In a recent message malcolm wrote:

This was the national marking of the Polish Air Force prior to WW2.
After the fall of France in 1940, several squadrons of the Royal Air
Force ( bombers and maritime reconnaissance as well as fighters) were
formed from Polish pilots ( and Czechs,Dutch, Belgian,Norwegian and
Free French too). Aircraft of "Polish" squadrons often hard
"miniature" Polish markings added as in the photograph as an aid to
"esprit de corps".

These "exiled" pilots put up a particularly good performance in the
Battle of Britain, as many of them had 4 or 5 times as much combat
experience against German pilots, than the RAF pilots, having fought
in Poland, and some in the French Air Force before arriving in the UK.

Sadly they were not used until fairly late in the battle due to
a certain prejudice against them in the higher reaches of the
RAF. One problem was that they talked far too much when in action,
preventing others from communicating.

I would agree that they acquitted themselves extremely well
once they were deployed.


--
Tony Clayton
Coins of the UK : http://www.coins-of-the-uk.co.uk
Sent using RISCOS on an Acorn Strong Arm RiscPC
.... Memory is a thing we forget with.