Partly printed document completed by typewriter. [England], 24 October 1940. 1 page, 4to. 13 x 8 in.

A typed combat report from the most successful aerial squadron during the Battle of Britain. The report records that a pilot of "Flight Sqdn. 303 (Polish)" encountered and damaged a Dornier "Do 17". The pilot included a narrative of the aerial skirmish: " On general patrol along the Coast I noted a lone Dornier [heading] inland over Hernsea. Weather dusk and heavy cloud base and I made close inspection before attacking from an estimated 400 yads. I came in with a beam attack from a quarter astern firing short bursts and scoring hits to fuselage. The gunner immediately returned fairly accurate fire and I pulled away into cloud. The bomber jettisoned its B/Load, mainly inc F1. I did not see any H.E. It then turned for France at a high speed. I caught up and gave two short bursts which scored direct hits on the mainplane, pieces dropping off. I then had to break off the combat due to shortage of fuel. I last saw the enemy at an altitude of 7000 ft trailing smoke with one u/c wheel down and approx. 11 miles from the French coast."

The No. 303 Squadron RAF, also known as the 303rd Tadeusz Kościuszko Warsaw Fighter Squadron, is renowned for claiming the largest number of aircraft shot down during the Battle of Britain. A feat made more impressive by the fact that they did not join until two months until the conflict. The squadron was formed in July 1940 in Blackpool, England as part of the agreement between the United Kingdom and the Polish Goverment in Exile. It was one of 16 total Polish squadrons, and one of only 2 that flew in the Battle of Britain. Based at RAF Northolt, its initial cadre was 13 officer and 8 NCO pilots with 135 Polish ground staff, working alongisde appointed RAF officers serving as CO and Flight Commanders to bring the Polish pilots up to speed on RAF procedures and language. The experienced veteran Polish pilots flew heavily-armed Hawker Hurricane fighter aircrafts, a plane technologically on par with their German opponents.

An excellent combat report from the No. 303 Squadron from the famed Battle of Britain.

[World War II, WWII, Manuscripts, Documents, Letters, Ephemera, Militaria]