Polish Air Force - 100th Anniversary Tribute

[F3]

Whilst we are all aware of the RAF's 100th Anniversary, another air force which is also celebrating its centenary this year is Poland's as few except those who attended its recent Radom show will be aware. As a tribute here is my own Polish album which charts it history. There was no independent Polish state in WW1 but it was a battleground of the eastern front and Poles fought on both sides, fleeing home with their aircraft when a new Polish state emerged in 1918. Hence the German Albatross which begins the album. When Poland was invaded to start WW2 its frontline fighter was the PLZ P.11 (apologies for the poor quality image). Thousands of Poles escaped to the UK and joined the RAF making an immediate impact in the Battle of Britain in which 303 was the top scoring RAF squadron. Polish squadrons also served in Bomber and Coastal Command and in the Middle East and Mediterranean where their Liberators flew near suicidal missions from Italian bases in a forlorn attempt to drop arms for the Warsaw Uprising. Post -war most of the Polish airmen elected to remain in the UK and become British citizens rather than return home to a country which was in the Soviet sphere and a Soviet equipped air force was part of the Warsaw Pact order of battle until the Russians withdrew at the end of the Cold War, leaving Poland free to join NATO.

PAF - Albatross BIIa Krakow Air Museum (KAM) by Michael Britton, on Flickr

PAF - PLZ P.11 (WW2) by Michael Britton, on Flickr

Polish - Lysander by Michael Britton, on Flickr

PAF - Defiant Cosford 2018 by Michael Britton, on Flickr

Polish - Spitfire taxying by Michael Britton, on Flickr

PAF - Liberator Painting KAM by Michael Britton, on Flickr

PAF - MiG-17 KAM by Michael Britton, on Flickr

PAF - Ilyushin Il -28U KAM by Michael Britton, on Flickr

PAF - Sukhoi Su-7 KAM by Michael Britton, on Flickr

PAF - Su-22 Fitter RAF Coltishall 2000 by Michael Britton, on Flickr

PAF - Su-22 Fitter RAF Coltishall 2000 (1) by Michael Britton, on Flickr

PAF - Antonov An-26 by Michael Britton, on Flickr

PAF - MiG-29 RIAT 2000 (2) by Michael Britton, on Flickr

PAF - MiG-29 RIAT 2000 by Michael Britton, on Flickr

PAF - Team Iskra RIAT '01 by Michael Britton, on Flickr

PAF -Team Orlik Waddington '05 by Michael Britton, on Flickr

PAF - Team Orlik 2 by Michael Britton, on Flickr

PAF - Hurricane + MiG29 formation Cosford 2018 by Michael Britton, on Flickr

PAF - MiG-29 display Cosford 2018 by Michael Britton, on Flickr

[1marshn30]

Lovely set of photos F3 nice to remember what the Polish armed forces did for this country in war years and though they were on the over siide of the wire during the cold war they are once again valuable allies
Ni

[jem60]

Thank you for this tribute. If it had not been for one particular Polish soldier who escaped to the U.K, I would not have been married for 47 years to the prettiest girl I had ever seen!!!!. My late Father-in-Law was in the Polish Army, and lost his five brothers in the war. He became the driver for the Polish Generals who were also in the U.K.Thanks again for reviving memories. His name was Bernard Zastempowski, and he was a lovely man.

[paddyboy]

Yet another great set there

Thanks for posting

Paddyboy

[F3]

Thank you for this tribute. If it had not been for one particular Polish soldier who escaped to the U.K, I would not have been married for 47 years to the prettiest girl I had ever seen!!!!. My late Father-in-Law was in the Polish Army, and lost his five brothers in the war. He became the driver for the Polish Generals who were also in the U.K.Thanks again for reviving memories. His name was Bernard Zastempowski, and he was a lovely man.

Unbelievable coincidence but my background is almost identical except that I have only been married for 40 years to the prettiest girl that I'd ever seen. (Beauty obviously a trait of girls of Polish stock.) Her father was also in the Polish Army and named Ziolkowski. So many similarities you could nt make it up!

[jem60]

Crikey. Were we lucky or what!!!. Best regards, John.

[1marshn30]

MH434 SZ-G at Rencombe in 1997 by Nigel Marsh, on Flickr
One from thr archives Ni