Customer Reviews

FORGOTTEN FEW: The Polish Air Force in World War II

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Being born in 1950, though not really aware of it at the time, I was brought up in post-war Britain. That was a time when anyone from Poland attracted a great deal of respect. It was Hitler's invasion of that country which had precipitated WW2 and, the general perception was, any Polish person living in the UK at that time was there because they had made some sort of contribution towards the final victory.

One of the most vital contributions during 1939-1945, was made by Polish pilots who, not only manned a Polish Air Force (PAF), which ran alongside the RAF, but were also integrated into the wider RAF. Before that, however, one of the most remarkable aspects of this compelling story is that the PAF itself had been equipped with a mere 159 A P-11 fighter aircraft (something which resembles an old bi-plane but with the lower wing missing!) with which they attempted to defend Poland from the 2,000 plus German aircraft with pilots fresh from the "training" grounds of the Spanish civil war. It was an impossible task and Poland was quickly overrun. Nevertheless, many trained people managed to escape and were evacuated from France in 1940 after which they continued the fight from the UK.

Fully operational as a separate air force based in the UK by 1941, the PAF had no fewer than 14 operational squadrons through which over 17,000 personnel passed during those war years. As part of Fighter and Bomber Commands they completed 102,486 sorties and over 290,000 flying hours accounting for 745 enemy aircraft shot down and a further 175 unconfirmed. In addition they dropped many thousands of bombs and mines. The cost was 1,973 killed and 1,388 wounded in return for 342 gallantry awards and their country dominated by Communist Russia.

And this is their story. As such it is well researched with the list of sources and bibliography running to 10 pages. A selection of 30 wide-ranging black and white photographs are found between pages 112 and 113. Author Adam Zamoyski has produced a readable account in which the dedication becomes all the more poignant when one considers what became of post-war Poland.

Altogether, this is an excellent product and one which will be regarded as an important addition to the histories of Poland, The Polish Air Force, WW2 and the RAF.

NM

At first i picked this book up reluctantly i was never really interested in air force tales but witin a few pages i was hooked the bravery and sacrifice that these men gave rivals that of any and then too only be betrayed by the very countries you help save makes this book a heart renching read Zamoyski i thank you for writing this long over due book a definate must read

My father and his friends were much more interested in this era than I was, but I picked up the book one day and was instantly absorbed in the personal stories and remarkable heroism. The book is written in a spare, almost impersonal manner - but you cannot be impersonal with these depictions.

This book recounts the role of Polish pilots in the Allied war effort. It discusses how the Poles accounted for a disproportionate share of German planes downed over England during the pivotal Battle of Britain, when the outcome of WWII hung in the balance. It also discusses the personal lives of the pilots, including the homesickness felt every Christmas.

The all-but-forgotten sufferings of the Poles under both German Nazis and Soviet Communists is recounted in some detail. There is discussion of the heartbreak and outrage experienced by the pilots once they learned that the western Allies betrayed Poland to Soviet control after the war, ruling out a return home for most of the pilots. The postwar lives of some of the pilots are also recounted.

The ingratitude of the British leaders was duplicated by much of the civilian population soon after the war. The short memory of the British, who forgot that Poles were fighting for the very survival of Britain a few short years earlier, were now clamoring for the Poles to go home.

Other details surrounding the aerial combat are recounted. There is even mention of a Polish pilot, decades after the war, locating, in Bavaria, the German pilot he had shot down back in September 1939 over Poland.