15th November to be named 'Polish Squadron Day'

A very special event at The Guildhall on Thursday 15th November 2012 will honour the members of 307 (Polish) Squadron RAF who protected the skies over Exeter during the Second World War.

Michael Parrott, who is a 'Friend of Higher Cemetery', was researching the history of the Cemetery's two chapels when he was shown a wooden memorial to a 307 Pilot tucked away on the wall of an unused corner of one of the chapels.  

He managed to obtain a translation of the memorial dedicated to Kazimierz Jaworksi and this led to further research on the night fighter squadron that defended the skies over Exeter and the surrounding area between 1941 and 1943.  During the Blitz of Exeter the outnumbered Polish crews fought bravely against their enemy and had it not been for their presence then the city would have suffered more devastation and almost certainly more people would have been killed.  

Four Luftwaffe Junkers bombers were shot down on the main night of the blitz. During the two years at Exeter, 21 of the squadron paid the ultimate sacrafice and 19 are buried at Higher Cemetery. Michael found in his investigations newspaper articles which described an important event that took place outside the West Front of the Cathedral on 15th November 1942, when Exeter became the first British city to be presented with the Polish National Flag due to the close links that the squadron and the city had formed. The Polish Flag was blessed by the Bishop of Exeter and then the squadron leader presented the flag to the Lord Mayor of Exeter.

The Squadron Leader said of the flag, "May it be a demonstration of our friendship, may we express our gratitude to the citizens of Exeter for many a proof of friendship which you have given us. May this flag you are about to receive be an outward sign of the tie which united our two nations.  May it remind the people of Exeter when the war is over that at one time Poles and Devonians fought and died for the same cause".

The mayor, accepting the flag, said, "The Norman towers of the Cathedral had looked down upon many scenes and changes in the last 800 years, but never had they witnessed a ceremony of greater significance.  We shall proudly hang this flag in our Guildhall to remind future generations of what Poland did for us and gave for us in the darkest hours through which this country of ours has passed.  May this flag ever be a symbol of our friendship and of the brotherhood of all nations of good-will".

Michael enquired with the City Council as to whether the flag was still at the Guildhall or if it had been mislaid over a period of 70 years.  He also suggested that if it had been mislaid then perhaps November 2012 would be a good time to correct the situation.

Exeter City Council has invesitgated and sadly the whereabouts of the flag over three generations is unknown.  However, the Lord Mayor's Office has worked with Michael in preparation for an important event, to be held at the Guildhall on 15th November 2012 (exactly 70 years after the Polish Flag Ceremony). Here a new Polish flag will be blessed by the Lord Mayor's Chaplain, and then in the presence of the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress, the Chief Executive and the Leader of Exeter City Council, three relatives of squadron personnel and special guests, the Polish flag will be raised over the Guildhall for the day, which in Exeter will be '307 Polish Squadron Day'.  

Michael has put together an exhibition, which will be on display for the general public on 15th November from 12.30pm-2.30pm, from 10am-4pm on Friday 16th November, and from 11am-4pm on Saturday 17th November.  Every year from now, 15th November will be '307 Polish Squadron Day' in Exeter where the Polish flag will proudly fly over the Guildhall.

Plans are already in place for Michael to have a book published hopefully in the not too far future with all the stories of the Squadron at Exeter that he has found in his investigations.