Palestine 1916- 1918 - Turks, Dunkirk, Battle of Britain 1940, Fortress Europe, Egypt and Libya, North Africa, El Alamein, El Hamma - Mareth Line, Sicily, Gothic Line, Italy
In front of a cross couped, a sword in bend, point downward.The sword represents No 145 Squadron's role, the cross couped the squadron's association with No 14 Squadron.
Squadron codes
SO Allocated Apr 1939 - Oct 1939 SO Oct 1939 - Feb 1942 ZX Apr 1942 - Aug 1945 B Mar 1952 - Apr 1954
The Squadron formed on 15 May 1918. Equipped with Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5 fighters, it supported the final offensives against the Turks in Palestine. The unit disbanded on 2 September 1919.
On 10 October 1939, No. 145 Squadron was reformed, taking delivery of Hurricane fighters in March 1940. It operated over Dunkirk and in the Battle of Britain before re-equipping with Supermarine Spitfires in early 1941. From February 1942, it was based in the Middle East, then in Malta, and finally in northern Italy, before disbanding on 19 August 1945.
Squadron Leader Wade, second from right, with 145 Squadron pilots at Triolo Airfield, Italy
American fighter pilot Lance C. Wade, one of the leading Allied Aces in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO), was a Flight Commander and Squadron Leader of No. 145 Squadron. In spring of 1943 'C' flight of the squadron was the Polish Fighting Team. In March 1943, No. 145 Squadron pilots who came from the United States, Britain, New Zealand, Argentina, Trinidad, Canada, South Africa, Australia, and Poland were credited with 20 Axis aircraft destroyed, over one third of the total destroyed by the entire RAF in the MTO for that month.[2] On 19 August 1945, the Squadron disbanded in northern Italy.
In late 1942 Polish Air Force Staff Command requested RAF permission to send a group of specially chosen pilots to the North African theatre of operations to acquire experience in operating as a part of a tactical air force in preparation for future Allied landings on the European continent.
Volunteers had to be experienced (with at least 30 operation missions completed) and some 70 volunteers were considered before 15 pilots were chosen for the operational tour of 3 months.
Formed at Northolt on 5 February 1943 as the Polish Fighting Team, initial preparations for overseas service took place at RAF West Kirby, and the unit embarked on 24 February, arriving in North Africa on 13 March 1943.
The team was initially attached as 'C' flight, to No. 145 Squadron RAF, (under ace S/L Lance Wade) equipped with the Spitfire Mk.V and operating from Bu Ghara, 150 miles west of Tripoli.
Commencing operations on 18 March the unit gained an immediate reputation for combat effectiveness. The unit re-equipped with the Supermarine Spitfire Mark IX in late March.
Flying Officer Mieczysław Wyszkowski was the only casualty in the PFT, shot down and taken prisoner-of-war on 18 April. Following the surrender of the German Army in Africa on 13 May, the PFT was disbanded.
Three pilots stayed on and became part of Desert Air Force units; Skalski became CO of No. 601 Squadron, Horbaczewski CO of No. 43 and Drecki a Flight Commander in No. 152.
Locations 13 March 1943 - Bu Grara 11 April 1943 - La Fauconnerie 15 April 1943 - Goubrine 6 May 1943 - Hergla 20 May 1943 - Ben Gardane Squadron equipment 15 March 1943 - Supermarine Spitfire F. Vb Tropicalised and Vc (inter alia: AB168, ER539 -7) 23 March - 26 May 1943 - Supermarine Spitfire F. IXc (inter alia: EN261 -10, EN267 -5, EN268 -7, EN286 -8, EN300 -9, EN315 -6, EN361 -3, EN459 -1)
Scores:
Team scores for March–May 1943
destroyed 25,
probable 3,
damaged 9
Personnel: F/Lt Stanislaw Skalski (C.O.) (claimed 3-1-0) F/Lt Waclaw Król (3-0-0) F/O Bohdan Arct (1-1-2) F/O Wladyslaw Drecki (1-0-1) F/O Eugeniusz Horbaczewski (5-0-0) F/O Jan Kowalski F/O Ludwik Martel (1-1-1) F/O Karol Pniak F/O Kazimierz Sporny (3-0-0) F/O Mieczyslaw Wyszkowski* POW(0-1-0) W/O Marcin Machowiak (1-0-2) W/O Wladyslaw Majchrzyk (1-0-1) W/O Bronislaw Malinowski (2-0-1) W/O Mieczyslaw Popek (2-0-1) W/O Kazimierz Sztramko(3-0-0)
↑ Derry, Martin; Robinson, Neil (2016). Flightcraft 11; English Electric Lightning. Barnsley: Pen & Sword. p.9. ISBN9781473890558.
Related Research Articles
Number 111 (Fighter) Squadron, also known as No. CXI (F) Squadron and nicknamed Treble One, was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1917 in the Middle East as No. 111 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps during the reorganisation of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force after General Edmund Allenby took command during the Sinai and Palestine Campaign. The squadron remained in the Middle East after the end of the First World War until 1920 when it was renumbered as No. 14 Squadron.
Number 54 Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Air Force based at RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire. On 1 September 2005, it took on the role of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) Operational Conversion Unit, and is now the Advanced Air ISTAR Academy, responsible for training all RAF crews assigned to the MQ-9A Reaper, Protector RG1 (MQ-9B), Shadow R1/R2, RC-135W Rivet Joint and Poseidon MRA1. It also controls the RAF ISR Warfare School (ISRWS) who run the Qualified Weapons Instructor Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance and QWI Reaper Courses.
The Polish Air Forces was the name of the Polish Air Forces formed in France and the United Kingdom during World War II. The core of the Polish air units fighting alongside the Allies were experienced veterans of the 1939 invasion of Poland. They contributed to the Allied victory in the Battle of Britain and Allied air operations during the war.
No. 118 Squadron was a squadron of the British Royal Air Force. Originally formed in 1918, it served as a fighter squadron in the Second World War, flying Spitfires and Mustangs. It flew jet fighters as part of RAF Germany in the 1950s, and Bristol Sycamore helicopters in Northern Ireland before finally disbanding in 1962.
Eugeniusz Horbaczewski was a Polish fighter pilot, a flying ace of World War II, also known as "Dziubek". According to official lists, Horbaczewski was the third highest scoring Polish fighter ace, with 16.5 confirmed kills and one probable kill. He was awarded several decorations, among others Virtuti Militari IV class (posthumously) and V class, four times Polish Cross of Valour, Distinguished Service Order (posthumously) and Distinguished Flying Cross (twice).
133 Squadron RAF was one of the famous Eagle Squadrons formed from American volunteers serving with the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War.
No. 74 Squadron, also known as 'Tiger Squadron' from its tiger-head motif, was a squadron of the Royal Air Force (RAF). It operated fighter aircraft from 1917 to the 1990s, and then trainer aircraft until its disbandment in 2000. It was the Royal Air Force's member of the NATO Tiger Association from 1961 until the squadron's disbandment, it has since been replaced by No. 230 Squadron.
Number 332 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was formed at RAF Catterick in the North Riding of Yorkshire on 16 January 1942, as a Supermarine Spitfire-equipped fighter squadron manned by Norwegians.
Stanisław Skalski, was a Polish aviator and fighter ace who served with the Polish Air Force and British Royal Air Force during the Second World War. Skalski was the top Polish fighter ace of the war and chronologically the first Allied fighter ace of the war, credited, according to the Bajan's list, with 18 11/12 victories and two probable. Some sources, including Skalski himself, give a number of 22 11/12 victories.
The Polish Fighting Team (PFT), also known as "Skalski's Circus", was a Polish unit which fought alongside the British Commonwealth Desert Air Force in the North African Campaign of World War II, during 1943. Its nickname was derived from its commanding officer, F/Lt Stanisław Skalski.
Number 19 Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It was the first squadron to operate the Supermarine Spitfire. It currently operates the UK's Control and Reporting Centre from RAF Boulmer. No. 19 Squadron delivers persistent surveillance of UK airspace, and Tactical Control of RAF and NATO aircraft, including the UK's contribution to NATO's Quick Reaction Alert mission.
Number 92 Squadron, also known as No. 92 Squadron and currently as No. 92 Tactics and Training Squadron, of the Royal Air Force is a test and evaluation squadron based at RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire. It was formed as part of the Royal Flying Corps at London Colney as a fighter squadron on 1 September 1917. It deployed to France in July 1918 and saw action for just four months, until the end of the war. During the conflict it flew both air superiority and direct ground support missions. It was disbanded at Eil on 7 August 1919. Reformed on 10 October 1939,at Tangmere Airfield, the unit was supposed to be equipped with medium bombers but in the spring of 1940 it became one of the first RAF units to receive the Supermarine Spitfire, going on to fight in the Battle of Britain.
Number 63 Squadron was a bomber aircraft and training squadron of the Royal Air Force that was active during various periods from 1916 to 1992. Originally using De Havilland DH4 aircraft in World War I, it was last equipped with BAe Hawk jet trainers.
Army Aviation Centre (AAC) Middle Wallop is a British Army airfield located near the Hampshire village of Middle Wallop, used for Army Air Corps training. The base hosts 2 (Training) Regiment AAC and 7 (Training) Regiment AAC under the umbrella of the Army Aviation Centre. 2 (Training) Regiment performs ground training; 7 (Training) Regiment trains aircrew on AAC aircraft after they complete basic training at RAF Shawbury.
Royal Air Force Fairwood Common, or more simply RAF Fairwood Common, is a former Royal Air Force Sector Station located on Fairwood Common, on the Gower Peninsula, to the west of Swansea. It is now the location of Swansea Airport.
No. 64 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It was first formed on 1 August 1916 as a squadron of the Royal Flying Corps. It was disbanded on 31 January 1991 at RAF Leuchars.
No. 340 Squadron RAF was formed at RAF Turnhouse in Scotland on 7 November 1941 as part of Le Groupe de Chasse IV/2 "Île-de-France". The squadron was first equipped with Supermarine Spitfire Mk I fighters and consisted of two flights - A Flight ("Paris") and B Flight ("Versailles").
787 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm which disbanded in January 1956. It formed in March 1941, at HMS Heron, RNAS Yeovilton, out of 804 Naval Air Squadron as a Fleet Fighter Development Unit. Almost every type of fighter was received by the squadron for testing and evaluation for naval use. A move to RAF Duxford in June 1941 saw it become the Naval Air Fighting Development Unit, attached to the Royal Air Force's Air Fighting Development Unit. The squadron undertook rocket projectile test, continuous development of fighter tactics and even helping Torpedo Bomber Reconnaissance squadrons in evading fighter attack. Post Second World War it continued its trials task and also undertook Rebecca radar trials and ASH, US-built air-to-surface-vessel radar trials.
Flying Boat Training Squadron RAF is a former Squadron of the Royal Air Force which was operational between 1931 and 1956 through various names.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
United Kingdom 
Royal Air Force 
