Polish Wings No. 41 Vickers Wellington I & I

The medium twin-engined Vickers Wellington bomber was regarded as the true “workhorse” of RAF Bomber Command in the early stages of the Second World War. Between 1939 and 1942, alongside the Handley Page Hampden and Armstrong Whitworth Whitley, it was the Wellington that carried the main weight of the RAF’s growing bombing offensive against the Third Reich. The type also served in Coastal Command units in the fight against U-boats and enemy shipping, and was used extensively for training RAF bomber crews. Production continued until October 1945, with a total of 11,462 built.

The Wellington also became the backbone of all four Polish bomber squadrons – 300, 301, 304 and 305 – as well as the OTU training establishments, where Polish crews gained their combat proficiency.

This volume in the Polish Wings series presents the history of the Vickers Wellington bombers in the Ic and II versions in Polish Air Force service in exile between 1940 and 1942. The first part covers Nos. 300 and 301 Squadrons and 18 OTU, while the second describes the combat operations of Nos. 304 and 305 Squadrons.