This is the case with the commemoration of the Poles’ participation in the so-called Battle of Britain (1940), as described by Arkady Fiedler in his book *Squadron 303* (1942), a book which is likely to be found in most Polish homes. Its underground editions, read at home, boosted the morale of a society worn down by the occupation.

Monument to Polish Airmen in London

The Polish Air Force Memorial is situated in west London, next to the active RAF base at Northolt, one of the most important bases during the Battle of Britain. Among others, all four Polish squadrons that fought in the Battle of Britain were stationed at that airfield. It was erected on the initiative of the Polish Air Force Association, thanks to a fundraising campaign supported by press coverage (particularly in collaboration with *The Daily Telegraph*).

The memorial was unveiled on 2 November 1948. It commemorates over 18,000 soldiers who served in the RAF and the Polish Air Force, of whom over 2,000 were killed in action.

The monument is made of Portland limestone and polished granite. Its centrepiece is an obelisk crowned with a bronze eagle taking flight (beneath which are the dates 1940–1945). Below the eagle, on the front of the obelisk, a list of all Polish squadrons, including their distinctive names, and a list of the most important battles and theatres of operations involving Polish airmen have been carved.

On the sides of the obelisk, on stone panels, there are inscriptions in English and Polish reading:

TO THE FALLEN / POLISH AIRMEN //.

In front of the obelisk stands a trapezoidal basin with fountains. At the rear of the monument is a quotation from the Bible:

I HAVE FOUGHT A GOOD FIGHT, I HAVE FINISHED MY COURSE, / I HAVE KEPT THE FAITH / ‒ II TIM. IV. 7 //.

Translation:

I HAVE FOUGHT THE GOOD FIGHT, I HAVE FINISHED MY COURSE, / I HAVE KEPT THE FAITH //.

Behind the obelisk lies a semi-circular sunken area (finished in Yorkstone sandstone), bordered by a wall bearing the emblems of 14 Polish squadrons, a list (in the format: rank, initial of first name, surname) of the 1,243 Polish pilots who lost their lives during the Second World War (particularly those serving in the United Kingdom) and two emblems, those of the British and Polish Air Forces. This section was reconstructed in 1996, and an additional external wall was added at the rear of the obelisk, bearing further names. This brought the total number to 1,877, as it included, amongst others, 23 airmen who lost their lives during the French campaign in Normandy.

The role of Poles in the Second World War

The historian Paweł Wieczorkiewicz argued that the Polish factor carried double weight in the Second World War. The first instance was the defensive war of 1939, thanks to which the Allies gained more time to prepare for the fight against the Germans. The second was the Battle of Britain. Following the fall of France, Britain fought alone (Hitler had not yet invaded the USSR, nor had the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbour), at sea, in Africa and in its own skies. The Polish Army, which was being rebuilt in England, numbered some twenty-odd thousand soldiers (with more joining all the time) and was Britain’s largest ally.

No. 303 Squadron and Polish airmen in the Battle of Britain

In the early hours, I received a call. As the first aircraft took off, Churchill entered the ‘Operation Room’. All the squadrons were scrambled. When Churchill asked Keith Park (Commander of the RAF) what reserves were available, he was told there were none. ‒ So said Colonel Witold Urbanowicz, a Polish fighter ace, about his visit to the headquarters of the 11th Fighter Group in Uxbridge on 15 September 1940, a turning point in the Battle of Britain.

It seems that the simplest way to argue is with figures, but even these can be unreliable. It is no secret that pilots from all the world’s air forces exaggerated their reported shoot-downs. Furthermore, Allied bomber forces also took part in the Battle of Britain, attacking targets on the continent – airfields, ports and German ships – to prevent a possible invasion. The war effort cannot, therefore, be measured solely by the number of aircraft shot down.

‘I do not believe the outcome of this battle would have been the same had it not been for the magnificent Polish squadrons and their unrivalled bravery,’ said RAF Commander-in-Chief Hugh Dowding.

The Battle of Britain in figures

Figures from various sources vary slightly. Following the fall of France, there were between 6,000 and 8,500 soldiers from the Polish People’s Army Air Force (including ground crew) on the British Isles. The British had neither trained reserves nor a sufficient number of aircraft (in June 1940, the RAF had 750 aircraft, compared with the Luftwaffe’s 2,550). Consequently, few Poles took part in the battle.

Initially as part of the British Air Force, and later alongside the RAF as the Polish Air Force, four Polish squadrons (two bomber and two fighter) fought, along with 81 Polish pilots serving in British squadrons. Of the 147 Polish pilots (5 per cent of the entire Allied air force), 31 were killed in action. They reported shooting down approximately 170 enemy aircraft and damaging 36 (approximately 12 per cent of enemy losses).

No. 303 Squadron was the most successful unit in the battle; in just six weeks of combat, it achieved 126 confirmed kills, whilst losing 8 pilots.

Of all those who took part in the Battle of Britain, around 20 per cent (595 out of 2,936) came from outside the United Kingdom, with Poles making up the largest proportion (24 per cent).

As the British Minister of Aviation, Sir Archibald Sinclair, stated:

Our shortage of trained pilots would have made it impossible to man the squadrons needed to defeat the German air force and win the Battle of Britain, had it not been for the brave airmen from Poland.

The battle, which lasted almost four months (10 July–31 October 1940), was a gruelling and evenly matched contest for the British, despite the German losses. The Polish airmen can be regarded as the proverbial hair’s breadth that caused Hitler to lose the battle, forcing him to postpone the invasion of the British Isles indefinitely. The Poles became fully engaged in the battle during its second phase, which included, amongst other things, the air battles of 15 September, regarded as a turning point and decisive for the Allies’ victory. On that day, 20 per cent of the Allied pilots fighting in the skies were Polish.

Jan Zumbach (pseudonym: Donald Duck, Johan; 1915–1986), an epitaph written following the downing of his colleague from No. 303 Squadron, Ludwik Paszkiewicz:

He gave his life somewhere up there, where earthly matters are so distant, the sun’s glow so pure, and God so near.