Polish Air Forces in France and Great Britain
Encyclopedia
The Polish Air Forces was a name of Polish Air Forces formed in France
and the United Kingdom
during World War II
. The core of the Polish air units fighting alongside the allies were experienced veterans of Invasion of Poland
of 1939 and they contributed to Allied victory in the Battle of Britain
and most World War II air operations.
A total of 145 Polish fighter pilots served in the RAF during the Battle of Britain, which was the largest non-British contribution. By the end of the war, around 19,400 Poles were serving in the RAF.
After the joint Nazi-Soviet victory in the Invasion of Poland
of 1939, a large part of both the flying personnel and technicians of the Polish Airforce were evacuated to Romania and Hungary, from where thousands of them found their way to France. There, in accordance with the Franco-Polish Military Alliance
of 1921, and the amendments of 1939, Polish Air units were to be re-created. However, the French headquarters was hesitant in creating large Polish air units and instead most of Polish pilots were attached to small units, so-called keys. Only one large unit was formed, the Groupe de Chasse polonaise I/145 stationed at Mions
airfield. However, it was not until May 18, 1940 that it was equipped with planes - and even then these were the completely obsolete Caudron C.714
fighters. After 23 sorties the bad opinion of the plane was confirmed by the front-line pilots. It was seriously underpowered and was no match for the enemy fighters of the epoch. Because of that, on May 25, only a week after it was introduced in active service, French minister of war Guy la Chambre
ordered all of C.710s to be withdrawn. However, since the French authorities had no other planes to offer, the Polish pilots ignored the order and continued to use the planes. Although the plane was hopelessly outdated compared to the Messerschmitt Me 109E's it faced, the Polish pilots nevertheless scored 12 confirmed and 3 unconfirmed kills in three battles between June 8 and June 11, losing 9 in the air and 9 more on the ground. Interestingly, among the planes claimed shot down were four Dornier Do 17
bombers, but also three Messerschmitt Bf 109 and five Messerschmitt Bf 110
fighters. The rest of the Polish units were using the Morane-Saulnier M.S.406
fighter, slightly more reliable.
Altogether, the Polish pilots flew 714 sorties during the Battle of France
. According to Jerzy Cynk, they shot down 51.9 enemy planes (summing fraction kills - or 57 including 16 shared victories), in addition to 3 unconfirmed kills and 6 3/5 damaged. According to Bartłomiej Belcarz they shot down 53 aircraft, including 19 shared with the French. A number of 53 victories makes 7,93% of 693 allied victories in the French campaign. At the same time they lost 44 planes (in combat, accidents and on the ground) and 8 fighter pilots in combat, 1 missing and 4 in accidents.
After the collapse of France in 1940, a large part of the Polish Air Force
contingent was withdrawn to the United Kingdom
. However, the RAF Air Staff were not willing to accept the independence and sovereignty of Polish forces.
Air Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding later admitted he had been "a little doubtful" at first about the Polish airmen. British government informed General Sikorski that at the end of the war, Poland would be charged for all costs involved in maintaining Polish forces in Britain.
Plans for the airmen greatly disappointed them: they would only be allowed to join the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
, wear British uniforms, fly British flags and be required to take two oaths, one to the Polish government and the other to King George VI of the United Kingdom; each officer was required to have a British counterpart, and all Polish pilots were to begin with the rank of "pilot officer", the lowest rank for a commissioned officer in the RAF. Only after posting would anyone be promoted to a higher grade.
Because of that, the majority of much more experienced Polish pilots had to wait in training centres, learning English Command procedures and language, while the RAF
suffered heavy losses due to lack of experienced pilots. On June 11, 1940, a preliminary agreement was signed by the Polish and British governments and soon the British authorities finally allowed for creation of two bomber squadrons and a training centre as part of the Royal Air Force
.
The first squadrons were 300
and 301
bomber squadrons and 302
and 303
fighter squadrons. The fighter squadrons, flying the Hawker Hurricane
, first saw action in the third phase of the Battle of Britain
in late August 1940, quickly becoming highly effective. Polish flying skills were well-developed from the Invasion of Poland
and the pilots were regarded as fearless and sometimes bordered on reckless. Their success rates were very high in comparison to the less-experienced British Commonwealth pilots. 303 squadron became the most efficient RAF fighter unit at that time. Many Polish pilots also flew in other RAF squadrons. In the following years, further Polish squadrons were created: 304 (bomber, then Coastal Command), 305 (bomber), 306 (fighter), 307 (night fighter), 308 (fighter), 309 (reconnaissance, then fighter), 315 (fighter), 316 (fighter), 317 (fighter), 318 (fighter-reconnaissance) and 663 (air observation/artillery spotting). The fighter squadrons initially flew Hurricanes, then Supermarine Spitfire
s, and eventually some were equipped with North American Mustang
s. Night fighters used by 307 were the Boulton-Paul Defiant, Bristol Beaufighter
and the de Havilland Mosquito
. The bomber squadrons were initially equipped with Fairey Battle
s and Vickers Wellington
s, then Avro Lancaster
s (300 sqn), Handley Page Halifax
s and Consolidated Liberator
s (301 sqn) and de Havilland Mosquito
s and North American Mitchell
s (305 sqn). 663 flew Auster
AOP Mk Vs.
On April 6, 1944, a further agreement was reached and the Polish Air Forces in Great Britain came under Polish command, without RAF officers. This resulted in the creation of a dedicated Polish Air Force staff college at RAF Weston-super-Mare
, which remained open until April 1946.
After the war, in a changed political situation, their equipment was returned to the British. Due to the fact that Poland ended in Soviet
occupation, only a small proportion of the pilots returned to Poland, while the rest remained in exile.
A memorial to those Polish pilots killed
while on RAF service has been erected at the south-eastern corner of RAF Northolt
aerodrome. On the public highway, it is accessible without entering RAF areas. It is adjacent to a junction on the A40
Western Avenue
; the official name for this junction is still "Polish War Memorial". A large memorial to Polish airforce squadrons in the war is situated on the floor of the north aisle of the reconstructed Wren church St Clement Danes, London.
The Polish-American fighter ace Francis S. "Gabby" Gabreski flew his first combat missions attached to a Polish RAF squadron.
King George VI, on visiting a Polish squadron, asked a Polish airman what was the toughest thing he had to deal with in the war. The reply was "King's Regulations...."
& Polish 111th Fighter Escadrille
Bases
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
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...
during 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...
. The core of the Polish air units fighting alongside the allies were experienced veterans of Invasion of Poland
Invasion of Poland (1939)
The Invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign or 1939 Defensive War in Poland and the Poland Campaign in Germany, was an invasion of Poland by Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small Slovak contingent that marked the start of World War II in Europe...
of 1939 and they contributed to Allied victory 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...
and most World War II air operations.
A total of 145 Polish fighter pilots served in the RAF during the Battle of Britain, which was the largest non-British contribution. By the end of the war, around 19,400 Poles were serving in the RAF.
History
Invasion of Poland (1939)
The Invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign or 1939 Defensive War in Poland and the Poland Campaign in Germany, was an invasion of Poland by Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small Slovak contingent that marked the start of World War II in Europe...
of 1939, a large part of both the flying personnel and technicians of the Polish Airforce were evacuated to Romania and Hungary, from where thousands of them found their way to France. There, in accordance with the Franco-Polish Military Alliance
Franco-Polish Military Alliance
The Franco-Polish alliance was the military alliance between Poland and France that was active between 1921 and 1940.-Background:Already during the France-Habsburg rivalry that started in the 16th century, France had tried to find allies to the east of Austria, namely hoping to ally with Poland...
of 1921, and the amendments of 1939, Polish Air units were to be re-created. However, the French headquarters was hesitant in creating large Polish air units and instead most of Polish pilots were attached to small units, so-called keys. Only one large unit was formed, the Groupe de Chasse polonaise I/145 stationed at Mions
Mions
Mions is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France. The residents of the city are called Miolands and Miolandes....
airfield. However, it was not until May 18, 1940 that it was equipped with planes - and even then these were the completely obsolete Caudron C.714
Caudron C.714
-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Belcarz, Bartłomiej. GC 1/145 in France 1940. Sandomierz, Poland/Redbourn, UK: Mushroom Model Publications, 2002. ISBN 83-917178-1-X....
fighters. After 23 sorties the bad opinion of the plane was confirmed by the front-line pilots. It was seriously underpowered and was no match for the enemy fighters of the epoch. Because of that, on May 25, only a week after it was introduced in active service, French minister of war Guy la Chambre
Guy La Chambre
Guy La Chambre was a French politician.He was born in Paris on 5 June 1898 into a prosperous family with roots in Brittany. His father, Charles La Chambre served in the Chamber of Deputies representing Ille-et-Vilaine from 1902 to 1906, and Guy's grandfather Charles-Emile also served in that...
ordered all of C.710s to be withdrawn. However, since the French authorities had no other planes to offer, the Polish pilots ignored the order and continued to use the planes. Although the plane was hopelessly outdated compared to the Messerschmitt Me 109E's it faced, the Polish pilots nevertheless scored 12 confirmed and 3 unconfirmed kills in three battles between June 8 and June 11, losing 9 in the air and 9 more on the ground. Interestingly, among the planes claimed shot down were four Dornier Do 17
Dornier Do 17
The Dornier Do 17, sometimes referred to as the Fliegender Bleistift , was a World War II German light bomber produced by Claudius Dornier's company, Dornier Flugzeugwerke...
bombers, but also three Messerschmitt Bf 109 and five Messerschmitt Bf 110
Messerschmitt Bf 110
The Messerschmitt Bf 110, often called Me 110, was a twin-engine heavy fighter in the service of the Luftwaffe during World War II. Hermann Göring was a proponent of the Bf 110, and nicknamed it his Eisenseiten...
fighters. The rest of the Polish units were using the Morane-Saulnier M.S.406
Morane-Saulnier M.S.406
The M.S.406 was a French Armée de l'Air fighter aircraft built by Morane-Saulnier starting in 1938. Numerically it was France's most important fighter during the opening stages of World War II....
fighter, slightly more reliable.
Altogether, the Polish pilots flew 714 sorties during the Battle of France
Battle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
. According to Jerzy Cynk, they shot down 51.9 enemy planes (summing fraction kills - or 57 including 16 shared victories), in addition to 3 unconfirmed kills and 6 3/5 damaged. According to Bartłomiej Belcarz they shot down 53 aircraft, including 19 shared with the French. A number of 53 victories makes 7,93% of 693 allied victories in the French campaign. At the same time they lost 44 planes (in combat, accidents and on the ground) and 8 fighter pilots in combat, 1 missing and 4 in accidents.
After the collapse of France in 1940, a large part of the Polish Air Force
Polish Air Force
The Polish Air Force is the military Air Force wing of the Polish Armed Forces. Until July 2004 it was officially known as Wojska Lotnicze i Obrony Powietrznej...
contingent was withdrawn to 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...
. However, the RAF Air Staff were not willing to accept the independence and sovereignty of Polish forces.
Air Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding later admitted he had been "a little doubtful" at first about the Polish airmen. British government informed General Sikorski that at the end of the war, Poland would be charged for all costs involved in maintaining Polish forces in Britain.
Plans for the airmen greatly disappointed them: they would only be allowed to join the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
The Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve consists of a number of groupings of individual military reservists for the management and operation of the Royal Air Force's Air Training Corps and CCF Air Cadet formations, Volunteer Gliding Squadrons , Air Experience Flights, and also to form the...
, wear British uniforms, fly British flags and be required to take two oaths, one to the Polish government and the other to King George VI of the United Kingdom; each officer was required to have a British counterpart, and all Polish pilots were to begin with the rank of "pilot officer", the lowest rank for a commissioned officer in the RAF. Only after posting would anyone be promoted to a higher grade.
Because of that, the majority of much more experienced Polish pilots had to wait in training centres, learning English Command procedures and language, while the RAF
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...
suffered heavy losses due to lack of experienced pilots. On June 11, 1940, a preliminary agreement was signed by the Polish and British governments and soon the British authorities finally allowed for creation of two bomber squadrons and a training centre as part of 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...
.
The first squadrons were 300
No. 300 Polish Bomber Squadron
No. 300 "Land of Masovia" Bomber Squadron was a Polish World War II bomber unit. It was fighting alongside the Royal Air Force and operated from airbases in the United Kingdom.- History :...
and 301
No. 301 Polish Bomber Squadron
No. 301 Polish Bomber Squadron "Land of Pomerania" was a Polish World War II bomber unit. It was fighting alongside the Royal Air Force and operated from airbases in the United Kingdom and Italy.-History:...
bomber squadrons and 302
No. 302 Polish Fighter Squadron
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...
and 303
No. 303 Polish Fighter Squadron
No. 303 Polish Fighter Squadron was one of 16 Polish squadrons in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. It was the highest scoring RAF squadron of the Battle of Britain....
fighter squadrons. The fighter squadrons, flying the 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...
, first saw action in the third phase of 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...
in late August 1940, quickly becoming highly effective. Polish flying skills were well-developed from the Invasion of Poland
Invasion of Poland (1939)
The Invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign or 1939 Defensive War in Poland and the Poland Campaign in Germany, was an invasion of Poland by Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small Slovak contingent that marked the start of World War II in Europe...
and the pilots were regarded as fearless and sometimes bordered on reckless. Their success rates were very high in comparison to the less-experienced British Commonwealth pilots. 303 squadron became the most efficient RAF fighter unit at that time. Many Polish pilots also flew in other RAF squadrons. In the following years, further Polish squadrons were created: 304 (bomber, then Coastal Command), 305 (bomber), 306 (fighter), 307 (night fighter), 308 (fighter), 309 (reconnaissance, then fighter), 315 (fighter), 316 (fighter), 317 (fighter), 318 (fighter-reconnaissance) and 663 (air observation/artillery spotting). The fighter squadrons initially flew Hurricanes, then 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...
s, and eventually some were equipped with North American Mustang
P-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
s. Night fighters used by 307 were the Boulton-Paul Defiant, Bristol Beaufighter
Bristol Beaufighter
The Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter, often referred to as simply the Beau, was a British long-range heavy fighter modification of the Bristol Aeroplane Company's earlier Beaufort torpedo bomber design...
and the de Havilland Mosquito
De Havilland Mosquito
The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito was a British multi-role combat aircraft that served during the Second World War and the postwar era. It was known affectionately as the "Mossie" to its crews and was also nicknamed "The Wooden Wonder"...
. The bomber squadrons were initially equipped with Fairey Battle
Fairey Battle
The Fairey Battle was a British single-engine light bomber built by the Fairey Aviation Company in the late 1930s for the Royal Air Force. The Battle was powered by the same Rolls-Royce Merlin piston engine that gave contemporary British fighters high performance; however, the Battle was weighed...
s and Vickers Wellington
Vickers Wellington
The Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engine, long range medium bomber designed in the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey, by Vickers-Armstrongs' Chief Designer, R. K. Pierson. It was widely used as a night bomber in the early years of the Second World War, before being displaced as a...
s, then Avro Lancaster
Avro Lancaster
The Avro Lancaster is a British four-engined Second World War heavy bomber made initially by Avro for the Royal Air Force . It first saw active service in 1942, and together with the Handley Page Halifax it was one of the main heavy bombers of the RAF, the RCAF, and squadrons from other...
s (300 sqn), Handley Page Halifax
Handley Page Halifax
The Handley Page Halifax was one of the British front-line, four-engined heavy bombers of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. A contemporary of the famous Avro Lancaster, the Halifax remained in service until the end of the war, performing a variety of duties in addition to bombing...
s and Consolidated Liberator
B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
s (301 sqn) and de Havilland Mosquito
De Havilland Mosquito
The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito was a British multi-role combat aircraft that served during the Second World War and the postwar era. It was known affectionately as the "Mossie" to its crews and was also nicknamed "The Wooden Wonder"...
s and North American Mitchell
B-25 Mitchell
The North American B-25 Mitchell was an American twin-engined medium bomber manufactured by North American Aviation. It was used by many Allied air forces, in every theater of World War II, as well as many other air forces after the war ended, and saw service across four decades.The B-25 was named...
s (305 sqn). 663 flew Auster
Auster
Auster Aircraft Limited was a British aircraft manufacturer from 1938 to 1961.-History:The company began in 1938 at the Britannia Works, Thurmaston near Leicester, England, as Taylorcraft Aeroplanes Limited, making light observation aircraft designed by the Taylorcraft Aircraft Corporation of...
AOP Mk Vs.
On April 6, 1944, a further agreement was reached and the Polish Air Forces in Great Britain came under Polish command, without RAF officers. This resulted in the creation of a dedicated Polish Air Force staff college at RAF Weston-super-Mare
RAF Weston-super-Mare
RAF Weston-super-Mare was a Royal Air Force station on a civilian airfield in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, England.It was set up as a municipal civilian airport in the 1930s before being taken over by the RAF in World War II for training and technical services. It was also the site of an aircraft...
, which remained open until April 1946.
After the war, in a changed political situation, their equipment was returned to the British. Due to the fact that Poland ended in Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
occupation, only a small proportion of the pilots returned to Poland, while the rest remained in exile.
A memorial to those Polish pilots killed
Polish War Memorial
The Polish War Memorial is a memorial erected to remember the contribution of airmen from Poland who helped the Allied cause during World War II....
while on RAF service has been erected at the south-eastern corner of RAF Northolt
RAF Northolt
RAF Northolt is a Royal Air Force station situated in South Ruislip, east by northeast of Uxbridge in the London Borough of Hillingdon, West London. Approximately north of London Heathrow Airport, the station also handles a large number of private civil flights...
aerodrome. On the public highway, it is accessible without entering RAF areas. It is adjacent to a junction on the A40
A40 road
The A40 is a major trunk road connecting London to Fishguard, Wales and officially called The London to Fishguard Trunk Road in all legal documents and Acts...
Western Avenue
Westway (London)
The Westway is a long elevated dual carriageway section of the A40 route in west London running from Paddington to North Kensington. The road was constructed between 1964 and 1970 to relieve congestion at Shepherd's Bush caused by traffic from Western Avenue struggling to enter central London on...
; the official name for this junction is still "Polish War Memorial". A large memorial to Polish airforce squadrons in the war is situated on the floor of the north aisle of the reconstructed Wren church St Clement Danes, London.
The Polish-American fighter ace Francis S. "Gabby" Gabreski flew his first combat missions attached to a Polish RAF squadron.
King George VI, on visiting a Polish squadron, asked a Polish airman what was the toughest thing he had to deal with in the war. The reply was "King's Regulations...."
Polish Volunteer Air Force Squadrons Coat of Arms
No.303 Squadron inherited the traditions of previous Squadrons of the PAF such as Polish 7th Air EscadrillePolish 7th Air Escadrille
Polish 7th Air Escadrille , better known as the Kościuszko Squadron, was one of the units of the Polish Air Force during the Polish-Soviet War of 1919-1921. Formed in late 1918, it was re-formed in late 1919 from US volunteers...
& Polish 111th Fighter Escadrille
Polish 111th Fighter Escadrille
The 111th Fighter Escadrille of the Polish Air Force was one of the fighter units of the Polish Army. Created in 1921, immediately after the end of the Polish-Soviet War, the unit inherited the traditions of the famous war-time Polish 7th Air Escadrille , in which both Polish and American...
France
List of Polish units based on Bartłomiej Belcarz's research and publications.- Armée de l'Air, May 10, 1940 - Zone d´Operations Aériennes des Alpes
- Groupe de Chasse de Varsovie at Lyon-BronLyon-Bron AirportLyon-Bron Airport is an airport located in Bron, east of Lyon, both communes of the Rhône department in the Rhône-Alpes region of eastern France.-History:...
- Section no.1 Łaszkiewicz GC III/2
- Section no.2 Pentz GC II/6
- Section no.3 Sulerzycki GC III/6
- Section no.4 Bursztyn GC III/1
- Section no.5 Brzeziński GC I/2
- Section no.6 Goettel GC II/7
- Jasionowski Koolhoven Flight
- DAT section Krasnodębski GC I/55 based at ChâteaudunChâteaudunChâteaudun is a commune in the Eure-et-Loir department in northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of Eure-et-Loir.-Geography:Châteaudun is located about 45 km northwest of Orléans, and about 50 km south-southwest of Chartres, on the river Loir, a tributary of the...
and ÉtampesÉtampesÉtampes is a commune in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located south-southwest from the center of Paris . Étampes is a sub-prefecture of the Essonne department.... - DAT section Skiba GC I/55
- DAT section Kuzian based at NantesNantesNantes is a city in western France, located on the Loire River, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the 6th largest in France, while its metropolitan area ranks 8th with over 800,000 inhabitants....
- DAT section Opulski based at RomorantinRomorantinRomorantin is a traditional French variety of white wine grape, that is a sibling of Chardonnay. Once quite widely grown in the Loire, it has now only seen in the Cour-Cheverny AOC. It produces intense, minerally wines somewhat reminiscent of Chablis....
- DAT section Krasnodębski based at Toulouse-FrancazalToulouseToulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
- Centre d'Instruction d'Aviation de Chasse at Montpellier
- Ecole de Pilotage No 1 (Chasse) at Etampes
- Ecole de Pilotage at Avord
- Centre d'Instruction at Tours
- Depot d'Instruction de l'Aviation Polonaise at Lyon-Bron
- Montpellier Flight
- Groupe de Chasse de Varsovie at Lyon-Bron
United Kingdom
- Royal Air ForceRoyal Air ForceThe 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...
(Home Command), June 6, 1944- RAF Bomber CommandRAF Bomber CommandRAF Bomber Command controlled the RAF's bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. During World War II the command destroyed a significant proportion of Nazi Germany's industries and many German cities, and in the 1960s stood at the peak of its postwar military power with the V bombers and a supplemental...
*- No. 1 Bomber GroupNo. 1 Group RAFNumber 1 Group of the Royal Air Force is one of the two operations groups in Air Command.The group is today referred to as the Air Combat Group, as it controls the RAF's combat fast-jet aircraft and has airfields in the UK plus RAF Unit Goose Bay in Canada, which is used extensively as an...
- No. 300 Polish Bomber SquadronNo. 300 Polish Bomber SquadronNo. 300 "Land of Masovia" Bomber Squadron was a Polish World War II bomber unit. It was fighting alongside the Royal Air Force and operated from airbases in the United Kingdom.- History :...
"Masovia" RAF FaldingworthRAF FaldingworthRAF Faldingworth was an airfield used by RAF Bomber Command during and after World War II. It was located close to the village of Faldingworth in Lincolnshire...
(Avro Lancaster Mk. I & III) - No. 301 Polish Bomber SquadronNo. 301 Polish Bomber SquadronNo. 301 Polish Bomber Squadron "Land of Pomerania" was a Polish World War II bomber unit. It was fighting alongside the Royal Air Force and operated from airbases in the United Kingdom and Italy.-History:...
"Pomerania" RAF FaldingworthRAF FaldingworthRAF Faldingworth was an airfield used by RAF Bomber Command during and after World War II. It was located close to the village of Faldingworth in Lincolnshire...
(Handley Page Halifax Mk. III)
- No. 300 Polish Bomber Squadron
- No. 1 Bomber Group
- RAF Bomber Command
- Allied Expeditionary Air Force
- Air Defence of Great BritainAir Defence of Great BritainThe Air Defence of Great Britain was a RAF command comprising substantial Army and RAF elements responsible for the air defence of the British Isles...
- No. 11 (Fighter) GroupNo. 11 Group RAFNo. 11 Group was a group in the Royal Air Force for various periods in the 20th century, finally disbanding in 1996. Its most famous service was during 1940 when it defended London and the south-east against the attacks of the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain.-First World War:No. 11 Group was...
- No. 303 Polish Fighter SquadronNo. 303 Polish Fighter SquadronNo. 303 Polish Fighter Squadron was one of 16 Polish squadrons in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. It was the highest scoring RAF squadron of the Battle of Britain....
"Kosciuszko" HorneHorne, SurreyHorne is a village and civil parish in the District of Tandridge in Surrey, England. The parish includes the hamlet of Newchapel, and has a population of 805. The parish is located on the A22 road, east of Horley, west of Lingfield, south west of Oxted, and south of Kingston upon...
(Supermarine Spitfire Mk VB) - No. 307 Polish Fighter Squadron "City of Lwow" Church FentonChurch FentonChurch Fenton is a village and civil parish in the Selby district of North Yorkshire, England. The village is home to many commuters and is served by a railway station; Church Fenton railway station. Neighbouring villages include Cawood and Ulleskelf. It is about from Tadcaster and from...
(De Havilland Mosquito Mk-NF.XIII)
- No. 11 (Fighter) Group
- Air Defence of Great Britain
-
- No. 12 (Fighter) GroupNo. 12 Group RAFNo. 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...
- No. 309 Polish Fighter-Reconnaissance SquadronNo. 309 Polish Fighter-Reconnaissance SquadronNo. 309 Polish Fighter-Reconnaissance Squadron was a Polish squadron formed in Great Britain as part of an agreement between the Polish government-in-exile and the United Kingdom in 1940...
"Czerwien" "B" (Flight) Hutton CranswickHutton CranswickHutton Cranswick is a village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, approximately south of Driffield town centre on the A164 road....
(Hawker Hurricane Mk. IIC) - No. 316 Polish Fighter SquadronNo. 316 Polish Fighter SquadronNo. 316 "City of Warsaw" 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...
"City of Warsaw" RAF ColtishallRAF ColtishallThe former Royal Air Force Station Coltishall, more commonly known as RAF Coltishall , was a Royal Air Force station, a military airbase, North-North-East of Norwich, in the English county of Norfolk, East Anglia, from 1938 to 2006....
(North American Mustang III)
- No. 309 Polish Fighter-Reconnaissance Squadron
- No. 12 (Fighter) Group
-
- No. 13 Fighter GroupNo. 13 Group RAFNo. 13 Group was a group in the Royal Air Force for various periods in the 20th century. It is most famous for having the responsibility for defending the North of Great Britain during the Battle of Britain-World War I:...
- No. 309 Polish Fighter-Reconnaissance SquadronNo. 309 Polish Fighter-Reconnaissance SquadronNo. 309 Polish Fighter-Reconnaissance Squadron was a Polish squadron formed in Great Britain as part of an agreement between the Polish government-in-exile and the United Kingdom in 1940...
"Czerwien" "A" (Flight) RAF DremRAF DremRAF Drem is a former RAF station, just north of the village of Drem in East Lothian, Scotland. The motto of the station was Exiit Hinc Lumen which means "Ascend from this Light"....
(Hawker Hurricane Mk. IIC)
- No. 309 Polish Fighter-Reconnaissance Squadron
- No. 13 Fighter Group
- 2nd Tactical Air Force
- No. 305 Polish Bomber SquadronNo. 305 Polish Bomber SquadronNo. 305 Polish Bomber Squadron "Ziemia Wielpolska" was a Polish World War II bomber unit.-History:The last of the Polish bomber squadrons, 305 Squadron was formed at RAF Bramcote, Warwickshire on 29 August 1940...
"Greater Poland" LashamLasham AirfieldLasham Airfield is located north-west of Alton in Hampshire, England, in the village of Lasham.It was built in 1942 and it was an operational RAF during the Second World War. It was used for recreational gliding from 1951. The airfield is now owned by the world's largest gliding club, Lasham...
(de Havilland MosquitoDe Havilland MosquitoThe de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito was a British multi-role combat aircraft that served during the Second World War and the postwar era. It was known affectionately as the "Mossie" to its crews and was also nicknamed "The Wooden Wonder"...
F.B. Mk VI)
- No. 305 Polish Bomber Squadron
- No. 84 Group RAF
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- 131 Wing
- No. 302 Polish Fighter SquadronNo. 302 Polish Fighter SquadronNo. 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...
"City of Poznan" ChaileyChaileyChailey 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...
(Supermarine Spitfire Mk. IX) - No. 308 Polish Fighter Squadron "City of Krakow" ChaileyChaileyChailey 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...
(Supermarine Spitfire Mk. IX) - No. 317 Polish Fighter SquadronNo. 317 Polish Fighter SquadronNo. 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...
"City of Wilno" ChaileyChaileyChailey 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...
(Supermarine Spitfire Mk. IX)
- No. 302 Polish Fighter Squadron
- 131 Wing
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- II Corps (Poland)
- No. 318 Polish Fighter-Reconnaissance SquadronNo. 318 Polish Fighter-Reconnaissance SquadronNo. 318 "City of Gdańsk" Polish Fighter-Reconnaissance Squadron was a Polish tactical reconnaissance fighter squadron formed in Great Britain as part of an agreement between the Polish Government in Exile and the United Kingdom in 1940...
"City of Gdansk" ChaileyChaileyChailey 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...
(Supermarine Spitfire P.R. Mk. IX) - No. 663 Polish Artillery Observation Squadron (Italy) (British Taylorcraft Auster III, IV and V)
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- 133 Wing
- No. 306 Polish Fighter SquadronNo. 306 Polish Fighter SquadronNo. 306 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 1940...
"City of Torun" CoolhamCoolhamCoolham is a hamlet in the Horsham District of West Sussex, England. It is located at the crossroads of the A272 and B2139 roads 2.8 miles southeast of Billingshurst...
(North American Mustang III) - No. 315 Polish Fighter SquadronNo. 315 Polish Fighter SquadronNo 315 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...
"City of Deblin" CoolhamCoolhamCoolham is a hamlet in the Horsham District of West Sussex, England. It is located at the crossroads of the A272 and B2139 roads 2.8 miles southeast of Billingshurst...
(North American Mustang III)
- No. 306 Polish Fighter Squadron
- 133 Wing
- Coastal Command
- No 19 (GR) Group
- No. 304 Polish Bomber SquadronNo. 304 Polish Bomber SquadronNo. 304 Polish Bomber Squadron was a Polish World War II bomber unit. It fought alongside the Royal Air Force under their operational Command and operated from airbases in the United Kingdom, serving as a bomber unit in RAF Bomber Command, as an anti-submarine unit in RAF Coastal Command and as a...
"Silesia" RAF Chivenor (Vickers Wellington Mk. XIV)
- No. 304 Polish Bomber Squadron
- No 19 (GR) Group
- Polish Fighting Team
- Polski Zespół Myśliwski (Polish Fighting TeamPolish Fighting TeamThe Polish Fighting Team , also known as "Skalski's Circus" , was a Polish unit which fought with the British Commonwealth Desert Air Force in the North African Campaign of World War II, during 1943...
) (also known as Skalski's Circus) (Supermarine Spitfire F VB Trop and VC, later Supermarine Spitfire F IXC)
- Polski Zespół Myśliwski (Polish Fighting Team
Bases
- RAF West KirbyRAF West KirbyRAF West Kirby was a Royal Air Force training camp in West Kirby, Wirral Peninsula, England.The camp was set up at the beginning of the Second World War to train RAF recruits in physical fitness. Thousands of conscripts went through its gates up until 1960, when the camp was demolished and the land...
(England) - First base
- In African area
- Bu Grara
- La Fauconnerie
- Goubrine
- HerglaHerglaHergla is a small cliff-top town in northeastern Tunisia off the Gulf of Hammamet. White houses of Hergla are built in classic style characteristic for this region.- History :In the roman periode Hergla was named "Horrea Caelia"...
- Ben GardaneBen GardaneBen Gardane is a commune and coastal town in south eastern Tunisia, close to the border with Libya. It is located at around .The town is part of the Medenine governorate. Located 423 km - 559 km by road - from Tunis, it is the city furthest from the capital....
Stats
| 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | total | ||
| Fighters | sorties | 4,115 | 13,032 | 10,390 | 13,266 | 25,399 | 9,238 | 73,524 |
| hours | 4,533 | 16,722 | 15,365 | 23,264 | 46,595 | 18,575 | 122,816 | |
| Bombers | sorties | 97 | 1,357 | 2,999 | 1,895 | 3,607 | 1,751 | 11,706 |
| hours | 367.5 | 7,451 | 17,788 | 11,482.5 | 18,126 | 8,889 | 64,113 | |
| Special | sorties | - | 2 | 104 | 191 | 943 | 95 | 1,335 |
| hours | - | 22 | 835 | 1,573 | 6,781 | 716 | 9,927 | |
| Transport | sorties | 163 | 1,475 | 2,648 | 3,995 | 6,747 | 3,760 | 18,788 |
| hours | 261 | 14,868 | 16,914 | 20,111 | 30,204 | 14,709 | 97,067 |
| 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | total | |
| destroyed | 266 1/6 | 202 | 90 | 114¾ | 103 | 38½ | 769 5/12 |
| probable | 38 | 52 | 36 | 42 | 10 | 2 | 177 |
| damaged | 43⅔ + 3/5 | 60½ | 43 | 66 | 27 | 18 | 252 1/6 |
See also
- Air Force of the Polish ArmyAir Force of the Polish ArmyThe Air Force of the Polish Army , unofficially known as the People's Polish Air Force was the name of the Soviet-controlled Polish Air Force in the USSR between 1943 and 1947 created alongside the Polish People's Army , a subordinate to the Red Army...
(in the East) - Polish Air ForcePolish Air ForceThe Polish Air Force is the military Air Force wing of the Polish Armed Forces. Until July 2004 it was officially known as Wojska Lotnicze i Obrony Powietrznej...
(modern) - 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....
Further reading
- Belcarz, Bartłomiej. Polskie lotnictwo we Francji (in Polish), Stratus, Sandomierz 2002, ISBN 83-916327-6-8.
- Belcarz, Bartłomiej. Morane MS 406C1, Caudron Cyclone CR 714C1, Bloch MB 151/152 (Polskie Skrzydła 2) (in Polish), Sandomierz, Poland: Stratus, 2004. ISBN 83-89450-21-6.
- Cynk, Jerzy Bogdam. History Of The Polish Air Force 1918–1968 (Aircam Special S9). Reading, Berkshire, UK: Osprey Publications, 1972. ISBN 0-85045-039-X.
- Cynk, Jerzy Bogdam. Polskie lotnictwo myśliwskie w boju wrześniowym (in Polish). Gdańsk, Poland: AJ-Press, 2000.
- Cynk, Jerzy Bogdam. Polskie Siły Powietrzne w wojnie tom 1: 1939-43 (Polish Air Force in War pt. 1: 1939-43) (in Polish). Gdańsk, Poland: AJ-Press, 2001.
(Updated and revised edition of The Polish Air Force at War: The Official History, Vol.2 1939–1943. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Books, 1998. ISBN 0-76430-559-X.) - Cynk, Jerzy Bogdam. Polskie Siły Powietrzne w wojnie tom 2: 1943-45 (Polish Air Force in War pt. 2: 1943-45) (In Polish). Gdańsk, Poland: AJ-Press, 2002.
(Updated and revised edition of The Polish Air Force at War: The Official History, Vol.2 1943–1945. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Books, 1998. ISBN 0-76430-560-3.) - Gretzyngier, Robert. Poles in Defence of Britain: A Day-by-day Chronology of Polish Day and Night Fighter Pilot Operations - July 1940 - June 1941. London: Grub Street, 2005. ISBN 1-90494-305-5.
- Koniarek, Dr. Jan. Polish Air Force 1939–1945. Carrollton, TX: Squadron/Signal Publications, Inc.,1994. ISBN 0-89747-324-8.
- Kornicki, Franciszek. Polish Air Force- Chronicle of Main Events. UK: Polish Air Force Association of Great Britain, 1993.
- Lisiewicz, Mieczyslaw (Translated from the Polish by Ann Maitland-Chuwen). Destiny can wait - The Polish Air Force in the Second World War. London: Heinemann, 1949.
- Peszke, Michael AlfredMichael Alfred PeszkeMichael Alfred Peszke is a Polish-American psychiatrist and historian of the Polish Armed Forces in World War II.-Life:...
. The Polish Air Force in the United Kingdom, 1939–1946 in the RAF Air Power Review Vol.11 No.3, Winter 2008 - Zamoyski, Adam. The Forgotten Few: The Polish Air Force in The Second World War. UK: Leo Cooper Ltd., 2004. ISBN 1-84415-090-9.