On 16 October 2026, the Institute of National Remembrance commemorated the soldiers of General Stanisław Maczek’s 1st Polish Armoured Division at the Monument to Polish-Canadian Military Friendship, located outside the Embassy of Canada in Warsaw.

In August 1944, the 1st Polish Armoured Division fought alongside Allied forces under the command of the First Canadian Army during the Normandy campaign. Its contribution was particularly significant during the Battle of the Falaise Pocket, where Polish troops played a crucial role in preventing German forces from escaping encirclement. At Hill 262 (Mont Ormel), Polish soldiers withstood fierce German counterattacks, holding their positions until they were relieved by Canadian forces.

Polish-Canadian military cooperation continued during the liberation of Belgium and the Netherlands. While Canadian troops fought to secure the Scheldt Estuary, Polish forces captured Axel and Terneuzen and took part in the liberation of North Brabant. The two forces subsequently cooperated in defending the Meuse line before the Allied advance into Germany in 1945.

The bloodshed together on the battlefields of Normandy became the foundation of Polish–Canadian brotherhood in arms, which was cemented during subsequent fighting in Western Europe, wrote IPN Deputy President Karol Polejowski in a letter addressed to the participants of the ceremony. The letter was read out by Mateusz Szpytma, Deputy President of the Institute of National Remembrance.

Representatives of the Canadian Embassy in Poland, families of veterans and Polish institutions attended the commemoration, paying tribute to the courage and sacrifice of Polish and Canadian servicemen and to the enduring legacy of their shared struggle for freedom.