UNIFORMS AND EQUIPMENT OF THE KBW

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A001500520003-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 20, 2002
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: July 3, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
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COUNTRY Poland
SUBJECT
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PLACE ACQUIRED
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3. July 193
1. The winterdress uniform for officers and NCO's was of khaki gabardine or cheviot.
For privates it was of a khaki rough wool cloth. The summer dress uniform for all
personnel was of cotton twill (drelich) material.
a. The service and field uniforms were the same as the dress uniform; EM
received old uniforms for service and field use.
Uniforms and Equipment of the KBW
THE SOURCE EVALUATIONS IN THIS REPORT ARE DEFINITIVE.
THE APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE.
(FOR KEY SEE REVERSE)
Seeurity CorDs (ornus Bezpieozenstwa Wewnetrzneer RBW)
b.
suw4er uniforms occurred,.in April.
All the clothing and equipment listed below was retained by.the soldiers through-
out the entire year and was turned in upon discharge. The change from winter to
erer amend linter Uniforms ......
a.. The following summer season clothing was
Lan. Item Material Color
,Blouse new, Cotton Khaki
standup collar
Blouse, old, Cotton Khaki
..standup collar
STATE x ARMY
This Document contains information affecting the Na
tional Defense of the United States, within the mean-
ing of Title 18, Sections 793 and 794, of the V.S. Code, as
amended. Its transmission or revelation of its contents
to or receipt by an unauthorized person is prohibited
by law. The reproduction of this form is prohibited.
REPORT NO.
DATE DISTR.
NO. OF PAGES
REQUIREMENT NO.
REFERENCES
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worn from April to October:
Issue Period Ramarks
2 D as and parade.
SECRET
AIR #x FBI AEC
J_ee Annex IDrill and field
,duty.
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man. Item Material
Color
Issue
Period
Remarks
tyro .
1 pr. Trousers, new Cotton
1 pr. Trousers, old Cotton
Khaki
Khaki
2
Dress and parade.
Drill and field
duty.
Shirt, without Cotton
collar
Khaki
2
Turned in for
laundering every
10 days.
1 pr. Drawers, long Cotton
White
2
Turned in every 10
days and replaced
with laundered ones.
1 pr. Drawers, short Cotton
White
2
Turned in every 10
days and replaced
with laundered ones.
1 pr. Foot wraps Cotton
1 pr. Service shoes Leather
Khaki
Brown
2
2
Same as above.
1 Garrison belt Leather
Brown
2
1 Trousers belt Leather
Brown
2
1 pr. Wrap leggings Cotton
Brown
2
Discontinued in
1948.
1 pr. Short leggings Cotton
Brown
2
1 Overseas cap Cotton
Khaki
2
1 1Field cap Cotton
1 Service cap Wool
Khaki
2
b. The following winter season
March:
clothing was worn from
November to
1 Blouse, new Wool
standup collar
Khaki 2
Blouse, old
standup collar
Wool
Khaki 2
1 pr. Trousers, new
Wool
Khaki 2
1 pr. Trousers, old
Wool
Khaki 2
1 Overcoat, new
Wool
Khaki 2
1 Shirt
Wool-
Khaki 2
1 pr. Drawers, long
Wool
White 2
Dress and parade.
Drill and field
duty.
Dress and parade.
Drill and field
duty
Worn for all types
of duty.
Turned in every
10 days for
laundering.
Turned in every
10 days for
laundering. Three
pairs were issued
when going out on
field duty.
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c. The equipment issue consisted of the following items:
Issue
uan. Item
Material Color
Period
Remarks
rs.
1
Field bag
Tarpaulin Khaki
2
(75 x 50 cm.)
1
Spoon
Tin or
1
Mess kit
aluminum
Tin or
2
Needle and
thread kit
Blankets
aluminum
Wool Tan
2
2
Bed sheets.,,-
Cotton White
2
Turned in for
2
Pillow cases
Cotton White
2
laundering every
10 days.
Same .as above.
1
Shelter half
.?Ciatton Khaki
2-3
1
Grenade pouch
Cotton Gray
2-3
Capacity-3 F-i
grenades.
1
Rifle cleaning --
2-3
brush
1
Helmet
Steel Khaki
-
For length of
service.
Insignia of Rank
3. Insignia of rank in the KBW was worn on the shoulder loops and on
the front of the hatbands. The stripes were made from silvered-
cloth material or solid white metal, and had a very narrow red
piping on the edges. All personnel had to purchase their own rank
insignia. Stars for the officers' rank insignia were of silvered
cloth.
Polish Rank Description of Rank Insignia
Starszy Strzelec -- Sr. Rifleman One bar
Kapral -- Cpl. Two bars
Plutonowy -- Jr. Sgt.
S'ierzant -- Sgt.
Stars.zy Sierzant -- Sr. Sgt.
Chorazy -- WO
Podporuoznik -- 2d Lt.
Porucznik -- let Lt.
Kapitan -- Capt.
Major -- Mai.
Podpulkownik -- Lt. Col.
Pulkownik -- Col.
General Brygady -- Brig. Gen.
General Dywizji --'Maj. Gen.
General Broni -- Lt. Gen.
Marezalek Marshal
Three bars
Inverted V stripe
,Two inverted V stripes
One large star
One small star
Two small stare
Three small stars
Two bars and a star
Two bars and two stars
Two bars and three stars
One W stripe and a star
One W stripe and two stars
One W stripe and three stars
One M stripe and baton
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a. The color of caps
two centimeters wide and map as follows:
Branch of Service
Int.
Arty.
WOP
Air Force
Color
Khaki
Khaki
Dark blue
Khaki.
Khaki
Blue
Khaki
b. The piping worn on caps, trousers and jackets was approximately
worn by the various branches of service
within the Polish Armed Forces was as follows:
Branch of Service
Inf.
Arty.
Tank
KBW
w?P
Air Force
SP
Color
Medium blue
Red
Dark red
Green
Light blue
c. The color of the hat bands corresponded to the color of the
pip . Special sleeve and shoulder insignia were wortiin the
KBW ee Kunst-, A
It. There was no shortage of clothing or clothing material. Soldiers
were not allowed to keep their uniforms 'UP on discharge from the
ILLEGIB
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Standup and Roles lla? Blouses Worn by Personnel of the
Internal 'Sec urits~ Carps kISHW - $orpus Bezpieczenstwa Wswne
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Officer and ZM Winter
and Svamar Standup
Collar Blouse
Officer and NCO Winter
and Summer 8011
Collar Blouse
this ou
would
eventually
replace the
standup
collar blous
for all
military
personnel.
Collar Flash
with zig zag pattern,
worn by senior rifle-
men and higher grades.
The silver pattern
increased in width
with each higher rank:,
Lapel 'Flash
was of a medi=-Yblue
color for RBW personnel
officers and 11008 had
purchase their own laps
flashes, as they were
not an item of issuee.
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Sr1eeve and Shoulder I,.naiWorn by Troops of 9d internal Security
Corgs ( rpus Bezpieczxyp u~ra Wewnetrznego) Bri at LUBLIN (5115N-23
Signal Troop Insin4a
The wearing of this
insigni$, shown here in
approx,..uately the actual
size, was not mandatory.
It was usually worn by
NCOs, and had to be pur-
chased by the individual.
Heavy Machine Gunner (C1M) Insignia
Same as insigne shown above.;
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8a sane n B a+~ ,g
no fringe was ma de of
pink cord and sewn to
the shoulder loop. A
red and white stripe,
1.3 om wide, ran length-
wise through the center
of the shoulder loop.
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.utcmobile and Truck
Drivers, Insignia.
This insigne was made of
white stamped metal, and
was worn on the shoulders,
loop, as indicated.
25X1 of all dr vers
blem.
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