A message from our President, General Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank
'I am delighted to be associated with the work of the Polish Heritage Society and very honoured to serve as its President. The Society's work highlights the enormous contribution which generations of Poles have made to their adopted country. Preserving and celebrating that heritage will only further strengthen the ties between Poland and the United Kingdom.
I worked closely with the Society on the project to build a memorial to the Polish Forces at the National Memorial Arboretum and saw at first hand the energy and dedication of those involved.
I encourage you to explore this website and learn about the many other projects the Society has sponsored. Do please contact us if you would like to be involved in any way'.
General The Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank GCB LVO OBE
A Debt of Dishonour is a unique documentary film dedicated Major General Sosabowski and all ranks who served in the 1st Polish Independent Parachute Brigade Group and to their Comrades-in-Arms of the 1st British Airborne Division that fought in the ill-fated “Operation Market Garden” at Arnhem and Driel during September 1944.
This year an exhibition by ‘307 Squadron Project’ will take place at the Exeter's Guildhall from 13th November until 15th November to coincide with the flag raising. The Polish flag will be flying over Guildhall on 15th November, which since 2012 has become known as ‘307 Squadron Day’ in the city.
307 Polish Squadron, part of the RAF, were night-fighters who protected Exeter and South-West England during the Second World War. The Polish fought the German Luftwaffe over the dark skies of Devon and prevented Exeter from being totally destroyed during the blitz on the city in 1942. More than 70 years later ‘307 Squadron Project’, a non-profit British-Polish organisation, has been established to promote the role and carry out further research on the squadron that were known as the ‘Lwow Eagle Owls’. The project is also promoting British-Polish co-operation between the two nations.
The free exhibition at the Guildhall, which is in both English and Polish, is open from:
On Saturday 15th November, the Polish flag will be raised over the Guildhall at 10.00 by the Lord Mayor of Exeter and the exhibition will be accompanied by the Lord Mayor’s Coffee Morning in aid of local charity Exeter Leukaemia Fund.
There are expected to be a number of relatives of squadron members attending, and hopefully a veteran of the squadron who has remained in Exeter since the war. Also attending will be Richard Kornicki CBE, the Chairman of the Polish Air Force Memorial Committee, who on 15th November at 14.30 will be talking about the Polish Air Force in the West, and the role of the PAFMC. This is a free talk however seating is limited and free tickets will be handed out on the day to those interested in attending the talk which will take place upstairs in the Jury Room.
For more information on the 307 Squadron Project and for further details on the exhibition at the Guildhall please visit: www.307squadron.org