No. 304 Polish Bomber Squadron

No. 304 (Land of Silesia) Polish Bomber Squadron
304 Squadron logo
Active	22 August 1940 – 18 December 1946
Country	United Kingdom
Allegiance	Polish government in exile
Branch	Royal Air Force
Role	Bomber Squadron Anti-Submarine Squadron Transport Squadron
Part of	RAF Bomber Command RAF Coastal Command RAF Transport Command
Nickname(s)	"Ziemi Śląskiej im. Ks. Józefa Poniatowskiego" (Land of Silesia, bearing the name of Prince Józef Poniatowski)
Insignia
Squadron Codes	NZ (Aug 1940 - May 1942) 2 (Aug 1943 - Jul 1944) QD (Jul 1944 - Dec 1946)
Aircraft flown
Bomber	Fairey Battle (training) Vickers Wellington
Transport	Vickers Warwick Handley Page Halifax

No. 304 (Land of Silesia) Polish Bomber Squadron (Polish: 304 Dywizjon Bombowy "Ziemi Śląskiej im. Ks. Józefa Poniatowskiego") was a Polish World War II bomber unit. It fought alongside the Royal Air Force under their operational Command and operated from airbases in the United Kingdom, serving from April 1941 as a bomber unit in RAF Bomber Command, from May 1942 as an anti-submarine unit in RAF Coastal Command and from June 1945 as a transport unit in RAF Transport Command.

304 Squadron was created on 23 August 1940 at RAF Bramcote, and from 1 December 1940 it operated from RAF Syerston, as a part of No. 1 Bomber Group (along with No. 305 Squadron created at the same time). It was declared ready for operations with Vickers Wellington Mk I medium bombers on 24 April 1941. The personnel included 24 entirely Polish air crews (initially three-men, later six-men) and approximately 180 of ground crew. At night 24/25 April 1941 two crews flew the first combat mission against fuel tanks in Rotterdam. In the following months the squadron joined in a night bombing campaign over Germany and France. First losses occurred on 6 May and 8 May 1941 (in the second instance, a crew of the British advisor w/cdr W. Graham). On 20 July 1941 the squadron moved to RAF Lindholme base. In 1941 the squadron completed 214 missions lasting 1,202 hours, losing 47 killed airmen.

In first four months of 1942 an intensity of actions raised. Due to big losses suffered in early 1942, including six crews lost in April, and a difficulty to get replacements, it was decided to transfer the squadron to RAF Coastal Command. In Bomber Command the squadron completed 488 missions in 2,481 hours, dropping some 800 tons of bombs, losing 102 airmen KIA or MIA and 35 POW.