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No. 316 Polish Fighter Squadron

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No. 316 "City of Warsaw" Polish Fighter Squadron (Polish: 316 Dywizjon Myśliwski "Warszawski") 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 1941. It was one of 15 squadrons of the Polish Air Force in exile that served alongside the Royal Air Force (RAF) in World War II.[1]

No. 316 "City of Warsaw" Polish Fighter Squadron
316 Squadron logo
Active15 February 1941 – 11 December 1946
CountryUnited Kingdom United Kingdom
AllegiancePoland Polish government in exile
Branch Royal Air Force
RoleFighter Squadron
Part ofRAF Fighter Command
Nickname(s)Warsaw
Dywizjon Myśliwski "Warszawski"
Commanders
Notable
commanders		Aleksander Gabszewicz
Janusz Żurakowski
Insignia
Squadron CodesPK (February 1941 – December 1946)

History

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No 316 Squadron was formed at Pembrey on 15 February 1941 as a Polish fighter unit equipped with Hawker Hurricane Mk.Is. It was engaged in defensive duties over South West England until it re-equipped with Hurricane Mk.IIs and began sweeps over northern France. In 1942 re-equipped with the Spitfire Mk.Vb; Mk.IXc; and Mk.XVIe aircraft. In 1943 it re-equipped again with Mustang Mk.3 aircraft. The squadron was disbanded on 11 December 1946.[2]

Commanding officers

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From To Name Remark
Feb 1941 Mar 1941 Captain Juliusz Frey
Mar 1941 Jul 1941 S/Ldr C.J. Donovan British Officer
Jul 1941 Sep 1941 Captain Juliusz Frey
Sep 1941 Nov 1941 Captain Wacław Wilczewski
Nov 1941 Jun 1942 Captain Aleksander Gabszewicz
Jun 1942 Dec 1942 Captain Janusz Żurakowski
Dec 1942 Sep 1943 Captain Marian Trzebiński
Sep 1943 Jun 1944 Captain Paweł Niemiec
Jun 1944 Sep 1944 Captain Bohdan Arct
Sep 1944 Jul 1945 Captain Zygmunt Drybański
Jul 1945 Oct 1945 Captain Michał Cwynar
Oct 1945 Dec 1946 Captain Paweł Niemiec

[3]

Squadron bases

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From To Name
Feb 1941 Jun 1941 RAF Pembrey
Jun 1941 Aug 1941 RAF Colerne
Aug 1941 Dec 1941 RAF Churchstanton
Dec 1941 Apr 1942 RAF Northolt
Apr 1942 Jul 1942 RAF Heston
Jul 1942 Mar 1943 RAF Hutton Cranswick
Mar 1943 Sep 1943 RAF Northolt
Sep 1943 Feb 1944 RAF Acklington
Feb 1944 Apr 1944 RAF Woodvale
Apr 1944 Jul 1944 RAF Coltishall
Jul 1944 Jul 1944 RAF West Malling
Jul 1944 Aug 1944 Friston
Aug 1944 Oct 1944 RAF Coltishall
Oct 1944 May 1945 RAF Andrews Field
May 1945 Aug 1945 RAF Coltishall
Aug 1945 Nov 1945 RAF Andrews Field
Nov 1945 Mar 1946 Wick
Mar 1946 Dec 1946 RAF Hethel

[4][5][6]

Aircraft operated

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A Spitfire from 316 Squadron
From To Aircraft Version
Feb 1941 Aug 1941 Hawker Hurricane Mk.I
Jun 1941 Nov 1941 Hawker Hurricane Mks.IIa, IIb
Oct 1941 Nov 1941 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IIa
Oct 1941 Jul 1943 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Vb
Mar 1943 Sep 1943 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IXc
Sep 1943 Apr 1944 Supermarine Spitfire LF.Vb
Apr 1944 Dec 1946 North American Mustang Mk.III

[5][6][7]

References

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Notes

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  1. ^ Lewis 1968, pp. 95–97; 125.
  2. ^ Lewis 1968, p. 97.
  3. ^ Rawlings 1978, p. 403.
  4. ^ Rawlings 1978, p. 402.
  5. ^ a b Halley 1988, p. 366.
  6. ^ a b Jefford 2001, p. 88.
  7. ^ Rawlings 1978, pp. 402–403.

Bibliography

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  • Halley, James J (1988). The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth, 1918–1988. Tonbridge: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN 0-85130-164-9.
  • Jefford, CG (2001). RAF Squadrons: A Comprehensive Record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury: Airlife Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-84037-141-2.
  • Lewis, Peter (1968) [1959]. Squadron Histories, RFC, RNAS and RAF, Since 1912. London: Putnam. SBN 370-00022-6.
  • Rawlings, John DR (1976) [1969]. Fighter Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Macdonald & Jane's (Publishers)Ltd. ISBN 0-354-01028-X.
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