Czechoslovaks and Poles in Royal Air Force During the Battle of Britain

Abstract

The study deals with the involvement of foreign pilots in the Battle of Britain, both Czechoslovaks and Poles. Until now, there have been number of studies and monographies describing the formation and deployment of Czechoslovak and Pole pilots. Yet there has been no comparison of both sides. That is why this study focuses on a comparison of the legal status of Czechoslovak and Polish air force units, as well as their numbers, formations, and their structure. Using this approach, the aim is to answer in which aspects there were similarities and in which there were differences, thus, to set the phenomenon of Czechoslovak and Polish pilots in the RAF within a mutual context.