POLISH SQUADRON

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24405, 17 September 1940, Page 7

POLISH SQUADRON

A RAID ON BOULOGNE SUCCESSFUL OPERATION ■ k -(British Offibiat Wireless) . , :■ : U:; ;’..V : 1 RUGBY; Sept, is: s ; The. ; Commander-in-Chief of the Bomber Command, Air Marshal Sir C. F>S. Portal, to-day sent the following message to the O.C. Bomber Station ■ where the,Polish squadrons are based,- which;-.took part in: last night’s air - raid on Boulogne: Hearty .-congratulations to your Polish crews on the successful completion of their first operation last night.” Last night’s successful attack on Boulogne, in which the Polish bomber squadrons co-operated with R.A.F. units, was the first raid against the enemy to be tarried out by Polish bomber crews operating from Britain The two squadrons from

which the crews were drawn were formed only three weeks aeo. The pilpts who took part in last night’s raid are, between 26 and 28 years of age, and, like the members of their crews.;, have all had previous fighting experience in the Polish Air Force. Describing their raid on Boulogne, an observer in one Polish bomber said; “Searchlight and anti-aircraft opposition was every bit as bad as we had been led to expect, but these aircraft of yours are good, and we were able td evade most of it We saw our bombs striking the harbour Works and bursting on the basins, and. we came home very much happier than we have been for a long time.”