Polish Air Forces in France and Great Britain

Polish Air Forces in France and Great Britain
Polskie Siły Powietrzne
Founded18 May 1940
CountryUnited Kingdom, France
AllegiancePolish government-in-exile
Insignia
Identification
symbol
The Low visibility roundel
Fin flashThe RAF Fin Flash
Aircraft flown
AttackFairey Battle
BomberAvro Lancaster, Vickers Wellington
FighterBloch MB.152, Caudron C.714, de Havilland Mosquito, Hawker Hurricane, North American Mustang, Supermarine Spitfire, Koolhoven FK.58, Morane-Saulnier M.S.406

The Polish Air Forces (Polish: Polskie Siły Powietrzne) was the name of the Polish Air Forces formed in France and the United Kingdom during World War II. The core of the Polish air units fighting alongside the Allies were experienced veterans of the 1939 invasion of Poland. They contributed to the Allied victory in the Battle of Britain and Allied air operations during the war.

A total of 145 Polish fighter pilots served in the RAF during the Battle of Britain, making up the largest non-British contribution.[1] By the end of the war, around 19,400 Poles were serving in the Polish Air Forces in Great Britain and in the RAF.[2]

  1. ^ "Number of participants from the Battle of Britain Monument". Bbm.org.uk. 1940-10-31. Archived from the original on 2015-08-22. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  2. ^ "WWII Behind Closed Doors: Stalin, the Nazis and the West . In Depth . Fighting with the Allies". PBS. Retrieved 2011-06-07.