Commemoration 4th Sept - COVID restrictions 1/1 Commemoration 4th Sept - COVID restrictions We regret that due to COVID concerns, this event is now limited to persons who have already been invited to lay wreaths and their guests. There will be no access to the Memorial to the general public and they are asked not to attend. For the Mass to be offered for Polish airmen on Sunday 5th Sept at Our Lady Mother of the Church, Windsor Road, Ealing, we recommend that people only attend if it is their regular place of worship. We recognise the disappointment this will cause, but hope that everyone will understand that while legal restrictions may have been lifted, we are all urged to still act with caution, particularly when bringing together people who do not usually meet. Previous Article Next Article

Lecture - Polish Airmen in the Battle of Britain 1/1 27 August Lecture - Polish Airmen in the Battle of Britain The Petwood Hotel in Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire will host a talk ‘Polish Airmen in the Battle of Britain’ at 19.00 on Thursday 16 September. All proceeds will go towards RAF Ingham Heritage Centre, the home of Polish Bomber Squadrons https://www.rafingham.co.uk . The Polish Air Force Lecture is an annual fundraising event at the Petwood and this year’s talk will be given by Michael Czajkowski. His father served in 309Sqn. Tickets are £5 and will need to be generated online, but paid in cash on the door on the night. Previous Article Next Article

News 2021 PAFMC pledges £40,000 towards Polish Bomber Squadron Centre. Read More 12 Dec 2021 Inaugural Roman Catholic Mass at St Clement Danes Church Read More 27 Oct 2021 PAFMC hosts wreath laying Read More 4 Oct 2021 RAF Ingham Heritage Centre Newsletter Read More 3 Oct 2021 Hillingdon launches on-line Polish Exhibition. Read More 29 Sept 2021 Northolt Commemoration Ceremony Read More 27 Sept 2021 Mike Ingham recounts the first visit of Dęblin cadets to RAF Cranwell in 2009. Read More 27 Sept 2021 Commemoration 4th Sept - COVID restrictions Read More 4 Sept 2021 Lecture - Polish Airmen in the Battle of Britain Read More 27 Aug 2021 80th anniversary of PAF Standard handover. Read More 16 Jul 2021 PAFMC Trustee and other opportunities Read More 23 Jun 2021 Polish Air Force coverage in Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Year Book Read More 20 May 2021 The Polish D-Day Story Read More 12 May 2021 Polish pilots’ Memorial replaced Read More 10 May 2021 Commonwealth War Graves Commission's Wall of Remembrance Read More 8 May 2021 Polish Bomber Squadrons tribute film Read More 4 May 2021 A new Polish Air Force Exhibition Read More 3 Mar 2021 Commonwealth War Graves Commission to replace Polish pilot’s headstone Read More 2 Mar 2021 Tribute to Polish 303 Squadron in US Museum Read More 23 Feb 2021 Polish Air Force Memorial photographs Read More 20 Feb 2021

Northolt Commemoration Ceremony 1/22 27 September Northolt Commemoration Ceremony The annual and 60th Ceremony of Homage to Fallen Polish Airmen during World War II was held at the Polish Air Force Memorial at South Ruislip on Saturday 4 September. The ceremony opened with a trumpeter sounding the assembly and a fly past of a Spitfire from the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. Then followed a parade of the replica Polish Air Force Standard and Standards of the Polish Scouts and Guides. Polish Air Force Memorial Committee Chairman Richard Kornicki CBE DL, followed with his opening address, outlining the difficulties posed over the previous year and a half, which provided a taste of what it must have felt like to be alive in 1940. The full address can be viewed by clicking the appropriate icon below. His address was followed by the Polish Roll-Call of the Fallen, this year carried out by Polish scouts and guides on behalf of the Officer Cadets of the Polish Air Force Academy, Dęblin, who were unable to attend due to Covid travel restrictions. Prayers followed led by Ks Stefan Wylężek, Rector of the Polish Catholic Mission in England and Wales. Invited dignitaries, representing national and local government, Polish and Royal Air Forces and various organisations and associations laid wreaths on the Memorial. They were 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 were led by Rev Sq Ldr Neil Galloway followed by the Last Post and a minute’s silence ending with Reveille. The hour-long ceremony ended with the Polish and UK national anthems and withdrawal of the Standards followed by the trumpeter playing ‘White Roses’. Personal wreaths were laid after the ceremony ended. Music was provided by the RAF Central Band with the kind permission of the Air Force Board of the Defence Council. Guests then transferred to RAF Northolt for a reception and buffet lunch in the Station’s Sword and Wheel Club, while being entertained by Polish dancers. PAFMC Commendations were awarded to people and organisations who, with no personal connections with Poland, have made an exceptional contribution to preserving the memory of the Polish Air Force. Geoff Burton, founder and Trustee of the RAF Ingham Heritage Centre, Lincolnshire, outlined the considerable progress the voluntary organisation has made since its formation in 2010. It aims to create a centre to remember and celebrate the remarkable story of the Polish men and women of the Polish Air Force Bomber Squadrons, flying alongside the RAF during WW2. The next phase is to install a new roof and windows to an existing building to create the Main Exhibition Centre. Geoff Burton used the occasion to launch an appeal to raise funds for this project, which will cost approximately £96,000. Donations can be made at this link https://www.goldengiving.com/wall/raf-ingham-heritage-centre. The full address can be viewed by clicking the appropriate icon below. Details of the RAF Ingham Heritage Centre can be found at this link. https://www.rafingham.co.uk RAF Northolt Station Commander Gp Capt Toria McPhaden concluded proceedings by inviting guests to take tours of the Officers’ Mess and the recently restored Hut 27, the Station’s Operations Room during the war. The Memorial programme, speeches and commendations can be viewed by clicking the relevant icons below. Photos in the slide show can be viewed and enlarged by double clicking the image then the arrows. All photos are either Crown copyright or courtesy of Marek Borzęcki. A short video of the ceremony is available at this link https://youtu.be/IxoJc5jI28A. Next year’s Commemoration will take place on Saturday 3 September at 12.00. Programme .pdf Download PDF Opening speech .pdf Download PDF Kornicki Speech Burton PAFMC Address - 04 Sep 21 .pdf Download PDF Burton Speech PAFMC Commendations (2021) .pdf Download PDF Commendations Previous Article Next Article

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

Polish Bomber Squadrons tribute film 1/1 4 May Polish Bomber Squadrons tribute film The RAF Ingham Heritage Centre has produced a short film on the Polish Bomber Squadrons in celebration of the 5th Polish Heritage Day. This is freely available through the YouTube ‘Playlists’ link at the top of this website’s Home Page or direct on YouTube at the following link. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xx0x7yjTY8A&list=PLsow69lVrTwHTVmu628v0_1uAbS1fzkNw Please feel free to pass the link on to colleagues, family, friends, social media and anyone else who will find it of interest. Previous Article Next Article

Polish pilots’ Memorial replaced 1/10 11 May Polish pilots’ Memorial replaced A replacement memorial to two Polish fighter pilots, P/O Mieczysław Waszkiewicz and P/O Bogusław Mierzwa, has been erected in the Dungeness Estate, Kent close to where they were killed. On the 16 April 1941 P/O Mieczysław Waszkiewicz and P/O Bogusław Mierzwa from 303 Kościuszko Squadron at RAF Northolt were escorting Blenheim bombers on a raid to Berck-sur-Mer in the Pas-de-Calais region of the French coast. On their return they were attacked by German fighters and both were shot down and killed. P/O Mieczysław Waszkiewicz in Spitfire IIA P8039 with the code RF-R went into the Channel near the Dungeness coast and his body was never recovered. P/O Bogusław Mierzwa in Spitfire IIA P7819 with code RF-S crashed on the shore at Dungeness close to where the memorial is sited. Both pilots are recognised on the Polish Air Force memorials at South Ruislip and Warsaw. P/O Bogusław Mierzwa is buried in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission section at Northwood cemetery grave H209. EDF Energy, which now owns the Dungeness Estate, generously funded the replacement and erected the memorial on the 15 April. The following day and the 80th Anniversary of the pilots’ death the new memorial was commemorated in a small service. This was led by the vicar of Lydd Rev Chris Maclean with curator Jackie Darling followed by laying of wreaths by Colin Clayton, who has maintained and cared for the site for many years and Michael Golding, who laid wreaths on behalf of local residents and the local branch of the British Legion. Previous Article Next Article

80th anniversary of PAF Standard handover. 1/4 16 July 80th anniversary of PAF Standard handover. On this day 80 years ago 16 July 1941 the Polish Air Force Standard was presented to 300 Bomber Squadron at RAF Swinderby, Lincolnshire, so completing its long journey from Wilno (now Vilnius, Lithuania) to the Polish Air Force in Britain. The Standard was embroidered in secret and once completed, it was smuggled out of Wilno in the Japanese diplomatic bag to Stockholm, from where it was brought to Britain. In the presence of the President of the Republic of Poland Władysław Raczkiewicz and other Polish and British dignitaries, the honour of initially delivering the Standard was given to its creator kpt. Jan Hryniewicz. He handed it to retired General Lucjan Żeligowski for passing to Prime Minister of the Polish Government in Exile and Commander-in-Chief of the Polish Armed Forces General Władysław Sikorski. Following a short speech General Władysław Sikorski formally presented the Standard to the Commander-in-Chief of the Polish Air Force Brigadier General Stanisław Ujejski, so finally completing its journey from Wilno to the Polish Air Force. He then handed it to the commander of 300 (Polish) Land of Masovia squadron W/Cdr Wacław Makowski, who in turn presented it to a 300 Squadron Standard bearer for parading at the ceremony. The hangar doors, which formed the backdrop to the handover ceremony and painted with PAF emblems, have been salvaged and will go on display at the RAF Ingham Heritage Centre, ( https://www.rafingham.co.uk ) the home of the Polish Bomber squadrons. The Standard was held initially by 300 Squadron and then successively passed in turn to the majority of the Polish squadrons that served alongside the RAF until the end of the war. In 1992, after the fall of communism in Poland and the first free elections, the Standard was returned to Poland. On 4 September, during the first world reunion of Polish Airmen on Polish soil, the Standard was handed back in a ceremony in Piłsudski Square, in front of the tomb of the Unknown Soldier, in the heart of Warsaw. Being too fragile for future parading it is on display at the Polish Air Force Museum, Dęblin. With the personal support of the Commander of the Polish Air Force, Lt. Gen. Lech Majewski, a replica of the Standard was produced in Poland. On the 27 August 2012, twenty years after the original was returned to Poland, the replica was handed over by Lt. Gen. Lech Majewski to the Polish Air Force Memorial Committee at a ceremony in Warsaw, and marched off the parade ground by a colour party of the RAF Queen’s Colour Squadron. The replica Standard is now part of the Polish Air Force exhibition at the Battle of Britain Bunker, Uxbridge, and is paraded at the annual ceremony at the Polish Air Force Memorial at Northolt, and at other commemorative events. Previous Article Next Article

PAFMC hosts wreath laying 1/3 4 October PAFMC hosts wreath laying The Polish Air Force Memorial Committee, represented by Trustee Krzysztof de Berg, hosted a recent visit by Deputy Operational Commander of the Polish Armed Forces, Generał Dywizji Pilot (Air Vice Marshal) Dariusz Malinowski, and some of his staff, to lay a wreath at the Polish Air Force Memorial at South Ruislip. Afterwards the party transferred to RAF Northolt where they were greeted by the Station Commander Gp Capt Toria McPhaden for a tour of the Polish lounge where the Station Commander emphasised the long term positive Polish links with RAF Northolt. They then moved on to Gunnersbury Cemetery to view and place a wreath at the Katyn memorial. The group concluded their morning visit at the Polish Institute and Sikorski Museum where they viewed some of the original Polish squadron diaries, including 303 Squadron and those of pilot Mirosław Ferić. L-R. WO Tomasz Zarzycki, Krzysztof de Berg, AVM Dariusz Malinowski, Col Mirosław Polakow, Col Mieczysław Malec. Previous Article Next Article

Polish Air Force coverage in Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Year Book 1/2 20 May Polish Air Force coverage in Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Year Book The RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight has included extensive coverage of the Polish Air Force in its current ‘Royal Air Force Memorial Flight Official Club Year Book 2021’. The front cover features a magnificent photograph of its MkXVI Spitfire TE311 in the colours of Gp Capt Aleksander Gabszewicz when he was the Commanding Officer of 131 Polish Wing. See photo. Inside there is a comprehensive article about the new 303 Squadron colour scheme for the BBMF’s Hurricane LF363. This is being repainted to represent the MkI Hurricane V6665, ‘RF-J’, of 303 Kościuszko (Polish) Squadron, during the Battle of Britain period of September 1940. The BBMF has kindly allowed the PAFMC to post an extract from this detailed article, included below. The full article is only in the Year Book 2021, which is not on public sale and only available to members of the RAF Memorial Flight Official Club. If anyone would like a copy of the book and the full article they will need to join the RAF Memorial Flight Official Club. The Club website with news, information and details of how to join can be found at this link https://www.memorialflightclub.com/ Hurricane V6665 was delivered to 303 Squadron at Northolt on 7 September 1940 and painted in the code of RF-J. Two days later ‘A’ flight commander Flt Lt Johnny Kent, flying this Hurricane, claimed a Messerschmitt Bf 110 destroyed and a Junkers Ju-88 probably destroyed. V6665 was only with 303Sqn for just 20 days and was successful in combat with three different pilots in that time. It was destroyed on 27 September when Sgt Tadeusz Andruszków was shot down and killed. He was 19 years old and is buried in Northwood Cemetery, grave H-208. The repainting of LF363, as 303 Squadron’s ‘RF-J’, is part of the Hurricane’s major maintenance and servicing programme ongoing at The Spitfire Company (Biggin Hill) Ltd. It will retain its military serial number LF363 and not carry V6665, as it is a military and not a civilian registered aircraft. When LF363 leaves Biggin Hill, possibly in late August, it will be replaced by TE311 for repainting, but not in Polish colours. It will allow the BBMF to tell the story of 303 Squadron during the Battle of Britain, its Polish pilots and its Canadian RAF flight commander Flt Lt Johnny Kent. The BBMF has confirmed that ‘RF-J’ will make a flypast at the 60th Annual Commemoration of Fallen Polish Airmen on Saturday, 4 September 2021, at the Polish Air Force Memorial, Northolt, weather and serviceability permitting. Previous Article Next Article

PAFMC pledges £40,000 towards Polish Bomber Squadron Centre. 1/3 12 December PAFMC pledges £40,000 towards Polish Bomber Squadron Centre. A new partnership agreement between the Polish Air Force Memorial Committee (PAFMC) and the RAF Ingham Heritage Group (RIHG) has been signed and supported with a £40,000 pledge from the PAFMC towards the restoration of airfield buildings to create a new Polish Bomber Squadron Centre. The PAFMC and the RIHG have turned their long-standing mutual support into a formal partnership with the agreement signed by the Chairmen of the two organisations. The agreement recognises RIHG as the pre-eminent home of the Polish Air Force Bomber Squadrons, and also recognises the wider responsibility of the PAFMC for the overall history and commemoration of the Polish Air Force in Britain. The current major development project at RAF Ingham is the restoration of the former airmen’s mess to create a new Main Exhibition Centre (MEC), which will preserve, celebrate and remember the Polish men and women who lived, worked and flew with the Polish Bomber Squadrons, alongside the RAF, during WW2. Included within the MEC will be the recovered hangar doors from RAF Swinderby, in front of which General Sikorski in July 1941 presented the Polish Air Force with its new Standard – smuggled out of occupied Wilno. The funding target to complete this globally unique project is £200,000. The RIHG have recently received a grant of £96,673 from the FCC Community Foundation, through the Landfills Community Fund. The PAFMC has now pledged £40,000 of match-funding, to encourage and secure support from other Polish and British organisations, companies and individuals. The agreement is designed to support both bodies in Promoting the history and heritage of the Polish Air Force in Britain during the Second World War. Publicising the huge contribution made by Polish airmen and women, to the Allied war effort. Acting as focal points, for enquiries involving the Polish Air Force in Britain during the Second World War. Promoting Polish/British friendship and continued integration. Each organisation will have a non-executive role in the management of the other, and will make every effort to share information, events, memorabilia and resources, consistent with their responsibilities as independent registered charities. Commenting on the signing, PAFMC Chairman Richard Kornicki said: “Over the last 10 years the RIHG has shown extraordinary tenacity and hard work to secure the airfield site, create a memorial, and carry out the unglamorous groundworks and infrastructure needed. The work has been led by a team of local volunteers, working most weekends, and simultaneously raising funds and specialist support as needed. Their commitment deserves the highest admiration. “I am delighted that the PAFMC has now been able to formalise its support with this agreement, and to make a significant financial contribution to the creation of the Main Exhibition Centre, which will ensure that the work of the Polish Bomber Squadrons gets fitting public recognition.” RIHG Chairman Geoff Burton said: “Since our inception in 2010, the PAFMC and its forerunner the Polish Air Force Association Charitable Trust have, from the outset, always supported, guided and believed in our dream, to create a spiritual home for the Polish Air Force Bomber Squadrons, here at RAF Ingham. Eleven years of hard work, blood, sweat and the occasional tear, have seen us now arrive on the cusp of realising our dream. “I am absolutely delighted that the PAFMC and RIHG are now able to formalise our partnership, in order to preserve, celebrate and remember, the men and women of the Polish Air Force.” Previous Article Next Article

Tribute to Polish 303 Squadron in US Museum 1/2 23 February Tribute to Polish 303 Squadron in US Museum A group of Poles and Americans in the US state of Connecticut have teamed up to organize an exhibition in the New England Air Museum, one of the largest aviation museums in the US, to create a permanent display and multi-media exhibition paying tribute to the Polish 303 Kościuszko Squadron. The New England Air Museum and the Polish Studies Program at the Central Connecticut State University, have jointly launched a campaign to raise $125,000 to design and install the exhibition in the Museum, which will present the story of 303 Kościuszko Squadron in a modern, multi-media educational format. The project is scheduled to open in 2021. The organizing committee, led by historian Professor Mieczysław Biskupski, is collecting memorabilia for the exhibition and needs photographs and memoirs to portray the history of 303 Kościuszko Squadron to a wider American public. More details are available at this link: https://www.neam.org/shell.php?page=exhibit_kosciuszko Previous Article Next Article