No. 308 Polish Fighter Squadron


No. 308 "City of Kraków" Polish Fighter Squadron RAF was one of several Polish squadrons in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. It was formed as part of an agreement between the Polish Government in Exile and the United Kingdom in 1940.

History

The squadron was formed on 5 September 1940 at the RAF Polish Depot in Squires Gate, Blackpool. After initial training at Speke it was supplied with Hurricanes. The first CO, Squadron Leader John Davies, was killed after striking a balloon cable just a few weeks after taking command. By October 1941 the squadron was based at Baginton Aerodrome where "Tommy" Yeo-Thomas was intelligence officer. It then converted to Spitfires and operated from RAF Northolt.
The squadron was then operated over France before its transfer to the 2nd Tactical Air Force as a fighter-bomber squadron. The squadron then followed the allied advance across Europe after the Normandy Landings in 1944. It disbanded at RAF Ahlhorn, Germany on 18 December 1946 after hostilities had ceased.

Aircraft operated