Replica of the Badge of the 304th Prince Józef Poniatowski Silesian Bomber Squadron

After the defeat of the September Campaign in 1939, many Polish pilots and air personnel found refuge in the United Kingdom. There, they joined the Allied air forces, primarily the Royal Air Force (RAF), where Polish air units were formed. One such unit was the Silesian Land Bomber Squadron named after Prince Józef Poniatowski, established on 23 August 1940 at Bramcote airfield. The squadron took part in combat operations over occupied Europe, attacking German-controlled cities, factories, communication lines, and strategic targets. Polish airmen, displaying courage and determination, earned the respect of British and other Allied pilots for their outstanding effectiveness and bravery. After the war, their fates varied. Some returned to Poland, while others chose to remain in exile. Although the squadron ceased to exist as an operational unit, its legacy and contribution to the Allied air campaign remain an important part of the history of Polish military aviation. A symbol of this legacy is the presented badge, approved on 4 November 1943 by order of the Commander-in-Chief. The original badges were made of silver, fastened with a screw-back attachment, with enamelled elements: a white-and-red checkerboard and a shield in blue, white, and red. Although the displayed replica, produced after the war, served as a commemorative rather than an identification badge, it continues to honour the heroism of Polish airmen. In 1973, the badge was donated to the National Museum in Szczecin by the local branch of the Union of Fighters for Freedom and Democracy (ZBoWiD). Anna Lew-Machniak