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< Back Unveiling stained glass window commemorating 309 (Polish) Squadron. The commemorative stained glass window was unveiled by Marta Flavin, granddaughter of W/Cdr Karol Zygmunt Pistl, the first commanding officer of 309Sqn. The Historic Aircraft Collection’s Spitfire, BM597, flown by Clive Denney, landed and taxied onto the apron to applause from the large delighted crowd. 1/7 6 Oct 2022 Unveiling Stained Glass Window commemorating 309 (Polish) Squadron. The first and only permanent memorial to those airmen and ground crew of 309 (Polish) Squadron was unveiled at Saling Airfield, formerly RAF Andrews Field, on Sunday 25th September. The commemorative stained-glass window was commissioned by the family of the first Polish Commanding Officer of 309 (Polish) “Ziemia Czerwieńska” Squadron, W Cdr Karol Zygmunt Pistl. The family are his granddaughter Marta Flavin (neé Pistl) her husband Shay Flavin and great-grandsons Matthew and Nicholas Flavin. Of the family, only Marta and Shay came to the UK to unveil the commemorative window. The memorial stained glass window, representing the squadron emblem, was designed and produced by artist Angi Driver who attended the ceremony. Also attending the ceremony was Polish Air Force Memorial Committee chairman Richard Kornicki CBE DL, who laid a wreath on behalf of the Committee. Joe Pietrzak, the grandson of Sqn Ldr Henryk Pietrzak also attended. Sqn Ldr Pietrzak was the last Commanding Officer of 309 Squadron, taking command in July 1945, at RAF Andrews Field and leading the squadron until January 1947 when it was disbanded at RAF Coltishall. After the ceremony, Spitfire Vc, BM597, flown by Clive Denney landed and taxied onto the apron by the clubhouse to spontaneous applause from the large delighted crowd. This Spitfire is part of the Historic Aircraft Collection based at Duxford and our thanks go to the owner and to Derek Rusling from the Polish Heritage Flight for enabling the aircraft to be brought to Saling Airfield, near Braintree, Essex. This Spitfire served with 315 and 317 Polish Squadrons during 1942 and currently wears the colours of 317 Squadron. While in 315 Squadron, it was flown by Richard Kornicki’s father, General Franciszek Kornicki during 1942. This is probably the first time that a Polish Air Force aircraft landed at Andrews Field since the station closed at the end of 1945. Thanks also to Mike Rowland, Carol Cooper (the directors of Andrewsfield Aviation Ltd.), and several sponsors who enabled this day to happen. The research and organisation of the day was by Tad Dippel, Operations at Andrewsfield. All photos courtesy Jason Gore Photography. Karol Zygmunt Pistl (17 May 1897 – 20 November 1981) Karol Zygmunt Pistl was born in Przemyśl, Poland. At the age of 10 he was sent to the Austrian Military School in Vienna and from that time it could be said that he had started his military career. He fought with the Austrian army during the First World War on the Italian front and was taken prisoner in November 1918. On release and return to Poland in March 1919 he enlisted in the Polish Army as a Lieutenant. Soon after he was again at war, this time with the Russians until May 1920. He then transferred to the Polish Air Force, gaining his “wings” in 1926. When the Second World War broke out, he had gained the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and was deputy commander of the 1st Air Regiment in Warsaw. On 17 September 1939 he was ordered to travel to Romania where he worked in the Polish Embassy in Bucharest. There he organised the transfer of Polish airmen to France. He left Romania in February 1940, travelling to France, where he served in the Polish Aviation Training Centre in Lyon-Bron until the fall of France in June 1940. He arrived in the UK with the Polish Air Force on 17 July 1940 and went to Renfrew, Scotland, where he assumed the post of Commanding Officer of the newly formed 309 (Polish) Squadron on 20 November 1940 in the RAF rank of Wing Commander. He remained with 309 Squadron until 14 February 1943. He was then posted to the Inspectorate General of the Polish Air Force in London where he served as a liaison officer until November 1945. He remained at the Headquarters until June 1947 when he enlisted into the Polish Resettlement Corps, finally being discharged in June 1949. He did not return to Poland remaining in London where, for a time, he was president of the London Branch of the Association of Polish Airmen. During this period, he received, in May 1975, the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta. He died on 20 November 1981. No. 309 (Polish) “Ziemia Czerwieńska” Squadron, Polish Air Force No 309 (Polish) Squadron was formed on 8 October 1940 at RAF Abbotsnitch, (now Glasgow airport) soon moving to RAF Renfrew. The Squadron was formed as an Army Co-Operation Unit, consisting of both English and Polish personnel. Its first Commanding Officer was W/Cdr N.W.F Mason to be followed by W/Cdr Zygmunt Pistl on 20 November 1940. Polish flying personnel started arriving, mainly from Blackpool, from 12 November 1940. Their experience ranged from 300 – 3,000 hrs and most had not flown for six months to two years. By the end of November two Tiger Moths had arrived and refresher training started for the Polish crews. The initial primary equipment of the squadron was the Westland Lysander III, a two-seater aircraft armed with machine guns and light bomb racks. In the Spring of 1942, after conversion training at RAF Gatwick, the Squadron was redesignated a Fighter Squadron and re-equipped with the Mustang I. Wing Commander Pistl relinquished command of the unit on 14 February 1943 and was replaced by (Acting) Wing Commander Piotrowski. The Squadron had further changes in role and equipment but by September 1944, had become a fully-fledged fighter Squadron. In December 1944, the Squadron received orders to move to RAF Andrews Field from RAF Peterhead and became part of No 133 Wing. The aircraft, Mustang III’s, departed RAF Peterhead on 12 December, but it was not to fully arrive until 17th December due to poor weather. At RAF Andrews Field, the primary role of 309 (Polish) Squadron was daytime bomber escort, flying missions alongside RAF heavy bombers to targets in Europe and into Germany. On one such mission, on 9 April 1945, near Hamburg, Flt/Lts Gorzula and Mencel together with W/O Murkowski destroyed three Me 262s and W/O Murkowski damaging a fourth Me 262. 309 Squadron remained at RAF Andrews Field until 10 August 1945, moving to RAF Coltishall. It stayed there until disbandment on 6 January 1947, one of the last Polish Squadrons remaining operational. Tadeusz Dippel Operations Andrewsfield. Previous Next

d7d76023-284a-4a22-b052-940a5424fd63 Annual Commemoration of Homage for Fallen Polish Airmen < Back L-R Sq/Ldr Tadeusz Sawicz, Gp/Cpt Jerzy Bajan and W/Cdr Stefan Janus laid a wreath at one of the early Commemorations for Fallen Polish Airmen. Descendants of Polish Squadrons lay wreaths every year. From 303Sqn on the left Witold Urbanowicz, son of W/Cdr Witold Urbanowicz, Alexandra Kent, daughter of Gp/Cpt John Kent (Kentowski) and Philip Ferić Methuen, son of F/O Mirosław Ferić. Polish Air Force Memorial Committee Chairman Richard Kornicki hosts the Annual Commemoration for Fallen Polish Airmen. L-R Sq/Ldr Tadeusz Sawicz, Gp/Cpt Jerzy Bajan and W/Cdr Stefan Janus laid a wreath at one of the early Commemorations for Fallen Polish Airmen. 1/6 6 August 2023 An nual Commemoration of Homage for Fallen Polish Airmen The Polish Air Force Memorial Committee will stage the annual and 62nd Commemoration of Homage for Fallen Polish Airmen on Saturday, 2nd September 2023, at 12.00, at the Polish Air Force Memorial, South Ruislip. The ceremony will be conducted in English and Polish and everyone is welcome. Invited guests will include dignitaries, representing national and local government, Polish and Royal Air Forces and various organisations and associations. Guests’ dress code will be uniform, lounge suit or equivalent. Decorations will be worn and descendants will be encouraged to wear inherited medals on the right side of the jacket. The ceremony will open with the marching in of the replica Polish Air Force Standard by Officer Cadets from the Polish Air Force University, Dęblin and the Silk Ensign of the RAF. This should coincide with a fly-past of a Hurricane from the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, weather and serviceability permitting. Polish Air Force Memorial Committee Chairman Richard Kornicki CBE DL will follow with an opening address, welcoming dignitaries, veterans, guests and the public. His address will be followed by the Polish Roll-Call of the Fallen, carried out by the Polish Air Force Officer Cadets. After prayers in Polish the invited dignitaries will lay wreaths on the Memorial to be followed by veterans and descendants of the Polish Squadrons and Units commemorated on the Memorial that flew alongside the RAF from 1940 to 1945. Concluding Prayers will be led by the Rt Rev Paul Mason, Catholic Bishop to the Armed Forces followed by the Last Post and a minute’s silence ending with Reveille. The ceremony will end with the Polish and UK national anthems and withdrawal of the Standards followed by the playing of ‘White Roses’. Personal wreaths will be laid after the ceremony ends. Music will be provided by musicians of the RAF Central Band with the kind permission of the Air Force Board of the Defence Council. Invited guests will then transfer to RAF Northolt for a reception and lunch in the Officers’ Mess, while being entertained by Polish dancers. PAFMC Commendations will be awarded to people who, with no personal connections with Poland, have made an exceptional contribution to preserving the memory of Polish Airmen. Weather and serviceability permitting the Hurricane from the Polish Heritage Flight’s Historic Aircraft Collection at Duxford, now in the colours of Polish 302 Sqn, will provide a flypast and land and park close to the Officers’ Mess. The starboard side has been finished as P2954 with the code WX-E, the Hurricane flown by F/Lt Tadeusz Chlopik, while the port side represents P3935 code WX-D, the aircraft of F/Lt and later W/Cdr Julian Kowalski. The PAFMC has been organising the Annual Ceremony of Homage to fallen Polish airmen since 2011 after officially succeeding the Polish Air Force Association Charitable Trust (PAFACT) which dissolved at the end of 2010. The PAFMC is the designated successor of the war-time PAF and the organisations which represented it after the war. The Memorial is situated at the junction of the A40 and the West End Road, South Ruislip. The nearest Underground is South Ruislip. Limited parking (at own risk) will be available at McGovern Park GAA 200 yds up the West End Rd, or adjacent side streets. Other Polish Air Force heritage sites in Hillingdon can be found at: https://archive.hillingdon.gov.uk/polishtrail For those who will not be to attend w e are planning to live stream the Northolt ceremony via our Facebook page. This can be found at this link https://www.facebook.com/PAFMemorialCommittee or via our website https://www.polishairforcememorialcommittee.org/ and click on the Facebook icon . Historic background. General Władysław Sikorski, the former Prime Minister of the Polish Government in Exile and Commander-in-Chief of the Polish Armed Forces, formed the Polish Air Force early in 1940. He made the historic decision to make Lotnictwo Wojskowe (Military Aviation), the then air arm of the Polish Army, a completely independent member of the Polish Armed Forces. Thus on 1 March 1940 Military Aviation became the independent Polskie Siły Powietrzne (PSP) the Polish Air Force (PAF) under the overall command of General Józef Zając, but eventually under the operational command of the RAF after it transferred to Britain following the capitulation of France. Just after the war, in the summer of 1945, a group of Polish airmen formed the Polish Air Force Association (PAFA) with the Polish name Stowarzyszenie Lotników Polskich (SLP) to meet the needs of those who stayed in exile in Britain. The PAFA subsequently became the PAFACT in 1987, which continued until it was dissolved in December 2010. To enable the continuation of its most important functions prior to dissolution, such as the annual Commemoration of Fallen Polish Airmen at the Polish Air Force Memorial, it formed the PAFMC as its successor body. This was done with the explicit agreement of the Commander in Chief of the PAF, Lt Gen Lech Majewski, and the Chief of the Air Staff for the Royal Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton. Sir Stephen continues to this day as PAFMC’s Patron. Trust funds were divided between various recipients in agreement with the Charity Commission; its records were transferred to the Polish Institute and Sikorski Museum; and all other art works, property and memorabilia, including the PAFA Standard, became the property of PAFMC. Previous Next

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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.

Commonwealth War Graves Commission's Wall of Remembrance 1/1 8 May Commonwealth War Graves Commission's Wall of Remembrance The Commonwealth War Graves Commission is inviting anyone to submit a tribute or to leave a message for a loved one on its 'Wall of Remembrance' using a form which is available at the following link: http://www.cwgc.org/our-work/projects/the-cwgc-wall-of-remembrance/wall-of-remembrance-submissions/ Please pass the link on to colleagues, family, friends, social media and anyone else who will find it of interest. Previous Article Next Article

< Back 307 Squadron Project Anniversary event 1/1 19 Oct 2022 307 Squadron Project Anniversary Event The 307 Squadron Project is holding a special anniversary event to honour the 307 Polish Squadron. This will be held on the 14-16 November at the City of Exeter Guildhall and the City’s Cathedral to mark the 80th anniversary of when the squadron presented the City with the Polish flag in a sign of international cooperation. During the Second World War 307 Sqn was the only Polish night fighter squadron and defended the South West of England. The Lwów Eagle Owls airmen fought the Luftwaffe over the skies of Britain and prevented Exeter from being totally destroyed during the blitz on the city in 1942. The main events are as follows: * Flag Ceremony including RAF Brize Norton Parade * Raising of the Polish Flag on Exeter Guildhall * Free Exhibitions on 307 Squadron and Exeter Airport * Choral Evensong incorporating 307 Squadron at Exeter Cathedral and much more. More information is available on the 307 Squadron Project Facebook page facebook.com/307SquadronProject Previous Next

Polish airmen’s graves restoration completed Previous Next Gp/Cpt Jerzy Bajan's fully restored gravestone B474 in Northwood Cemetery. Gp/Cpt Jerzy Bajan's fully restored gravestone B474 in Northwood Cemetery. The complex restoration of both graves was completed by stone mason Francis Sancisi from Made On Earth, based in Denham, Buckinghamshire. Gp/Cpt Jerzy Bajan's fully restored gravestone B474 in Northwood Cemetery. 1/16 Sunday, 24 August 2025 Polish airmen’s graves restoration completed The Polish Air Force Memorial Committee’s (PAFMC) commissioned restoration of the graves of two prominent and senior members of the wartime Polish Air Force (PAF), AVM Mateusz Iżycki and Gp/Cpt Jerzy Bajan in Northwood Cemetery, has been completed by stonemason Francis Sancisi from Made on Earth. The restoration of AVM Iżycki’s grave was finished last year, see the link https://www.polishairforcememorialcommittee.org/news-2024-1/pafmc-undertakes-major-grave-restoration . AVM Iżycki was the last Commander of the PAF in the UK during the Second World War. He was later the first Chairman of the Committee which designed and built the PAF Memorial at South Ruislip and unveiled on 2 November 1948. See the link: https://www.polishairforcememorialcommittee.org/history The renovation of Gp/Cpt Jerzy Bajan’s marble gravestone, with its extensive lead inlay inscription, has been far more complex and time consuming. It was recently completed during many visits and in guaranteed periods of good weather. The gravestone, placed in 1967, was in very poor condition. The initial cleaning and removal of the inscription’s approximate 740 individual inlaid lead letters and punctuation marks was completed late last year. The cleaning also clearly revealed the intricate hand carving at the top of the vertical headstone. This depicts a stylised eagle with outstretched wings in the centre, symbolic of the PAF, with cloud motifs around the eagle, representing the sky and fighter aircraft in flight carved on both sides, shown as formations of planes trailing outward in a fan-like pattern. Below the eagle is the PAF checkerboard insignia together with a pilot’s Gapa or wings. The cleaning followed the most critical and initial part of the restoration, which required a detailed rubbing of the lead inscription on the gravestone. This was vital to ensure the exact replacement of the individual letters in the same and correct position and layout as the original. This was a very challenging process as some letters were missing and others unreadable. It required some detective work including close inspection of old photographs to decipher the original wording. The expert assistance of the PAFMC’s historical advisor Wojtek Matusiak was invaluable with this process. Once the inscription and layout were verified the text and layout were reproduced on a computer. Using a special program and cutting machine Sancisi produced a thin rubber stencil in several sections replicating the inscription. The separate sections were accurately positioned and anchored on the previously cleaned gravestone and the individual rubber letters picked out and removed leaving an open stencil of the inscription. Each letter was then reproduced as a shallow indentation with sand blasting. Each of the approximate 740 letter indentations, depending on size and complexity, had to be drilled with up to 20 small diameter shallow holes to anchor the new lead inlay with a mallet. The surplus lead was removed and the whole new inlay and marble surface finally finished with wet sanding. Gp/Cpt Jerzy Bajan had a very distinguished career. He won the Challenge Internationale des Avions de Tourisme in 1934, one of the principal aircraft and aircrew competitions in Europe at the time. He was also the head of the PAF College at Dęblin at the outbreak of the Second World War. Despite being wounded in the bombing of Dęblin in September 1939, and having one of his hands permanently disabled, he nevertheless completed conversion training on the Spitfire, which he had flown before the war in the summer of 1939, as one of four Polish test pilots, and flew combat sorties as a regular pilot with 316 Sqn. He succeeded Gp/Cpt Stefan Pawlikowski as the Senior Polish Liaison Officer to the RAF’s HQ Fighter Command, so was in fact the head of the Polish fighter force in Britain in the Second World War from 1943 until its disbandment. Post war he was the President of the Polish Air Force Association (PAFA) in the UK and also a temporary Chairman of the Committee which designed and built the PAF Memorial at South Ruislip, after AVM Mateusz Iżycki retired. (See history of the PAF Memorial at this link https://www.polishairforcememorialcommittee.org/history ) The funding for the restoration of the two headstones was secured from very generous donations raised in Poland, kindly co-ordinated and gathered by Stowarzyszenie Przyjaciół Lotniska Wojskowego Świdwin (Association of Friends of Military Air Base in Świdwin). They conducted a fund-raising campaign and collected funds from various donors for the renovation. Previous Next

Paszkiewicz Memorial

< Back Return of the GIANTS to Normandy 1/3 Return of the GIANTS to Normandy 14 Feb 2026 Return of the GIANTS to Normandy The Polish Air Force Memorial Committee plaque will be by a pilot's silhouette again this year when the GIANT silhouettes return to Normandy for a third consecutive year. The silhouettes arrive on Sunday 12 April, with the full installation in place from Saturday 25 April to Saturday 19 September 2026. The creation of 1,475 giant silhouettes, each representing a life lost on D-Day, was originally inspired by the British Normandy Memorial’s Roll of Honour – a unique piece of historical research naming the servicemen in British units who died on 6 June 1944, as well as those who were killed throughout the Battle of Normandy. In this third year, new figures will be unveiled among the 1,475. These additions feature Beach Masters, Dog Handlers, Royal Navy Officers, Tank Crew, Merchant Navy and Royal Engineers. Reflecting the wider story of the Normandy Campaign, 40 silhouettes, representing British Commando Frogmen and personnel serving with the Royal Army Medical Corps, will also be included. Members of the public can support the Memorial and the Standing with Giants charity by sponsoring a commemorative plaque for £150 in honour of a loved one who fell in any battle or conflict. The plaques will stand in front of the Giants during their summer installation and will then remain at the Memorial for at least five years — a lasting and visible tribute to their sacrifice. The return of this unique installation has been made possible thanks to generous sponsorship from the Normandy Memorial Trust’s partners: Airbus UK, BAE Systems, Smurfit Westrock and Gold Beach Tourism Office. The work involved in preparing and installing the silhouettes is carried out by a committed and ever-growing team of Standing with Giants volunteers. More information is available at this link. https://www.britishnormandymemorial.org Previous Next

8abf379b-f257-44d9-81ca-02c6641f04f9 Memorial to Polish 307 Squadron Mosquito crew < Back 1/1 23 February 2023 Memorial to Polish 307 Squadron Mosquito crew The Polish flag will fly over the east Devon parish of Farringdon near Exeter Airport on 24 March when The 307 Squadron Project will unveil a memorial to commemorate pilot W/Cdr Jan Michałowski and navigator F/Lt Stanisław Szkop. They were both killed during a night time training flight 80 years ago when their 307Sqn Mosquito DZ261, flying on one engine, crashed in a field at Farringdon during its final approach to the runway. W/Cdr Michałowski was the squadron commander at the time of the accident on 21 March 1943. He had arranged the training flight in an attempt to ease airmen’s concerns about flying the Mosquito, especially when one of the two engines failed, which made it difficult to land the aircraft safely. Approximately 400 people attended their funeral on 24 March 1943 at the Higher Cemetery, Exeter including the Mayor and Mayoress of Exeter. Four months before the crash W/Cdr Michałowski presented the Polish national flag to the city of Exeter as a sign of international cooperation and friendship. The unveiling of the memorial will be outside Farringdon Village Hall and relatives of the two airmen are expected to travel from Poland for the event. Local civic dignitaries and representatives of the Polish Embassy and Polish Consulate are also expected to attend. 307 Squadron Project has arranged a number of events on 24 March in Farringdon and Exeter. The main events include: *Raising of the Polish flag outside Farringdon Village Hall followed immediately by: Unveiling of the memorial outside Farringdon Village Hall Speeches by the airmen’s relatives, 307 Squadron Project, and civic officials *Opening of 307 Squadron exhibition at Farringdon Village Hall *Closing of 307 Squadron exhibition at Farringdon Village Hall *Commemoration ceremony at Higher Cemetery, Exeter, led by an official of Exeter Cathedral, will include wreath laying and lighting of candles, in the presence of the Devon & Dorset Regimental Association. During the Second World War 307 Sqn was the only Polish night fighter squadron and defended the South West of England. The Lwów Eagle Owls airmen fought the Luftwaffe over the skies of Britain and prevented Exeter from being totally destroyed during the blitz on the city in 1942. More information is available on the 307 Squadron Project Facebook page facebook.com/307SquadronProject Previous Next

Mike Ingham recounts the first visit of Dęblin cadets to RAF Cranwell in 2009. 1/19 The Covid travel restrictions prevented the annual visit of the Officer Cadets of the Polish Air Force Academy, Dęblin, Poland from attending this year’s Ceremony of Homage to fallen Polish airmen. Instead Polish Air Force historian and author Mike Ingham recounts the first visit of Dęblin cadets to RAF Cranwell in 2009. In the summer of 2009 a group of officer cadets from the Polish Air Force Academy at Dęblin spent a week as guests of the Royal Air Force College (RAFC) at Cranwell. The idea for the visit had been raised the previous year by the committee of what is now Aviation Heritage Lincolnshire. The group is an innovative partnership of volunteer and commercial visitor sites, public sector authorities, the RAF, and other organizations working together in promoting the county's heritage and providing wider economic benefits. The suggestion was welcomed by the College, and following approval from the Polish Air Force (PAF) planning began on a programme that would be of interest to the Dęblin cadets, show something of the history of the PAF units which had been based in Lincolnshire during the Second World War, and build a further link between the modern air forces of Poland and the UK. The programme would also coincide with the two day International Air Show at RAF Waddington. On 1 July seven cadets from the senior entry at Dęblin arrived at RAF Cranwell with three officers led by the Dean of the PAF Academy Faculty. Hosting the visitors was a small team of officers from the RAFC and the aviation heritage group. The first full day of the programme began with a visit to the restored wartime Sector Operations Room at RAF Digby, and then in the afternoon to Faldingworth where the Polish 300 Ziemi Mazowieckiej Squadron flew Avro Lancasters from the now disused airfield. A memorial to the Squadron stands at the end of one of the runways and the village church has a memorial plaque and window dedicated to personnel of the PAF. A visit to the Newark Air Museum took place the next day, and in the afternoon respects were paid to the fallen at the Polish Air Force Memorial and war graves in the cemetery at Newark where they were joined by the Town Mayor and PAF veterans. The bright and sunny weekend was spent at the popular International Air Show at RAF Waddington. The highlights of the air display programme included a polished performance by the PAF aerobatic team Zespół Akrobacyjny Orlik. The heritage group stand had display panels in English and Polish describing the role of the PAF in Lincolnshire, and the Dęblin officer cadets took advantage of the opportunity to speak to many visitors. Close by was a traditional steel band, the style of music created by converted oil drums being a source of much interest. The historic city of Lincoln was the venue for the next day, starting with a visit to the magnificent Cathedral. Then, down the aptly named Steep Hill, to the ancient Guildhall (with Polish flag flying from the flagpole atop the roof) where they were greeted by the Mayor with a buffet lunch provided by members of the local Polish community. Later there was a more informal element of the programme, and the opportunity for some shopping. The morning of the following day was spent at RAF Coningsby, to look at the multirole Eurofighter Typhoons and visit the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) where Spitfire AB910 could be seen in the ‘Donald Duck’ markings of the Commanding Officer of 303 Kościuszko Squadron, kapitan/Squadron Leader Jan Zumbach. Close to Coningsby is the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre on the site of the former RAF East Kirkby. The Centre has an Avro Lancaster, which is able to taxi and which the Centre team hopes may one day be made airworthy, and gave the Polish cadets the opportunity to look over this famous aircraft at close quarters during the afternoon. Whilst at East Kirkby one moment stands out that, in its way, represents the experience of the whole of the week's visit. The BBMF schedule included an air test for Spitfire AB910, and given the proximity of Coningsby this took in East Kirkby. As it made its first run a member of the hosting team turned to one of the cadets and asked if he could see the markings. With a very broad smile, representing both his pleasure and also his pride in his air force, he replied simply "Zumbach!". Before returning home the PAF visitors and their hosts attended a reception given by the Commandant of the RAFC. It was clear that the visit from Dęblin had been a great success, had achieved its aims and provided a firm foundation for future such exchanges. Sadly, officer cadets from Dęblin were unable to join in the commemorations this year, but their presence again in 2022 is much anticipated. Previous Article Next Article