I can make out, Żołnierze is written Żołnierz in Polish, but with the E in Czech/Slovak.

So roughly it starts "Polish soldiers"

T

[BWEF]

Originally Posted by Unknownsoldier

Can you post a photo, as that doesn't read like Polish (I think your missing some distinct letters....).

Tom

Edit, no worries, I found it, I'll try and get a closer image..... and see if I can get a friend to translate it

It's written in Czech from what I can make out, Żołnierze is written Żołnierz in Polish, but with the E in Czech/Slovak.

So roughly it starts "Polish soldiers"

T

I think most of the letters are right. I did have a problem with one letter though, one which might be a J or might be that L with a line through it.

I can't post a photo, because ebay have recently removed the facility to "grab" photos from items for sale. I can send you the item number if interested.

I don't think it can be Czech, because it was the Poles that took Monte Cassino is May 1944. Also, the poster came with another poster depicting a poppy, a reference to a WW2 Polish song about the battle.

The song "Red Poppy Flowers on Monte Cassino" is used as a soundtrack on this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQRz1nSt9Cw

[Unknownsoldier]

Hi,

Thanks, I managed to locate a pic on ebay..... and as you say the stylised soviet writing is hard to decipher so I worked my way through the characters, and the first word is not in modern Polish useage from the look of it, but it is in Czech useage and Slovak useage, however a very similar word is used by the Polish, meaning the same thing, it may have been the Soviet influence that changed the words, much Russian has changed since capitalisation ;-)

I'll punt it over to my Polish friend and see what his wife makes of it.

ATB,
Tom

[BWEF]

Originally Posted by Unknownsoldier

Hi,

Thanks, I managed to locate a pic on ebay..... and as you say the stylised soviet writing is hard to decipher so I worked my way through the characters, and the first word is not in modern Polish useage from the look of it, but it is in Czech useage and Slovak useage, however a very similar word is used by the Polish, meaning the same thing, it may have been the Soviet influence that changed the words, much Russian has changed since capitalisation ;-)

I'll punt it over to my Polish friend and see what his wife makes of it.

ATB,
Tom

Thanks Tom

The Polish soldiers in exile make a big thing of their capture of Monte Cassino. It was probably their "high point" of the war in the west, and many of Ander's troops had been released from Russian prison camps to join the Free Polish Forces.

However, it now looks as if there had been no need to capture the Abbey after all. It had been outflanked by French colonial "Goumiers" who, being mountain trained, had broken the German line to the north. Give it a week or so and the Germans in the Abbey would have had to surrender anyway.

Here is another link, that shows more of what the Poles had to contend with, and also includes the song, much sung at reunions etc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1CMB...eature=related

[jim a]

why don't you try and use one of the free translator websites... I've done it a few times with medals that had foreign inscriptions and it seemed to work out pretty good... just google up translate and see what you get.

[wright241]

Originally Posted by BWEF

I hope that I am in the right section of the forum for this query.

I recently won a poster on ebay. This was produced for the 45th Anniversary of the capture, by the Free Polish Army, of the Abbey at Monte Cassino.

At the top of the poster are a few words in Polish, and I wonder if anyone can tell me what they say?

"Zotnierze Polskich sit zbojnych na zachodzie

Zotnierze Polskich sit zbojnych srodowiska Polskie

Monte Cassino"

I work alongside a polish guy here at Airbus - send me the text and he will
translate it for you. david

[wright241]

Originally Posted by BWEF

I hope that I am in the right section of the forum for this query.

I recently won a poster on ebay. This was produced for the 45th Anniversary of the capture, by the Free Polish Army, of the Abbey at Monte Cassino.

At the top of the poster are a few words in Polish, and I wonder if anyone can tell me what they say?

"Zotnierze Polskich sit zbojnych na zachodzie

Zotnierze Polskich sit zbojnych srodowiska Polskie

Monte Cassino"

'Polish Soldiers of the Polish armed forces who fought on Western Front'
'Polish Soldiers of the Polish armed forces from the Polish community at
Monte Casino'
david (thanks to Thomas Matczak)

[BWEF]

Originally Posted by jim a

why don't you try and use one of the free translator websites... I've done it a few times with medals that had foreign inscriptions and it seemed to work out pretty good... just google up translate and see what you get.

I tried a couple, but the results seem a lot like a mixture of Polish and gibberish to me.

For example:

On west " polish sieve (site) polish sieve (site) polish Zotnierze zbojnych Zotnierze zbojnych srodowiska

[BWEF]

Originally Posted by wright241

'Polish Soldiers of the Polish armed forces who fought on Western Front'
'Polish Soldiers of the Polish armed forces from the Polish community at
Monte Casino'
david (thanks to Thomas Matczak)

Thank you David, and please also thank Thomas for his help.

The translation fits what I know about the item too. The poster belonged to an ex Polish soldier, who settled in England after the war.

It looks as if he went back to Cassino for the 45th Anniversary, and picked up this souvenir.

[wright241]

Originally Posted by BWEF

Thank you David, and please also thank Thomas for his help.

The translation fits what I know about the item too. The poster belonged to an ex Polish soldier, who settled in England after the war.

It looks as if he went back to Cassino for the 45th Anniversary, and picked up this souvenir.

No problems. The 2nd sentence omits the fact that they are talking about
'the Polish community' i.e. 'the Polish community from elsewhere - i.e
the UK, Canada, USA etc'
david