Women's Auxiliary Service (Poland)

The Women's Auxiliary Service
Active 1941–1946
Country Poland
Branch Army Navy Air Force
Size ca. 4,000 volunteers
Part of II Corps
Nickname(s) Pestki
Decorations Cross of Valor (9), Golden Cross of Merit (2), Silver Cross of Merit (74), Bronze Cross of Merit (154), Monte Cassino Commemorative Cross (950)
Disbanded March 1946
Commanders
Notable
commanders		 Władysława Piechowska
Bolesława Wysłouch
Zofia Leśniowska

The Women's Auxiliary Service (WAS) (Polish: Pomocnicza Służba Kobiet (PSK), Pestki[1]) was a unit of Polish Armed Forces during World War II established in 1941 by initiative of Lt. Gen. Władysław Anders, while creating Polish Armed Forces in the East.[2][3]

Pestki worked as nurses, cooks, teachers in schools for war orphans, secretaries in staffs, pilots, drivers, etc.[3][4][5][6][7][8] In active service there were around 4,000 volunteers in any time of World War II, but 1 July 1945, in time of highest abundance, there were 7,000 women in WAS.

In 1944 WAS was transferred to II Corps[9] in Italy. In July 1944 Minister of National Defence reorganized WAS separating three new units:

The same bylaw established Headquarters of WAAS, Commandants of WAAS, WAFAS, WNAS and Superintendents to corps and armies' commands. Commissioned officers were appointed by the President of the Republic of Poland. Military ranks were also harmonized with ranks of Polish Armed Forces in the West.

First Superintendent of WAS was Władysława Piechowska,[2] another was Zofia Leśniowska.[5][10]

The WAS was disbanded in March 1946.

References

  1. ↑ Maria Maćkowska, Pomocnicza Służba Kobiet w Polskich Siłach Zbrojnych, London, 1990, p. 101
  2. 1 2 Maria Maćkowska, Pomocnicza Służba Kobiet w Polskich Siłach Zbrojnych, London, 1990, p. 11
  3. 1 2 Anna D. Jaroszynśka-Kirchmann, The exile mission: the Polish political diaspora and Polish Americans, 1939-1956, Ohio University Press, 2004, ISBN 0-8214-1526-3, p. 30
  4. ↑ Maria Maćkowska, Pomocnicza Służba Kobiet w Polskich Siłach Zbrojnych, London, 1990, pp. 15, 16, 30
  5. 1 2 Witold Biegański, Polskie Siły Zbrojne na Zachodzie 1939-1945, Krajowa Agencja Wydawnicza, 1990, p. 69
  6. ↑ Witold Biegański, Jan Brodala, Regularne jednostki wojska polskiego na Zachodzie, Wydawnictwo Ministerstwa Obrony Narodowej, 1973, p. 291
  7. 1 2 3 4 Witold Biegański, Walki formacji polskich na Zachodzie, 1939-1945, Wydawnictwo Ministerstwa Obrony Narodowej, 1981, ISBN 83-11-06577-2, p. 341
  8. 1 2 Bernard A. Cook, Women and war: a historical encyclopedia from antiquity to the present, ABC-CLIO, 2006, ISBN 1-85109-770-8, p. 474
  9. ↑ Wojskowy przegląd historyczny, 1997, p. 274
  10. ↑ Wincenty Iwanowski, Z dziejów formacji polskich na Zachodzie, 1939-1945, Wydawnictwo Ministerstwa Obrony Narodowej, 1976, p. 172

Bibliography

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