This precursor division had existed since 1943 and saw service on the Eastern Front of the Second World War as a Soviet-controlled allied formation, part of the Polish Armed Forces in the East.

The 1955 reorganization equipped the division with armored personnel carriers and medium tanks.

The division was initially structured and quartered as: Division Headquarters and 37th Headquarters Company - Legionowo After the fall of communism in Poland, the units of the army were organized to reflect NATO practice.

Notably, under the 2009 organization, the units of the division were geographically much farther from one another than the original deployments of 1955.

As part of ongoing reorganization of the Polish Army, the 1st Mechanised Division stood down on September 1, 2011.