Poland

Poland has cultivated one of the most varied and fascinating histories of military camouflage in the world.

During the Second World War, the Polish 1st Independent Airborne Brigade supported the British 1st Airborne Division during Operation Market Garden. Under the command of Major General Stanislaw Sosabowski, the Brigade were outfitted mostly with British issue uniforms and field equipment, including the hand-painted "brushstroke" camouflage pattern Denison paratrooper smocks. Despite heavy losses during this campaign, the Polish airborne troos fought valiantly and delayed a significant number of German troops in Holland, thus preventing complete annihilation of the 1st Airborne Division.

Despite a deep connection to their British wartime allies, Poland fell under Soviet influence in 1944 - becoming the People's Republic of Poland (1944-1990) and did not continue to use the "brushstroke" camouflage design. Yet neither were the Polish armed forces particularly influenced by Soviet models. Instead, the majority of designs seem either to have a nominal connection to German WW2 patterns, or to be completely innovative in origin. From the 1950s into the present era, Poland has always supported the use of camouflage for military personnel, not only airborne and special operations troops but for the common infantry soldier as well. They were the first Warsaw Pact nation to utilize "rain" pattern camouflage (a design that would later appear in at least half the nations within this alliance), but were also quite pioneering in their use of distinctive designs such reptile skin and leopard hide patterns. Finally throwing off its Communist shackles in 1989, Poland became a constitutional Republic in 1990 and enjoys full membership in NATO, the European Union, and the United Nations.

Polish Camouflage Patterns of the Communist Era (1944-1989)

• The first camouflage design issued to Polish troops dates to the early 1950s and was possibly of Soviet origin. Consisting of finely-detailed leaf shapes in foliage green on a yellowish-tan or khaki background, the pattern is often nicknamed Pietruszka or "parsley" camouflage and is most commonly associated with Romania, whom it is believed adopted the pattern after Poland discarded it. The lightweight Soviet-style oversuit and hooded poncho were only provided to special purpose units of the Polish Army, and surviving examples without Romanian markings are very few.

• A solid-white "snow" pattern is known to have been issued to Polish mountain units and military personnel operating in snowy conditions. Consisting of hooded poncho, smock, trousers, and overmittens, the uniforms saw service well into the 1990s. (Photograph not provided)

• Circa 1956, Poland adopted a camouflage design based loosely based on the German Wehrmacht Splittermuster (splinter) design, known as the wz56. Featuring brown & olive green splinter shapes with dark green rain straits on a yellow-tan background, there was some variability between production runs. This design was again fielded as Soviet-style two piece oversuit and only issued to airborne and reconnaissance units into the 1960s.

• Although unquestionably influenced by WW2 German camouflage designs such as Splittermuster (splinter pattern) and Sumpfmuster (marsh pattern), it was Poland that fielded the first design that has come to be known as "rain" pattern. This design is known officially as the wz58 Deszczyk (raindrop). Distinguished from the WW2 designs by the simplicity of incorporating only densely concentrated lines or "rain straits" over a solid-colored field, the design actually has limited functionality as camouflage and from a distance probably serves no greater purpose than would a solid-colored uniform. Nevertheless, several other countries in the Warsaw Pact developed their own versions of the rain pattern, (most notably East Germany), and a number of insurgent movements are known to have utilized the patterns over the years. The original Polish design is a heavy pattern of brown rain straits on a greenish-grey or field grey background (two variants are documented), the rain straits being generally thinner than those found in patterns from other Warsaw Pact nations.

• Another short-lived pattern from the 1950s is known only as "petals" or "fingers" in English - the official Polish designation being unknown. Likely derived from the Soviet WW2 era MKK pattern, this Polish pattern features dark brown, orange and olive green "petal" shapes on a pale green field. Few examples have survived, and there is no evidence suggesting it was ever adopted.

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• Officially the wz68 Moro Ludowe Wojsko Polskie (LWP) pattern, the Polish Army "worm" pattern was introduced in 1968 and saw service well into the 1980s as a general-purpose pattern. Also known as "green Moro," this was an Army pattern consisting of dense dark grey "worm" shapes over a grey-green field. Several styles of uniform were produced, including a winter version and a special purpose uniform for airborne and reconnaissance personnel.

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• Differing from the Army version is the wz68 Moro Wojsk Lotniczych i Marynarki Wojennej, the Polish Air Force & Marines Moro pattern. Also known as "black Moro," this variant uses the same screens but incorporates black "worm" shapes on a grey-green field. This variation seems to have been introduced in the 1970s and also saw service into the 1990s.

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• Yet another variation of the Moro pattern was issued to the Polish Police. Officially the wz68 Moro MO (Milicja Obywatelska) this is often called "blue Moro" by collectors as it has dark blue "worm" shapes instead of grey or black. As with the Air Force and Marine version, the Police Moro was introduced in the 1970s and saw service into the 1990s.

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• The Polish Prison Service was also issued their own version of the Moro pattern, the wz68 Moro SW (Sluzba Wiezienna). This variant features dark black "worm" shapes on a purple-blue field and is considerably more distinctive due to the background color. Also introduced in the 1970s, this pattern continues in service today.

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• The last of the officially issued Moro variants saw service with the Polish Fire Service. Officially the Moro SP (Straz pozarna) this design featured larger-sized black "worms" on a grey-green background. This version of Moro was also introduced in the 1970s and continues in service today.

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• An interesting camouflage design emerged in the 1970s for test by Polish special purpose troops. Known as the Gepard (leopard) design, this pattern incorporated black & reddish brown leopard spots on a field grey background. It is believed only the special purpose uniform was produced in this pattern, and probably only for testing as the uniform does not appear to have been adopted. A similar design, however, emerged in use with special units of the Zaire Armed Forces in the late 1970s, with a variant also appearing in Chad.

• The last of the Polish camouflage designs to appear during the Communist era was the wz89 Żaba or "frog" pattern. The pattern is also known as Puma in Polish, and has been nicknamed "reptile" pattern in English by many collectors. Featuring a dark green reptile skin design on a light green field, it would appear like the wz68 that this design has limited practicality as a camouflage pattern. It was adopted into service for both the Polish Army and Marines in 1989 and saw service until 1993. As with the Army Moro pattern, several styles of uniform were produced including a winter version and a special purpose uniform for airborne and reconnaissance personnel.

Camouflage Patterns of the Third Polish Republic (1990-present)

• The first camouflage design to emerge from the new Polish Republic was the wz93 Pantera, also called "presidential woodland." Incorporating similar shapes to the experimental "petals" design of the 1970s, the wz93 has black, reddish-brown and olive green amoebic shapes on a khaki background and became the standard issue pattern for all Polish armed forces in 1993. In addition to a standardized combat uniform, various hats, vests, tropical clothing and field equipment were produced in the pattern. It remains in general service but may be replaced by a pixelated pattern at some point in the future.

• A variation of this pattern is printed on a unique item issued to Polish special operations troops, this being an inflatable one-man watercraft. The item is designed to be carried in the field gear and inflated as needed for special missions. The camouflage design is similar to the wz93 but the shapes are in fact closer to the 1970s era "petals" design and the overall scale has been increased at least 200%.

• Polish military parachute shrouds during the 1990s were printed with a unique spot pattern (also nicknamed Żaba or "frog"). This pattern, its design incorporating black and orange spots on a pale green background, became popular with Polish airborne and special operations personnel in the 1990s, who cannibalized the parachutes and had one and two-piece customs uniforms created out of them. Although not officially produced by the government, these privately obtained uniforms remain in use today.