1/72 SKY-GUARDIANS (WTW-72-022-003 ) SUPERMARINE SPITFIRE MK-Vb (JH-H - AD140) -317 Sqdn - R.A.F. Colerne 1941 POLISH AIRFORCE (LIMITED EDITION)

1/72 SKY-GUARDIANS (WTW-72-022-003 ) SUPERMARINE SPITFIRE MK-Vb (JH-H - AD140) -317 Sqdn - R.A.F. Colerne 1941 POLISH AIRFORCE (LIMITED EDITION) . . • No. 317 (City of Wilno) Squadron This unit was based at RAF Colerne when it received the Mk Vb and Vc in December 1941. It moved to RAF Northolt on the 1st April 1942 and after resting a Croydon for June, returned to the frontline in July and flew operations during Operation Jubilee on the 19th August. By the 1st September the unit was again resting at RAF Woodvale where with Nos.303 and 316 Squadrons they formed the 2nd Polish Fighter Wing. On the 3rd January 1943 the unit moved to Northolt and continued to move from base to base on an almost monthly basis until it re-equipped with the Mk IXe and LF Mk IXe in September 1943, and once converted joined the newly formed 131 (Polish) Airfield within the 2nd TAF. In March 1944 the unit moved to Llanbedr and started to train in the role of dive-bombing/ground-attack. On the 1st April all of 131 (Polish) Airfield moved to the Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) at Deanland, followed by a move to ALG Chainley on the 26th April and flew from there over the D-Day beaches in June. The unit moved again, this time to ALG Appledram on the 28th June, where a month later it relocated to France. It moved to ALG Plumetot in France on the 3rd August and between 25th November and 11th December the squadron rested back in the UK at Fairwood Common before returning to the continent. By the time of Operation Bodenplatte on the 1st January 1945 the unit was in action over St. Denijs where it shot down six conformed, one probable and four damaged, but lost eighteen Spitfires on the ground and several personnel were killed by the strafing Bf 109s and Fw 190s. The unit relocated a few times more and re-equipped with the Mk XVI in May 1945 before it was official disbanded at RAF Portreath on the 3rd January 1947 (although official records state this happened at RAF Hethel on the 18th December 1946 along with many other Polish squadrons in the RAF).