Aquila Polonica - Poland WW2

06/05/2026

Kazimierz Wünsche, 303 Squadron fighter pilot, was born June 5, 1919. He was among the initial group of Polish Air Force pilots that made up the 303 Squadron.

During the Battle of Britain he shot down three confirmed and one probable German Me-109 fighters. The tables were turned on September 9, 1940, when he was himself downed by enemy fire. A month in the hospital was required before he could return to duty. He was credited with another 1½ aerial victories during the remainder of World War II.

Unlike many other Polish soldiers in the West, Wünsche decided to return to the newly communist Poland in 1947. He initially served in Poland’s air force as an instructor, but was expelled in 1952 and persecuted for his service with the Western Allies. It was only after Stalin’s death that the Polish communist regime eased pressure on Western Front veterans. Wünsche eventually found work within the civilian air medical and sea rescue services.

Kazimierz Wünsche was honored with Silver Cross of the Virtuti Militari; the Cross of Valour with three bars; the British Distinguished Flying Medal and Distinguished Flying Cross; and the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta. He died in 1980 and is buried at Powazki Cemetery in Warsaw.

Information from our book "303 Squadron: The Legendary Battle of Britain Fighter Squadron", written by Arkady Fiedler during the war with the help of 303 Squadron's top pilots. Available here:
https://www.amazon.com/303-Squadron-Legendary-Britain-Fighter/dp/1607720051

06/04/2026

"June 4 (Thursday) marks the anniversary of Poland’s first partially free elections after more than four decades of communist rule; a vote widely seen as a key event in the collapse of the Soviet-dominated order in Eastern Europe.

"Held on June 4, 1989, the election followed the Round Table talks between the communist authorities and the Solidarity opposition movement.

"Although the vote was only partly free, with many parliamentary seats reserved for the ruling party and its allies, Solidarity won an overwhelming victory in the freely contested races."

An incredible important moment in history! More at TVP World:

Poland Marks 1989 Election Anniversary.

06/04/2026

"Warsaw’s sewer system, one of the first in Europe, began operating 140 years ago. Built by British engineers, the sewers survived the destruction of World War Two, when they were used by underground resistance fighters to move around the city, and continue to serve Varsovians today."

An excellent read at Notes From Poland about the history behind Warsaw's extensive sewer system:

Built 140 years ago and still in use, Warsaw’s sewers connect the city to its brutal past May 31, 2026 | History, Society Keep our news free from ads and paywalls by making a donation to support our work! Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and is published by an independent, non-pr...

06/03/2026

1 Polish Fighter Wing entered offensive operations in June 1941, and was the first Polish Air Force wing formation to see combat during World War II since the 1939 Invasion of Poland. 1 Fighter Wing was composed of the veteran Polish 302 and 303 Squadrons, along with the newly formed 308 Squadron. They provided es**rt for many bombing raids into Axis-occupied Europe, and saw heavy fighting during the 1944 Liberation of France. This Polish formation continued operations until 1947, based in the British occupation zone in Europe after WWII.

The Polish Air Force contributed 16 full squadrons to the Allied war effort during WWII. By 1945, some 19,400 Polish personnel were operating in alliance with the Royal Air Force.

06/02/2026

"Years of diplomatic pressure have nearly eliminated wording that falsely links Poland to N**i German death camps, a Polish foreign ministry official has said.

"Many news organizations around the world have introduced procedures to prevent the use of misleading language suggesting that German concentration and extermination camps during World War II were Polish"

Glad to see this develop positively! Words do matter, and precise phrasing avoids miscommunication. Full story at Polskie Radio:

Years of diplomatic pressure have nearly eliminated wording that falsely links Poland to N**i German death camps, a Polish foreign ministry official has said.

06/01/2026

"An exhibition of photographs by Bolesław Augustis, a Polish documentary photographer who spent the best part of his life in New Zealand, opened at the Auckland Festival of Photography on Thursday.

"Titled Bolesław Augustis: Two Homelands, the exhibition features more than 100 works, primarily street photographs taken in Białystok, northeastern Poland, between the two world wars, along with images documenting Augustis' service in Gen. Władysław Anders' Polish Army during World War II and his later life in New Zealand."

What an incredible find now on display! See details and more photos at Polskie Radio:

An exhibition of photographs by Bolesław Augustis, a Polish documentary photographer who spent the best part of his life in New Zealand, opened at the Auckland Festival of Photography on Thursday.

05/31/2026

"Poland's lower house of parliament on Friday adopted a resolution marking the 250th anniversary of the United States, describing Polish-American friendship as a value shared across political divisions and highlighting the importance of the two countries' strategic partnership.

"It also extends wishes of prosperity to the American people on the 250th anniversary of the adoption of the US Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776."

250 years! Story at Polskie Radio:

Poland's lower house of parliament on Friday adopted a resolution marking the 250th anniversary of the United States, describing Polish-American friendship as a value shared across political divisions and highlighting the importance of the two countries' strategic partnership.

05/30/2026

"A large mural honoring a pioneering Polish pilot has been unveiled in Koszalin, highlighting the coastal city’s little-known aviation heritage and its role in the birth of the Polish Air Force.

"The artwork, covering the entire wall of a residential building, commemorates Colonel Wiktor Pniewski, one of several Poles who trained at Koszalin’s aviation school during World War I while serving in the German military."

A great way to remember a hero, details at TVP World:

The artwork commemorates the northwestern city of Koszalin’s rich aviation heritage.

05/29/2026

Hey one of our books, "The Mermaid and the Messerschmitt: War Through a Woman's Eyes," is listed in this reading club on Patch!

"Written with immediacy and emotional clarity, the book captures both the chaos of invasion and the impossible choices families faced while trying to survive."

Also nice to see so much history material make the list 🙂 Check out the full rankings here:
https://patch.com/us/across-america/10-books-patch-readers-can-t-stop-talking

Rulka Langer's "The Mermaid and the Messerschmitt: War Through a Woman's Eyes 1939-1940" is her firsthand account of the beginning of World War II as a woman in besieged Warsaw. Check it out here:
https://www.amazon.com/Mermaid-Messerschmitt-Through-Womans-1939-1940/dp/1607720019

From a brand partner: From page-turning mysteries to unforgettable historical fiction, readers share the books they loved most.

05/28/2026

"Poland and the UK have signed a treaty that will see them cooperate more closely on defence and security, including jointly developing a new air-defence missile, holding large-scale military exercises, and cooperating on countering Russian hybrid attacks."
https://notesfrompoland.com/2026/05/27/poland-and-uk-sign-treaty-deepening-defence-and-security-ties/

This new treaty is known as the Northolt Treaty, named after the RAF base from which Poland's 303 Squadron fought from during the Battle of Britain. 303 earned the highest score among all units during the Battle of Britain.

If you want to learn more about this legendary unit in aviation history, check out our book "303 Squadron: The Legendary Battle of Britain Fighter Squadron." It was written during the war by Arkady Fiedler with help from the squadron's top pilots. Available here:
https://www.amazon.com/303-Squadron-Legendary-Britain-Fighter/dp/1607720051

Poland and UK sign treaty deepening defence and security ties May 27, 2026 | Defence, Featured, Politics Keep our news free from ads and paywalls by making a donation to support our work! Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and is published by an independent, non-profit foundation tha...