No. 305 Polish Bomber Squadron "Ziemia Wielkopolska" ("Land of Greater Poland") (Polish: 305 Dywizjon Bombowy "Ziemi Wielkopolskiej im. Marszałka Józefa Piłsudskiego") was a Polish bomber 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 in World War II.[1] It operated under RAF operational command, and flew from airbases in the United Kingdom.
| No. 305 (Ziemia Wielkopolska) Polish Bomber Squadron | |
|---|---|
 305 Squadron logo | |
| Active | 29 August 1940 – 6 January 1947 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Allegiance |  Poland |
| Branch |  Royal Air Force |
| Role | Bomber Squadron |
| Part of | RAF Bomber Command Second Tactical Air Force |
| Nickname(s) | Wielpolska |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Bolesław Orliński |
| Insignia | |
| Squadron codes | SM (August 1940 – January 1947) |
History
editThe last of the Polish bomber squadrons to be created under RAF command, 305 Squadron was formed at RAF Bramcote, Warwickshire on 29 August 1940. It was at first equipped with obsolescent Fairey Battle light bombers, but was re-equipped in November 1940 with twin-engine Vickers Wellington medium bombers. The unit began operational flying in April 1941. Its first mission was bombing of petrol and fuel storage tanks at Rotterdam in the night from 25 to 26 April 1941.[2] Between June 1941 and August 1943 the Squadron was based at RAF Ingham.
In August 1943 the Squadron was moved to RAF Swanton Morley and thereafter ceased its affiliation with RAF Bomber Command; instead, it was absorbed into the freshly formed Second Tactical Air Force, a specialized arm of the RAF that was centered on tactical air strikes on vital enemy targets (such as bridges, supply trains, etc.) in the European Continent.
During this period, 305 Squadron was transferred to No. 2 Group RAF[3] and converted briefly to North American Mitchell medium bombers before adopting the De Havilland Mosquito FB.VI, the aircraft that the Squadron operated for the remainder of the European campaign. Through 1944, the 305 was stationed at RAF Lasham in England and then briefly at RAF Hartford Bridge before moving to the Epinoy airfield in France in November 1944. During the Normandy Landings, the squadron destroyed 13,000,000 litres of the German fuel stored near Nancy, France. The squadron performed its last mission exactly four years after their first, in the night of 25 to 26 April 1945.[2] After the hostilities ended, the Squadron continued to operate in Germany as part of the occupation forces and, after a brief return to Britain, was finally disbanded formally on 6 January 1947 at RAF Faldingworth, having already given up its aircraft on 25 November 1946.[2]
Aircraft operated
edit| From | To | Aircraft | Version |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 1940 | November 1940 | Fairey Battle | Mk.I |
| November 1940 | July 1941 | Vickers Wellington | Mk.Ic |
| July 1941 | August 1942 | Vickers Wellington | Mk.II |
| August 1942 | May 1943 | Vickers Wellington | Mk.IV |
| May 1943 | September 1943 | Vickers Wellington | Mk.X |
| September 1943 | October 1943 | North American Mitchell | Mk.II |
| December 1943 | November 1946 | de Havilland Mosquito | FB.VI |
See also
edit- Polish Air Forces in France and Great Britain
- Military history of Poland during World War II
- Szczepan Ścibior (1903–52); pilot and political prisoner
References
editNotes
editBibliography
edit- Halley, James J, 1988. The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth, 1918–1988. Tonbridge: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN 0-85130-164-9.
- Jefford, C.G., 2001. RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive Record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury: Airlife Publishing. ISBN 1-84037-141-2.
- Lewis, Peter, 1959 (new edition 1968). Squadron Histories, RFC, RNAS and RAF, Since 1912. London: Putnam. SBN 370-00022-6
- Moyes, Philip J.R., 1964 (new edition 1974). Bomber Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Macdonald and Jane's (Publishers) Ltd. ISBN 0-354-01027-1.
- Zieliński, Józef, 2004. 305 Dywizjon Bombowy Ziemi Wielkopolskiej I Lidzkiej. Warsaw: Bellona Publishing House. ISBN 83-11-09813-1. (In Polish)
External links
edit
- "305 Squadron". WWII Polish Living History Group.
- "305 Dywizjon Bombowy "Ziemi Wielkopolskiej"". polishairforce.pl (in Polish). – historic photographs
- Hodyra, Piotr. "Personnel of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain 1940-1947".