Commemorating the Contribution of Polish Aircrew during the Battle of Britain

Image, above: Group of young people visiting from Slough – where the Hawker Hurricane was made during WWII.

At the end of March, we welcomed a group of young people, aged 13-25, from ‘Aik Saath’ in Slough to the Museum to explore  the contribution of Polish Aircrew during the Battle of Britain.

Young person trying on RAF Uniform - part of the Museum's handling collection. During their visit, they tried on RAF uniforms and discovered the meanings behind the different badges that the Polish aircrew wore proudly on their uniforms during the Battle of Britain.

The group also explored the medals and artefacts of Polish aircrew on display in The Rotunda. As many of the visiting young people spoke Polish, they were able to help Museum staff with interpreting some of aircrew’s log-book entries.

 

 

Group of young people exploring a pilot's log-book on display.
The Polish 303 Squadron was made operational on 2 August 1940, and was pivotal to Allied victory during the Battle of Britain.

The visit was part of the Heritage Lottery Fund ‘Young Roots’ project, which will see the young people visiting other important heritage sites, including the Polish Memorial at RAF Northolt and the RAF Museum in Hendon, before they interview Polish veterans about their experiences during WWII.

The amazing stories from the interviews will then be embedded into an exhibition that the young people will curate, which will come to Bentley Priory Museum in the autumn of 2015, to commemorate the 75 Anniversary of the Battle of Britain.