Polish Spitfires in RAF

I think most of the low-300s RAF squadron numbers were Polish

There's a great site here: http://www.geocities.com/skrzydla/ - including biographies of notable pilots and events.



It helped me track down this plane in a photo my "dope girl" friend lent me - repaired at de Havilland Witney - the Spitfire VB (W3628, PK-W) of Sgt Nawrocki, killed in a crash in Lancashire in July 1942. What I don't know is if the pic is before or after the crash, as it received a major overhaul shortly before, and Nawrocki was testing the plane.

I'm planning to do this one dismantled and arriving on a Queen Mary transporter. I feel it's good to do a model with a story behind it.

Also I've just seen a Battle of Britain special from FlyPast magazine in the newsagents. A considerable part of it is devoted to Polish airmen in the RAF

The Poles flew Hurricanes in the BoB and were very succesful too. They didn't get Spits till later.
302 Polish Sq. got Spit II's in Oct 41
303 Polish Sq. got Spit I's in Jan 41
306 Polish Sq. got Spit IIb's in June 41
307 Polish Sq. was a nightfighter Sq. - no Spitfires -Beaus and Mossies
308 Polish Sq. got Spit I's in Mar. 41
309 Polish Sq. was Army co-operation and was on Hurries and Mustangs
Cheers
Bob S.

There's a great foreign movie about this-- Dark Blue World

Well worth it if you can find it....it's on DVD as well....

Hmm... or were they Czech?? Regardless.....good movie LOL

Thanks for the comments, guys. Sorry I didn't reply sooner - I was off the 'Net for a couple days.

I got to look a little at that webpage, U-96. Not enough yet, but just some of the initial information looks interesting. I hope to fully read it later.

For my projects, the Spits don't have to come from a Polish unit. Just an unit with Polish airmen. If I want, I suppose I could make my Hurricane / He 111 project with a Polish pilot. But, I had already intended that one to be Peter Townsend, the author of the book I am currently reading: Duel of Eagles. I do suppose if the author is still alive, I might be able to contact him for research information. He did extensive research when writing the book, besides drawing upon his own experience.

Check out the Fly Past special currently on the shelves that deals with this very subject.
I had a quick look at it today and it covers everything that you are looking for including in depth
articles about the airfields and the units based there.

stefan witorzenc 302, 5.5 kills
antoni glowacki 303, 8.5 kills
jan zumbach, 303, 12kills,2x(0.5 kills)
stanislaw skalski, 316, 21 kills
stanislaw brzeski, 317, 7kills, (3x0.5 kills)
jan falkowski, 303, 9 kills
eugeniusz horbaczewski,16 kills 1x0.5 kills

Airfix have a Polish Spitfire MkVb in 1:72 with code RF-D a/c BM144. no name is given for the pilot but he has some personal markings including a goose with a baseball bat !

also found ref to a 302 Sqd, Mk Vb code C-WX a/c AA853 flown by Wg Cdr Stefan Witorzenc, 1st Polish fighter wing 1942.
ties in with the above post, tho my ref says he got 'Ace' status previously in Hurricanes.

Hi Migs
You are refering to Jan Zumbach. I suggest getting the excellent book called "Zumbach's Donalds". He had three different Mk Vb's with four different Donald Duck nose artson them, each one different and Airfix got it wrong. I also recomend a book called "Spitfire IX & XVI of Polish Airmen" by the same author, Wojtek Matusiak. Both are in English and are excellent reference for Spitfires. There are some nice colour photos in the Zumbach book one of which ends the debate about the colour of the Sutton Harness. Osprey does another nice book "Polish Aces of WWII by Robert Gretzyngier and again Wojtek Matusiak.
Cheers
Bob S.

hey bob, cormac - missed another Polish Spit, coded RF-A a/c AB183 a Vb ('lone patrol' print on my wall !)
Glad to be able to put the pilots name to the Airfix Vb !, and ta for the hints on what books to look out for, color pics are not easy to find - i recently picked up some old 70's 'WINGS' publications and have the recent 'world aircraft info files' but lack any real good dedicated Spitfire literature.
i have a Spit project underway so really enjoyed your FSM sept 1:24 Spitfire build - fine looking model. have you ever look over or built the old 1:24 Mk I from airfix in the past ? - any good ? or
Spitfire knowledge seems an Everest to me but i live near Tangmere and also not too far from Eastleigh so plenty more inspiration here and there abouts.

Hi Migs
As I said before, you really have to be careful with Spitfire reference books. Some are not worth the paper they are written on while others are fantastic.
Thanks for the compliment on that huge Trumpeter MkVb. I built it up as a kit review not the way that I would want mine finished. In that I mean, I didn't do any weathering , chipping, oil or exhaust stains. Just as straight out of the box as I could stand. There were some things that just couldn't be left "as is" such as the u/c rake angle. I have since bought two more Trumpeter Vb's and I also have two Airfix Mk I's and an Airfix Vb. I have built an Airfix Mk I before but it was a contract job for a chap who wanted it built as he had started it and couldn't cope. It was a nice build but it too needs some work. I suggest building one up just for fun and see what you think. It really reqires the wheel wells to be boxed in. Once finished you could easily sell it, get another and then you know what to expect.
I have never been to Tangmere or Eastleigh but was at Duxford in May 2002. I stayed in Newmarket for 6 days with Alex Henshaw and he set me up with a tour of everything "Spitfire" at Duxford. The IWM came to his house and picked me up and I had a guide take me through everything including sitting in their Mk 24. The next day I was picked up by Richard Riding and we toured the Shuttleworth collection at Old Warden. I'll never forget that trip. Alex is 90 yrs young now and doing well.
Cheers
Bob S.

I HAVE HERE MY OWN BOOK ON THIS SUBJECT, TITLE IS AIRCRAFT OF THE ACES: MEN AND LEGENDS, MAIN TITLE IS POLISH FIGHTERS OF WORLD WAR 2, ITS FROM OSPREY AVIATION FROM DELPRADO PUBLISHERS/EDICIOS DEL PRADO,CEA BERMUDEZ,39 6
28003 MADRID_SPAIN AND ITS IN ENGLISH IT GIVES FULL HISTORY OF WHAT HAPPENED TO POLISH PILOTS FROM WHEN WW2 STARTED TO THE FINISH AND WHEN THOSE WHO WENT BACK TO POLAND LOT OF THEN WERE EXECUTED BY FROM WHAT BOOK SAYS ALSO GIVES A FULL ACCOUNT OF POLES IN R.A.F SERVICE INCLUDES THOSE IN FIGHTERS.
HOPE THIS HELPS MATE.
SEAN SEWELL

Thanks Sean
Sounds great but why are you yelling?
Cheers
Bob S.