Formed in March 1943, it fought in the Italian Campaign as part of Lieutenant general Władysław Anders' Polish II Corps, affiliated with the Western Allies, under command of the British Eighth Army.

[1] The division landed in southern Italy in February 1944 and entered the line in March, as part of Polish II Corps, destined to fight in the Italian Campaign.

After the front line stabilized for the winter, the division renewed active operations in April 1945, where it took part in the final offensive in Italy, advancing to liberate Bologna at the end of the war.

The majority of its soldiers did not choose to return to Communist Poland, and were resettled in various Western countries (mainly Great Britain and Canada).

Its component units were: The division was named after the Kresy region (eastern borderlands of the Second Polish Republic).