No. 309 Polish Fighter-Reconnaissance Squadron

No. 309 "Land of Czerwien" Polish Fighter Squadron
309 Squadron logo
Active	8 Nov 1940 – 6 Jan 1947
Country	United Kingdom
Allegiance	Polish government in exile
Role	Reconnaissance/Fighter Squadron
Part of	RAF Fighter Command
Nickname(s)	Ziema Czerwienska Dywizjon Współpracy "Ziemi Czerwieńskiej"
Commanders
Notable commanders	Henryk Pietrzak
Insignia
Squadron Codes	AR, from 1944 WC

Military unit

No. 309 (Land of Czerwień) Polish Fighter-Reconnaissance Squadron was one of several Polish squadrons during the Second World War. It was formed as part of an agreement between the Polish Government in Exile and the United Kingdom in 1940. It was at first a reconnaissance squadron but it was later converted into a fighter squadron.

History

The squadron was formed on 8 November 1940 in the RAF base at RAF Renfrew near Glasgow. The squadron was declared operational on 5 December 1940.

Commanders

From
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

From	Aircraft	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