Warsaw – 68th anniversary of the Battle of Monte Cassino

The Minister of National Defence of Poland, Mr Tomasz Siemoniak

On 18 May in Warsaw the embassy participated in a number of ceremonies (at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, at the Monte Cassino Monument and at the Polish Army Museum).

The ceremonies were also attended by the Minister of National Defence of Poland, Mr Tomasz Siemoniak, ambassadors of the homelands of the soldiers, who fought in the battle from Great Britain, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, France, United States, Algeria, Morocco, Italy, Austria, Germany and war veterans.

Britain’s Ambassador Robin Barnett in his speech recalled the heroism of those who had fought at Monte Cassino. Nearly one thousand Polish soldiers were killed in this battle but the Second Polish Corps under command of General Anders captured the ruins of the Monte Cassino monastery on 18 May 1944. Poland’s Minister of National Defence noted that the Battle is one of the first elements of patriotic upbringing of every Pole.