No. 309 Polish Fighter-Reconnaissance Squadron Explained

Unit Name:No. 309 "Ziemi Czerwieńskiej" (Polish) Squadron
Dates:8 November 1940 – 6 January 1947
Allegiance: Polish government in exile
Role:Reconnaissance squadron; later fighter squadron
Command Structure:RAF Fighter Command
Nickname:Ziema Czerwienska
Notable Commanders:Henryk Pietrzak
Identification Symbol Label:Squadron Badge heraldry
Identification Symbol 2:AR; from 1944 WC
Identification Symbol 2 Label:Squadron Codes

No. 309 "Land of Czerwień" Polish Fighter-Reconnaissance Squadron (Polish: 309 Dywizjon "Ziemi Czerwieńskiej") was a Polish 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 15 squadrons of the Polish Air Force in exile that served alongside the Royal Air Force (RAF) in World War II. It was at first a reconnaissance squadron, and later converted into a fighter squadron. It was named after the region around the city of Czerwień; which was then in southeastern Poland, and is now in western Ukraine.

History

The squadron was formed in the RAF base at RAF Renfrew near Glasgow on 8 November 1940, and declared operational on 5 December 1940. It was disbanded on 9 January 1947.

Commanders

From
8 November 1940 ppłk pil. Zygmunt Pistl
12 February 1943 mjr pil. Witold Jacek Piotrowski
15 November 1943 kpt. pil. Maciej Piotrowski
3 April 1944 kpt. pil. Jerzy Gołko
9 September 1944 kpt. pil. Antoni Głowacki
7 August 1945 kpt. pil. Henryk Pietrzak

Aircraft operated

FromAircraftVersion
8 November 1940 Westland LysanderMk.II and Mk.III
1 June 1942 (flight B)North American MustangMk.I
19 January 1944Hawker HurricaneMk.IV
23 January 1944Hawker HurricaneMk.IIC
1 September 1944North American MustangMk.I
20 November 1944North American MustangMk.III

Bibliography

External links