WW2 Polish Badge 2nd Armoured Regiment – Steinhauer, Germany

A two-piece badge, crafted in the shape of an equal-armed Maltese cross. Imposed on the cross is a Scottish thistle with an armored arm holding a sword – a symbol of the Polish Armoured forces.

The reverse of the badge is smooth, featuring a visible mounting post and a round screw-back nut.

This variant was manufactured in occupied Germany by the Steinhauer company in Lüdenscheid. It is classified as variant 70a.2, as described in the reference book “The Polish Army in the West 1939–47: Commemorative and Specialist Badges – A Collector’s Companion” (2020) by Tony Leszczuk & Krzysztof Barbarski.

The 2nd Armoured Regiment of the Polish Armed Forces in the West, an integral part of General Stanisław Maczek’s 1st Armoured Division, played a key role in the Western European campaign during World War II. After undergoing training in the United Kingdom, the regiment was transferred to France at the end of July 1944. It saw its first combat on August 8, 1944, near Saint-Aignan-de-Cramesnil, where, alongside the 24th Uhlan Regiment, it took part in Operation “Totalize,” aimed at encircling German forces near Falaise. Despite difficulties and losses, the regiment continued its advance through France, Belgium, and the Netherlands, participating in the liberation of cities such as Chambois, Breda, and Moerdijk. In May 1945, the 2nd Armoured Regiment reached Wilhelmshaven in Germany, where it accepted the surrender of the Kriegsmarine garrison, thus ending its combat path. After the war, the unit served as an occupation force in the Friesland region, and the town of Meppen, where the division’s headquarters was stationed, was renamed Maczków in honor of General Maczek.