The 303rd Squadron

Despite Poland's surrender on September 1, 1939, less than a month after Germany's invasion, Polish military engagement in the Second World War did not cease there. The 303rd Squadron was established in August 1940 by 1st Police Air Force Regiment pilots who had congregated in Blackpool, England. They had been trained on outdated aircraft back in Poland, but they embraced their Hawker Hurricanes with such vigor that they quickly rose to the top of the Royal Air Force rankings for the Battle of Britain and remained there for the majority of the war, shooting down three times as many enemy aircraft while suffering one third the casualties as the average RAF squadron. They took down 14 Luftwaffe aircraft on September 7, 1940, alone, without reporting a single casualty.

Many analysts, both back then and more recently, have credited the 303rd Squadron as being essential to the victory. According to Air Chief Marshal Hugh Dowding, "I hesitate to say the outcome would be the same" if it weren't for their involvement in the Battle of Britain. They were able to alter the course of history, according to Carl Cruff of the New England Air Museum, who spoke highly of the 303rd. Despite their outstanding performance, their contribution was minimized for decades, in large part because Poland's position behind the Iron Curtain heightened tensions with the British government over its failure to fulfill its commitment to restore the Poles to their liberated country.

Active; 2 August 1940 – 11 December 1946
Country: United Kingdom

Branch: Air Force Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Air Force
Role: Fighter Squadron
Part of: RAF Fighter Command