Kosciuszko Squadron - why don't they bring it back?

why don't they bring back the Kosciuszko Squadron? It was way too important for way too long to just be disbanned and then not started again.

if anyone has a voice in the air force over in Poland, please, i beg you....ask them to create a new Kosciuszko Squadron to contnue the spirit of the legendary heroes of the Polish/Soviet War, and WW2-

Merian C. Cooper, Cedric Fauntleroy (the Americans who started it), Witold Urbanowicz, Jan Zumbach, Zdzislaw Krasnodebski, Miroslaw Feric, and Witold Lokuciewski (the 5 pilots who made it legendary)

its an important part of Polish history, and an inspirational story for young people with military dreams. Please, if you or someone you know can bring this up in the Polish air force, ask teh officers and commanders to do it. They just might bring back an important part of Poland.

also, do they talk about them in Polish schools?

please tell me you've heard of them?!!

I've not heard of them....What exactly does this group "do" or "represent" besides being a part of a military unit?

well, do you know of Pilsudski and Koscuiszko- the Polish generals who helped Washington's Army at Valley Forge, PA during the US revolution? well those 2 generals basically saved, along with a German and the French, the American cause. A man by the surname of Cooper fought with both men and told stories of it to his son, and his grandson.

This brings us to Merian C. Cooper. He was fascinated by the stories and believed America owed a debt to Poland. So after WW1, during the Polish/Soviet War, he met up with a few other US pilots and went to Poland to reapy this debt. There, he met up with the Americans who joined, most notable was Cedric Fauntleroy. He had also heard stories of the original two Poles and they named their American Squadron the "Kosciuszko Squadron" of the 111st Escadrille in teh Polish Airforce. They sweeped the Cossack and Tartar hosremen and helped save teh Polish army many times. After the war Poland put up statues of them and thanked them for their help, they were the biggest heroes of the time.

Then Jan Zumbach, Witold Urbanowicz, Witold Lokucziewski, and Miroslaw Feric were put under the command of Zdzislaw Kransodebski and formed the new "Koscuiszko Squadron". All these men were the modern Husiars of their time. They were fascinated with flying and were considered Poland's best pilots. The graduated flight school at Deblin, where they also learned how to be gentleman and how to attend proper balls and dances.

When the Nazis attacked the Polish Airforce had inferior planes and quickly fled to Romania, later to France, and then Great Britain. They were forced to only train while British pilots were dying fast and fresh recruits were put into planes after only a weeks training. Soon enough they finally used Polish pilots and quickly learned, that the 8,000 Polish airmen they had in GB at the time were going to save England. They became "the glamour boys of england" and were heroes. Movies and books were made about them during the war. They became Polish 303 squadron, but still reffered to themselves as the "Kosciuszko Squadron". They have more kills recorded in a single battle than any other RAF contingent in RAF history.


I wish i could tell you the whole story but you should really read the book, i do it no justice. it was written by two British authors and it will give you a whole new respect for Poland.


Its called "A Question of Honor" it is one of the greatest books you will read. Also "The Forgotten Few" is another good one, that deals with all eastern pilots-Poles, Czechs, etc.

http://questionofhonor.com/ - here's the website, you can by the english version or the Polish. I am pretty sure they plan on making this into a movie, but I am not positive.


I hope you read it.

-Artur

repeat please...


Sorry, just a BoB reference. I've always been mightily impressed by the Poles, in general and specifically with relation to the BoB. The movie I keep banging on about Dark Blue World shows the Czech involvement with the RAF but I do agree that the Polish contributon needs to be covered a bit more in depth.

I'll look into getting that book. Hope there is a German translation floating around, as I doubt i'll find the English version here.
I also do hope that you're right about the movie. If done properly, it could be fantastic.

Thanks for the links too. Interesting stuff.

Anyway, stop all that polish...chit chat and steer 3-1-0

23th AFB and 1st squadron continue traditions of 7th squadron from Polish-Bolshevik war and 303 squadron from WW2.

23blot.pl/historia.html

1elt.minskmaz.pl/historia/poczatki/index.html

do they still call themselves the Kosciuszko squadron, or do they just honor them and what not? sorry, i can speak Polish just fine, but have a hard time reading and writing because of living in the US.