All Souls' Ceremony in remembrance of the Polish Airmen who gave their lives in WW2. 26 October 2025 British Commonwealth and Polish War Graves Cemetery, London Road, Newark, Notts. 14.30. Guests and Standard Bearers assemble at the Thoresby Avenue entrance for the procession to the Polish War Graves Cemetery. Wreaths and lanterns will be laid by representatives of the Polish government, local authorities, the Polish Air Force, the Royal Air Force and veterans and their descendants. The service will conclude at approximately 15.15. Please note there is no vehicular access to the Market Place and charges apply in car parks on a Sunday. The Friends of Newark Cemetery are expected to open the cemetery’s Chapel Interpretation Centre with its General Sikorski exhibition. For further information please contact: SimonPElmer@hotmail.co.uk

Constitution Constitution of a Charitable Incorporated Organisation whose only voting members are its charity trustees (‘Foundation’ model constitution) Date of constitution (last amended): 9th December 2019 1. Name The name of the Charitable Incorporated Organisation (“the CIO”) is: THE POLISH AIR FORCE MEMORIAL COMMITTEE 2. National location of principal office The principal office of the CIO is in England: 15 Kings Avenue Ealing London W5 2SJ 3. Objectives The objectives of the CIO are: To commemorate for the public benefit the achievements of the Polish Air Force in the Second World War and to honour fallen Polish Airmen by the creation and maintenance of public memorials; To educate and inform the public about the Polish Air Force and its history including by operating the Polish Air Force Museum; Nothing in this constitution shall authorise an application of the property of the CIO for purposes which are not charitable. The Polish Air Force Memorial Committee Constitution is available in full DOWNLOAD Trustees LINK

Paszkiewicz Memorial

Key Facts In 1932 the Polish designed and built Państwowe Zakłady Lotnicze (PZL) P.7 became the first all metal monoplane fighter in operational service in the world. In1932/33 three Polish cryptographers Marian Rejewski, Jerzy Różycki and Henryk Zygalski became the pioneers in the automatisation of cryptoanalysis. They broke the German military Enigma code and reverse-engineered their own copy of the military Enigma machine. They responded to encryption developments right up to the war and in July 1939 delivered all the fruits of their work, including working replicas of the Enigma machine, to (astonished) British and French intelligence. In the September 1939 campaign the Luftwaffe used 1,941 aircraft, 2/3rds of its power, against 392 Polish aircraft, including 158 out-dated single seat fighters, 114 light bombers, 36 bombers and 83 reconnaissance aircraft. Nonetheless Polish pilots were officially credited with 126 German aircraft destroyed in 1939 compared to 333 Polish losses. German propaganda claimed that the air arm of the Polish Army, Lotnictwo Wojskowe (Military Aviation), was destroyed on the ground, but the truth was quite the opposite: all effective operational aircraft had been moved to dispersed camouflaged temporary airfields before the German attack. On 17 September 1939 Russia invaded from the East and by early October further Polish military resistance was impossible. Poland was the only occupied country that never surrendered: its Government moved first to France then to England; the underground Home Army was the largest resistance force of any occupied country; all civil institutions, including trades unions, universities, seminaries and political parties continued underground with regular contact with the Government in Exile. Polish airmen evacuated through Rumania, Hungary and the Baltic States and around 8,500 personnel of all ranks and trades reached France mainly via the Black Sea and Marseilles. In France the Prime Minister of the Polish Government in Exile and Commander-in-Chief of the Polish Armed Forces General Władysław Sikorski, made the historic decision to make the air arm of the Polish Army, Lotnictwo Wojskowe (Military Aviation), a completely independent service of the Polish Armed Forces. This became the Polskie Siły Powietrzne (PSP), known as the Polish Air Force (PAF) in Britain. The French capitulated after five weeks, including terms to prevent allied combatants from leaving the country. Nonetheless some 6,000 Polish airmen made it to England. The Polish Air Force in Britain was an independent sovereign allied air force, answerable to the Polish Government in Exile, while under the operational control of the Royal Air Force. There were 147 Polish Air Force fighter pilots engaged in the Battle of Britain, including one Czech and one Slovak. Of these 70 were in the two PAF squadrons 302 and 303. The remaining 77 were dispersed among RAF Squadrons and some served in both PAF and RAF squadrons. Together they constituted 5% of the total pilots in the Battle of Britain. The 79 PAF pilots who made claims recorded 202 enemy aircraft destroyed, or 7.5% of the total, 35 probably destroyed and a further 36 damaged. The 145 Polish pilots were the largest number of any non-British nation. The Polish 303 'Kościuszko' squadron, flying Hurricanes from RAF Northolt, was the most successful squadron in the Battle with 126 confirmed victories, achieved in just six weeks of the 16 week Battle period for the loss of eight pilots, six from aerial combat. In all the PAF lost 31 fighter pilots killed in action during the Battle of Britain. One of the highest scoring Allied pilots in the Battle of Britain, credited with 17 claimed destroyed and one probably destroyed, was the Czechoslovak pilot Sgt Josef František, a member of the Polish Air Force in the Polish 303 'Kościuszko' Squadron. On the 15 September 1940, Battle of Britain Day, 20% of the fighter pilots flying were Polish. Air Officer Commanding RAF Fighter Command Hugh Dowding said: “Had it not been for the magnificent material contributed by the Polish Squadrons and their unsurpassed gallantry, I hesitate to say the outcome of Battle would have been the same”. Secretary of State for Air Sir Archibald Sinclair said: “Our shortage of trained pilots would have made it impossible to man the squadrons which were required to defeat the German air force and so win the Battle of Britain if the gallant airmen of Poland had not leaped into the breach”. The two Polish Air Force bomber squadrons 300 and 301 took part in several operations during the Battle of Britain period of September and October 1940, bombing the German invasion barges waiting in coastal ports across the Channel. During this period 62 airmen from 300 Squadron and the same number, 62 from 301 squadron, both flying Fairey Battles, took part in these operations. Both squadrons lost an aircraft during this period and six airmen were killed. They were the squadrons’ first operational losses of the war. When Russia was itself attacked in 1941 and released Poles it had deported to Siberia, a further number found their way to England, bringing the total of the Polish Air Force up to around 17,150, plus 1,325 WAAFs. They constituted 14 front line squadrons (fighter, bomber and reconnaissance) as well as a comprehensive training system, with their own ground training establishments, elementary and advanced flying training schools, operational training units and a staff college. On D-Day (6 June 1944) Polish squadrons constituted about 10% of the fighter-bomber force of the 2nd Tactical Air Force (the Commonwealth and exiled units under RAF operational control allocated for direct support of the invading ground troops). No. 18 (Polish) Sector, which included five Polish, two British, one New Zealand and one Belgian squadrons under an all-Polish headquarters, led by Gp Capt Aleksander Gabszewicz, was the top-scoring sector of the 2nd TAF in June 1944, while its No. 133 (Polish) Wing (two Polish and one RAF squadrons) was the top-scoring 2nd TAF wing. Gallup Pole June 1946: Do you approve or disapprove of the Government’s decision to allow Polish troops who do not wish to return to Poland to remain in this country? Approve: 30% Disapprove: 54% No opinion: 14% The cost: Polish Air force - 2,400 killed Warsaw - 700,000 killed (i.e. more than combined UK and US killed) Poland - 6,000,000 (i.e. 1 in 5 of the population, a higher proportion than any other combatant nation) The number of poppies equal to that of Poland’s war dead would fill the Moat of the Tower of London seven times over.

Plumetot Memorial Unveiled View Photos Additional photos taken at the ceremony by Olenka Radowicz are available by clicking on the following link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/zlpuk/sets/72157709064325092/ Gabszewicz Spitfire View Photos . Paszkiewicz Memorial View Photos . Photo Gallery

Gabszewicz Spitfire

The Polish Air Force Memorial Committee was formed to commemorate for the public benefit the achievements of the Polish Air Force in the Second World War; to honour fallen Polish Airmen by the creation and maintenance of public memorials. LATEST NEWS Mission Statement The Polish Air Force Memorial Committee was formed to commemorate for the public benefit the achievements of the Polish Air Force in the Second World War; to honour fallen Polish Airmen by the creation and maintenance of public memorials; and to educate and inform the public about the Polish Air Force and its history, including the operation of Polish Air Force Museums . The Polish Air Force Memorial Committee Komitet Pamięci Lotników Polskich

The Polish Air Force Memorial The Polish Air Force Memorial at South Ruislip, in the London Borough of Hillingdon, was unveiled in 1948 to honour and commemorate the Polish airmen killed during the Second World War while under British Command. The simple design of the Memorial depicts the Polish Air Force emblem of a large bronze eagle, with its wings spread wide, ready to take off from the top of a tall Portland stone Obelisk. The fourteen wartime Polish Air Force squadrons, and the battles in which they took part, are embossed in bronze letters on the front face. The base of the column is supported either side by two large stone plinths. One is inscribed: TO THE MEMORY OF FALLEN POLISH AIRMEN and the other POLEGŁYM LOTNIKOM POLSKIM. The rear of these blocks has the inscription: I HAVE FOUGHT A GOOD FIGHT. I HAVE FINISHED MY COURSE. I HAVE KEPT THE FAITH. -II TIM.IV.7- Also to the rear is a sunken semi-circular walkway flanked by two walls of granite. These are engraved with the names of 1877* Polish airmen lost while under British Command, together with the insignias of the individual Polish Air Force wartime squadrons. There is also an inscription of the names of the 23 Polish airmen lost during the French campaign of 1940. The Memorial is fronted by a shallow ornamental pond surrounded by a paved walkway and adjacent grassed area and flower beds within a gated iron boundary fence. The Memorial is close to the southeast perimeter corner of RAF Northolt, the home of seven Polish fighter squadrons at different times during the war, including the 1st Polish Wing. The main entrance, through a cast iron gate on stone posts, is on the corner of the A4180 West End Road at the junction with the A40 Western Avenue roundabout. There is provision for restricted free parking on the adjacent access road. The nearest Underground and Mainline railway station is South Ruislip, a distance of approximately 1,200 yards and about a 14 minute walk. This prominent local heritage landmark has its own “Polish Air Force Memorial” sign beside the A40 trunk road in and out of London and regularly features in traffic reports on the radio. The London Borough of Hillingdon has been the owner and custodian of the Memorial since 1965 and keeps it in pristine condition with regular cleaning and maintenance. In 2015, to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, the London Borough of Hillingdon, in partnership with the Polish Embassy in London, developed and created the Polish Air Force Memorial Remembrance Garden on an area of land on the west side of the Memorial boundary. This ornamental garden, with bench seating, includes trees, native hedges and wildflower meadows and a natural pond, all creating a diverse habitat for many different species of wildlife. The garden was officially opened on 5 September 2015 by the Leader of the London Borough of Hillingdon Raymond Puddifoot MBE and the Ambassador of the Republic of Poland Witold Sobków . The Memorial Garden, which has a national Green Flag Award, is regularly maintained by the Council’s own in-house maintenance team. *The official statistics for Polish airmen lost under British command reveal 1234 killed in action, 104 missing in action, now assumed killed in action, 394 killed training in operational units and 199 killed training in non-operational units, making a combined overall total of 1931.

Air Bridge Commemoration Service in remembrance of the casualties of the 1944 Warsaw Uprising 28 September 2025 British Commonwealth and Polish War Graves Cemetery, London Road, Newark, Notts. Guests and Standard Bearers assemble at Cemetery Gates 13.45. Procession to the Air Bridge Memorial 14.00. Remembrance Ceremony 14.15.

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Thanksgiving Service 86th anniversary of the Battle of Britain 20 September 2026 11.00 at Westminster Abbey, London, SW1P 3PA. Applications for tickets, stating all names, addresses, place and date of birth, Passport or Driving Licence number and email addresses and/or phone numbers of individuals wishing to attend, should be made in writing and are to be accompanied by a stamped self-addressed envelope. Applications should reach Mrs Michèle Small, SO3 RAF Ceremonial Events, RAF Ceremonial Office, Bentley Priory Building, RAF Northolt, West End Road, Ruislip, Middlesex, HA4 6NG by the 17th July. The congregation should be seated by 10.30 and to assist with seating, applicants are requested to state which of the following categories is appropriate: * relatives of aircrew who lost their lives in the Battle of Britain or since; * past or present members of the Royal Air Force and its Reserve Forces; * members of the general public. Please state if a wheelchair user. Tickets, and a note on dress and timings for the occasion, will be issued two weeks before the Service. Please note that applications are NOT to be made to Westminster Abbey. Representatives of the Polish government, the Polish Air Force, the Polish Air Force Memorial Committee and Polish squadron descendants are expected to attend. The 147 fighter pilots in the Polish Air Force engaged in the Battle of Britain played such a vital role in the conflict. They represented 5% of the 2,936 aircrew that took part, but at the time were officially credited with 8% or 216 of the RAF’s overall 2,692 aerial victories for the loss of 31 pilots, 5.5% of the 544 aircrew lost during the Battle. The 303 Polish Kościuszko City of Warsaw Squadron, flying Hurricanes from RAF Northolt, became by far the most successful fighter unit during the 16 weeks of the Battle. In the six weeks it was operational 303 Sqn was credited with 126 victories for the loss of eight of its pilots; six in actual combat. The Czech pilot Sgt Josef Frantiŝek, a member of the Polish Air Force flying with 303 (Polish) Kościuszko Squadron, was the most successful pilot in the Battle, credited with 17 aircraft destroyed and one probably destroyed. "Had it not been for the magnificent material contributed by the Polish squadrons and their unsurpassed gallantry, I hesitate to say that the outcome of battle would have been the same." - Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding, Commander of RAF Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain.

Order of the Day Programme. Document Philip Kwissa Memories of serving in the ground crew at B10, read from the diaries of Tadeusz KWISSA by his son Philip Document Jan Józef Kasprzyk Speech by Minister Jan Józef Kasprzyk, Head of the Office of Veterans and Victims of Oppression Document Maire of Plumetot Words of welcome by M. Jean-Pierre Tarlet, Maire of Plumetot Document M.Bertrand Bouyx Speech my M. Bertrand Bouyx, Parliamentary representative of the 5th Calvados constituency Document M.Laurent Fiscus Speech by M. Laurent Fiscus, Prefect of Calvados Document Richard Kornicki Speech by Mr. Richard Kornicki, Chairman of the Polish Air Force Memorial Committee, on the origin and purpose of the Memorial Document HE Tomasz Młynarski Speech by HE Tomasz Młynarski, Ambassador of the Republic of Poland in France Document Alexander Smaga Alexander Smaga MSc. Dipl. Ing.Arch. Memorial Designer talks about how it was conceived. Document Plumetot Speeches