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HOUSE OF COMMONS

FRIDAY, 29th SEPTEMBER, 1944    /Mi

\_Extract tram the Offsetu i Report]

THE POLISH FORCES IN BELGIUM AND

HOLLAND

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SPEECH by Coloncl HAROLD MITCHELL, M.P.

In the Debatę on the Motion for the Adjoumment of the House:

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1.14 p.m.

Coloncl Harold Mitchell {Brentford and Chiswick): One reason why 1 inlcrvcnc in this Debate is that 1 desire to say something of the pait which our smallcr Allies are płaying in the war, and to make aa appeal to this House not to over-look the cłaims ol tliese people when ques-tions affecting the post-war set-up of Europę are discussed. Yesterday, we heard from the Prime Minister an account of military cvents during the time that Parliament was in Recess, and what a thrilling stor}' of succes>s it was. I was parucułarly interested in what he had to say about :he contributions oi the smaller nations. Other speakers, yesterday and to-day, have dealt with many aspects ol the situation in which the United Nations now find themsełves. Perhaps I may be allowed to say something from personal observation of what the Poles, the Bel-gians and the Dutch havc done during this present month. 1 was glad to hear the Prime Minister recall the reason for our entering the war. For some time there was a danger of that reason being Clouded by morę recent developnvents. We cannot ovcr-emphasise the fact that we declared war on Germany as the resuit of her unprovoked aggression on Poland. I know that my right hon. Friond the Foreign Sccretary bas not spared himself in his efforts to bring about a better feel-ing between Russia and Poland, and there is, as the Prime Minister said, some im-provement. Ali of us know how assidu-ous the Foreign Secrelary is and we are grateful to him for his part in bringing about that improvement, and we may be surę that he will not rclax his efforts before the goal has been reachcd. I certainly ant not going to say anything which will stand in the way of achieving the unity towards which the Brilish Govemment havc been working.

Just before tlie fali of France in 1940 I rnadc my first contact with the Polish Forces in France. They were then being re-formed by General Sikorski, at whose suggestion a little later I was appointed a Liaison Officer with the Polish troops and l have sińce been associated with them. I was present at the Polish Army's first muster in June, 1940, in Scotland immediately after the fali of France and I have been in close touch sińce that tiine with them. I have also had the opportunity of visiting Polish units in various parts of the Middle East. Soori after this House rosę for the Stimmer Recess, at tho reąuost of General Kukieł, the Polish Minister of National Defence here in London, I spent some time with the Polish troops in the Low Countries. For obvious reasons I cannot tell the House exactly whcrc they are now, or dcscribc exactly what they are doing, but 1 can say that they have been in some of the hardest fighting and have acąuitted themselvęs with great courage and re-markable heroism. It has been no easy task, for they have been up against some of the toughest soldiers the enemy has Icft, men fighting desperately for' their lives, and I entirely agree with what the hon. Meraber for Ebbw Yale (Mr. A.

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