laststandonzombieisland

Ian over at Forgotten Weapons really outdid himself with the latest post over there. Its on the The Beha (Bechowiec): Poland’s Forgotten Submachine Gun.

In 1939 Poland was invaded by Nazi Germany and then, a little over a fortnight later, stabbed in the back by the Soviet Union. Fighting on both fronts, she was eventually defeated, despite gallant defense. Hopes for a military action on the West, spurred by Britain’s and France’s declaration of war against Germany on September 3, were forlorn. Other than declarations, no tactile help was provided. Occupied country was divided, with ‘Uncle Joe’ Stalin taking up 54% of the pre-war territory – more than Hitler did!

Almost overnight various factions started to organize military underground resistance structures. The political spectrum of the Polish underground was as colorful and varied as was the pre-war society. Every party and a faction had it’s own underground military branch, running the gamut from socialists on the left wing up until crypto-fascist nationalists on the far right one; only the Communists kept out of it, obeying their orders from Moscow. Strąpoć joined the conservative Polskie Stronnictwo Ludowe (PSL, Polish Peasant Party) underground forces, called the “Peasant Battalions” (Bataliony Chłopskie – BCh, or phonetically misspelled: BH, hence the later name of his submachine gun). He was at long last going to do what he loved: gunsmithing for the local guerilla force.

http://www.forgottenweapons.com/polish-beha-resistance-smg/