No. 307 Polish Night Fighter Squadron

No. 307 Polish Night Fighter Squadron
307th Polish Night Fighter Squadron.svg
307 Squadron Logo
Active 24 August 1940 - 2 January 1947
Country United Kingdom United Kingdom
Allegiance Poland Polish government in exile
Branch Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg Royal Air Force
Role night fighter
Size squadron
Part of RAF Fighter Command
Nickname Eagle-owls
Commanders
Notable
commanders
Stanisław Grodzicki
Insignia
Squadron Codes EW (Aug 1940 - Jan 1947)

No. 307 (City of Lwów) Polish Night Fighter Squadron (Polish: 307 Dywizjon Myśliwski Nocny "Lwowskich Puchaczy" ) was a Polish night fighter squadron[1] formed in Great Britain on 24 August 1940 as a result of an agreement between the Polish Government in Exile and the United Kingdom. It was the only Polish night fighter squadron fighting alongside the Royal Air Force during World War II.

Contents

History

After its formal formation in Blackpool on 24 August 1940[2] No. 307 squadron was assembled at RAF Kirton-in-Lindsey on 5 September 1940 as a night fighter unit, flying the Boulton Paul Defiant turret-fighter, an example being the aircraft with serial number N1671, EW-D, the sole complete surviving Defiant on display at the RAF Museum at RAF Hendon. In August 1941 the squadron converted to Beaufighters which it flew till being re-equipped with Mosquitoes in late 1942. From 1943 the squadron was active as night intruder unit over airfields in occupied France. This changed in January 1945, when its role was switched to bomber support, being active as anti-nightfighters against German aircraft. The squadron was disbanded on 2 January 1947 after the end of World War II.

Commanding officers

C/O[2][3]
From To Name Notes
Sep 1940 Mar 1941 S/Ldr. George Charlie Tomlinson British Officer
Sep 1940 Oct 1940 Kpt. Stanisław Pietraszkiewicz Polish co-commander
Oct 1940 Nov 1940 Maj. Kazimierz Benz Polish co-commander
Nov 1940 Jun 1941 Maj. Stanisław Grodzicki First as co-commander, later as Squadron Leader
Jun 1941 Oct 1941 Kpt. Jerzy Antonowicz
Oct 1941 Nov 1941 Por. Maksymilian Lewandowski temporary commander
Nov 1941 Aug 1942 Maj. Stanisław Brejniak Wing Commander
Aug 1942 Mar 1943 Kpt. Jan Michałowski, VM, KW, DFC Wing Commander
Mar 1943 Apr 1943 Kpt. Gerard Ranoszek temporary commander
Apr 1943 Jan 1944 Maj. Jerzy Orzechowski Wing Commander
Jan 1944 May 1944 Kpt. Maksymilian Lewandowski Wing Commander
May 1944 Mar 1945 Kpt. Gerard Ranoszek Wing Commander
Mar 1945 Mar 1946 Kpt. Stanisław Andrzejewski Wing Commander
Mar 1946 Jan 1947 Kpt. Jerzy Damsz Wing Commander

[2][3]

Aircraft operated

From To Aircraft Version
17 September 1940[4] August 1941 Boulton Paul Defiant Mk.I
14 August 1941 May 1942 Bristol Beaufighter Mk.IIf
5 May 1942 February 1943 Bristol Beaufighter Mk.VIf
21 December 1942 January 1945 de Havilland Mosquito NF.II
19 June 1943 October 1943 de Havilland Mosquito NF.VI
22 January 1944 November 1944 de Havilland Mosquito NF.XII, NF.XIII
24 October 1944 January 1947 de Havilland Mosquito NF.30

[2][3][5][6]

See also

References

Notes

  1. ^ Gretzyngier 1998, p. 30.
  2. ^ a b c d http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dywizjon_307
  3. ^ a b c Rawlings 1978, p. 394.
  4. ^ Simpson, Andrew. "Boulton Paul Defiant I N1671/837OM: museum accession no. 74/A/16" (DOC). Royal Air Force Museum. http://www.rafmuseum.org/rafmdevelopment/london/collections/aircraft/aircraft_histories/74-A-16%20%20BP%20Defiant%20N1671.doc. Retrieved 12 January 2008. [dead link]
  5. ^ Halley 1988, p. 360.
  6. ^ Jefford 2001, p. 87.

Bibliography

  • Delve, Ken. The Source Book of the RAF. Shrewsbury, UK: Airlife Publishing Ltd., 1994. ISBN 1-85310-451-5.
  • Gretzyngier, Robert. Polish Aces of World War 2, Botley, Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing, 1998.
  • Halley, James J. The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth, 1918-1988. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air Britain (Historians) Ltd., 1988. ISBN 0-85130-164-9.
  • Jefford, Wing Commander C.G. RAF Squadrons: a Comprehensive Record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury, UK: Airlife Publishing Ltd., 2001. ISBN 1-84037-141-2.
  • Rawlings, John D.R. Fighter Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Macdonald and Jane's (Publishers) Ltd., 1969 (Revised edition 1976). ISBN 0-354-01028-X.

External links


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