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For Your Freedom and Ours: The Kosciuszko Squadron (Forgotten Heroes of World War II)
R40.00
Quick Overview
"The story of the Polish pilots who fought in the RAF in the Battle of Britain has often been briefly referred to in histories of the war, but it has never, before now, properly told. It is, simply, a great story. Trained by the Americans in the '20's, the Polish fighter pilots fought through the defeat of their own country in 1939 and then alongside the French in the fall of France the following year. Defying the orders of the French government to surrender to the Germans, they made their varied ways to Britain, where, far more experienced than their British counterparts, they became the RAF's most successful aces. In the Battle of Britain, flying as 303 Squadron, they downed 126 German planes, more than three times as many as any other squadron. Described by an American bomber pilot as 'the best damn fighter squadron in the world', they became heroes to the British and idols to young women. According to Sir Archibald Sinclair, Britain's wartime air force minister, without them 'our shortage of trained pilots would have made it impossible to defeat the German air force and so win the Battle.'Olson and Cloud tell the story of the Polish pilots, focussing on a small group of five. Pen inscription on first free page.
"The story of the Polish pilots who fought in the RAF in the Battle of Britain has often been briefly referred to in histories of the war, but it has never, before now, properly told. It is, simply, a great story. Trained by the Americans in the '20's, the Polish fighter pilots fought through the defeat of their own country in 1939 and then alongside the French in the fall of France the following year. Defying the orders of the French government to surrender to the Germans, they made their varied ways to Britain, where, far more experienced than their British counterparts, they became the RAF's most successful aces. In the Battle of Britain, flying as 303 Squadron, they downed 126 German planes, more than three times as many as any other squadron. Described by an American bomber pilot as 'the best damn fighter squadron in the world', they became heroes to the British and idols to young women. According to Sir Archibald Sinclair, Britain's wartime air force minister, without them 'our shortage of trained pilots would have made it impossible to defeat the German air force and so win the Battle.'Olson and Cloud tell the story of the Polish pilots, focussing on a small group of five. Pen inscription on first free page.
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| Author | Lynne Olson; Stanley Cloud |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Random House |
| Place | London |
| Year | 2004 |
| ISBN | 9780099428121 |
| Binding | Paperback |
| Condition | Good |
| Comments | Pen inscription on first free page. |
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Good: A few creases on the spine, perhaps a forward lean, bumping on corners or shelfwear; maybe an inscription inside or some shelfwear or a small tear or two on the dustjacket; inside clean but page edges might be somewhat yellowed.
Fair: In overall good condition, might have a severe forward lean to the spine, an inscription, bumping to corners; one or two folds on the covers and yellowed pages; in exceptional cases these books might contain some library stamps and stickers or have neat sticky tape which was used to fix a short, closed tear.
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