No. 309 Polish Fighter-Reconnaissance Squadron

{{Infobox military unit|

|unit_name= No. 309 "Ziemi Czerwieńskiej" (Polish) Squadron

|image= 309th Polish Army-Cooperation Squadron.svg

|image_size= 250px

|caption= 309 Squadron logo

|dates= 8 November 1940 – 6 January 1947

|country= {{flagicon|UK}} United Kingdom

|allegiance= {{flagicon|POL}} Polish government in exile

|branch= {{air force|United Kingdom}}

|type=

|role= Reconnaissance squadron; later fighter squadron

|size=

|command_structure= RAF Fighter Command

|current_commander=

|garrison=

|garrison_label=

|ceremonial_chief=

|colonel_of_the_regiment=

|nickname=Ziema Czerwienska

|patron=

|motto=

|colors=

|colors_label=

|march=

|mascot=

|equipment=

|equipment_label=

|battles=

|anniversaries=

|decorations=

|battle_honours=

|commander1=

|commander1_label=

|commander2=

|commander2_label=

|commander3=

|commander3_label=

|notable_commanders= Henryk Pietrzak

|identification_symbol=

|identification_symbol_label= Squadron Badge heraldry

|identification_symbol_2= AR; from 1944 WC

|identification_symbol_2_label= Squadron Codes

}}

No. 309 "Land of Czerwień" Polish Fighter-Reconnaissance Squadron ({{langx|pl|309 Dywizjon "Ziemi Czerwieńskiej"}}) was a Polish squadron formed in Great Britain as part of an agreement between the Polish Government in Exile and the United Kingdom in 1940. 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.{{sfn|Lewis|1968|pp=95–97; 125}} It was at first a reconnaissance squadron, and later converted into a fighter squadron. It was named after the region around the city of Czerwień; which was then in southeastern Poland, and is now in western Ukraine.

History

The squadron was formed in the RAF base at RAF Renfrew near Glasgow on 8 November 1940, and declared operational on 5 December 1940. It was disbanded on 9 January 1947.{{sfn|Lewis|1968|p=96}}

Commanders

class="wikitable"

! style="text-align: left;"|From

! style="text-align: left;"|

8 November 1940

| ppłk pil. Zygmunt Pistl

12 February 1943

| mjr pil. Witold Jacek Piotrowski

15 November 1943

| kpt. pil. Maciej Piotrowski

3 April 1944

| kpt. pil. Jerzy Gołko

9 September 1944

| kpt. pil. Antoni Głowacki

7 August 1945

| kpt. pil. Henryk Pietrzak

Aircraft operated

File:Samoloty Mustang Mk. III dywizjonu 309.jpg

class="wikitable"

! style="text-align: left;"|From

! style="text-align: left;"|Aircraft

! style="text-align: left;"|Version

8 November 1940

| Westland Lysander

| Mk.II and Mk.III

1 June 1942 (flight B)

| North American Mustang

| Mk.I

19 January 1944

| Hawker Hurricane

| Mk.IV

23 January 1944

| Hawker Hurricane

| Mk.IIC

1 September 1944

| North American Mustang

| Mk.I

20 November 1944

| North American Mustang

| Mk.III

References

Bibliography

{{cite book |last=Lewis |first=Peter |year=1968 |origyear=1959 |title=Squadron Histories, RFC, RNAS and RAF, Since 1912 |place=London |publisher=Putnam |id= SBN 370-00022-6}}

External links

{{cite web |url= http://www.polishairforce.pl/dyw309zdj.html |title=309 Dywizjon Myśliwski "Ziemi Czerwieńskiej" |website=polishairforce.pl |language=pl}} – historic photographs
{{cite web |url= http://www.rafweb.org/Squadrons/Sqn300-318.htm |title=No 309 (Ziema Czerwienska) Squadron |work=Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation}}
{{cite web |url= http://listakrzystka.pl/en/ |last=Hodyra |first=Piotr |title=Personnel of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain 1940-1947}}

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