POLISH FIGHTER PILOTS: A rare multiple signed hardback edition of Squadron 303 - The Story of The Polish Fighter Squadron with the R.A, F. by Arkady Fiedler, published by Peter Davies, London, September 1942 (reprint) individually signed to the recto of the frontispiece by over twenty Polish fighter pilots, the majority associated with 303 Squadron including Bronislaw Klosin (1910-1981) Polish Flight Lieutenant, credited with one victory, also adding an inscription to Lt. R. Clarke R.N.V.R. and dated 30^th October 1942 in his hand, Mirolsaw Szelestowski (1918-2006) Polish Flight Lieutenant, credited with two victories, Antoni Glowacki (1910-1980) Polish Squadron Leader, credited with 8 victories, Roman Marian Brygider (1912-1944) Polish Flight Officer, Jan Palak (1911-1987) Polish Flight Sergeant, credited with one victory during the Battle of Britain, Antoni Kolubinski (1916-1990) Polish Flight Lieutenant, credited with one victory, Stanislaw Socha (1918-2014) Polish Flight Lieutenant, credited with two victories, Stanislaw Gorny (1917-1988) Polish Flight Sergeant, Henryk Bieniek (1921-1954) Polish Flight Sergeant, Jerzy Schmidt (1916-1944) Polish Flight Lieutenant, credited with two victories, killed in action, Jozef Ostrowski (1899-?) Polish Flight Lieutenant, Liaison Officer to RAF Fighter Command, Gustaw Gwizdalski (1897-1978) Polish Flight Lieutenant, Ludwik Kraszewski (1916-2012) Polish Flight Lieutenant, Jerzy Roman Hamankiewicz (1916-1944) Polish Flight Lieutenant with 318 and 241 Squadrons, killed on active service, Wlodzimierz Chojnacki (1914-2014) Polish Flight Sergeant, Jerzy Palusinski (1912-1984) Polish Flight Lieutenant, credited with two victories during the Battle of Britain, Janusz Marciniak (1916-1944) Polish Squadron Leader, credited with two victories, killed in action, Zenon Bartkowiak (1921-2002) Polish Flight Sergeant, Czeslaw Mroczyk (1917-1999) Polish Flight Sergeant, credited with one victory, Tadeusz Haczkiewicz (1916-?) Polish Flight Sergeant, Mirolsaw Wojciechowski (1917-1956) Polish Flight Sergeant, credited with four victories during the Battle of Britain, Zbigniew Wojda (1918-2009) Polish Flight Lieutenant, Jozef Dabrowski (1921-1943) Polish Flight Sergeant, killed on active service, etc. The upper right corner of the page features the blind embossed insignia of 303 Squadron. Accompanied by a contemporary unsigned 8.5 x 6.5 photograph of the members of 303 Squadron standing and seated outdoors in four rows, each wearing their uniforms (heavy vertical fold to the centre, surface creasing and a few small tears to the edges). The book bound in the publisher's pale blue cloth and with white title to the spine and lacking a dust jacket. Ownership signature of Robin Broadbent to the front free endpaper. Some light overall age wear, about VG

 

No. 303 Squadron RAF was one of two Polish squadrons to fight during the Battle of Britain, along with 302 Squadron, from the sixteen Polish squadrons in the Royal Air Force during World War II. Flying Hawker Hurricanes, 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.

 

Provenance: Acquired by our vendor at an auction held by Phillips of London on 13^th December 1985 (Lot 793; their label affixed to the front cover) and not offered at auction since.