No. 302 Polish Fighter Squadron
| No. 302 (City of Poznan) Polish Fighter Squadron | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Active | 13 July 1940 – 18 December 1946 |
| Country |
 United Kingdom
|
| Allegiance |
 Polish Government in exile
|
| Branch |
 Royal Air Force
|
| Role | Fighter and escort |
| Part of | RAF Fighter Command |
| Nickname(s) | Dywizjon Myśliwski "Poznański" |
| Aircraft |
Hawker Hurricane Supermarine Spitfire North American P-51 Mustang |
| Engagements |
Battle of Britain Mopping-up over France Defence of Exeter Convoy escort Operation Jubilee Bomber escort Battle of Normandy Crossing the Rhine |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Wacław Król |
| Insignia | |
| Squadron Codes |
WX (Oct 1941 - Jan 1945) QH (Jan 1945 - Dec 1946) |
No. 302 (City of Poznan) Polish Fighter Squadron RAF (Polish: 302 Dywizjon Myśliwski "Poznański") was a Polish fighter 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 several Polish fighter squadrons fighting alongside the Royal Air Force during World War II.
It inherited the traditions, along with the emblem and a large part of the initial crew, of the pre-war Polish III/3 Fighter Squadron composed of the 131st and 132nd Fighter Escadrilles.
The Squadron was one of the four Polish-cored Royal Air Force squadrons that participated in the Battle of Britain. It consisted mostly of Polish pilots, many of whom were veterans. The backbone of the squadron was formed by 13 pilots who served with the I/145 Polish Fighter Squadron and were evacuated from France during the last stages of the German invasion of France.
The squadron was formed on 10 July 1940. They piloted some Hawker Hurricanes and were put under the No. 12 Group RAF. As the combat became more fierce, the 302 was moved to RAF Duxford, north of London. the squadron operated from there as part of the Duxford Wing, 12 Group's 'Big Wing' formation, from 14 September through 25 September. Having enjoyed some success on East Coast patrols following the Battle of Britiain, No. 302 Squadron re-located to RAF Jurby, Isle of Man, where they commenced night flying training and low level work. At some point afterwards the squadron operated from Chailey. On 11 June 1944, 302 became the first Polish Squadron to land in France, five days after D-Day. It was fighting as part of No. 131 Polish Fighter Wing when its airfield was attacked by Jagdgeschwader 1 during Operation Bodenplatte in January 1945.
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