Edward Soltys and Benedict Heydenkorn in their book Persevering in the Struggle. A Cultural Analysis of the Polish Combatants' Association in Canada (Canadian Polish Research Institute Publishers, Toronto 1992) wrote: "The Association of Polish Veterans is an extension of the 'Self-Help of the Army', which dates back to 25 August 1945, when the first meeting of the organising committee was held. However, the formal date of the establishment of the 'Self-Help of the Army' is 23 October 1945. The first General Assembly was held in May 1946. At that time, the name was changed to the Association of Polish Veterans (SPK) with the addition 'Samopomoc Wojska', which disappeared over time."

It was also at this time that the Polish soldiers of General Władysław Anders' 2nd Polish Corps grouped in three camps: Falconara, Cesena and Porto Rencanati formed the SPK, the "Siren" detachment. Within it, those who were qualified to go to Canada formed a sub-branch of SPK - "Canada". On 3 October 1946, the authorities of the SPK in Canada were elected in Falconara.

In Canada, the demobilised soldiers, having taken up work mostly on the land, began to establish camaraderie and set up, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, more or less numerous circles of the Polish Combatants' Association. Thus, Circle No. 1 was established in Thunder Bay, 2 in London, 3 in Vancouver, 4 in Brantford... Others were founded in Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto.... Always where there were Polish veterans of World War II, faithful to the message that the SPK is an organisation of Polish soldiers who fought for the freedom, sovereignty and independence of their homeland in the formations of the Polish Army on all fronts, in the allied armies of the anti-Hitler coalition, in underground resistance organisations and former prisoners of Nazi concentration camps and Stalinist gulags.

In the elaborate Invocation of the Association of Polish Veterans, the words of the prayer are recorded:

"God, Holy, Strong and Immortal! Look mercifully upon us, Polish veterans, gathered here together, and grant that we may be strengthened by the Holy Spirit with the gifts of Reason, Knowledge and Wisdom: Make us, strengthened by the Holy Spirit with the gifts of Reason, Knowledge and Wisdom, to consider only the good of our Homeland and the Polish cause. God, grant that all of us, united by a common soldier's duty under the white and red insignia, may always perform our service to You and Poland as befits righteous Poles whose motto is: "GOD, HONOR, DUTY!" Grant, O God, that with our solidary efforts and sacrificial work in the social field, we may serve our Compatriots abroad, bringing them brotherly help and being for them a model of harmony, unity and devotion to the native cause. To Thee, O God, commending our Polish youth, we promise to surround them with effective and cordial care, to teach them by our own example how to serve Thee and Poland, how to love Polish speech, traditions and customs, and how to be proud of our national history, which has been famous for a thousand years. God of the Brave, the Jagiełło, the Batory and the Sobieski! God of Polish warriors and knights! God of Polish insurgents! God of Polish soldiers defending Warsaw and Lvov! Soldiers from Narvik, Lagarde and Tobruk, from Monte Cassino, Falaise and Arnhem! God's sailors and airmen! God of the soldiers of the Home Army! God of the Polish soldiers who were not allowed to fight and die under the banners of the crowned eagle! Remember the Polish blood shed on so many battlefields around the world and hear our soldierly prayer, which we, Polish veterans, now humbly raise to You, so that our work may continue to serve the Republic of Poland. And may this happen through the intercession and assistance of Mary, Queen of Poland, who defends Czestochowa brightly and shines at the Gate of Dawn! Amen!"

Writing about the memorials dedicated to Polish soldiers in Canada, it is worth quoting again the words from the aforementioned book:

"In addition to cemeteries, the soldiers of the 2nd Corps left monuments in Italy. The 5th Border Infantry Division, erected a large metal cross, visible from afar, to commemorate the sacrifice made by the soldiers of this Division. The cross on Hill 575 was erected very quickly. Its consecration took place as early as 13 June 1944. The unveiling of the monument to the 3rd Carpathian Rifle Division on Hill 593, on the other hand, took place on 18 July 1945 (...). The slabs included the names of all the soldiers of the Division who fell in the Italian Campaign.

In addition to these two large divisional memorials, there are also commemorative plaques in Italy. One of these, funded by the SPK, is located at the Church of St Stanislaus in Rome. It commemorates all the fallen soldiers of the 2nd Corps. Another is located in Piedimonte and commemorates the capture of this village on 25 May 1944 by the 6th Armoured Regiment of the Children of Lwów and the fallen soldiers of this regiment."

Following the example of their predecessors, Polish soldiers affiliated to SPK chapters in Canada also cared and continue to care for the commemoration of comrades-in-arms or their fellow SPK members who have passed away. So that the memory of them will never be lost....

On 11 November 1987, a memorial service was held at St. Peter's Cemetery in London (Ontario) , where resting among others, are the Chevaliers of the Order of Virtuti Militari: Włodzimierz Traczuk (1920-2004) - sergeant of the Polish Armed Forces, soldier of the 5th Border Infantry Division of the 2nd Polish Corps in Italy, and Michał Sroka (1919-1976) - corporal of the 17th Lvov Rifle Battalion, 6th Lvov Infantry Brigade, 5th Border Infantry Division of the 2nd Polish Corps in Italy, both members of the Polish Veterans Association in Canada, Circle No. 2 in London, erected a monument: To commemorate the heroism of Polish soldiers who fought in World War II at home and abroad . Deceased members of the SPK are commemorated on the monument. Next to it is an urn with soil from the Polish war cemeteries in Italy: Monte Cassino, Bologna and Loredo.

On September 12, 1993, thanks to SPK in Canada Circle No. 4, a monument was unveiled at St. Joseph's Catholic Cemetery in Brantford, Ontario, dedicated to the soldiers of the Polish Armed Forces who fought "for our freedom and yours." The inscription on the monument reads: To the memory of the heroic Polish soldiers who fought during the Second World War at home and abroad. 1939- 1945 .

The names of the military units, placed on either side of the monument, commemorate those who fought for an independent Homeland, although often far from its borders.

On the other hand, in Sarnia (Ontario) , in the Roman Catholic cemetery of Our Lady of Mercy, in 1999, thanks to SPK in Canada Circle No. 11, a granite stone Monument to Polish Veterans was unveiled, with a plaque commemorating compatriots who fought in the Second World War.

In 1992, SPK Circle No. 24 in Sudbury (Ontario) founded the so-called Veterans' Obelisk at 210 Paris Street to honour compatriots who fought in World War II and dedicated their service - as the plaque says: For the welfare and freedom of Poland and Canada .

One of the more impressive monuments was erected by members of the SPK in Canada Circle No. 13 in Winnipeg (Manitoba) . At Holy Spirit Catholic Cemetery, members funded an obelisk commemorating, as the inscription reads: To fallen colleagues on land, sea and air in World War II and those who died on their way to their homeland .

On 17 September 2017 in Edmonton (Alberta) , on the 78th anniversary of the Soviet aggression against Poland, the Heroes' Memorial of the Polish Veterans Association in Canada was unveiled at Holy Cross Cemetery, funded by the extremely resilient SPK in Canada Circle No. 6 in Edmonton. The ceremony at the cemetery was graced by the presence of representatives of political institutions, Polish-Canadian organisations and young people, including Andrzej Ruta, President of the Board of the Polish Combatants' Association in Canada. The ceremony was hosted by Henry Lang, president of SPK in Canada Circle No. 6 in Edmonton.

In addition to the memorials, there are also many plaques in Canada commemorating members of the SPK who have fallen or died in exile.

It is worth noting that all veterans of the SPK in Canada are commemorated on the veterans' memorials and plaques, regardless of their arms affiliation. As in the March of the 2nd Polish Corps :

Maybe there was some acid between us
That one from Narvik, that one again an English lord,
And the third one from under Tobruk,
And the fourth from Buzluk,
(...)
Today there is no longer any difference between us
Today we are united by the blood we shed together,
A rotamaster from Tobruk,
Next to a corporal from Buzluk,
Lying shoulder to shoulder Spruce and Lion.

Location: London (Ontario), Sarnia (Ontario), Sudbury (Ontario), Winnipeg (Manitoba), Edmonton (Alberta), Canada