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Bomber Command Service Previous Next Wreaths were laid in tribute to the 55,573 Bomber Command airmen who lost their lives during the war. The PAFMC's wreath is on the left end of the top row and was placed by Trustee Julian Kowalski. Wreaths were laid in tribute to the 55,573 Bomber Command airmen who lost their lives during the war. The PAFMC's wreath is on the left end of the top row and was placed by Trustee Julian Kowalski. 1/1 Wednesday, 2 July 2025 PAFMC at Bomber Command Memorial Service. On Sunday 29 June, the RAF Benevolent Fund held its annual and 13th Bomber Command Memorial Service at the Bomber Command Memorial in Green Park, London. The service was a moving tribute to the 55,573 Bomber Command airmen from the UK and around the world who lost their lives during the Second World War. It was attended by Bomber Command veterans, representatives from the Commonwealth and Allied nations involved in Bomber Command, including the Defence Attache from the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in London Col Rafal Nowak and supporters of the Fund and Memorial. The service was led by Rev S/Ldr Andrew Chapman, Station Chaplain at RAF High Wycombe, and included epitaphs from Bomber Command crew read by members of the University of London Air Squadron. This was followed by a minute’s silence and the laying of wreaths in remembrance of all who were lost. The PAFMC was represented by Trustee Julian Kowalski who also laid a wreath on the committee’s behalf. The Lancaster from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight flew over the Memorial three times, with the Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Sir Rich Knighton on board. The memorial was unveiled by HM Queen Elizabeth II on 28 June 2012 the year of her Diamond Jubilee. Photos from the service are available at this link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/rafbenevolentfund/albums/72177720327216815/ Previous Next

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

< Back PAF talk Pitzhanger Gallery Ealing 303Sqn Leconfield 303Sqn Leconfield 1/1 28 Dec 2022 PAF talk – Pitzhanger Gallery The Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery is hosting an evening talk ‘ For Your Freedom and Ours: Polish Air Force in the West’ by Polish Air Force Memorial Committee Chairman Richard Kornicki on Thursday 19 January at 18.00 at Ealing Green London W5 5EQ. All are welcome and more information and tickets can be found on the Pitzhanger website at this link https://www.pitzhanger.org.uk/whatson/polish-air-force-in-the-west/ Previous Next

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.

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

11081a42-670a-46cc-84c8-c4dc930b689c Facebook live stream for Commemoration of Fallen Polish Airmen A delegation of cadets from the Polish Air Force University Dęblin, Poland will be led by Rector Commandant Brigadier General Krzysztof Cur. A delegation of cadets from the Polish Air Force University Dęblin, Poland will be led by Rector Commandant Brigadier General Krzysztof Cur. 1/1 18 August 2024 Facebook live stream for Commemoration of Fallen Polish Airmen The annual and 63rd Commemoration of Fallen Polish Airmen will be held at the Polish Air Force Memorial, South Ruislip on Saturday, 31st August 2024, at 12.00. The ceremony will be conducted in English and Polish and everyone is welcome. The Ambassador and Defence Attaché for the Republic of Poland and the Chief of the Air Staff of the RAF will be among the dignitaries attending together with a delegation of cadets from the Polish Air Force University Dęblin, Poland led by Rector Commandant Brigadier General Krzysztof Cur. . The ceremony will be streamed live on the PAFMC Facebook page at this link: https://www.facebook.com/PAFMemorialCommittee Previous Next

c193fd1a-cbee-4eb1-bfdf-668865fff248 RAF Ingham Heritage Centre Newsletter < Back 1/1 5 January 2023 RAF Ingham Heritage Centre Newsletter The RAF Ingham Heritage Centre has published the latest edition of its Newsletter the Ingham White Eagle . It is available from the link below together with Membership forms in English and Polish. Ingham White Eagle - Winter 2022 .pdf Download PDF • 1.29MB Ingham Membership Form English .pdf Download PDF • 95KB Ingham Membership Form Polish .pdf Download PDF • 1.85MB Previous Next

Polish Institute of National Remebrance Int. bomber Command Centre PAF Descendants Group RAF Ingham - Home of Polish Bomber Squadrons 307 Squadron Aircrew Remembered Polish institute & Sikorski Museum Polish Air Force museum - Dęblin Polish Aviation Enthusiasts Forum Polish Air Force Squadrons Memorials, Graves & Airfields Polish Army Museum Polish Aviation Museum - Kraków PAF Personnel ( Krzystek's List ) Links to other sites

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

< Back Katyn Commemoration Ceremony The annual Ceremony to commemorate the victims of the Katyń genocide at the Katyń Memorial in Gunnersbury Cemetery was attended by around 200 people. Joanna Kaliniecka-Williamson on the left represented the Polish Air Force Memorial Committee. Photo Marek Borzęcki A wreath from the Polish Air Force Memorial Committee was presented by Trustee Joanna Kaliniecka-Williamson. Photo Marek Borzęcki. The Polish Air Force Memorial Committee’s wreath, with others on the Katyń Memorial. Photo Marek Borzęcki. The annual Ceremony to commemorate the victims of the Katyń genocide at the Katyń Memorial in Gunnersbury Cemetery was attended by around 200 people. Joanna Kaliniecka-Williamson on the left represented the Polish Air Force Memorial Committee. Photo Marek Borzęcki 1/4 26 Apr 2022 Katyn Commemoration Ceremony The annual Ceremony to commemorate the victims of the Katyń genocide in April 1940 was held on 24 April at the Katyń Memorial in Gunnersbury Cemetery, Ealing, West London. The ceremony, organised by The Polish Ex-Combatants Association in Great Britain Trust Fund and assisted by the Polish Scouts, was attended by around 200 people and followed Holy Mass at Saint Andrew Bobola’s church. The Polish Air Force Memorial Committee was represented by Trustee Joanna Kaliniecka-Williamson who laid a wreath on its behalf. On 1st September 1939, Germany attacked Poland, the Polish army fought valiantly but then on 17th September, Germany’s ally, the Soviet Union, attacked from the East. The Polish Army had no chance of defending attacks from two fronts and Poland was divided effectively in half between Germany and the Soviet Union. The Soviets immediately started a programme of Sovietisation, through organised ethnic cleansing and social genocide. Hundreds of thousands of Polish citizens were forcibly deported to the depths of the Soviet Empire, many to their deaths in appalling conditions. Thousands of Polish Officer Prisoners of War, Border Guards, Police, professors, teachers, priests, rabbis, community leaders etc were sent to special camps in Kozielsk, Starobielsk and Ostaszkow and Miednoje plus many other places. In April 1940 at the request of the Head of Stalin’s secret polic Beria, Stalin ordered the NKVD to carry out mass executions of these prisoners. 4,500 corpses were later found in mass graves in the Katyń forest, others being executed at other sites. All together approximately 22,000 people were executed. What came to be known as the Katyń Massacre was commemorated by the Polish Community living in exile immediately after the end of World War II. The Polish Community wanted to create a lasting memorial to their murdered brothers, but as a result of Soviet pressure, the British authorities refused permission. The victims of the Katyń genocide had to wait until 1978 when permission was finally granted to erect the Katyń Memorial in Gunnersbury Cemetery. Krzysztof de Berg Previous Next

< Back Polish Forces in Rumania and France 1/1 1 Aug 2022 Polish Forces in Rumania and France A talk on the Polish Forces in Rumania and France will be given by Michael Czajkowski on 22 September at the Petwood Hotel, Woodhall Spa, Lincolshire. Full details are available by clicking on the enclosed poster. Previous Next

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