Polish Volunteer Air Force Squadrons Coat of Arms
When the Polish RAF squadrons were formed, a series of badges or coats of arms were designed for each of the Polish squadrons or flying units with the exception of 945 & 929 Balloon Squadrons, 1586 Flight and 6(C) OTU.
Some of the squadron badges were based on squadron or escadrille badges of Polish flying units pre-1939 before the Second World War.
Some were long established such as 303's Kościuszko badge and some were designed specially for the large and growing number of flying units being formed in the RAF.
300's badge has "CCC" meaning "300" in Roman numerals. It was the first Polish RAF squadron formed. It combines the arms of both Poland and England - it has the Polish White Eagle "Orzeł Biały" (an eagle argent armed, crowned) and it has the English Lion (a lion passant guardant, crowned);
301 was two separate squadrons with two different roles at different times and each used a different squadron badge. In July 1940, 301 Bomber Squadron was formed. It closed in March 1943 and most crews and their aircraft were merged with 300 Squadron. It used a hexagonal badge with a Pomeranian red griffin rampant shield design.
A new 301 Transport Squadron was formed in November 1944 in North Africa and in Italy for Special Duties flights. It used a circular badge with a Polish Eagle, a Pomeranian red griffin passant shield and a Maid of Warsaw "Sirena" shield, with the number "301" below.
302's badge uses an old Polish design previously used for 131 and 132 Escadrilles. It uses the blue wings closer to 132 and includes red, white and blue of both French and UK flags and it has both the French Armée de l'Air "I/145" unit number and "302";
303's badge is the same as the older Polish "Kościuszko" unit, used for 111 Escadrille in the Brygada Poscigowa (Pursuit Brigade) tasked with the defence of Warsaw. But, in the RAF it has "303" added below;
304's badge shows a "V" ("Fifth") reference which could be for a Polish unit, or that it was the fifth RAF unit (300-304), or V for Victory;
306's badge uses an old Polish design previously used for 141 and 142 Escadrilles. The main differences are: 141 & 142 had an inverted hexagon, 306 uses a diamond shape. Also in the 306 badge there is a bear and tree, a symbol for both Warwickshire, UK and Madrid;
308's badge uses an old Polish design previously used for 121 Escadrille. It uses the same emblem but facing the opposite way (right instead of left) and is enclosed in a diamond shape.
315's badge uses an old Polish design previously used for 112 Escadrilles in the Brygada Poscigowa (Pursuit Brigade) tasked with the defence of Warsaw. The only difference is that it was rotated 30 degrees clockwise so the triangle is pointing down instead of left and "315" was added.
316's badge uses an old Polish design previously used for 113 Escadrilles in the Brygada Poscigowa (Pursuit Brigade) tasked with the defence of Warsaw. The only difference is that it was rotated 30 degrees clockwise so the triangle is pointing down instead of left and "316 SQ" was added.
317's badge uses an old Polish design previously used for 151 and 152 Escadrilles in the Narew Army Group. The blue version of that badge for 151 is closest to 317Sqn. badge.;
663's badge has the letters "DSA" beside the number "663".
No. 302 Squadron inherited the traditions of previous Squadrons of the PAF such as III/3 Fighter Squadron, 131st Fighter Escadrille, Polish 132nd Fighter Escadrille and the French Armée de l'Air Groupe de Chasse G.C. I/145.
No.303 Squadron inherited the traditions and badge of previous Kościuszko Squadrons of the PAF such as the early Polish 7th Air Escadrille and 121st Fighter Escadrille and the later Polish 111th Fighter Escadrille.
No. 317 Squadron inherited the traditions and badge of a previous Squadron of the PAF, the 151st Fighter Escadrille and 152nd Fighter Escadrille, part of the Narew (151) and Modlin (152) Independent Operational Groups respectively.
No. 145 Squadron "Polish Fighting Team" may have derived its badge and traditions via a Polish unit because the PFT squadron's commander Stanislaw Skalski was a senior officer in III-4 Pomorze (Pomerania) Squadron during the 1939 invasion of Poland.
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No. 300 Polish Bomber Squadron
"Land of Masovia" -
Polish 301 Sqn First Badge.bmp
No. 301 Polish Bomber Squadron
"Land of Pomerania" -
No. 301 Polish Special Duties Transport Squadron
"Land of Pomerania, Defenders of Warsaw" -
No. 302 Polish Fighter Squadron
"City of Poznan" -
No. 303 Polish Fighter Squadron
"Kościuszko" -
No. 304 Polish Bomber Squadron
"Land of Silesia-Ks. Józefa Poniatowskiego" -
No. 305 Polish Bomber Squadron
"Land of Greater Poland-Marshal Josef Pilsudski" -
No. 306 Polish Fighter Squadron
"City of Torun" -
No. 307 Polish Night Fighter Squadron
"Lwów Eagle-owls" -
No. 308 Polish Fighter Squadron
"City of Krakow" -
No. 309 Polish Fighter-Reconnaissance Squadron
"Land of Czerwien" -
No. 315 Polish Fighter Squadron
"City of Deblin" -
No. 316 Polish Fighter Squadron
"City of Warsaw" -
No. 317 Polish Fighter Squadron
"City of Wilno" -
No. 318 Polish Fighter-Reconnaissance Squadron
"City of Gdansk" -
No. 663 Artillery Observation Squadron
"We Fly for the Guns" -
Polish Fighting Team{attached to No. 145 RAF Squadron}
"Skalski's Circus" -
Not online
No. 138 Special Duty Squadron Polish Flight "C" · -
No. 1586 Polish Special Duties Flight
Read more about this topic: Polish Air Forces In France And Great Britain
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