No. 303 Squadron has been the most famous unit in the history of the Polish Air Force. It was formed in the summer of 1940, but continued the traditions of the \u2018Ko\u015bciuszko\u2019 Squadron of the Polish-Russian war of 1919-1921, when a group of American flyers volunteered to fly with Poland\u2019s air service. The Polish unit to which they were posted took on the name of Tadeusz Ko\u015bciuszko, who had attained the rank of a general in the American War of Independence in the late 18th century. The badge of the unit reflected this American connection, by using the red-and-white stripes and thirteen stars of the first United States. These were combined with the Cracow region peasant hat and crossed scythes prepared for combat, symbols of the Polish rising against Russia at the end of the 18th century, also led by Ko\u015bciuszko.<\/p>\n
When No. 303 Squadron was formed at Northolt near London in 1940, it inherited the traditions of that unit. The squadron achieved notable success in the Battle of Britain. It was subsequently praised by ACM Hugh Dowding, who commanded Fighter Command in that campaign, as the Command\u2019s top-scoring unit in the Battle.<\/p>\n
During subsequent years of the war the squadron served tours of combat duties with the 1st Polish Wing at Northolt or other bases in Southern England, followed by periods of so-called rest at airfields away from the Channel.<\/p>\n
9 zwyci\u0119stw Witolda Urbanowicza<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n