Czechoslovak Legion (1939)

Czechoslovak Legion of 1939 was formed in Second Polish Republic after Germany occupied Czechoslovakia in March 1939. While about 4000 Czechs and Slovaks joined the French Foreign Legion, about a 1000 chose to go to Poland, which looked likely to be involved in hostilities with Germany in the near future, and which gave permission for a formation of a dedicated Czechoslovak unit, in tradition of the First World War Czechoslovak Legions. The Legion had a strength of about 700 soldiers, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Ludvík Svoboda; about 200 flying personnel were instead assigned to a Czechoslovak Reconnaissance Squadron. The ground Legion was however not fully formed by the time of German invasion of Poland on 1 September. Most of the soldiers were eventually interned by the invading Soviets on 17 September, while others crossed the Polish-Romanian border and were interned in Romania. The Reconnaissance Squadron was involved in the fight in the air alongside the Polish Air Force, although primarily in the reconnaissance role, as the aircraft they received from Poland (Potez XXV, RWD-8 and PWS-26), were mostly obsolete in air combat.

References

• (Polish) 1939 - Legion Czechosłowacki (mirror)

Further reading

• Legion czechosłowacki w Polsce, Śląski Instytut Naukowy, Katowice 1989