No. 304 Squadron — (Silesian) Polish

Formed on 22 August 1940 at RAF Bramcote from Polish aircrew who had escaped the fall of France, No. 304 (Land of Silesia) Squadron carried the full Polish dedication to Prince Józef Poniatowski. It began with Fairey Battles before converting to Vickers Wellingtons, and flew its first operational mission on 25 April 1941 against fuel installations at Rotterdam. During thirteen months in Bomber Command’s No. 1 Group, the squadron flew 488 sorties, dropped around 800 tons of bombs over Germany and occupied Europe, and lost 102 men killed or missing. Heavy attrition in spring 1942 prompted a transfer to Coastal Command in May 1942; operating from RAF Dale and later Cornish stations under No. 19 Group, the squadron flew anti-submarine patrols over the Bay of Biscay. In 2,451 sorties over three years it sank two U-boats — a disputed kill in June 1944 and U-321 on 2 April 1945 — and damaged five others.