Shipbucket

Polish Air Force in Great Britain 1939-1947, Introduction

Note: Pics are below, in the next post. ;P

As mentioned earlier, organization of Polish Air Force in Exile was to proceed both in France and Great Britain. Although first preliminary arrangements were agreed already during tripartite (Polish-French-British) conference on 25 October 1939, actual progress was very slow for quite long time. First transport of personnel arrived in Eastchurch in December 1939, where a Polish training centre was formed, moved in May 1940 to Blackpool. Significant early obstacle was British demand that Polish air force had no organizational or administrative autonomy (nor separate uniforms, badges etc.) and Polish personnel was treaded as part of RAF Volunteer Reserve. It was explained by legal reasons, but when the fall of France was imminent British authorities realized that there more important things than legal nit-picking and were willing to change drastically their position on contentious issues (which by now applied also to military personnel from other countries overrun by nazi Germany).

That new situation allowed signing on 5 August 1940 an Anglo-Polish Agreement about creation of Polish armed forces in Great Britain, consisting of land, sea and air units. Part of that agreement was Appendix I Relating to the Polish Air Force, that specified legal relation between RAF and PSP, basic organizational and supply issues, funding, uniforms, airplane markings etc. It stipulated that initially 7 Polish squadrons will be formed (4 bomber, 2 fighter and 1 army co-operation) with provision that further units will be created upon mutual agreement, as demanded by situation and possible by personnel and supply realities. On the next day (6 August 1940) subordination of PSP personnel to RAF Volunteer Reserve ceased and from that point Poles were bound only by Polish oath and subordinate in regards to personnel policy to Naczelne Dowództwo Polskich Sił Zbrojnych (PSZ) (Supreme Command of the Polish Armed Forces) via Inspektorat Generalny Polskich Sił Powietrznych (PSP) (Inspectorate General of the Polish Air Force).

At the time of the fall of France, Polish air personnel in Great Britain numbered 2226, with 4203 evacuated from France in late June. During the summer of 1940 additional 1700 personnel arrived in Great Britain by various ways, and by 1 October 1940 PSP numbered 8154 soldiers of all ranks. Besides the combat units, PSP formed also training, maintenance, support and balloon units. During the following years PSP was gradually increasing it's strength. Few airmen managed to arrive from France, certain amount was recruited from Polish expatriates, and a large influx of personnel occured after the outbreak of German-Soviet war, when around 1700 of pre-war personnel of Polish Military Aviation, taken POW by Soviets during their invasion of Poland in 1939, were released from GULags. Eventually, by 1 May 1945, PSP reached strength of:
-15 flying squadrons;
-1 balloon flight;
-Polish Ferry Detachment (Polski Oddział Transportu Samolotów) at Takoradi, Gold Coast (Ghana);
-2 flying schools;
-1 technical school (No. 16 School of Technical Training) at Cammeringham;
-1 staff college at Weston Super Mare;
-2 schools for teenage cadets;
-Polish Flight at No. 18 Operational Training Unit (bomber) at Finningley;
-support units (2 air depots, airfield construction squadron etc.).Personnel by 1 May 1945 numbered a total of 14351 members, including 2087 commissioned officers, 10662 other ranks, 1137 members of Pomocnicza Lotnicza Służba Kobiet (Polish branch of WAAF) and 465 teenage cadets. Besides the Polish units, Polish airmen flew also in British units (although they were always members of PSP) - during the Battle of Britain these were mostly fighter squadrons, later mainly support, training and specialized units.

Polish airmen took part in combat operations in Battle of Britain and later defence of the Great Britain, air operations over France and Western Europe, strategic bombardment of Germany, Operation Overlord and subsequent combat in the North-Western Europe, including Operation Market-Garden, Battle of the Atlantic and operations on the Italian front.

From 1940 to 1945 crews of the Polish Air Force flew a total of 102486 sorties in 290895 hours.
Polish fighter pilots were officialy credited with 745 5/12 of air victories confirmed, 175 probable and 238 1/6 damaged, plus additional 16 aircraft destroyed on ground confirmed, 2 probable and 15 damaged.
Bomber crews (with Bomber Command, Coastal Command and 2nd Tactical Air Force) dropped 13206 tons of bombs and 1502 tons of mines.
Crews of Special Duties aircraft (performing special operations flight in support of armed resistance across the occupied Europe), during 1335 sorties in 9927 hours dropped 1576,8 tons of supplies and transported 692 clandestine paratroopers.
Polish transport and ferry pilots, during 18788 sorties in 97067 hours delivered 12634 aircraft, carried 25187 passengers and 1566 tons of cargo.
This effort came at a heavy price for such relatively small force with so limited personnel base, however, with 4161 personnel died, 104 missing, 331 taken prisoner and 1338 wounded.

Additionaly to the military personnel, to Great Britain were evacuated 1149 aeronautical engineers and qualified technicians, who continued their work in British industrial, research and maintenance establishments.

Winds of history weren't particularly kind for them, though. Allied conferences in Teheran, Yalta and Potsdam located Poland in the Soviet sphere of influence. Soviet-sponsored authorities established in the liberated from 1944 parts of Poland weren't looked on with trust by majority of the PSZ personnel (and post-war events proved that this distrust wasn't quite unfounded). On the 5 July 1945 USA and Great Britain switched their support from the Polish Government in Exile in London to the Tymczasowy Rząd Jedności Narodowej (Temporary Government of National Unity) in Warsaw, which although was nominally a coallition government composed of many, mostly non-communist politicians, including former Prime-Minister in Exile Stanisław Mikołajczyk as Deputy Prime Minister, it was actually a Soviet-backed and communist-controlled entity.

Gradually units of the PSP were disbanded between September 1945 and January 1947, with PSP HQ being disbanded on 16 April 1947, thus ending the formal existence of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain. Eventually around 40% of personnel of the Polish Armed Forces in Exile (around 100000 of 240000, with disproportionately minor share of higher ranks) returned after the war to Poland, with the remaining majority taking difficult decision to stay on emigration. Of the airmen that returned to Poland, many re-joined the military aviation, but after few years, during period of hard-line stalinism they fell victim to purges, and although after 1956 they were rehabilitated and reinstated to service, it remains a sad chapter of our history.

Note: Difficult issue with translating English "squadron" and Polish "eskadra" and dywizjon" is explained here:
http://www.shipbucket.com/forums/viewto ... 411#p66411

Polish Air Force in Great Britain 1939-1947, Part I - training aircraft

Polish Air Force in Great Britain operated a total of three flying schools, although only two at a time. They were:
- No. 1 (Polish) Flying Training School - Pierwsza Polska Szkoła Lotnicza
It existed between January and June 1941, was based at Hucknall and flew De Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth, Airspeed Oxford, Miles Master and Fairey Battle Trainer aircraft.
- No. 25 (Polish) Elementary Flying Training School- Polska Szkoła Pilotażu Początkowego Nr 25
A follow on to No. 1 School, it existed between June 1941 and November 1945. It was based at Hucknall and it's main equipment were De Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moths, but from early 1945 it also ran instructor training courses using Auster and Airspeed Oxford aircraft.
- No. 16 (Polish) Service Flying Training School - Polska Szkoła Pilotażu Podstawowego Nr 16
It existed between June 1941 and November 1946, was based at Newton and used a wide variety of aircraft: De Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth, Airspeed Oxford, Avro Anson, Fairey Battle, Miles Master and North American Harvard.
There was one Polish Operational Training Unit, subordinated to Bomber Command (unlike the abovementioned units which were subordinated to Training Command), which was No. 18 Operational Training Unit, based initially in Bramcote and later in Finningley. Between December 1940 and October 1941 it had a Polish Flight, then between October 1941 and March 1943 it was all-Polish unit, and from March 1943 to September 1945, due to decreased demand for bomber crews in Polish Air Force it was again reduced to British unit with Polish Flight. It used Fairey Battle and Vickers Wellington aircraft.
Additionaly Polish airmen flew - both as students and as instructors in various British training establishments, as well as Anti-Aircraft Co-operation training units etc.

Primary and Basic Trainers

De Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth was a most popular initial trainer of the RAF, used in significant numbers also in Polish flying schools in Great Britain, being the basic equipment of all three of them. Additionaly they were used for service and liaision flight by Polish combat squadrons and flown by Polish pilots in various British units.
Many thanks to DarthPanda for his drawing of DH.82.

Poland, De Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth


Avro 621 Tutor initial trainer was license-produced before the war in Poland as PWS-18. In Great Britain Polish pilots flew them in several British flight schools, especially in the Central Flying School in Upavon, where they formed the Polish Flight.
This drawing of Tutor in British service has been already posted earlier.

Great Britain, Avro 621 Tutor


Percival Proctor were light liaison planes, used also as trainers. Polish pilots flew them in various British training units (No.2 and No.15 Signal School, No.1, No.2 and No.4 Radio School), as "return flight" planes in Ferry units (No.4, No.6 and No.9 Ferry Pilots Pool) and as liaison aircraft attached to Polish combat squadrons (like the one below).

Poland, Percival Proctor


Miles Magister, which was RAF's first low-wing monoplane basic trainer, were flown by Polish pilots in British training units (mainly No.15 EFTS in Carlisle), ferry units and in Polish combat squadrons for proficiency control flights.

Poland, Miles M.14 Magister


Advanced Trainers

Miles Master aircraft were used as advanced combat trainer for future fighter pilots, before they were accepted to fly actual combat types in operational training units. In that purpopse Master Mk.II and Mk.III aircraft were used in No. 16 (Polish) Service Flying Training School between June 1941 and August 1944. Also they were flown by Polish pilots in Britsh flying and gunnery schools, Operational Training Units and ferry units.

Poland, Miles M.19 Master Mk.II


US-built North American Harvard trainers replaced from August 1944 Miles Masters in No. 16 (P) SFTS. They were also flown by Polish pilots in various British units already since 1940.
Many thanks to Indiajuliet for his drawing of T-6 Texan/Harvard, as well as to Guillermo2312 for his earlier work on this plane.

Poland, North American Harvard


Multi-Engine Trainers

Popular Airspped AS.10 Oxford was used in No.1 (P) FTS and No.16 (P) SFTS for multi-engine, navigation and gunnery training. Single aircraft were also attached to Polish bomber squadrons for training control and communications flights. Polish crews flew these aircraft also in various British units - schools (flying, beam approach), AAA Co-Operation units, OTU's and ferry units.

Poland, Airspeed AS.10 Oxford


Ubiquitous Avro 652 Anson, which in the early months of the war was a mainstay of Coastal Command Squadrons, was used for naviation and (to lesser extent) gunnery training in the No.16 (P) SFTS. Polish crews flew these aircraft also in various British and Canadian training units - flying, air navigation, gunnery and beam approach schools, Operation Training Units, and ferry units.

Poland, Avro 652 Anson


Blackburn B.26 Botha was a failed torpedo-bomber that was turned to gunnery training duties instead. Polish crews flew these aircraft in the following units: No.4 and No.10 Air Observation School, No.1, No.8 and No.10 Air Gunnery School (Pembrey, Evanton and Barrow respectively), No.2 and No.4 Bombing and Gunnery School (Dalcross and West Freught respectively).

Poland, Blackburn B.26 Botha


Target-towing aircraft

Hawker Henley was a target-towing aircraft created from a light bomber prototype (which in turn was designed as scaled-up Hurricane). Polish pilots flew these aircraft between 1940 and 1942. Initially single aircraft of that type were attached to newly-formed fighter squadrons for aerial gunnery training, and later Polish pilots flew them mainly in No.639 Squadron (AA Co-Operation) where they formed Polish Flight "C", and also in No.1 Air Armament & Air Gunnery School (Manby) and no.5 Bombing and Gunnery School (Jurby).

Poland, Hawker Henley


Miles M.25 Martinet was (together with target-towing variants of Defiant) a replacement of Henley, derived from Miles Master. Polish crews flew them in varius British units: Central Air Gunnery School, No.1481 Bomber & Gunnery Training Flight, No.41 and No.42 Operational Training Unit, No.679 Squadron (AA Co-Operation). Additionaly single aircraft were temporarily attached to Polish combat squadrons for gunnery training and proficiency control.
Note: unfortunately I couldn't find any confirmed picture of "Polish" Martinet, so a basic British is shown below.

Great Britain, Miles M.25 Martinet


As always blanks and other paint schemes will be posted shortly.

I also encourage You to visit - and comment - on the Odysseus1980's thread of Hellenic Wings 1912-1945:

viewtopic.php?f=20&t=4937&start=10

Very nice! I especially like the Airspeed Oxford and the Avro Anson. Great, top notch, quality work Eswube!

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Salide - Denton - The Interrealms

I am not very active on the forums anymore, but work is still being done on my AUs. Visit the Salidan Altiverse Page on the SB Wiki for more information. All current work is being done on Google Docs.
If anyone wishes for their nations to interact with the countries of the Salidan Altiverse, please send me a PM, after which we can further discuss through email.

Wow! I'm geeking out already with these British planes!!

Nice to see the Botha and Henley in there.

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Hood's Worklist
English Electric Canberra FD
Interwar RN Capital Ships
Super-Darings
Never-Were British Aircraft

Wow! another Sunday, another excelent post!

Do you plan to draw the People's Polish Air Force also?, i mean this one:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Force_ ... olish_Army

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Currently working on:

• Fiat G.50
  Breda Ba.64/65/75
  Dornier Do.17/Do.215
  Heinkel He.79
  Junkers Ju.52
  Junkers J.I

Repainting:

• Grumman F4F Wildcat/Grumman G-36
  Caproni Ca.135bis

great work those plains Eswube looking forward to whats next

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Best Regards,
Aart.

Projects:

The Kingdom of Rochfort in FD

Thanks for comments!

@Naixoterk
Plan is to continue the thread until present times, which includes "people's" air force too.
(Although after posting all the "Great Britain" part I'll have to make a short pause to catch up with other projects)

I'm at a loss for words at this point eswube.

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Projects:
Zealandia AU
John Company AU
References and feedback is always welcome!

Another very informative entry, nice work!

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My worklist
Any help and source material is always welcome.

Thanks Mates!