Polish Air Force Operations Record Books 1940-1947

1943-08-01

Snailwell

8 Shipping Recce. sorties carried out along Dutch coast.
P/O Budzinski / GD / proceeded on posting to No 318 Squadron, R.A.F. Station Detling, for flying duties.

1943-08-04

Snailwell

F/Lt Drygalla from Fighter Command arrived on 2 days attachment to Unit to instruct pilots in handling of aero engines.
F/Lt Jaskolski / Signals / from R.A.E. Farnborough, arrived and carried out inspection of Squadron Signals Equipment.
P/O Piaskowski / GD / proceeded on posting to No 318 Squadron, R.A.F. Station Detling, for flying duties.
F/Lt Rembowski / GD / F/O Urban / GD / and P/O Kaminski / GD / posted to the Unit from No 41 O.T.U. R.A.F. Hawarden, for flying duties.
4 Shipping Recce. sorties carried out along Dutch coast.

1943-08-05

Snailwell

F/Lt Niemiec / GD / returned to R.A.F. Station, Heston, on completion of instruction of Unit pilots in Fighter tactics.

1943-08-07

Snailwell

4 Shipping Recce. sorties carried out along Dutch coast.

1943-08-08

Battle area Thetford
Sheet [.ef] :”76-1” 3211

0001 hrs. Exercise “Snaffle” with 1st Polish Armoured Division opposing the 5th Canadian Armoured Division. Each Division supported by 3 Squadrons of aircraft. This was the first occasion on which a Polish Armoured Division functioned as a complete Unit, and also the first occasion on which No 309 / P / Squadron could view two Armoured Divisions in action from the air.

1943-08-09

Battle area Thetford
Sheet [.ef] :”76-1” 3211

Exercise “Snaffle” 13 Tac/R sorties carried out by Unit a/c.

Snailwell

W/Cdr Lukinski / GD / arrived from R.A.F. Staff College, Eddleston, to witness the Exercise.
F/Lt Rembowski / GD / and F/O Miniszewski / GD / proceeded to R.A.F. Station Hutton Cranswick, for Air Firing Course.

1943-08-10

Battle area Thetford

Exercise “Snaffle”. 9 Tac/R and 2 Arty/R sorties carried out by Unit a/c.
F/Lt Szyszko / F/Lt Flying / attended at Polish Div. H.Q. during the exercise.
Exercise concluded at 2005 hrs.
Weather conditions were generally good with very good visibility.

Snailwell

F/O Jarema / GD / and F/O Adamczak / GD / returned from R.A.F. Station, Hutton Cranswick, on completion of Air Firing Course.

1943-08-13

Snailwell

8 Shipping Recce. sorties carried out along Dutch coast.
F/Lt Retinger GD / and F/Lt Gnys / GD / arrived on posting from No 303 /P/ Squadron, R.A.F. Station, Northolt, to Unit, supernumerary for flying duties.

1943-08-16

Snailwell

10 Shipping Recce. sorties carried out along Dutch coast.
S/Ldr Tillman, Senior Engineer Officer, No. 12 Group, visited the Squadron, and discussed technical organisation of the Unit with S/Ldr Piotrowski.

1943-08-17

Snailwell

F/O Sawicki / GD / proceeded to R.A.F. Station, Cosford, for No 14 Polish Officers Initial Course.
F/O Beyer / GD / arrived on posting from No 41 O.T.U. R.A.F. Station, Hawarden to unit for flying duties.

1943-08-19

Snailwell

8 Shipping Recce. sorties carried out along Dutch coast.
Group Captain Bajan / Polish Liaison Officer / / H.Q. Fighter Command / visited the Unit and discussed Unit organisation with S/Ldr Piotrowski.
F/Lt Rembowski / GD / and F.O Miniszewski / GD / returned from R.A.F. Station, Hutton Cranswick, on completion of Air Firing Course.

1943-08-20

Snailwell

F/O Kaminski / GD / proceeded to R.A.F. Station, Hutton Cranswick, for Air Firing Course.

1943-08-21

Snailwell

F.O Urban / GD / proceeded to R.A.F. Station, Hutton Cranswick, for Air Firing Course.

1943-08-22

Snailwell

6 Shipping Recce. sorties carried out along Dutch coast.

1943-08-23

Snailwell

4 Shipping Recce. sorties carried out along Dutch coast.

Northolt.

W/CDR Piotrowski / GD / attended conference at R.A.F Station, Northolt.

1943-08-24

Snailwell

F/Lt Lewkowicz / GD / proceeded to R.A.F. Station, Hutton Cranswick, for 6 days to gain flying experience on Spitfire aircraft.

1943-08-25

Snailwell

F/O Bazarnik / Med / granted the Permanent War Rank of Flight Lieutenant w.e.f. 17.6.43.

Bircham Newton

8 a/c gave “Close Escort” to a Hudson a/c on Air Sea Rescue duty. A.O.C. 16 Group expressed satisfaction with the manner in which the Escort was carried out.

1943-08-26

Snailwell

2 Shipping Recce. sorties carried out along Dutch coast.

1943-08-27

Snailwell

F/O Urban / GD / and F/O Kaminski / GD / returned from R.A.F. Station, Hutton Cranswick, on completion of Air Firing Course.

1943-08-28

Snailwell

8 a/c ready and crews briefed for operational task “Distil” / Operations against enemy mine clearing a/c /. Target to be attacked at 1000 hrs. Patrol 53º51’N 05º21’E to 53º33’N 04º 58’E. Owing to bad weather conditions the sorties were cancelled when a/c about to take off at 0907 hrs.

1943-08-29

Snailwell

2 Shipping Recce. sorties carried out along Dutch coast.

1943-08-30

Thetford area.

0900 hrs to 1200 hrs. 2 a/c carried out Arty/R with 1st Polish Armoured Division. Trials were made to direct artillery fire through the link of a V.H.F. re-transmitted by the gunners on No 19 Sets to the various G.P. Officers. Results were satisfactory.

1943-08-31

Snailwell

4 Shipping Recce. sorties carried out along Dutch coast.

[Illegible]
WING COMMANDER
Commanding No 309 / P / Squadron
R.A.F. Station. Snailwell.