No. 317 Polish Fighter Squadron
Encyclopedia
No. 317 "Wilno" Polish Fighter Squadron () 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 1941. It was one of several Polish fighter squadrons fighting alongside the Royal Air Force
during the World War II
.
on 22 February 1941 and reached operational readiness on 24 April 1941. it was equipped with Hurricane Mk.Is
until July when it received Mk.IIs. The squadron moved south in June and received Spitfires
in October. As with most Fighter Command squadrons it alternated its operations between offensive sweeps from bases in the south and defensive duties whilst based in the north and midlands.
In June 1943 the squadron was allocated to the 2nd Tactical Air Force and moved to RAF Heston. During the build up to the invasion of Normandy the squadron carried out offensive sweeps in preparation for the landings. After the invasion they conducted ground attack operations in support of Allied ground forces, moving to the continent in August.
The squadron arrived in Belgium
in October 1944 and Germany
in April 1945, remaining there as part of the occupation forces until disbanding as a Polish fighter unit on 3 January 1947 (it had earlier disbanded as a RAF fighter unit at RAF Hethel
on 18 December 1946).
! style="text-align: left;"|To
! style="text-align: left;"|Name
! style="text-align: left;"|Remark
|-
| Mar 1941
| Apr 1941
| S/Ldr
C.J. Mount
| British Officer
|-
| Apr 1941
| Jun 1941
| S/Ldr A.N. Cole
| British Officer
|-
| Jun 1941
| Aug 1941
| Maj. Stanisław Brzezina
| Polish co-commander since formation
|-
| Aug 1941
| Mar 1942
| Kpt. Henryk Szczęsny, KW, VM
|
|-
| Mar 1942
| May 1942
| Kpt. Piotr Ozyra
|
|-
| May 1942
| Nov 1942
| Kpt. Stanisław Skalski
|
|-
| Nov 1942
| May 1943
| Kpt. Zbigniew Czajkowski
|
|-
| May 1943
| Dec 1943
| Kpt. Franciszek Kornicki
|
|-
| Dec 1943
| Jan 1944
| Kpt. Rutkowski
|
|-
| Jan 1944
| Aug 1944
| Kpt. Włodzimierz Miksa
|
|-
| Aug 1944
| Aug 1944
| Kpt. Władysław Gnyś
|
|-
| Aug 1944
| May 1945
| Kpt. Marian Chełmecki
|
|-
| May 1945
| Oct 1945
| Kpt. Paweł Niemiec
|
|-
| Oct 1945
| Dec 1946
| Kpt. Marian Trzebiński
|
! style="text-align: left;"|To
! style="text-align: left;"|Aircraft
! style="text-align: left;"|Version
|-
| Feb 1941
| Jul 1941
| Hawker Hurricane
| Mk.I
|-
| Jul 1941
| Oct 1941
| Hawker Hurricane
| Mks.IIa, IIb
|-
| Oct 1941
| Sep 1943
| Supermarine Spitfire
| Mks.Vb, Vc
|-
| Sep 1943
| May 1945
| Supermarine Spitfire
| Mk.IXe, LF.IXe
|-
| May 1945
| Dec 1946
| Supermarine Spitfire
| Mk.XVI
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 1941. 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
The squadron was formed at RAF AcklingtonRAF Acklington
The former Royal Air Force Station Acklington, commonly known as RAF Acklington, was a Royal Air Force airfield airbase situated near Acklington, in Northumberland, England....
on 22 February 1941 and reached operational readiness on 24 April 1941. it was equipped with Hurricane Mk.Is
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...
until July when it received Mk.IIs. The squadron moved south in June and received Spitfires
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...
in October. As with most Fighter Command squadrons it alternated its operations between offensive sweeps from bases in the south and defensive duties whilst based in the north and midlands.
In June 1943 the squadron was allocated to the 2nd Tactical Air Force and moved to RAF Heston. During the build up to the invasion of Normandy the squadron carried out offensive sweeps in preparation for the landings. After the invasion they conducted ground attack operations in support of Allied ground forces, moving to the continent in August.
The squadron arrived in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
in October 1944 and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in April 1945, remaining there as part of the occupation forces until disbanding as a Polish fighter unit on 3 January 1947 (it had earlier disbanded as a RAF fighter unit 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:...
on 18 December 1946).
Commanding officers
! style="text-align: left;"|From! style="text-align: left;"|To
! style="text-align: left;"|Name
! style="text-align: left;"|Remark
|-
| Mar 1941
| Apr 1941
| S/Ldr
Squadron Leader
Squadron 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...
C.J. Mount
| British Officer
|-
| Apr 1941
| Jun 1941
| S/Ldr A.N. Cole
| British Officer
|-
| Jun 1941
| Aug 1941
| Maj. Stanisław Brzezina
| Polish co-commander since formation
|-
| Aug 1941
| Mar 1942
| Kpt. Henryk Szczęsny, KW, VM
Virtuti Militari
The Order Wojenny Virtuti Militari is Poland's highest military decoration for heroism and courage in the face of the enemy at war...
|
|-
| Mar 1942
| May 1942
| Kpt. Piotr Ozyra
|
|-
| May 1942
| Nov 1942
| Kpt. Stanisław Skalski
|
|-
| Nov 1942
| May 1943
| Kpt. Zbigniew Czajkowski
|
|-
| May 1943
| Dec 1943
| Kpt. Franciszek Kornicki
|
|-
| Dec 1943
| Jan 1944
| Kpt. Rutkowski
|
|-
| Jan 1944
| Aug 1944
| Kpt. Włodzimierz Miksa
|
|-
| Aug 1944
| Aug 1944
| Kpt. Władysław Gnyś
|
|-
| Aug 1944
| May 1945
| Kpt. Marian Chełmecki
|
|-
| May 1945
| Oct 1945
| Kpt. Paweł Niemiec
|
|-
| Oct 1945
| Dec 1946
| Kpt. Marian Trzebiński
|
Aircraft operated
! style="text-align: left;"|From! style="text-align: left;"|To
! style="text-align: left;"|Aircraft
! style="text-align: left;"|Version
|-
| Feb 1941
| Jul 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
|-
| Jul 1941
| Oct 1941
| Hawker Hurricane
| Mks.IIa, IIb
|-
| Oct 1941
| Sep 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
|-
| Sep 1943
| May 1945
| Supermarine Spitfire
| Mk.IXe, LF.IXe
|-
| May 1945
| Dec 1946
| Supermarine Spitfire
| Mk.XVI