Independent Carpathian Rifle Brigade – Renamed

On January 12, 1941, the Polish Independent Carpathian Rifle Brigade was renamed as the Polish Independent Brigade Group under British command in Egypt.

When France surrendered to the Germans in mid-June 1940, the Polish Independent Carpathian Rifle Brigade, with approximately 4,000 men under General Stanisław Kopański, was part of the of the French Armée du Levant stationed in Syria and commanded by General Eugène Mittelhauser. On June 20, 1940, Mittelhauser received orders from his French superiors for all armed men to lay down their arms, using force if necessary.

However, Poland had not surrendered along with France—instead, the Polish army and air force in France were evacuating to continue the fight from Britain. As a result, Kopański had received his own orders, from Polish Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief Władysław Sikorski, to place themselves under the British in Palestine. On June 30, 1940, Kopański and his troops defied Mittelhauser and left Syria for Palestine.

Since the brigade had initially been integrated into the French army, it was organized along French lines and outfitted with French arms. It took a few months to incorporate them into the British army, where it was modeled on a British motorized infantry brigade.

By January 12, 1941, the brigade had been completely reorganized and integrated into the British army. The unit was renamed the Polish Independent Brigade Group.