Awards of
World War IIThe award was established on July 26, 1944, by the Supreme Command of the Polish Armed Forces in the West, in memory of the courage and heroism displayed by soldiers of the Second Polish Army Corps, under the command of General Władysław Anders, in the battle for Monte Cassino.
The award's prototype was the badge of the 3rd Carpathian Riflemen Division. The award was made of bronze and was designed as an equilateral cross consisting of two identical rectangular crossbars intersecting at right angles. The cross measures 40 x 40 mm, with its rays shaped like a trefoil. In the center of the cross is a rectangular shield with the four-line inscription "MONTE CASSINO MAJ 1944."
The reverse of the award is identical to the obverse, with the difference being that the shield bears the award's serial number instead of the inscription.
The cross is attached to the award ribbon through an eyelet with a ring. The silk moiré ribbon is 33 mm wide and consists of 11 vertical stripes, each 3 mm wide. Six blue stripes and five red stripes.
A bronze bar, covered with fabric in the same colors as the award ribbon, is attached to the award ribbon, bearing the cursive inscription "Monte Cassino."
The Monte Cassino Cross is worn on the left chest, and if other awards are worn, it is placed after the Janek Krasicki Cross.
On September 8, 1943, Italy capitulated, and the new Badoglio government declared war on Germany. The Monte Cassino monastery and the settlement of the same name were considered by the German command to be a key position in the Gustav defensive line. American and British units, units of the French Expeditionary Force, and the Second Polish Army Corps operated against it. The New Zealand Corps' frontal assault on the mountain required preliminary bombing for tactical reasons, so on February 15, 1944, 142 Flying Fortresses and 87 other aircraft reduced the monastery to rubble.
From January to May 1944, a major battle raged here, claiming the lives of over 20,000 German soldiers and officers and approximately 50,000 Allied soldiers. The monastery was completely destroyed by British air strikes. On May 18, 1944, soldiers managed to capture the Monte Cassino monastery and the settlement of the same name.
In memory of this battle, the Monte Cassino Cross was awarded to more than 48,000 soldiers of the Second Polish Army Corps, under the command of General Władysław Anders.