Polish SOE War Memorial, Audley End

The Polish Special Operations Executive War Memorial is a Second World War memorial that was unveiled on 20 June 1983. It is made of stone and is situated approximately 65 meters south-west of the south-west corner of Audley End House.

The memorial features a highly decorated classical urn set on a plinth. The urn has a gadrooned base and calyx, with a band of carved decoration in high relief below the rim, which includes two rams’ masks with swags of drapery in between. The urn's gadrooned, waisted cap is topped with a flame finial. On the front face of the urn, there is an oval tablet that displays the ‘screaming eagle’ emblem, symbolizing three levels of Polish Service. The eagle-wing surround represents the Polish Paratrooper badge, while the wreath at the bottom indicates that the serviceman had completed a parachute jump. The initials PW stand for Polska Walczy, meaning ‘Poland is Fighting’.

The urn rests on a square plinth that features a moulded cornice and base, with recessed, moulded panels on each side. The front panel is adorned with a carved oval wreath of laurel leaves, which contains the following inscription:

BETWEEN/ 1942 AND 1944/ POLISH MEMBERS/ OF THE/ SPECIAL OPERATIONS EXECUTIVE/ TRAINED IN THIS HOUSE/ FOR MISSIONS IN THEIR HOMELAND/ THIS MEMORIAL COMMEMORATES/ THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THOSE/ WHO PARACHUTED INTO/ ENEMY OCCUPIED POLAND/ AND GAVE THEIR LIVES/ FOR THE FREEDOM OF/ THIS AND THEIR OWN/ COUNTRY

The two side panels of the plinth are inscribed with the words DULCE ET DECORUM EST PRO PATRIA MORI arranged in a circular format. The rear face features an attached metal ‘screaming eagle’ emblem, along with the incised dates 1942 -1944.