WWI Cross of Polish Soldiers from America Type 1 1920 Original RARE
Beautiful and rare original World War I (1) Cross of Polish Soldiers from America, Type 1, with ribbon! Medal is in fantastic shape for it's age! The Cross of Polish Soldiers from America[a] was a military order awarded by the Second Polish Republic, to the volunteers from the United States, and Canada, that served in the Blue Army and the Polish Armed Forces, during the World War I, the Polish-Soviet War, and other conflicts, to commemorate their efforts in the creation of Poland and the ensuring of its independence from 1918 to 1920.
It was established in 1920 by Józef Pilsudski, the Chief of State of Poland, and was issued until 1927. The order is made from bronze. It consists of the Arrow Cross with the dimensions of 55 x 55 mm, placed on the ring stylized to look like rays of the sun. In the centre of the cross was placed an eagle with raised wings, and with a crown on its head, which referred to the coat of arms of Poland. To the right and left to the eagle, next to its wings, were holes through which, was put a white and red ribbon, which referred to the flag of Poland.
On the top of the cross is placed a text of capital letters, that read "SWOIM ZOLNIERZOM Z", while on the bottom, "OSWOBODZONA POLSKA". On the right arm of the cross was "AME", and on the left, "RYKI".
When read from top to bottom, and from left to right, the text reads "Swoim zolnierzom z Ameryki - oswobodzona Polska", which in translation from Polish, means "To its soldiers from America, the liberated Poland". On the ring behind the cross, between each arms is written, clockwise, "SZAMPANIA", "LWÓW", "WOLYN", and "POMORZE", which translates to "Champagne", "Lviv", "Volhynia", and "Pomerania", the regions were soldiers awarded with that order fought. The reverse of the order was blank. Please feel free to ask questions and make an offer!This medal is from the esteemed collection of Allan Zakrzewski, WWI historian, member of Cross and Cockade International and Orders and Medals Society of America. He was also a Charter member of The League of World War One Aviation Historians. In 2001, he became an editor for Over the Front quarterly magazine and while a member of the Gulf Cost Chapter of the League of WWI Aviation Historians, he earned the Thornton D.
Hooper Award for Excellence for his article on Monoplane Fighters of World War I. In 2007, he received his second Thornton D. Hooper Award for An Evening with Rodney Williams, 17th Aero Squadron. Much of his collection is on display at the University of Texas at Dallas' Eugene McDermott Library.