No. 302 Polish Fighter Squadron
Encyclopedia
No. 302 Polish Fighter Squadron RAF was a Polish
fighter
squadron
formed in Great Britain
as part of an agreement between the Polish Government in Exile
and the United Kingdom
in 1940. It was one of several Polish fighter squadrons fighting alongside the Royal Air Force
during the World War II
.
and 132nd Fighter Escadrille
s.
The Squadron was one of the four Polish-cored Royal Air Force
squadrons that participated in the Battle of Britain
. It consisted mostly of Polish pilots, many of whom were veterans. The squadron was formed on July 10, 1940. They piloted some Hawker Hurricane
s and were put under the No. 12 Group RAF
. As the combat became more fierce, the 302 was moved to RAF Duxford, north of London, where the squadron operated from September 14 through September 25. At some point afterwards the squadron operated from Chailey
. On June 11, 1944, 302 became the first Polish Squadron to land in France, five days after D-Day
. It was fighting as part of No. 131 Polish Fighter Wing when its airfield was attacked by Jagdgeschwader 1 during Operation Bodenplatte
in January 1945.
No. 302 Polish Squadron lost 20 pilots killed, 12 missing and 9 taken prisoners, 63 aircraft destroyed and 43 damaged by the enemy’s air defense.
It was disbanded on 18 December 1946, at RAF Hethel
. A replica Hurricane in 302 squadron markings is the gate guardian
at the Imperial War Museum Duxford
.
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
fighter
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
squadron
Squadron (aviation)
A squadron in air force, army aviation or naval aviation is mainly a unit comprising a number of military aircraft, usually of the same type, typically with 12 to 24 aircraft, sometimes divided into three or four flights, depending on aircraft type and air force...
formed in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
as part of an agreement between the Polish Government in Exile
Polish government in Exile
The Polish government-in-exile, formally known as the Government of the Republic of Poland in Exile , was the government in exile of Poland formed in the aftermath of the Invasion of Poland of September 1939, and the subsequent occupation of Poland by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, which...
and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in 1940. It was one of several Polish fighter squadrons fighting alongside the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
during the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
History
It inherited the traditions, along with the emblem and a large part of the initial crew, of the pre-war Polish III/3 Fighter Squadron composed of the 131stPolish 131st Fighter Escadrille
131. Fighter Escadrille was a unit of the Polish Air Force at the start of the second world war. The unit was attached to the Poznan Army.-Air Crew:Commanding officer: kpt. pil. Jerzy ZarembaDeputy Commander: por. pil. Zbigniew MoszyńskiPilots:...
and 132nd Fighter Escadrille
Polish 132nd Fighter Escadrille
The 132nd Fighter Escadrille of the Polish Air Force was one of the fighter units of the Polish Army in 1939. It was attached to the Army Poznań.-Crew and equipment:On 1 September 1939 the escadrille had 10 PZL P.11c airplanes....
s.
The Squadron was one of the four Polish-cored Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
squadrons that participated in the Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
. It consisted mostly of Polish pilots, many of whom were veterans. The squadron was formed on July 10, 1940. They piloted some Hawker Hurricane
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
s and were put under the No. 12 Group RAF
No. 12 Group RAF
No. 12 Group of the Royal Air Force was a command organization that exisited over two separate periods, namely the end of World War I when it had a training function and from just prior to World War II until the early 1960s when it was tasked with an air defence role.No. 12 Group was first formed...
. As the combat became more fierce, the 302 was moved to RAF Duxford, north of London, where the squadron operated from September 14 through September 25. At some point afterwards the squadron operated from Chailey
Chailey
Chailey is a village and civil parish in the Lewes District of East Sussex, England. It is located ten miles north of Lewes, on the A272 road from Winchester to Canterbury...
. On June 11, 1944, 302 became the first Polish Squadron to land in France, five days after D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
. It was fighting as part of No. 131 Polish Fighter Wing when its airfield was attacked by Jagdgeschwader 1 during Operation Bodenplatte
Operation Bodenplatte
Operation Bodenplatte launched on 1 January 1945, was an attempt by the Luftwaffe to cripple Allied air forces in the Low Countries during the Second World War. The goal of Bodenplatte was to gain air superiority during the stagnant stage of the Battle of the Bulge, to allow the German Army and...
in January 1945.
No. 302 Polish Squadron lost 20 pilots killed, 12 missing and 9 taken prisoners, 63 aircraft destroyed and 43 damaged by the enemy’s air defense.
It was disbanded on 18 December 1946, at RAF Hethel
RAF Hethel
RAF Hethel is a former World War II airfield used by the US during the Second World War in Norfolk, England situated located 7 miles south west of Norwich.-USAAF use:...
. A replica Hurricane in 302 squadron markings is the gate guardian
Gate guardian
A gate guardian or gate guard is a withdrawn piece of equipment, often an aircraft, armoured vehicle, artillery piece or locomotive, mounted on a plinth and used as a static display near to and forming a symbolic display of "guarding" the main entrance to somewhere, especially a military base...
at the Imperial War Museum Duxford
Imperial War Museum Duxford
Imperial War Museum Duxford is a branch of the Imperial War Museum near the village of Duxford in Cambridgeshire, England. Britain's largest aviation museum, Duxford houses the museum's large exhibits, including nearly 200 aircraft, military vehicles, artillery and minor naval vessels in seven...
.
Commanders
- overall general command (British) 13 July 1940 - Squadron LeaderSquadron LeaderSquadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these...
William A. J. Satchell - 1 January 1941 S/Ldr (kpt.) Piotr Łaguna
- 13 July 1940 - S/Ldr (mjr) Mieczysław Mümler
- 7 December 1940 - S/Ldr (kpt.) Piotr Łaguna
- 19 May 1941 - F/Lt (kpt.) (15 June 1941 - Acting S/Ldr) Stefan Witorzeńc
- 28 November 1941 - S/Ldr (kpt.) Julian Kowalski
- 25 August 1942 - S/Ldr (kpt.) Stanisław Łapka
- 16 May 1943 - S/Ldr (kpt.) Wieczysław Barański
- 18 October 1943 - S/Ldr (kpt.) Wacław Król
- 7 July 1944 - S/Ldr (kpt.) Marian Duryasz
- 30 January 1945 - S/Ldr (kpt.) Zygmunt Bieńkowski
- 24 February 1945 - S/Ldr (kpt.) Ignacy Olszewski
- 24 March 1945 - S/Ldr (kpt.) Bolesław Kaczmarek
- 1 August 1945 - S/Ldr (kpt.) Jerzy Szymankiewicz (until disbanding)
Aircraft operated
| From | To | Aircraft | Version |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 1940 | March 1941 | Hawker Hurricane Hawker Hurricane The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force... |
Mk.I |
| March 1941 | May 1941 | Hawker Hurricane | Mk.IIa |
| May 1941 | July 1941 | Hawker Hurricane | Mk.I |
| July 1941 | October 1941 | Hawker Hurricane | Mk.IIb |
| October 1941 | September 1943 | Supermarine Spitfire Supermarine Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s... |
Mks.Vb, Vc |
| September 1943 | February 1945 | Supermarine Spitfire | Mk.IX |
| February 1945 | December 1946 | Supermarine Spitfire | Mk.XVI |
See also
- List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons
- Polish Air Forces in Great Britain
- Polish contribution to World War IIPolish contribution to World War IIThe European theater of World War II opened with the German invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939. The Polish Army was defeated after over a month of fighting. After Poland had been overrun, a government-in-exile , armed forces, and an intelligence service were established outside of Poland....