Supermarine Spitfire. European Users, part sixteen. Polish Spitfire users, part four.

 

As we have written in earlier posts, eight Polish Fighter squadrons served with the Royal Air Force (RAF), composed of seven fighter squadrons operating on Great Britain and north-western European Theatre of operations, plus one reconnaissance squadron operating in Italy and one short-lived squadron operating in Tunisia, were equipped at some points of their careers with Spitfires. 

After the end of the war, due to political decisions made by the Allies, the Polish Air Forces in France and Great Britain did not return to Polish soil and were disbanded in the United Kingdom. 

In late 1945 just three Spitfires were sent to Poland, from Polish Air Force in Exile's stocks, as a gift from the RAF. One of them, whose pilot got lost on his way to Warsaw, was sent back to the British Occupation Zone in Germany. The other remaining two were taken to the Polish Army Museum, from where they were taken and destroyed in 1947 during the Stalinist period. 

It is worth mentioning the last Polish ace to fly the Spitfire, Miroslaw Wojciechowski, who joined the RAF post war and, after undergoing a refresher course on Spitfires Mk. XVIs, he was assigned to No. 2 Squadron in Germany to fly the PR. XIX. From December 1949 to February 1951 he flew his PR. XIX (PM627 OI-X) more than 30 times until the PR. XIXs were replaced by the jet-powered Gloster Meteor FR.9.

Sources:

1st AJ Press - Monografie Lotnicze 40 - Supermarine Spitfire 3 (translated)

2nd Osprey Publishing - Aircraft of the Aces 127 - Polish Spitfire Aces