303 Squadron facts for kids

Quick facts for kids 303 Squadron
303 Squadron Honour Badge design
Active	2 August 1940 – 11 December 1946
Country	United Kingdom
Allegiance	Polish government in exile  United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Role	Fighter Squadron
Part of	RAF Fighter Command
Nickname(s)	"Rafałki", "Kosciuszko Squadron"
Scarf colour	Scarlet
Anniversaries	1 September Squadron holiday
Battle honours	Battle of Britain 1940, Fortress Europe 1941-1944, France and Germany 1944-1945
Commanders
Notable commanders	R. G. Kellett John A. Kent Zdzisław Krasnodębski Witold Urbanowicz Jan Zumbach Witold Łokuciewski
Insignia
Squadron Codes	RF (Aug 1940 – Apr 1945) PD (Apr 1945 – Dec 1946)
Aircraft flown
Fighter	Hawker Hurricane Supermarine Spitfire Mustang IV

No. 303 Squadron RAF (Polish: 303 Dywizjon Myśliwski "Warszawski im. Tadeusza Kościuszki", often shortened to Dywizjon 303) was one of two Polish squadrons to fight during the Battle of Britain along with squadron 302, of 16 total Polish squadrons in the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War.

Flying Hawker Hurricanes, the squadron claimed the largest number of aircraft shot down of the 66 Allied fighter squadrons engaged in the Battle of Britain, even though it joined the fray two months after the battle had begun.

No. 303 Squadron RAF was formed in July 1940 in Blackpool, England before deployment to RAF Northolt on 2 August as part of an agreement between the Polish Government in Exile and the United Kingdom. It had a distinguished combat record and was disbanded in December 1946.

303 Squadron was the subject of the 2018 film Hurricane.

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  303 squadron pilots. L-R: F/O Ferić, F/Lt Lt Kent, F/O Grzeszczak, P/O Radomski, P/O Zumbach, P/O Łokuciewski, F/O Henneberg, Sgt Rogowski, Sgt Szaposznikow (in 1940).

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  126 German aircraft or "Adolfs" were claimed as shot down by No. 303 Squadron pilots during the Battle of Britain. This is the score of "Adolfs" chalked onto a Hurricane.