RAF No 317 (Polish) Squadron

RAF No 317 (Polish) Squadron Spitfire photographs

Spitfire BM597/JH-C as flown by the Historic Aircraft Collection. Combat veteran, Spitfire Mk.Vb, (G-MKVB), BM597. One of 1000 aircraft built at Castle Bromwich against contract B981687/39, BM597 was delivered to No.37 M.U. at Burtenwood on 26 February 1942, being assigned to 315 Sqn on 7 May 1942 and on to 317 Sqn on 5 September 1942, both at Woodvale. On 13 February 1943, it suffered Cat B damage and was removed for repair on 28 February. It was ready for collection again on 2 June and No. 33 M.U. took delivery and on 9 June it was allocated to Vickers Armstrong for an undisclosed purpose. It returned to No.39 M.U. Colerne on 23 November before moving to No. 222 M.U.High Ercall (Packing Depot) on 4 January 1944 and then back to No. 39 M.U. on 14 April. It was stored there for almost a year until it was issued to No. 58 OTU, its last operational unit from which it was retired on 16 October 1945. It was then transferred to instructional airframe status at No. 4 S of TT, St Athen as 5713M.

Following St Athen, BM597 was assigned to Hednesford (1950-1955, Bridgenorth (1955-1960) and Church Fenton (1960-1989) as gate guardian. On 23 January 1967 it was dispatched from Henlow to Pinewood where it was used as the master for the moulds that were made to cast the fibre glass replicas used in the film ‘Battle of Britain’. It remained at Pinewood until August 1968 when it was returned to Henlow and finally to Church Fenton in 1969. Tim Routsis, the founder of Historic Flying, recovered the aircraft in 1989 as part of a deal with the RAF and sold it to HAC in 1993 with Historic Flying undertaking the complete restoration to original specification and flies now in the colours of 317 Squadron, though in an earlier camouflage paint scheme.*

Spitfire MkIXc RAF 317Sqn JHV at B10 Plumetot Aug 1944 IWM MH6852

Supermarine Spitfire Mark IXCs of No. 317 Polish Fighter Squadron in their dispersal areas at B10/Plumetot, August 1944.

Imperial War Museum IWM MH 6852 https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205207969

RAF 317Sqn FLt Rutkowski shots down a Dornier Do 217 over the Channel Dieppe raid IWM C3193

Stills from camera gun footage (K2180) taken from a Supermarine Spitfire Mark VB flown by Flight Lieutenant Kazimierz Rutkowski of No. 317 Polish Fighter Squadron, as he shot down a Dornier Do 217 over Dieppe, while providing fighter cover during the Combined Forces raid, 19 August 1942. He also destroyed a Heinkel He 111 during this sortie. F/Lt Rutkowski described the action in his report: 'After my first bursts I saw his airframe catch fire and afterwards parts of his plane started dropping off. I fired my last burst at less than 100 yards. I was then warned that FW 190s were on my tail but as I turned saw the Dornier crash and explode north of Dieppe.'

IWM C 3194 https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205211349

Woodvale, Southport, Merseyside, England Map