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By unit vote we dedicated 2018's event as field training during the Friday tactical while using Saturday for PAF training. Of course we forgot to take pictures on Friday as we were a little busy, Saturday however our war
correspondent Darragh was on hand to photographically document our various evolutions in the barracks. Here we are donning the blue in front of our PAF flag.
January 2018 - Fort Indiantown Gap, Annville, PA
Our topics were mainly basic refresher training. The day's courses consisted of:
- 305 Squadron unit history
- PAF/RAF rank Structure & specialty ratings
- Friendly vs Foe aircraft identification
- Typical crew composition, and responsibilities for Wellington, B-25, & Mosquito aircraft
- RAF flight gear
January 2018 - Fort Indiantown Gap, Annville, PA
We were fortunate to have the 2nd barracks floor available for training this year
January 2018 - Fort Indiantown Gap, Annville, PA
The flight gear class was especially interesting. Here two unit "volunteers" were dressed comparing early and mid to late war gear. SqdrnLdr Moore provided all the gear and went over the equipment piece by piece while dressing our crew members.
January 2018 - Fort Indiantown Gap, Annville, PA
Here we compare the observer harness and seat pack. Both would've been worn by Mosquito crew.
January 2018 - Fort Indiantown Gap, Annville, PA
Amid a brisk chill Saturday evening we lower our colours for the weekend. Afterwards we ate dinner at Funck's and off to the USO dance to trip the light fantastic until falling asleep on our feet by 22:00.
January 2018 - Fort Indiantown Gap, Annville, PA
Picking up from our PAF theme in January, we participated at the annual WWII air show held in Virgina Beach.
May 2018 - Warbirds Over the Beach, Military Aviation Museum, Virginia Beach, VA
Due to the typical mid May weather we wisely chose to portray members
of the 318 City of Gdansk squadron as they might have appeared in Italy, early 1945.
May 2018 - Warbirds Over the Beach, Military Aviation Museum, Virginia Beach, VA
318 served as a fighter reconnaissance squadron providing both photo intelligence and artillery spotting for the Polish II Corps. Here our intel officer briefs the crews on today's mission 2 April 1945, Bologna, Italy.
May 2018 - Warbirds Over the Beach, Military Aviation Museum, Virginia Beach, VA
In addition to our pre-mission briefings, we also demonstrated how to don RAF flight gear typical of the late war period.
May 2018 - Warbirds Over the Beach, Military Aviation Museum, Virginia Beach, VA
Piece by piece, our Fight Lieutenant Moore explained fit and functionality.
May 2018 - Warbirds Over the Beach, Military Aviation Museum, Virginia Beach, VA
Flying Officer Jared Cummings was the lucky recipient of an extra 40 lbs of flight gear on a hot, humid day.
May 2018 - Warbirds Over the Beach, Military Aviation Museum, Virginia Beach, VA
Here, squadron staff ponder the deeper implications of not having volunteered to put on the flight gear. Represented are intel (F.O. Petronis) II Corps liaison (ppor. Cooper) and squadron maintenance (P.O. Neri)
May 2018 - Warbirds Over the Beach, Military Aviation Museum, Virginia Beach, VA
After a hard day of mission planning, thinking, dressing and undressing we were all ready to relax at the hangar dance Saturday night
May 2018 - Warbirds Over the Beach, Military Aviation Museum, Virginia Beach, VA
About mid evening the band struck up a polka which required all Polish personnel to man the dance floor. Here F.O. Petronis ensures his runway is clear before whisking Amy Beechler at break neck speed into a sure collision with any non-Poles foolish enough to get in the way.
May 2018 - Warbirds Over the Beach, Military Aviation Museum, Virginia Beach, VA
After the dance we went back to camp for further decompression. Here Alisa Petronis has apparently lost her arms due to a tragic dance floor accident earlier in the evening.
May 2018 - Warbirds Over the Beach, Military Aviation Museum, Virginia Beach, VA
During a brief period of sunshine Sunday morning, we ventured out to see some of the museum's aircraft. Here 318 investigates appropriating a mosquito for the squadron. Unfortunately the staff did not leave the keys in it.
May 2018 - Warbirds Over the Beach, Military Aviation Museum, Virginia Beach, VA
Atop the control tower we discuss our latest mission with a Polish ATA ferry pilot (Amy Beechler). Amy's impression was a great reminder of the many roles Polish women volunteered for to further the cause of freedom.
May 2018 - Warbirds Over the Beach, Military Aviation Museum, Virginia Beach, VA
The really, really un-fun part of the weekend you don't normally get to see.
May 2018 - Warbirds Over the Beach, Military Aviation Museum, Virginia Beach, VA
2018 was our group's first year at the annual museum event in Nokesville.
We'd like to thank the event coordinator and museum staff for allowing us to
crew their Valentine for the weekend.
Here we portray the Lancers as they would've looked while training in
Iraq, late 1942.
September 2018 - Virginia Museum of Military Vehicles, Nokesville, VA
Throughout the weekend we took this unique opportunity to run crew drills on the Valentine. In addition to the basics of mounting and dismounting by crew position, we practiced laying the gun on target and estimating range.
September 2018 - Virginia Museum of Military Vehicles, Nokesville, VA
Adjacent to the vehicle we also had a small headquarters set up.
September 2018 - Virginia Museum of Military Vehicles, Nokesville, VA
In addition to their large allied armor holdings, the museum also owns target vehicles as depicted here.
September 2018 - Virginia Museum of Military Vehicles, Nokesville, VA
There were also some great U.S. impressions of crew over the weekend.
September 2018 - Virginia Museum of Military Vehicles, Nokesville, VA
Here our portly lieutenant wedges himself into the turret. Too much kielbasa.
September 2018 - Virginia Museum of Military Vehicles, Nokesville, VA
The driver has the most spacious compartment in the tank. Here Jared contemplates the difficulties of maneuvering via periscopes and vision slots.
September 2018 - Virginia Museum of Military Vehicles, Nokesville, VA
WWII Polish LHG pulled out and dusted off our Polish Independent Parachute Brigade uniforms for the annual Currahee Warriors weekend in Toccoa. This was our first year attending the event and we'd like to thank the organizers for inviting us.
Part of the weekend's activities was a parade through town for which we provided the color guard element.
We worked with some amazing U.S. paratrooper elements as well as the British 21st IPC and would like to thank them for their warm hospitality.
October 2018 - Curahee Warriors Weekend, Toccoa, GA
Our intrepid war correspondent covering the action. Well, mostly heat. Unfortunately for us the first weekend in October was an unseasonably hot low 90's.
October 2018 - Curahee Warriors Weekend, Toccoa, GA
After the initial set up of our camp, Dennis & Chris don period P/T gear.
Notice the shinny foreheads. Did I mention it was hot out?
October 2018 - Curahee Warriors Weekend, Toccoa, GA
Here Wireless Operator Petronis dons the WS38 set and combat kit risking almost certain spontaneous combustion for the sake of historical accuracy.
October 2018 - Curahee Warriors Weekend, Toccoa, GA
Friday night the event sponsored a dance which was well attended. Before departure our members wisely chose to don cooler clothing.
October 2018 - Curahee Warriors Weekend, Toccoa, GA
Our alter egos of 305 Squadron, Polish Air Force at the Monroe Airshow. As you may have noticed by our mud bespattered boots and uniforms the weather did not cooperate this year. At night the temps dropped to the upper 20's and the days although sunny after Saturday, were not particularly warm. Let's say it was good wool wearing weather.
November 2018 - Warbirds Over Monroe, Monroe County Airport, NC
Alisa our WAAF had it the worst of all with her low quarter shoes and skirt. My the end of the weekend her feet were pretty much frozen but she toughed it out.
November 2018 - Warbirds Over Monroe, Monroe County Airport, NC
The squadron intel officer was ordered to ride around and find some dry ground.
November 2018 - Warbirds Over Monroe, Monroe County Airport, NC
Failing to find anything but mud in the fields, we resorted to borrowing a Dutch marked Beechcraft twin for aerial reconnaissance. Unfortunately for us, the previous crew didn't leave the keys in it.
November 2018 - Warbirds Over Monroe, Monroe County Airport, NC