17th Infantry Regiment (Poland)

17th Infantry Regiment (Polish language: 17 Pulk Piechoty, 17 pp) was an infantry regiment of the Polish Army. It existed from late 1918 until September 1939. Garrisoned in Rzeszow, the unit belonged to the 24th Infantry Division from Jaroslaw.

On November 1, 1918, ethnic Polish soldiers, serving in Austro-Hungarian Army garrison at Rzeszow, decided to form their own unit. Reinforced with soldiers of the former Austrian 40th Infantry Regiment, and with volunteers from local population, the first battalion of the regiment was sent on November 17 to Lwow (see Battle of Lemberg (1918)). The second battalion, formed in late November, was sent in December 1918 to Przemysl, (see Battle of Przemysl (1918)).

In late December 1918, the regiment was reorganized. Two new units were formed out of it: they were named the 17th and the 18th Infantry Regiments.

In early 1919, the first battalion was sent to Volhynia, where in the night of January 22/23, it attacked Ukrainian positions in Wlodzimierz Wolynski. In May 1919, the Ukrainians began a large offensive. After heavy fighting, the Poles counterattacked, managing to push the enemy back. Due to heavy losses, the battalion was in August 1919 transferred to the former Duchy of Cieszyn, where it guarded Polish-Czechoslovak demarcation line (see Polish-Czechoslovak War). In the autumn 1919, the regiment was sent to Wilno, and in early 1920, it joined the 6th Infantry Division near Minsk.

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