Pilots of the Battle of Britain - A true international rescue
The Battle of Britain was a key turning point in World War II and, even in 1940, the mix of nationalities who rallied to Britain's aid was varied and vast. Their motivations were as diverse as their nationalities. Vital combat experience came from the Low Countries and Eastern Europe, where the Nazi Blitzkreig had already crushed their own forces, leaving little time for escape. Patriotism and duty inspired those in the British Empire, Commonwealth and Dominions. A sense of adventure and a strong moral compass encouraged some from more diverse backgrounds, such as America, Palestine and Ireland. Here, we highlight just a few of this diverse 'Few'.
Pilot Officer Henryk Szczesny (Poland) was a fighter pilot in the Polish Air Force when he was wounded in September 1939. His escape from his homeland took him through Romania, Malta, France and finally England, arriving with the RAF in February 1940. He was a highly popular and successful operational pilot with 74 Squadron at RAF Hornchurch during the height of the Battle of Britain, claiming numerous victories and joining the ranks of the unofficial but highly admired 'Aces'. The contribution of the experienced Polish pilots was so significant in the Battle, that Dowding later wrote, "Had it not been for the magnificent material contributed by the Polish squadrons and their unsurpassed gallantry, I hesitate to say that the outcome of the battle would have been the same."
Mahindra Singh Pujji DFC (India) learned to fly in Delhi. The son of a senior civil servant, he was already an experienced pilot when he responded to the call to arms in search of adventure. He arrived in the UK in August 1940, with 24 comrades seconded from the nascent Indian Air Force, at the height of the Battle of Britain, black-outs and the Blitz. During his conversion training, Pujji watched the dogfights in the skies above and by February 1941 he was an RAF Flight Commander piloting Hurricanes and Spitfires, eventually reaching the rank of Squadron Leader. He later served in the Western Desert, as well as extensively in Burma, one of few Indian pilots to earn the campaign medals for all three theatres of war.
