303 (Polish) Fighter Squadron were awaiting action with growing desperation. ", "19th of September Polish Forces War Memorial uncovered. Earlier yet, at the end of 1939 and beginning of 1940, about 2,300 flying and ground personnel were transferred to the four established Polish bomber squadrons. 302 (Polish) Fighter Squadron and 34 in No. The two Polish squadrons 302 and 303 entered service the same month. F/O Witold Urbanowicz was appointed as acting Squadron Leader. Niebieska Eskadra website (see link below) Aleksander Narucki From the collection of Jaroslaw Gwardys, source unknown. 315 Squadron's Mustangs were multi-role aircraft. The squadron formed part of southern England's defence against the V-1 flying bombs and served in the Battle of Normandy. 310 and 312 (Czechoslovak) and Nos. 302 and 303 (Polish) - were quickly formed and equipped with Hurricanes. Polish airmen in these squadrons participated in practically all RAF operations in the European theatre of the war. [18], By 1941, the immediate threat to the UK was over and RAF Fighter Command formulated more offensive fighter operations over occupied Europe. Wjtowicz shot down two Messerschmitt Bf 110s before being shot down and killed. 1 Polish Wing. 'Before the end of the year the Squadron suffered another loss when Officer Commanding RAF Ballyhalbert, Wing Commander Charles Ronald Hancock, OBE, DFC, failed to return from a routine local practice flight. Missing information will also be gradually included. I have two squadrons in the metropolis 4 BB + 3 CA + 3 CL + 15-20 DD and two squadrons overseas, in Cuba 6 CA + 3 CL + 20 TB and in the Philippines. At the end of 1940, the PAF in the Great Britain exceeded 8,000 personnel. Portrait of Flying Officer Antoni 'Tony' Glowacki, who shot down five enemy planes in one day on 24 August 1940 while in service with No. ", "Fighting with the Allies: Remembering Polish Fighters. 315 Squadron (Official RAF site), A history of No. Karubin. Janina's husband, in 1943, when he was flying with the RAF 307th Polish Squadron (Source: Polish Squadrons Remembered). 303 Squadron was successfully vectored towards the incoming bomber streams and claimed 12 Do 17s and two Bf 109s, with P/O Zumbach, P/O Feri, Sgt. Last edited: Mar 29, 2010. One such convoy on the 27 November was described as being 50 miles north from Ballyhalbert that consisted of over 70 ships including 5 destroyers and 'one large ship going from side to side.'. The contribution of 303 Squadron has become legend. After taking time to settle into their new home the men began what was to become routine; convoy patrols over the North Channel between Scotland and Northern Ireland and training flights such as formation flying, air to ground attacks and Air Sea Rescue flights. 303 (Polish) Fighter Squadron RAF standing by one of their Hawker Hurricane Mark Is at RAF Leconfield in Yorkshire, 24 October 1940. Four of the Polish officers were awarded Distinguished Flying Crosses after the Battle, amongst them Flying Officer Witold Urbanowicz, the Polish commander of No. 303 (Polish) Fighter Squadron. They came together to defend the last staging point for a future liberation of Europe. As the Battle of Britain raged in the skies over Britain in the summer of 1940, a range of British artists were quick to record and interpret this vital event. I am now firing at the Messerschmitt and see my bursts sink into its fuselage and wings. But there is no history of the ship in the game, at least stars in the ship's dossier . 303 Squadron had packed their equipment and moved via rail and ferry to their new base at RAF Horne so ending the time spent by Polish Squadrons in Northern Ireland during the Second World War. 303 (Kosciuszko) Polish Fighter Squadron, Part 2: No. You Are Here: ross dress for less throw blankets apprentissage des lettres de l'alphabet polish squadrons remembered. polishsquadronsremembered.com 315 St Andrews 315 St Andrews M Mike Ju 1 follower More information 315 St Andrews Reconnaissance Aircraft Wwii Aircraft Military Aircraft Ww2 Pictures P 51 P51 Mustang Navy Marine Ww2 Planes Battle Of Britain More information . Many decided to return to Soviet controlled Poland. P/O 'Mike' Bolesaw Gadych claimed three confirmed but was wounded and managed to crash land in the UK. Richardson, participated in air to ground training exercises but S/Ldr Koc records in the Squadron's Operations Record Book (ORB) that 'I would love to show the score, to write some more details, but there were not given any.' 303 Squadron was based at RAF Northolt from 2 August 1940, and became operational on 31 August. 002888). Before July, when it came under Polish command. Before July, when it came under Polish command. On 7 October 1941, the squadron returned to Northolt and re-equipped with the Spitfire Mk Vb. Polish Squadrons Remembered: Polish War Graves, Dunkirk, France: Polish War Memorial, Northolt UK Linda Duffield Tadeusz Nastorowicz hailed from Lodz in Poland, being born there on 1 May 1914. The Poles' reputation for gallantry towards women became so famous that some British pilots pretended to be Polish. Neither his body nor his Spitfire were ever found and W/C Hancock is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial in Surrey.Routine returned in early 1944 with No. The squadron returned to Northolt in September and resumed operations over France. Follow BBC East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The Council of the Northern Ireland War Memorial (Incorporated) is a registered 303 claimed four fighters downed over Gravelines. The aircraft was operated by pilots of many nations during the Second World War, with many Polish, French, Norwegian, Czech and other "free" aviators at the controls. 302 Squadron, of 16 total Polish squadrons in the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War. TheBattle of Britainwas a major air campaign fought over southern England in the summer and autumn of 1940. The largest foreign contingent to fight in the Battle of Britain were the Polish. 303 performing convoy escort duties and practice flights. 306 (Polish) Squadron arrived at Northolt, and with No. Wandzilak previously obtained permission from the British Ministry of Defence Records Office (RAF) in Hayes for making available to the Association the four census roll books of all ranks of Polish personnel recorded in RAF service number order. Douglas Scott. No. . With online collection stories, new exhibitions and virtual reality experiences, discover the Battle of Britain story with IWM Duxford. On 13 March 1942, the Squadron lost F/Lt W okuciewski, shot down by JG 26 and taken prisoner, and on 4 April F/L Daszewski (killed) and F/L Kustrzyski (POW) were lost over Saint-Omer having shot down two FW190 fighters. 315 (City of Dblin) Polish Fighter Squadron (Polish: 315 Dywizjon Myliwski "Dbliski") was one of several Polish squadrons in the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War. 302 (Polish) Fighter Squadron and 34 in No. In July and August, two of the first Polish fighter squadrons, Nos. It soon became clear to the British that the Poles were extremely skilled pilots. Gen. Stanisaw Karpiski submitted a plan of organizing an air force technical school for teenagers, which would be the nucleus of such schools after returning to a free Poland. Little information is available on his early and any service with the Polish Air Force. This page was last edited on 15 April 2023, at 20:53. Polish pilots were rarely deployed to combat units. Aspen Ford, Oklahoman. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Craig Murray: "The British reaction to the Poles was at the time was reticent and cautious I suppose. (in Polish), "Polish Spitfire shoots down BNP: Anti-immigration poster pic blunder. Just six aircraft were serviceable during the afternoon, engaging a raid of 15 Ju 88s. My information will not be shared with any third party (see our Privacy Statement - opens in a new window). 303 Squadron claimed some 46 enemy aircraft destroyed, seven probably destroyed and four damaged, for a loss of nine pilots (including three Commanding Officers). During escort cover for the ill-fated Schweinfurt mission on 17 August 1943, No. I. were ferried in, and these were the first signs of the new Polish Squadron. 303 Squadron claimed the highest number of aircraft shot down of all Allied squadrons participating. At the end of 1940, the PAF in the Great Britain exceeded 8,000 personnel. 303 Fighter Squadron wear their awards after a presentation ceremony by Air Marshal Sholto Douglas at Leconfield,15 December 1940. The squadron flew convoy patrols and carried out operational training. By the end of 1943, No. Although the work of Anna and Tadeusz Krzystek is known among historians and aviation enthusiasts as the Krzysteks List, really it is a work of many people. He always helped a person in need and would never . Tactics and skill also played a role; on one occasion, No. [26] On D-Day, 303 flew several times over the landing beaches. Command passed to S/L Arentowicz, who himself was shot down and killed just six days later. Yeah, they were very well received here, them and the Czechs, their contribution was well marked and their aggressiveness and taking the fight to the Luftwaffe was was recognised by all I think.". A total of 145 experienced and battle-hardened Polish airmen fought in the Battle of Britain - 79 airmen in various RAF squadrons, 32 in No. 303 Polish Fighter Squadron The Polish Armed Forces in the West refers to the Polish military formations formed to fight alongside the Western Allies against Nazi Germany and its allies. On 7 April, 302 Squadron relocated to Kenley from Tangmere, they had moved there on 1 April but there was Nothing of importance to report during their stay, although Nastorowicz took part in two patrols. In 2022, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine for a second time, the number "303" was chosen by a group of Polish internet activists to name their Squad 303 which sends anti-war messages to individual Russian people - subjects. RAF Ingham has a memorial garden with a striking silhouette of five men as a tribute to the aircrews that flew from there, A memorial to all the aircrew has been built on the site. Under the communist regime Polish pilots who had fought in the west were barred from flying in the Polish Air Force and many were imprisoned on trumped-up charges of espionage. The Polish Air Force fought in the Battle of France (133 pilots, who achieved 55 victories at a loss of 15 men).. Later, Polish pilots fought in the Battle of Britain, where the Polish 303 Fighter Squadron achieved the highest number of kills of any Allied squadron. 315 Squadron who were vacating Ballyhalbert for RAF Heston. The follow link is to a searchable list of the personnel of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain. In the massed dogfights over London on 15 September 1940, the squadron was heavily involved, with nine Hurricanes led by F/Lt Kent intercepting a German raid in mid-morning. Left to right are: Flying Officer Witold Urbanowicz, Pilot Officer Jan Zumbach, Pilot Officer Miroslaw Feric and Flying Officer Zdzislaw Henneberg. Pilots of No. No. 303 (Polish) Squadron from November 1943 to April 1944. 303 claiming three German fighters from JG 2 and JG 27 without loss. However, during the climb, they were bounced by Bf 109s of III./JG 27. 1 Polish Fighter Wing. The ones they'd had were obsolete fighters. there are some ships that participate in battles more often than others and survive, they are remembered. ALTHOUGH the Polish 303 Squadron joined the Battle of Britain two months after it began, the unit claimed the most . . At a 1998 meeting of the Historical Commission of the Polish Air Force Association in Great Britain, which was held under the chairmanship of gen. pil. By the end of the battle, it's score had reached 18 plus a further 12 probable kills. They'd seen how quickly Poland been overrun and thought perhaps they weren't really up to the task and the French had also thought this as well, when the men of them had fled to France to continue the fight um but they'd soon found out how good the Poles actually were and eventually the British would find it too they actually had very experienced very skilled pilots.". "The Squadron gave two years of service . The invitation was refused because no other Polish units were invited. Between July 1943 and April 1944, RAF Ballyhalbert in County Down was home to 2 Polish squadrons of the Royal Air Force; No. No. Edwards 03/04th September 1939 107 Squadron Blenheim IV N6240 Sgt. 11 Group at Uxbridge. We are grateful for the support and encouragement of CWGC, UK Imperial War Museum, Australian War Memorial, Australian National Archives, New Zealand National Archives, UK National Archives and Fold3 and countless dedicated friends and researchers across the world. This last one also shows the elusive anti-glare shield that was fitted to many RAF Mustangs at some point but quickly disappeared. On 9 June 1943, F/O liwinski claimed the unit's 200th victory, a Fw 190. Any Luftwaffe fighter opposition now remained largely absent from the Squadron's sphere of operations, but flak defences still took a toll. Fighter Command claimed six kills (JG 26 lost two, with three more badly damaged).[22]. PE2 7EA Tue s & Weds 7pm - 9.15pm tel 01733 394156 The pilots who defended Britain against the German Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain. 303 formed No. Tadeusz Andersz, at the suggestion of pk. Since Great Britain already recognized new Polish government in Poland, and thousands of Polish servicemen, legally Polish citizens, were still in England, it would be diplomatically correct, to invite a contingent of each service from Poland, and together, in fraternal unisons with the "local" soldiers, take part in Victory Parade in London. Exhausted servicemen, tired of being defeated by the Germans, looked upon Britain with great anticipation and named it 'The Island of the Last Hope'. 29 polish pilots lost their lives during the Battle of Britain including Josef Frantiek who was killed in an accident that has never been explained in October 1940. Here, living in peace, he finished his work Polish Air Force in Great Britain in the Years 1940-1947. Polish defences, already strained undera powerful and innovative German assault, collapsed shortly after the Soviets launched their own invasion from the east on 17 September. Polish Squadrons Remembered Site optimized for 800 x 600 resolution. However, these were refused by the recipients in protest that all Free Polish forces were not invited. There was also no flying on Boxing Day with S/Ldr Koc recording, 'I think that congratulations will soon come from neighbouring bars. [11] The squadron claimed five Bf 109s (of JG 27 and JG 52), a Do 17 and a Heinkel He 111. ", A Question of Honoir Listen to Lynn Olsen and Stanley Cloud, authors of "A Question of Honour," about the "Kociuszko" Squadron, Personnel of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain 1940-1947, "Bloody Foreigners" documentary on 303 Squadron, Hurricane & Dywizjon 303: Fact vs. Fiction, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=No._303_Squadron_RAF&oldid=1150014723, 7 November 1940 Sqn Ldr (cpt.) On 8 October, Czech ace Josef Frantiek died in an air crash. 3030 Fighter Squadron, stand by one of the Squadron's Hurricanes at RAF Leconfield on 24 October 1940. Talking to him is Flight Lieutenant Zajac and Squadron Leader Jerszy Poplawski. In a dogfight over Kent, "A" Flight claimed four confirmed and two probable victories over Messerschmitt Bf 109s, possibly of LG 2. On 2 July 1941, No. Polish Squadrons Remembered Sgt. The Poles had to be taught practically everything from scratch, including how to measure speed in miles instead of kilometres and fuel in gallons instead of litres. Types of aircraft used by the PAF during the invasion of Poland, including a PZL.37 'Los' medium bomber of the 1st Air Regiment with row of PZL P.11 fighter planes of the 111th and 112th Fighter Escadrilles in the background, photographed at Okecie airfield near Warsaw in early 1939. No. Operations answered that we were 5 miles East of Base. 303 pilots claimed four Bf 109s without loss; two to P/O Drobiski, as RAF Fighter Command claimed 10 destroyed (The Jagdwaffe suffered no losses). Airmen were transferred to eight PRC stations and began applying for a return to Poland or to join the Resettlement Corps. Thanks for watching. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. The combat experience and fighting ability of the Polish pilots was largely ignored by the French. It was a matter of time before the experienced No. A further instance of note within the Squadron ORB towards the end of February 1944 is the visit of Wing Commander Jan Zumbach who was one of the founding members as well as a previous Officer Commanding of No. Retired, in a secluded Penrhos, North Wales, Tadeusz Krzystek passionately devoted all his spare time to updating the List, often late into the night, searching through books. Scarecrows fit for a king A royal theme ran through a village festival that attracted thousands of visitors. They were to move without their aircraft and would take over the Mk. Following a prolonged air battle, Karubin was chasing a German fighter at treetop level. Jzefa Poniatowskiego", 305 "Ziemi Wielkopolskiej im. The cloud ceiling was at 800-1000 ft, visibility about 1 mileAfter about 12 mins, I asked Ops; keeping all the time a course of 120 degrees, 'What is our position?' On 15 August 1942, the squadron temporarily moved to Redhill near London in preparation of the Allied raid on Dieppe (Operation Jubilee). The squadron was formed at RAF Acklington, England, on 21 January 1941. [8] After a period of training, the squadron was scrambled for the first time on 24 August 1940, although it did not come into contact with any enemy aircraft on this occasion. Aircrew Remembered. Contain next 1,311 names. After the Battle of Britain the Polish Air Force continued to serve alongside the RAF until the last day of the war. Bristow, Mark and Sylvia Laidlow-Petersen. In February, the unit participated in the first fighter offensive sweeps, usually escorting a small number of light bombers. On his return to Northolt, Flying Officer Paszkiewicz was reprimanded for breaking discipline and congratulated on his and the squadron's first victory. On 11 April 1941, F/L Kustrzyski shot down a Bf109 during a rhubarb over France. The squadron, equipped with Hurricanes, was moved in March to RAF Speke, Liverpool, where it made frequent patrols over naval convoys as part of No. In the ensuing battle, the squadron was credited with 16 victories, 1 probable and 3 damaged for the loss of one pilot, Squadron Leader Eugeniusz Horbaczewski. Pilot Officer Wladyslaw Rozycki of No. He was 99. 315 Squadron who have just staged a flypast at R.A.F. The first four Polish recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross of No. Adam Kowalczyk, 12 November 1943 Spitfire VB, Spitfire VC and Spitfire LF VB, Spitfire LF VC, 18 July 1944 Spitfire F IX, Spitfire LF IX and Spitfire HF IX. RAF Ingham, north of Lincoln, was a grass airfield during WW2. One of them was Sergeant Josef Frantisek, a Czech who called himself a Pole and preferred to fly with Poles. Later, further air force units from this unit were renamed the 7th, 121st and 111th Escadrilles of the Polish Air Force. 303 flew its first "Rhubarb"' sorties on 22 January 1941. ", "Hacking group Squad303 creates tool to send random Russian phones anti-war messages", "Miroslaw Ignacy Wojciechowski 19171956. To search the List type in one or more of the following: airmans name, service number, date or place of birth/death, unit number, rank, etc. Commander-in-chief of fighter command Hugh Dowding, who had questioned the skill of the Polish pilots at the start of the battle summarised their contribution in these words: Had it not been for the magnificent work of the Polish squadrons and their unsurpassed gallantry, I hesitate to say the outcome of the battle would have been the same.. 303 Squadron participated in the RAF's offensive response to the 'Channel Dash' of the German battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau. A total of 145 Poles fought in the Battle of Britain, nearly 100 of whom served with the RAF. It was only in 2002, after many attempts at alphabetical order and deletion of duplicate names with the same dates of birth, but saved under different service numbers, was it possible to determine the exact number of Polish airmen serving during the War in Great Britain. On Christmas Eve, RAF Ballyhalbert hosted American pilots from Toome along with other invited guests in the N.A.A.F.I restaurant. Sign up to receive extraordinary stories from IWM straight to your inbox. The Squadrons overall score during the Battle of Britain was 18 2/3 enemy planes destroyed, 12 probables and one damaged. The List contain also information about decorations awarded to airmen during their service in Polish Air Force in Great Britain as: Order of Virtuti Militari (VM), Cross of Valour (KW), Cross of Merit (KZ), Air Force Medal (ML), Wounds and Injuries Badge (ODRK) and British, i.a. No 315 was commanded by Squadron Leader H. D. Cooke. 303 Squadron. France's capitulation on 25 June 1940 forced the Polish Armed Forces, alongside other Allied troops, to withdraw their units to Britain. See more ideas about royal air force, battle of britain, wwii. Over the course of the summer of 1940, RAF Fighter Command was engaged in a series of desperate actions against the Luftwaffe. 303 claiming six of these, two to S/L Lapkowski (JG 2 and JG 26 actually lost three aircraft). The bear climbing a tree (Coat of arms of Madrid) was an emblem of the No. On 12 April 1941, six No. No. The Poles, combat experienced and eager to fight, did not take that kind of approach very lightly. It had a distinguished combat record and was disbanded in December 1946. This was a highlight of the Squadron Day celebrations on 14th August 1943. Karubin claimed a Bf 109. Abbreviations: maj: major, cpt. 303 Squadron. On 12 November 1943, the unit was posted to RAF Ballyhalbert in Northern Ireland and soon after S/L Koc assumed command. Not so well known are the men of the Polish bomber squadrons who, alongside Bomber Command's units, faced lethal missions and frightful casualty rates. In July 1940 the first Polish fighter pilots joined RAF Squadrons. In Polish, they were 303 Dywizjon Myliwski "Warszawski im. read more, n early 1943, the Polish Air Force Command received a message that in the Middle East along with gen. Anders 2nd Corps had arrived about 1,500 boys aged 15 years (actually 12 to 16 years). As a result, it was not until the 18 December 1943 that the crashed Spitfire EN856 belonging to F/O Podobinski was located at the highest point on the Isle of Man. Szaposznikow and Sgt. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept my faith. They're driven by something very different from the British in the sense that Britain is not occupied it may have been attacked but it's not the same as having your country occupied by an enemy force, so, they're very very keen as were the Czechs to bring the battle to the Germans.". On 21 May the squadron strafed targets near Lille losing two pilots: F/O Brzeski and Sgt Kempka were shot down and taken prisoner. 303 Squadron" redirects here. Allied raid on Dieppe (Operation Jubilee), Hurricane: 303 Squadron (aka Mission of Honor), List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons, Non-British personnel in the RAF during the Battle of Britain, "The Polish Pilots Who Flew in the Battle of Britain", "Josef Frantisek: The Battle of Britain's Czech hero BBC News", Ratuszynski, Wilhelm, "303 Sqn Remembered", "Okiem Brytyjczyka Szokujca wizja." He was later transferred to Colditz Castle POW camp and ultimately to Stalag Luft III Sagan for continually trying to escape. [9] On 30 August 1940, the squadron scored its first victory while still officially non-operational, when a German Messerschmitt Bf 110 of 4./ZG 76 (initially incorrectly recorded as a Dornier Do 17) was shot down by F/O Ludwik Paszkiewicz during a training flight. At 2pm there will be a wreath laying ceremony at the 307 Squadron memorial at Exeter Cathedral. During 2 September 1940, the squadron was scrambled three times. IV. One of the finest examples of their work was a remarkable feat accomplished by Sergeant Antoni Glowacki of No. Craig Murray: "The American media saw them as a sort of glamour boys the Battle of Britain. By the end of the month, No. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. 303 Squadron was equipped with Hawker Hurricane fighter aircraft. One of these was codenamed "Rhubarb", improvised low-level strafing attacks against opportunist targets on the ground. On their part the British, like the French before them, accepted as truth the German propaganda about Polish ineptitude in resisting the German-Soviet invasion and were doubtful about the flying skills of the Polish pilots. The Poles, from the very beginning, had shown their eagerness to fight and the RAF's attitude towards them became more accommodating. "315 Squadron" redirects here. After the fall of France, about 6,200 PAF airmen were evacuated to the UK. On September 22, Janina was captured by the Soviets in Husiatyn. RAF Ingham - Home of Polish Bomber Squadrons. "Polish Squadrons Remembered", Wilhelm Ratuszynski, diarsipkan dari versi asli tanggal 27 November 2002 Gilbert J. Mros (24 November 2007), On V-E Day say 'dziekuje' to the Poles , Polish Legion of American Veterans, diarsipkan dari versi asli tanggal 14 Februari 2021 , diakses tanggal 20 Februari 2021 Parameter |url-status= yang tidak . Such a feat could not be achieved without a price. Seaman D'marcus Ellison, a . During a sweep over France on 18 August, 12 Mustangs of No. The Polish Air Force continued to serve with the RAF until the end of the war. I happily acknowledge that this experience has remained the same cornerstone for my move into the civilian sector as an MOD Civil Servant in where I have worked in the accounts department and . Training was generally inadequate and conducted on obsolete equipment. 303 Squadron, play with the Squadron's puppy mascot at RAF Leconfield on 24 October 1940. In April 1944, the squadron moved to the advanced landing ground at Horne, 30 miles south of London and joined No 142 Fighter Wing. With the fall of France, thousands of Polish airmen arrived in Britain. January however did not pass without incident; F/Sgt. Now they are formed relatively late into the battle, into August, but from the very start they're incredibly successful, and in the case of 303 Squadron they are the most successful allied squadron during the Battle of Britain. 1 Polish Wing, with No. The Command of the PAF was reorganized into the Inspectorate General PRC RAF. 303 Polish Fighter Squadron; . 303 flew two full strength escort missions over France, and against 9./ JG 2 claimed five fighters destroyed. 501 Squadron RAF, who on 24 August claimed five enemy bombers, which were shot down in three combat sorties over one day. Earlier yet, at the end of 1939 and beginning of 1940, about 2,300 flying and ground personnel were transferred to the four established Polish bomber squadrons. My father and three brothers served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during WW II. In April 1940 the PAF was comprised of three fighter wings and one close reconnaissance wing, each with two squadrons. Bruce Barrymore Halpenny: Action Stations 8. In June 1943, the squadron was withdrawn to Yorkshire, then to County Down, Northern Ireland in July. The Communist regime, distrustful towards ex-servicemen of the Polish Armed Forces in the West, barred them from flying in the PAF and in numerous cases imprisoned them on trumped up charges of espionage. Read about our approach to external linking. Polish Air Force museum - Dblin. Two Anglo-Polish Agreements were signed, one on 11 June and one on 5 August 1940, which formed the independent Polish Air Force and envisaged the formation of fighter, bomber and army cooperation squadrons.