Memorial Stone of General Maczek (Rybaki Street, at the fountain)
General Stanisław Maczek (1892-1994) was one of the most outstanding Polish military commanders. He served in the Piłsudski’s Legions, took part in the Polish-Ukrainian and Polish-Bolshevik wars. During the defensive war of 1939, the military unit commanded by Maczek weakened forces of the German adversary. His manner of fighting was recognized as tactical achievement of the Polish armies in the 1939 campaign. For combat performance he was honoured with the Golden Cross of the Virtuti Militari. He also fought in the defence of Lwów, but after entering of the Red Army, he and his soldiers were forced to cross the border of Hungary. There he was interned. Then he went to France, where he and his 10th Armoured Cavalry Brigade participated in the French campaign. He received the Cross Virtuti Militari IV class there. After the surrender of France, General Maczek hid in Marseille and then went to Great Britain, where he joined the Polish Armed Forces organized in the West. In 1942 he was given a command of the 1st Armoured Division, which crossed the French, Belgian, Dutch and German battle lines. In 1944 it participated in the invasion of Allies in Normandy. Maczek commanded his division in the victorious battle of Falaise. Thanks to his excellent tactical manoeuvre, the Allies managed to liberate Breda. In 1945, Maczek was decorated with the Commander Cross of the Legion of Honour and later promoted to the rank of general of the division. Until demobilization he commanded Polish troops in the United Kingdom.
Post-war years general spent emigrating in Edinburgh. He was deprived of any benefits, so he started working as a salesman and a bartender. In 1946 the communist government deprived him of Polish citizenship. In free Poland he was given due honour. In 1990, the president of the Republic of Poland in Exile gave him the rank of general of arms, and in 1992 he became a Knight of the Order of the White Eagle.
At the request of the citizens of Breda which was rescued by him, received the title of Honorary Citizen of the Netherlands. The 1st Armoured Division, under his command, was honoured with the Military Order of Wilhelm, the oldest and highest award of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. About special connections of the Polish tank drivers and the Dutch city reminds the Museum of General Maczek in Breda.
General Maczek died at the age of 102 in Edinburgh. According to his wish he was buried at the Polish war cemetery in Breda with the division soldiers killed in the liberation of Breda.