II RP, Legitimation of the Silver Cross of the Order of War Virtuti Militari after a Bayonite. Legitimation after a soldier from a small but legendary unit of Polish volunteers in France known as the Bayonites. Dimensions: 17 x 11,5 cm. Very good state of preservation. Great rarity.
Bayonians - common name for an infantry subunit of the Foreign Legion composed of Polish volunteers.
History of the unit
Instead of the planned legion (Legion of Bayonians), two units were formed from Polish volunteers recruited in Paris in August 1914: about 200 soldiers were sent to Bayonne for training, hence they were called Bayonians, and about 250 soldiers were sent to Rueil, hence their name - Rueilians. While the Bayonians remained a compact unit in the strength of one company, the Rueilians were dispersed to various units of the 3rd Marching Regiment of the Foreign Legion[2]. Further recruitment was halted after a protest from the Russian Embassy, which feared that the Legion would fight for Polish independence.
Eventually, the rueilles were incorporated into the 2nd Marching Regiment (commander Colonel Louis Pein) within the 1st Foreign Legion Regiment - as the 2nd company of Battalion C (commander of the battalion - Major Gustave Alfred Noiré). Among the volunteers was the son of the famous historian Jozef Szujski - Wladyslaw. A Bayonian was also initially Xawery Dunikowski, who together with Jan Zyznowski designed the company's banner, presented to the Poles on September 21, 1914 by the city mayor Joseph Garat. The other companies of the battalion were composed of Czechs (1), Belgians (3) and Italians (4). Initially, the Bayonne company was commanded by Lt. Res. Julien Maxime Stephen "Max" Doumic (killed on November 11, 1914 at Sillery in the Marne department), followed by Capt. Juvénal Osmont d'Amilly (killed on May 9, 1915 at Neuville-Saint-Vaast in the Pas-de-Calais department). The company was sent to the front on October 22, 1914. The Bayonets fought against the Germans on the Western Front in Champagne from 1914 to 1915, and were on duty near Sillery from November 1914 to April 1915. They were then directed to the area around the town of Arras, where on May 9 they participated in the assault on the Vimy hills near Neuville-Saint-Vaast. They captured the German positions, having ransomed their success with heavy losses amounting to 3/4 of the company.
After this, only about 50 Bayonets remained alive, who, after a rest, were directed on June 16 to the German positions in the Souchez cemetery, where more soldiers were killed, and so the unit was disbanded in the summer of 1915. Their heroism is documented to this day by the company's banner with traces of 34 gunshots, which is kept in the Polish Army Museum in Warsaw. Some of the former Bayonne men enlisted in French units or went to Russia to fight in Polish units. The vast majority joined the Polish Army in France, which had been organized since 1917.
There are 18 Virtuti Militari bachelors among the Bayonis. The awards, numbers 5709 to 5726. One of the decorated (number 5720) is our Hero from the auction.
