ISBN 1-902304-54-3
294 pages

Acknowledgments; Preface; Author's Preface; Foreword; Introduction; photos; Epilogue; Select Bibliography and Sources; Index

Appendices: 302 Squadron Hurricanes; 303 Squadron Hurricanes; List of PAF Personnel; List of Combat Claims; Polish Air Force Ranks; Roll of Honour

   This is by no means the first book about the Polish Air Force during World War II, nor will it be the last. In addition to several memoirs by Polish flyers, there are at least three other important works covering various aspects of the PAF during the war:

Lisiewcz, M. et al. Destiny Can Wait: History of the Polish Air Force in WWII. Nashville: Battery Press, 1988. Originally published in 1949, this is a "preliminary" account and "...not intended to be the final history of the Polish Air Force in the Second World War." Rather than a scholarly study, outlines Polish participation in the air throughout the entire war with heavy emphasis on personal stories. About twenty pages on the Battle of Britain period.

Cynk, Jerzy B. The Polish Air Force at War: The Official History. (Two volumes) Atglen, PA: Schiffer Military History, 1998. This is the much-praised "official history" produced under the auspices of the Polish Air Force Association. A thorough, carefully researched but somewhat antiseptic pair of volumes with about fifty pages on the Battle of Britain time frame.

Peezkowski, Robert and Bartlomiej Belcarz. White Eagles: The Aircraft, Men, and Operations of the Polish Air Force, 1918-1939. Aldershot, England: Hikoki, 2000. A fine, detailed examination of the Polish Air Force, but it concludes with the Polish campaign of 1939 and doesn't cover the Battle of Britain.

   Unlike the other authors, Gretzyngier concentrates strictly on the first year of the Polish Air Force on "Last Hope Island," and especially on the crucial months of the Battle of Britain. To get an idea of the richness of detail, keep in mind that many books which purport to cover the Battle of Britain as a whole are actually shorter than this account of Polish operations during the battle! To achieve this, Gretzyngier combines the kind of careful scholarship found in Cynk's volumes with the kind of personal touch and human interest found in Destiny Can Wait to produce a fully rounded history.
   A few pages of the Introduction explain how the Polish flyers reached England, but the first chapter begins the day-by-day chronology—opening on 13 July 1940—with formation of the RAF's 302 (Polish) Squadron and ensuing action. On 18 July, for example, came the first report of a Polish flying accident, and on 19 July F/O Antoni Ostowicz scored the first Polish victory in the RAF. While much of the book covers the activities of 302 and 303 Squadrons, many other Polish pilots flew as integrated members of non-Polish RAF squadrons, and Gretzyngier details their actions as well.
   Almost the entire book comprises daily records of the Polish flyers. Some of the entries, especially the earliest ones, are quite short:

6 August 1940
P/O Jan Pfeiffer posted to 32 Squadron failed to get up Hurricane V7205 and went through a fence and into a wood. Accident was caused due to mishandling the throttle in reverse, a common Polish error. [The book has already explained how British throttles functioned opposite of throttles in Polish-built aircraft.] The detailed note about Pfeiffer on the accident card said "Sent back to OTU for further assessment of suitability for flying fighter aircraft. Was posted to 275 Squadron from OTU and involved in another accident and in consequence posed to BrG School."

   Most daily entries are considerably meatier, often amounting to several pages:

23 September 1940
About 9.30 am a dozen Hurricanes of 303 Squadron took off from Northolt. They were as follows:

"A" Flight
F/Lt Kent	V6681/RF-B
P/O Feric	P3901/RF-E
Sgt Szaposznikow	V7244/RF-C
F/O Henneberg	V7246/RF-D
F/O Januszewicz	P3544/RF-H
F/O Grzeszczak	V6684/RF-F
"B" Flight
F/O Zak	V7289/RF-S
Sgt Frantisek	V6673/RF-U
Sgt Belc	V7465/RF-V
F/O Paszkiewicz	V7235/RF-M
Sgt Kowalski	P3089/RF-P
Sgt Wojciechowski	L2099/RF-O

The formation, led by F/Lt Kent, was joined by Hurricanes of 1 RCAF Squadron and 229 Squadron. The three squadrons were directed south of Biggin Hill, and then towards the Thames Estuary. Here they spotted about 20 Bf 109s above, circling at an altitude of 25,000 to 30,000 ft. While the whole wing was climbing to reach these intruders, another formation of 20 Bf 109s came from behind, trying to break up the Wing formation. In defence, the Hurricanes turned to the attack. Sgt Szaposznikow, one of two victorious pilots of 303 Squadron that day, wrote:

"I saw about eight Me 109s attack an isolated Hurricane of another Squadron. This Hurricane shot at the Me 109 which rolled away right. I attacked it from astern and underneath at 300 yards. The Messerschmitt dived down towards the sea. I used up all my ammunition on it, and it crashed into the sea in mid Channel."

F/Lt Kent performed a similar action, which also ended with shooting down a Bf 109 into the sea, but his efforts did not end with the one claim. He recalled:

"Without waiting for him to hit the water I turned for home. As I approached Dungeness I saw an aircraft low over the water and about five miles off shore. I flew towards it to investigate. It was with some surprise that I discovered it was a German machine—just what type I have never been absolutely sure, but from the recognition manuals it most closely resembled a Focke Wulf 155⁴⁶—although I can't imagine what such a machine would have been doing there unless it was somehow connected with an air-sea rescue system. At any rate, it had large black crosses on it and that made it fair game. I immediately attacked, my first burst splattering around the rear cockpit, but I got no return fire so I had probably killed the rear gunner. On my second attack only a few bullets were left and my guns stopped almost immediately after I pressed the gun button. To my disgust I could do nothing but watch as the German headed towards France as fast as he could go."⁴⁷

303 Squadron was reinforced by three NCO pilots who had been flying in 302 Squadron: Sgts Palak, Paterek and Siudak.

The windy morning with much broken cloud resulted in almost a repeat of the actions of 20th, when 605 Squadron was again engaged by Freie Jagd Messerschmitt 109s over Tunbridge Wells. The pilots involved were as follows:

S/Ldr Burront	P3677	Red 1
P/O English	N2557	Red 2
Sgt Jones	V6699	Red 3
P/O Muirhead	R4118	Yellow 1
P/O Glowacki (Polish)	P3583	Yellow 2
P/O Milne	P3832/UP-P	Yellow 3

This time however the RAF pilots were not surprised and managed to engage their attackers. P/O Witold Glowacki:

"While on patrol near Tunbridge Wells we were attacked by two Me 109s which dived on us out of the sun. The squadron was circling righthanded and losing height when a Me 109 broke into the formation firing at me. I was then rather higher than the rest of the squadron and the Me. after a short burst over-shot me and I was able to give him a long burst from 300 yards closing to 50 yards. I saw him shudder and try to climb away, but he could not do so and dropped away. This is confirmed by Yellow 1 but neither of us could watch him as another Me 109 was then in position to attack and we had to break away The second enemy aircraft climbed back to join the rest of the formation alone."

During a midday patrol north of London, P/O Jan Pfeiffer of 257 Squadron had trouble with his Hurricane I, P3717/DT-R. While patrolling out of Castle Camps, he damaged his engine cowling when force-landing in a field.

---

⁴⁶As stated in Kent's memoirs. 303 Squadron ORB described this aircraft differently: "On returning F/Lt Kent saw probably a Potez flying low towards France..."
⁴⁷ Kent, One of the Few.

   Gretzyngier has done an enormous amount of work in the original RAF squadron records as well as documents found at the Polish Institute and Sikorski Museum in London. To this material he has added information from pilots' personal logbooks and further information from German records that helps put the Polish effort in perspective. All this is grounded in a broad understanding of the larger air war over England and nicely complemented by a great deal of biographical information about the Polish pilots.
   Poles in Defence of Britain also includes more than thirty pages of black-and-white photographs of Polish airman and aircraft as well as several appendices. Appendix III lists all Polish flying personnel with the RAF from June 1940 through 2 June 1941, including name, rank, and units to which assigned. Appendix IV lists fourteen pages of combat claims by Polish pilots, including date, pilot, unit, type of aircraft flown, serial number and code letters, plus time, location, and type of enemy aircraft claimed.
   In sum, this is a very valuable addition to the body of published works about the Battle of Britain and the Polish airmen who flew for the RAF, and it's definitely recommended.
   Available from online booksellers, local bookshops, or directly from Grub Street.
   Thanks to Grub Street for providing this review copy.