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KINITTBS OF CONFERENCE BETWEEN General SOSNKOWSKI and General ALEKANEER, at H. Q ♦ 15 A-rmy Group - lOth Nov. , 1943

(Minutę3 by Lt. KUŁAKOWSKI).

Those present;

General SOSNKOWSKI

General ALEXANŁER

Kia jor General RICHARDGON

Colonel SULISLAWSKI

Colonel ŁEKEL

Lt. Col. KNOX

Lt. KUŁAKOWSKI (Interpreter).    •    .

1. Gen. S03N0K0WSKI said he wanted to discuss first of all the organisation of the Polish Corps in the Ifi.E. and i ta entry into the linę. . Ke would like to have a Corps composed of 1 Infantry Łivision of two brigades and one Arinoured Division. He laid emphasis on the ircport-ance of tranaferririg to Italy the entire Corps.

Gen. ALEXANDER said he would prefer the Polish Corps to be composed of one s.trorig Infaritry Livision of three Bdes, with strong reinforce-ments of armoured elements, which for national reasons could even be called an Armoured Division. . He gave the example of the New Zealand Division, subordinated directly to Gen. MONTGOMERY, cominanded by its own Corps Commander, and much stronger than a normal division on British W.E.

Gen. S. said he meant a real Armoured Łivision according to British W.E., and not a unit which was an Armoured Łivision only by name.

He had all elements necessary to build up an Armoured Łivision cn the spot (ITank Bde, 1 Inf. Bde, Recce Regt, 2 Pield Arty Rgts, 1 Light A.A. Rgt).

Gen. A. said he needed first of all strong infantry units, owing to conditions of terrain. A div of 2 bdes was too weak and would soon fade away. If the Poles wanted to obtain a success in the field, they would have to accept a strong organisation from the very beginning, so as to meet the needs and conditions of battle. Gen. A. apąured Gen. S. that he would not put the Polish Corps ur.der any other Corps Commander than its own.

Gen. S. pointed out the dffficulties connected with this solution, on account of many commanas and staffs that exist at present and would be left without employment. Gen. A. suggested as a solution to double the conuriands. He would himself like to do it if he had enough officers.

Gen. S. reviewed all three alternatives discussed with Gen. EISENHOWER. When he came to the third alternative, he mentioned the telegram from ivi.E. Command to A.F.H.Q. stating that if the Polish j.ank Hde changed into ahennans it could only have three troops per sąuadron instead of five, owing to the shortage of men and specialists. Gen. A. replied that the tank bde must have the best eq.uipm.ent, i.e. Shermans. A .bde of three-troop squadrons would be too weak.