Who were the pilots in the Battle of Britain?

7 Pilots Who Flew In The Battle of Britain

• Adolph Malan. Photographs.
• Adolph Malan. Adolph Malan was one of the leading fighter pilots of the Second World War.
• Brian Lane. Photographs.
• Brian Lane. Brian Lane joined the RAF in 1936 and flew with No.
• Billy Fiske. Photographs.
• Billy Fiske.
• Witold Urbanowicz.
• Witold Urbanowicz.

What was the best squadron in the Battle of Britain?

303 Squadron
303 Squadron became the most successful Squadron during the Battle, shooting down 126 German aircraft in only 42 days. The Poles’ fearsome reputation was deserved; 303 Squadron made the highest number of victory claims during the Battle of Britain, despite only joining it halfway through.

How many kills did 303 Squadron?

303 Squadron was about 55–60. According to Polish historian Jacek Kutzner, the verified number of kills of 303 Squadron is around 58.8, which would still place it above all other squadrons for verified kills.

Is 303 Squadron a true story?

This is the story of the highly regarded fighter squadron, in which served mainly airmen from Poland, in the history of aerial combat and their heroic defence of England during WW2, Battle o… The 303 Squadron shot three times more Luftwaffe planes than any other allied squadrons.

How many pilots were in the Battle of Britain?

3,000 pilots
Over 3,000 pilots fought for Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain.

What was a squadron in ww2?

A squadron in air force, army aviation, or naval aviation is a unit comprising a number of military aircraft and their aircrews, usually of the same type, typically with 12 to 24 aircraft, sometimes divided into three or four flights, depending on aircraft type and air force.

What happened to the Polish pilots of 303 Squadron after the war?

The 1,903 personnel killed are today commemorated on the Polish War Memorial at RAF Northolt. After the war, some of the Polish airmen settled in Britain and continued their service in the RAF, mostly as flight instructors.

How many squadrons were in the Battle of Britain?

71 squadrons
A total of 71 squadrons took part in the Battle of Britain. Here’s a closer look at the different squadrons based at locations throughout the UK during the Battle of Britain.

What were ww2 pilots called?

A sergeant pilot was a non-commissioned officer who had undergone flight training and was a qualified pilot in the air forces of several Commonwealth countries before, during and after World War II. It was also a term used in the United States Army Air Forces, where they were commonly called flying sergeants.

Who was the driving force behind piloting in the Battle of Britain?

His driving force for this behaviour during the battle was very personal – his wife and young son. He told fellow Battle of Britain pilot Alan Deere that his family ‘gave him an absolutely definite thing to fight for and defend’ during those intense months.

Who shot down six enemy aircraft in the Battle of Britain?

Flying Officer Leonard Haines of No. 19 Squadron sits on the forward fuselage of his Spitfire Mk Ia at Fowlmere, September 1940. Haines shot down six enemy aircraft during the Battle of Britain. © IWM CH 1373 Richard Leoline Jones finished his RAF training in July 1940 and went to No. 64 Squadron at Kenley.

Who was the first Spitfire pilot in the RAF?

On that day, Squadron Leader Geoffrey Stephenson led his 19 Squadron – the RAF’s first to be Spitfire-equipped – from Duxford to Hornchurch.

Who was the leader of 74 Squadron in WW2?

After serving in operations over Dunkirk in 1940, 74 Squadron took part in the Battle of Britain. In August, Malan was given command of the squadron and led its members through one of the most challenging periods of the war. He was a tough leader, who demanded high standards of his men.