No. 309 Squadron — Ziemi Czerwieńskiej

No. 309 Squadron was formed on 8 October 1940 at RAF Abbotsinch near Glasgow, manned entirely by Polish aircrew under the agreement between the Polish Government in Exile and the United Kingdom. Its formal designation “Ziemi Czerwieńskiej” — meaning Land of Czerwień — honoured a historic region of eastern Poland then under Soviet occupation. Originally tasked as an army co-operation unit to support Polish ground forces training in Scotland, the squadron flew Westland Lysanders on tactical reconnaissance duties before re-equipping with Allison-engined North American Mustang Is from July 1942, extending its reach to coastal and cross-Channel reconnaissance over France and the Low Countries. In early 1944 the squadron briefly operated Hawker Hurricanes for defensive duties in Scotland before Merlin-powered Mustang IIIs arrived in October 1944, transforming it into a long-range fighter escort unit operating from East Anglia to protect bomber formations over occupied Europe. By April 1945 its pilots had claimed two Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighters destroyed. The squadron disbanded at RAF Coltishall on 6 January 1947, having flown over 1,200 combat sorties during the war.