On the occasion of 75th anniversary of PTOiTr , the authors would like to present the history of military orthopaedics, which is inseparably connected with the tradition and history of Polish orthopaedics from the beginning to the present. This article is the first presentation of this kind in history. Using the few written sources which are available , including memoirs and reports sent in by different traumatic-orthopaedic units, the authors present individual orthopaedists including professors : J. Wierzejewski, W. Dega, A. Gruca, M. Garlicki, D. Tylman, B. Wróblewski, S. Malawski, T. Sokołowski and others, who devoted their careers wholly or partially to military service and military orthopaedics , as well as the patients - wounded or ill soldiers and institutions of military orthopaedics. In spite of the fact that we are only a part of a broader environment (representing about 8-10% of all orthopaedists) , we have always tried to make our mark, through our work and input, not only on the development of orthopaedic care of soldiers and civilians but also, to the best of our ability, on the development of orthopaedic knowledge and education and training of medical staff for military service and civilian medicine.