303 SQUADRON - VOLUME 1 (13 JULY 1941)

“303 SQUADRON -VOLUME 1 1779 – 13 JULY 1941” by Wojtek Matusiak is the first volume in a series of three ‘photo album’ books covering the history of one of the most famous flying units in history, the 303 Squadron. This volume traces the journey of the squadron from its roots that formed in the Polish-Russian war, through the invasions of Poland and France, to England and ultimate victory.

The book chronicles the events in an easy-to-read diary format and illustrates it with over 900 original wartime photos. It provides an extensive reference work covering the history of 303 Squadron, an elite unit formed almost entirely of well-trained and experienced pilots and ground crews. The squadron was formed in July 1940 in Blackpool, England before deployment to RAF Northolt on 2 August as part of an agreement between the Polish Government in Exile and the United Kingdom.

During the Battle of Britain, No. 303 Squadron was equipped with Hawker Hurricane fighter aircraft. Manned by experienced veterans and backed by the well-established RAF command, communication, and logistics infrastructure, the squadron became an effective fighting force during the Battle. The squadron claimed the largest number of aircraft shot down of the 66 Allied fighter squadrons engaged in the Battle of Britain, even though it joined the fray two months after the battle had begun.

The book is written by one of the leading Polish aviation historians and is considered the ultimate visual and historical guide to 'Dywizjon 303’.