Polish military flags

Last modified: 2011-05-14 by andrew weeks
Keywords: army | virtuti militari |
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• Flag of the Army
• Flag of the Special Forces
• Polish People's Army
• 2nd Polish Army Corps flag
• Polish Army Corps flag
• Flag of a Marshal of Poland
• Banner of a Marshal of Poland
• Flag of Chief of General Staff of Polish Army
• General Chief of Staff
• General's Flag
• General's Flag (uncrowned eagle)
• Minister of National Defense
• Flag of Department of Defence
• Military color of the communist era
• Chief of Military Police
• New website

• Poland
• Lance pennons of the Polish Army (1920-39)
• Polish Navy flags
• Polish Airforce flags

Flag of the Army

This flag is entitled: FLAGA WOJSK LADOWYCH . See also: Flag of the Navy, Air Force and Air Defence Flag,
Jarig Bakker, 4 Sept 2000.

This flag is shown in The World Encyclopedia Of Flags (Znamierowski, p. 83). The insignia is actually a representation of the cap badge. TWEOF shows similar flags for the Polish Navy and Airforce, both red with a representation of the appropriate cap badge. According to TWEOF, all three were adopted in 1993.
Tom Gregg, 23 Apr 2000

Does anyone know how these are used? They don't look like they'd be flown over military installations (and we know Polish AF bases have the airfields flag), and the one for the Navy certainly is neither the ensign nor the jack. So are they parade flags of some kind?
Joe McMillan, 23 Apr 2000

The Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland (Si?y Zbrojne Rzeczypospoliej Polskiej) consist of three Forces:
- The Land Army (Wojska Lądowe)
- The Air Forces and Air Defence (Wojska Lotnicze i Obrony Powietrznej)
- The Navy (Marynarka Wojenna)
All these Forces have flags, established by Sejm 19 February 1993. These flags (pl^army, pl~navy and pl^air) are neither ensigns nor jacks. They are flown over military units:
- On the holiday of each Force.
- The holiday of Land Army is 12 September - anniversary of King John III Sobieski's victory over Kara Mustafa's Ottoman Turks at Vienna (1683).
I have seen Army Flag flown 12 September 2000, over Stefan Czarnecki Military Academy in Pozna?.
Grzegorz Skrukwa, 16 Sept 2000

Flag of the Special Forces

In early 2007. the 4th branch of Polish Armed Forces had been formed: Polish Special Forces (full name: Wojska Specjalne Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej).
In march 2009 their symbols had been adopted: (link to legislature).
To complement polish page at FOTW, please use my image from Wikimedia Commons.
Maciej Borowski, 16 Jul 2009

Polish People's Army

James Dignan gets this flag from a stamp marked XXXV-Lecie (35th anniversary) Ludowego Wojska Polskiego. [Ludowe Wojsko Polskie = Polish People's Army i.e. the old communist regime's armed forces].

This pattern is in general use for Polish military units; it would have the name of the unit, and even battles in which it had fought. The pattern is reminiscent of the shape of the medal of the Virtuti Militari order, the highest Polish order for valour, which has (I think) been re-established since the fall of the communist regime. The Virtuti Militari is the same shape as the white parts of the flag together with the ring containing the eagle (Polish national emblem) in the centre.
Robert Czernkowski

AFAIK this flag never existed. It's probably standard design for Polish military units extended by artist who prepared postal stamp. Ludowe Wojsko Polskie was not military units of communist regime but normal military units. Difference between 2nd Polish Army Corps which fought in Italy and LWP units were insignificant. A lot of people imprisoned by Soviets wanted to fight against Nazi, but they were released too late to join General Anderś army. They only could join LWP units and fight on Eastern Front.
Peter 'Mikolaj' Mikolajski, 18 Sept 2000

2nd Polish Army Corps flag

This design is not correct but was used by units which fought on Eastern Front and is reverted version of normal design.
Peter 'Mikolaj' Mikolajski, 18 Sept 2000

Polish Army Corps flag

This shows the normal design. Almost always flags had golden laurel or oak crown around eagle. In units which fought on the Western Front almost always was sentence: "Honor i Ojczyzna" [Honour and Fatherland].
Peter 'Mikolaj' Mikolajski, 18 Sept 2000

Flag of a Marshal of Poland

Banner of a Marshal of Poland

Flag of Chief of General Staff of Polish Army

General Chief of Staff

General's Flag

General's Flag (uncrowned eagle)

Minister of National Defense

Minister of National Defense: National ensign in 5:6 proportions with badge in lower center consisting of a white foul anchor and a yellow cannon in saltire.
Joseph McMillan, 6 Oct 1999

In Monitor Polski Nr 14 page 257, that personal flag is drawn in 5 : 8 proportions
Armand Noel du Payrat, 11 Oct 1999

Flag of Department of Defence

Military color of the Communist era

I just saw Jaruzelski in the TV. He announced the state of emergency (early 1980s) in Poland. Next to Jaruzelski was a flag, which I assume was the presidential flag of the time:
Divided per saltire, red top and bottom, white on the sides. In the centre a red disc with a golden wreath around the white eagle. I think the flag had a fringe.
Ole Andersen, 8 Nov. 1999

This is a description of a Polish military color of the Communist period. The color now is white with a red cross patty throughout, with a red disk at the center encircled by a golden laurel wreath. On the obverse, the disk is charged with the crowned eagle from the COA; on the reverse the disk is inscribed with the motto "BOG HONOR OJCZYZNA" (God, honor, duty) and the arms of the cross are inscribed with battle honors. The number of the unit is inscribed in each corner inside a wreath.
Joseph McMillan, 8 Nov 1999

"Courrier International" #807, 20 April 2006, publishes a black and white picture (AFP) of the scene, which took place on 13 December 1981. The fringe of the flag is clearly visible.
Jaruzelski's trial for "participation to a criminal organization", here the WRON (Military Council for National Security) shall start soon in Poland. The prosecutor of the Institute for National Memory has released the act of accusation on 31 March 2006. Earlier attempts to try the General failed in 1995 in spite of the set up of a
parliamentary commission in 1991.
Ivan Sache, 20 May 2006

Definitely the Army standard, not presidential flag - there was no president in Poland in 1981!
See the standard at the bottom of this page (the standard of example military unit from the times of the People's Republic of Poland).
Mariusz Borkowski, 20 May 2006

Flag of Chief of Military Police

On July 2, 2010, Flag of the Chief of Military Police was adopted.
It was published on the website of Polish Army: The flag is used in Polish Military Police Headquarters and in the office of Chief of MP.
The text says that ratio is 5:6, but picture is somewhere near 3:5. Here is a version from the site, as well as version 5:6.
Ivan Sarajcic, 16 Aug 2010

Flag of Chief of Military Police (5x6)

New website

If this website is official, as it appears to be, then it confirms that the Jack's proportions of 5:6 given in the Flaggebuch have be restored (or were never, in fact, changed?) and that any suggest of 1:1 for the current version is incorrect.
Christopher Southworth, 19 Mar 2004

In the Official Gazette (of the Republic of Poland) #83 , item 689, the new decree of the Minister of National Defense of May 4, 2009 about the determination of the signs used in the armed forces of the Republic of Poland was published. The Polish military and Rank flags were officially re-defined.
See please here.
Jens Pattke, 7 Aug 2009

In fact the rank flags of Vice Admiral and Rear Admiral remain unchanged; that of Admrial, previously with three stars, now has four. The three-star flag is now used by the oddly-named rank of Fleet Admiral (admirała floty).
Miles Li, 8 Aug 2009