No. 308 Polish Fighter Squadron

No. 308 "City of Kraków" Polish Fighter Squadron
Active 5 September 1940 – 18 December 1946
Country United Kingdom United Kingdom
Allegiance Poland Polish Government in exile
Branch Royal Air Force
Role Fighter and fighter bomber
Part of RAF Fighter Command
Nickname(s) Dywizjon Myśliwski "Krakowski"
Aircraft Hawker Hurricane
Supermarine Spitfire
Insignia
Squadron Codes ZF (Sep 1940 - Dec 1946)

No. 308 "City of Kraków" Polish Fighter Squadron RAF (Polish: 308 Dywizjon Myśliwski "Krakowski") was a Polish fighter squadron formed in Great Britain as part of an agreement between the Polish Government in Exile and the United Kingdom in 1940. It was one of several Polish fighter squadrons fighting alongside the Royal Air Force during World War II.

History

The squadron was formed on 5 September 1940 at the RAF Polish Depot in Squires Gate, Blackpool on and after training at Speke it was supplied with Hurricanes. By October 1941 the squadron was based at Baginton Aerodrome where "Tommy" Yeo-Thomas was intelligence officer.[1] It then converted to Spitfires and operated from RAF Northolt.

The squadron was then involved in operations over France before its transfer to the 2nd Tactical Air Force as a fighter-bomber squadron. The squadron then followed the allied advance across Europe after the Normandy Landings in 1944. It disbanded at RAF Ahlhorn, Germany on 18 December 1946 after hostilities had ceased.

Aircraft operated

Aircraft operated by No. 308 Squadron RAF[2]
Oct 1940Apr 1941Hawker HurricaneI
Mar 1941May 1941Supermarine SpitfireI
May 1941Aug 1941Supermarine SpitfireIIA
Aug 1941Nov 1943Supermarine SpitfireVB
Jan 1942Feb 1942Supermarine SpitfireIIA
Nov 1943Mar 1945Supermarine SpitfireIX
Mar 1945Dec 1946Supermarine SpitfireXVI

See also

References

  1. ↑ James Hutchison, ‘Thomas, Forest Frederic Edward Yeo-(1902–1964)’, rev. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2010
  2. ↑ C.G.Jefford (1988). RAF Squadrons. UK Airlife Publishing. ISBN 1-85310-053-6.
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