1st Independent Parachute Brigade (Poland)

1st Independent Parachute Brigade 1. Samodzielna Brygada Spadochronowa (Polish)
Brigade standard
Active	23 September 1941 – 30 June 1947
Country	Poland
Allegiance	Polish Government in Exile
Type	Airborne forces
Role	Parachute infantry
Size	Brigade
Part of	Polish Armed Forces in the West
Motto(s)	"Najkrótszą drogą" (By The Shortest Way)
Engagements	Operation Market Garden
Battle honours	Order of William
Commanders
Notable commanders	Gen. bryg. Stanisław Sosabowski

The 1st (Polish) Independent Parachute Brigade was a parachute infantry brigade of the Polish Armed Forces in the West under the command of Major General Stanisław Sosabowski, created in September 1941 during the Second World War and based in Scotland.

Originally, the brigade's exclusive mission was to drop into occupied Poland in order to help liberate the country. The British government, however, pressured the Poles into allowing the unit to be used in the Western theatre of war. Operation Market Garden eventually saw the unit sent into action in support of the British 1st Airborne Division at the Battle of Arnhem in September 1944. The Poles were initially landed by glider from 18 September, whilst, due to bad weather over England, the parachute section of the Brigade was held up, and jumped on 21 September at Driel on the South bank of the Rhine. The Poles suffered significant casualties during the next few days of fighting, but still were able, by their presence, to cause around 2,500 German troops to be diverted to deal with them for fear of their supporting the remnants of the 1st Airborne trapped over the lower Rhine in Oosterbeek.

The Brigade was originally trained close to RAF Ringway and later in Upper Largo in Scotland. It was finally based in Lincolnshire, close to RAF Spitalgate (Grantham) where it continued training until its eventual departure for Europe after D-Day.