THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN (1969) | The Polish Pilots | MGM

In 1940, the British Royal Air Force fights a desperate battle to prevent the Luftwaffe from gaining air superiority over the English Channel as a prelude to a possible Axis invasion of the U.K.
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The Battle of Britain (1969)
Directed by Guy Hamilton
Screenplay by James Kennaway & Wilfred Greatorex
Cast: Harry Andrews, Michael Caine, Trevor Howard, Curt Jurgens, Ian McShane, Kenneth More, Laurence Olivier, Nigel Patrick, Christopher Plummer, Michael Redgrave, Ralph Richardson, Robert Shaw, Patrick Wymark, Susannah York
Rated G
Available on Blu-Ray, DVD and digital platforms.
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The Battle of Britain (1969)
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[@MrBirchieBirch]

Massive respect to our Polish brothers in arms. The UK is forever thankful.

[@japethstevens8473]

But don't forget Yalta and the Polish carve up. My boys' ancestral homes of Lwow and Vilnius are now in Ukraine (Lviv), and Lithuania. Both countries were part of the Soviet Union at the time. Also, Britain ignored the contributions of the Polish Government in Exile during the 1947 celebrations as it recognised the then Communist government running Poland at that time.

[@Watcher4111]

@@japethstevens8473 Churchill wanted to fight soviets right after ww2. He wanted to push them back from Poland and other countries but i guess noone wanted ww3

[@birotariusintaberna818]

That is some BS. With friends like the UK one doesn't need enemies. As for the gratitude you can stick it you know where.

[@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684]

@@japethstevens8473 So what you're saying Japeth is that Britain, in line with the United Nations declaration that the Warsaw based "Polish provisional government of national unity" was the official Polish government, actually DID sent Poland an official invite?

[@parazatico9030]

@@birotariusintaberna818 I'm sorry you feel like that, but I don't blame you. Please just know that some English people are genuinely and sincerely grateful.

[@boltonkevin]

The Polish 303 Squadron was the most successful unit during the Battle of Britain. We have a lot to be grateful for from our Polish comrades.

[@planet_69]

All were long term veterans from the Polish air force with many years of flying experience all put together in two fighter squadrons 303 and 303, whilst other raffle squadrons were filled with new pilots, the raf having seen far more combat and having lost over 300 pilots up to the b of b, so yes they should have performed better.

[@twirajuda]

@@planet_69the Poles should have performed better? They did perform - as in performed far better than other RAF squadrons, as they had more flying time and more experience than their British comrades. Who’d you think taught the RAF to shoot and fly more effectively?

[@MarkHoltze]

they had it in for the Germans because of the BLIZ....revenge was a huge driving force behind them.

[@yvo3770]

​@@twirajuda I think you misunderstand. 'Should have performed better' than the other squadrons, not should have performed better!

[@marka5478]

My grandfather used it to the police when he was a witness to a failed attempt at stealing a car. The car's owner happened on the scene when he exited a store, then he grabbed the thief and proceeded to pummel him. When the police arrived and tried to get a statement, my grandfather pretended not to understand the officer and replied in a mix of Slovak and badly fractured English.

[@mikethecabbie8476]

Love this film, and this is my favourite sequence. Pure comedy, and a lovely tribute to the brave Poles who fought with us.

[@jamesnicholson3658]

you can find the full movie on youtube too

[@jasoncornell1579]

Best bit. . .this actually happened🤣🤣🤣

[@jimwalsh8520]

@@jasoncornell1579 It did not!

[@TheCrimsonFckr]

@@jimwalsh8520 It did.

[@jimwalsh8520]

@@TheCrimsonFckr Alas no it did not. Ben Fisz the co producer was told to include. If you know history, you would know fact from hysterical fiction. 450 RAF fighters, Spitfires and Hurricanes were airborne on the 15th Septembr, 28 were poles. So obviously they were so bloody super, they saved the day! Grow up

[@philshyu5248]

Did anybody get a chuckle out of the fact that they pretended not to understand any English until the announcement that they were operational. Selective language skills…. 🤣

[@backinblack03]

Essential skill of any soldier, knowing when to play dumb

[@andywhite40]

Which is what makes the scene all the funnier!! Undoubtedly my favourite part of the film!!

[@davidcronan4072]

My late Polish father-in-law used to play that trick here in the UK whenever his car was pulled over by the police for a minor motoring infringement.

[@monikaskirzynska-podgorska4579]

Indeed.. “ sorry , language issue “ is my excuse for everything. In fact.. I live in the UK for 12 years and I don’t have problems with English at all. 😂

[@bessarion1771]

I use it to this day

[@davidmurray5399]

I grew up in Chicago, and many of my friends had Polish-speaking family members. What the Polish pilots said was that they recognized German aircraft, any Polish pilot in 1940 would have reacted the same way.

[@piotrmalewski8178]

I remember reading in, I believe it was a note to Arkady Fiedler's 'Division 303' book, that one of the pilots was actually displeased with this scene. He said; 'We didn't gaggle like gooses'. This was connected to the fact that those were elite pilots who originally trained and fought on fighters without radios, so they didn't have a habit of using the radio in the first place. But the reaction as of immediate attack without orders is historically correct.

[@lotuselise4432]

My Uncle flew in 305 then emigrated to the US and funnily Chicago ended up in Illinois on Minuka Road I believe.

[@izchicago4524]

I am from Ukraine but still got what they were saying.

[@mareksicinski3726]

Let alone after being given a fighter plane after such a long time and no chance to fight while tha battle was raging and they had no chance of proving themselves and serving victroy

[@lukasvillar9328]

"Silence in polish!" Priceless.

[@gengis737]

Polish pilots were well trained. They had combat experience from Poland invasion then Battle of France, and kept on fighting stubbornly despite defeats.. They needed to qualify on British planes, but had more experience than most British.

[@wojtekgoebiewski8560]

Polish pilots had average flytime around 3k hours when usually british pilots had around 900h flytime, that affected alot, also the technic they used was different during the dogfight

[@ChristopheA-dd5we]

What are you talking about ? A total of 145 Polish fighter pilots served in the RAF during the Battle of Britain so a lo moret of British pilot have already experience of fighting during the battle of Norway and France.

[@gengis737]

@@ChristopheA-dd5we Polish fighters were less numerous, but had longer battle experience than British - only a small fraction of RAF fought the battle of France.

[@raypurchase801]

@@ChristopheA-dd5we The Poles were already trained aviators when their country was invaded. They escaped to France, but the French were distrustful of aircrew who'd been shot out of the sky within days. The Poles were extensively retrained by the French, whose equipment was different from that of the Polish air force. France fell and the Poles escaped to Britain. The RAF didn't doubt the Polish spirit, but the Poles spoke no English and Fighter Command was the first in the world to be controlled and guided from the ground. The Poles were extensively retrained. Another problem was that the Poles were used to a/c with fixed undercarriages. The Poles kept forgetting to lower their wheels before landing, which made the RAF doubt their skills. Hence the Poles being given more time in the air before committing them to battle. By September 1940, the Poles were among the most highly-trained and experienced aircrew in the world. There is no substitute for time in cockpit for a combat aviator.

[@raypurchase801]

@@gengis737 The Poles were among the most highly-trained aviators in the world, having been trained and retrained by their own air force, the French and then the RAF. Other factors included being kept out of the early phase of the BoB, when Luftwaffe fighters were attacking from out of the sun as the RAF climbed from their bombed-out airfields. RAF losses were very heavy during that time, but the Poles were in reserve and were spared the slaughter.

[@seventhson27]

During the battle with the Bismark. A Polish manned destroyer ran close past the Bismark, blasting away with their 5in guns. All the while signaling "We are Poles!"

[@13macias84]

ORP Piorun, G65, british N-Class Destroyer, Piorun fought with Bismarck for an hour, not allowing the visual contact to be broken and giving Adm Tovey the opportunity to join forces. His commander was to give the order before the start of the attack "Three salvos in honor of Poland"

[@jimwalsh8520]

@@13macias84 Actually that is apocrypha

[@13macias84]

​@@jimwalsh8520 Yes you're absolutly right, and that's why I wrote "His commander was to give the order" not "His commander gave the order" Even the Polish Navy chronicler Perepeczko writes that this order is uncertain - there is no mention about in the Log Book, but apparently veterans mention that Pławski was supposed to utter such words. Where is the truth? Who know...

[@krakenpots5693]

PIORUN!!!

[@jimwalsh8520]

@@krakenpots5693 You obviously believe in fairy stories

[@skylongskylong1982]

I remember chatting RAF pilot several weeks ago, who’s RAF Squadron had been sent to one of the Baltic states. He was in formation with two Polish Air Force elderly MiG 29 aircraft. One minute the Poles were there , and a split second latter they were gone ! They had seen four Russian aircraft just outside Baltic airspace, and chased them off without any orders . Polish pilots today still made of the same stuff, as there Great Grandfather’s

[@ffjsb]

They don't want to go through any of that BS again...

[@bigdrift1]

@DAVID Dragonetti NATO joint flight operations are currently active and ongoing with many multinational units patrolling together.

[@tada869]

@DAVID Dragonetti Hey David, you both right and wrong, depends on how you look at it (I'm talking about movie clip). Desperate times call for desperate measures. Yes, they broke direct order, but the same time they shoot down some bombers. Sometimes, you just cannot be that stiff. I see your point, though. On the other hand history is full of these examples. One thing though. In English, nationality of a person (or people) is written with capital letter like: English, Scottish, , Polish, American, Mexican etc.

[@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684]

@@bigdrift1 "NATO joint flight operations". Ah!!! The efforts of corporate globalism to effect "regime change" in Russia are carrying on unabated I see......

[@Spudtron98]

@@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684 God forbid countries actually work together.

[@stuartmiddleton1972]

"Silence in polish" - one of the funniest lines ever. Thank you Poland, Czech, Hungarian, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand and a myriad of other commonwealth countries (SA, Zimbabwe) etc. - good peoples defeating evil. The British Empire wasn't perfect but a German one based on Hitler's ideas? Our world stands in all of your debt. Thank You.

[@pietvanels]

I think Hungarians were on Axis side. 😁

[@neilclark2245]

Repeat please.....................

[@videoluvver1]

@@neilclark2245 😆

[@n35ql]

​@@pietvanels Yes, unfortunately we were. For a matter of fact we always tend to choose the wrong side.

[@jonathanwilliams1065]

“Never in the Field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to do few”

[@Jones-xx2gc]

I love this clip, the Polish pilots were fearless. Thank you.

[@enoughothis]

Not just the pilots, wherever the served: in the sky, on the ground, or at sea, the Poles had a reputation for being blood-spitting Mad Lads determined to stick in to the Germans anyway they could.

[@puffin51]

The Poles have the same love for the Germans as they have for the Russians, and for much the same reasons.

[@wcresponder]

They were ticked.....it helped.

[@Spacey_key]

Not fearless, just crazy enough to fly so close to the german planes so they can see fear and panick in german's eyes

[@tommyatkins2527]

@@puffin51 god bless the poles

[@zozetamad3022]

I served with Polish forces in Iraq in 2007. So glad to have freedom loving people on our side.

[@the_babbleboom]

"served in iraq" "freedom loving" so you were serving for freedom in iraq, is that what that massacring was? interesting, by any real standards it was anything but that. and you wonder why the world hates you?

[@Chris-the-Saxon]

I love the polish!! Great country! Great history and some amazing castles!!

[@calvinduke4810]

Two finger 🤞 salute to Polish pilot's they are Hero's

[@bessarion1771]

"Silence, in Polish!" is my favorite quote of all times.

[@KManXPressTheU]

Repeat Please..

[@davesy6969]

​@KManXPressTheU Repeat please.....

[@Trek001]

@@davesy6969 Repeat, please

[@markwawrzyniak109]

Poland - nation with balls. Greetings from Canada.

[@supreme3376]

Ronald Kellet Likes that

[@gutsfinky]

I've said for a few years now that if things go sideways here in the US then I'm moving to Poland, because at least those guys know who they are and won't go down without a fight. I'm so impressed by them.

[@ovalhunter488]

@@gutsfinky I've been eyeing Switzerland. I like their policy of neutrality.

[@goodshipkaraboudjan]

My (Australian) grandfather fought with the Poles in North Africa, said they had a great sense of humour despite the language barrier.

[@Radbug11]

In Tobruk?

[@robshirewood5060]

They also had the wonderful bear called Voijtek (Wojtek?) who basically became a soldier.

[@goodshipkaraboudjan]

@@Radbug11 Potentially, he was there and elsewhere in North Africa so was at Tobruk but not sure if the Poles were there at the same time. Being a mechanic by trade he ended up driving and repairing the captured Italian light tanks.

[@lawrencelewis2592]

The last veteran of the Polish squadrons died a few years ago at the Copernicus Lodge, a seniors' residence here in Toronto.

[@barbarasteranka6001]

Piotr Kuryłowicz ex 315 sqn. Polish Air Force, alive still, he has over 100 old.

[@lawrencelewis2592]

@@barbarasteranka6001 really? Where does he live?

[@DotepenecPL]

Except there are still some alive.

[@lawrencelewis2592]

@@DotepenecPL Really- when the guy died, it was mentioned in the papers how he was the last one. I guess they were wrong.

[@DotepenecPL]

@@lawrencelewis2592 Possibile. Maybe the information wasn't precise. Maybe he was the last one of one of the squadrons? Maybe the last one who took part in battle of Britain? Do you remember his name maybe?

[@Rekaert]

Great scene that manages to be comical, uplifting, and respectful of the Polish pilots who fought.

[@dhall5785]

Super tough people and super intelligent, with a wicked sense of humour. I’m biased as my grandfather was Polish and my hero

[@leojanuszewski1019]

Hail Polska'!

[@backrowbrighton]

One of the best scenes in the film. The Poles and the Czechs brought many experienced pilots into the RAF.

[@jzzr345]

My buddies Dad was a Pole in the British Army and was in The Battle of Monte Cassino . He was a tough but also nice and fair guy .

[@Stevesolo1950]

My father was part of the 8th army and was in North Africa and at Monte Cassino

[@mike_skinner]

@@Stevesolo1950 My father was in the Free Poles with the 8th army. He fought to the tip of Italy where they met the Americans coming up.

[@1951GL]

RAF 303 Squadron was Polish - defended London. Always got very close to the German bombers to ensure success. Brave men.

[@tarikwildman]

Top Scorers

[@janjanczyk1326]

Poles are the best

[@CS-lz1nz]

While this is was fun to see, the truth was that Polish RAF Pilots were very disciplined... and in fact, trained many future foreign pilots (USA/Canada/etc). While the Polish pre-WW2 airforce did not consist of overly modern aircraft, their training and discipline was second to none.

[@barbarasteranka6001]

You right, Deblin academy was one the best aviation in worldwide.

[@vito7428]

I don't think they meant to show them as completely rowdy and undisciplined. More like a ragtag group of veteran pilots who are itching for a chance to get revenge on their invader which I wouldn't blame them for. I totally get your point though

[@CS-lz1nz]

@@vito7428 well most certainly, there was no ill intent in casting them in a such light. It just isn't good optics for a broader audiance, if you know what I mean :).

[@vito7428]

@@CS-lz1nz I totally get that. Wouldn't want to cause misconceptions among people who view historical media casually and aren't very familiar with the historical details

[@nilsmadej9091]

I find that interesting that the reason why polish were so skilled in flying was exactly because of the antiquated airforce. At the time of 1939 invasion the polish aircraft were inferior to that of Germany, this forced the polish pilots to improvise by executing much harder manouvers than the opponents. This has led to mostly highly trained and skilled pilots to survive, thus the bias. When those skilled and vengeful veterans got inside newer planes no wonder they were more successful.

[@NardoVogt]

love how the whole crew of pilots didn't wait for the translation of the message. Shows that they all understood perfectly well - they only choose to listen to what they wanted to hear.

[@timdyer5903]

God bless the Poles. Forever.

[@Mumek21]

As a Pole I thank you!

[@janusz-bl8eu]

Tyko że mu w tym przeszkadzają Szwaby..

[@williampaz2092]

I just LOVE this scene - they actually all spoke English the whole time! 😂

[@trajan75]

I had occasion to visit the Polish Cemetary in Monte Cassino in Italy It is very impressive, The Poles made the final assault on the German position there. They fought bravely and asked and gave no quarter there. After the was Poland was betrayed by the allies and ceded to the Soviets. 50 years later they were instrumental in causing the collapse of that evil empire.

[@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684]

by "ceded" to the Soviets you mean the Soviets reneged on their feb 1945 Yalta agreement, so when someone steals something, do you blame the police for not preventing it?

[@trajan75]

@@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684 I do not disagree with your phrasing

[@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684]

@@trajan75 Agree or not, it is what happened. The Soviet Union signed the agreement at the Feb 1945 Yalta conference for the formation of the "Polish provisional government of national unity" comprised of both the Communist "Lublin Committee" and the nationalist Polish Government in exile then based in London...... and then at the August 1945 Potsdam conference they flatly refused to allow the nationalists to re-enter Poland, thereby subjecting Poland to over 40 years of communist rule.

[@Litwinus]

@@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684 They didn't break anything, England and the USA agreed behind Poland's back that it should belong to the Soviet sphere of influence.

[@ShootRapids]

@@Litwinus What else could west have been able to do as whole east europe was occupied by russian forces? Stalin had the advantage and west did not want to continue ww2 against another terrorist and imperialistic country. Europe was already in ruins.

[@atenachos6282]

Cezch's, Slovak's Dutch, Belgians The RAF was stacked with will power and talent.

[@nickb-]

35 Australians flew combat missions in the Battle of Britain, 8 became aces, 10 were killed.

[@ghandimauler]

Some good American volunteers and Canadian ones. And many brave female pilots that had to ferry fighters across the Atlantic to help keep the number of working allied planes as high as it could be when the Germans were hammering them. When push comes to shove, the Allies backed each other up.

[@newton18311]

@@nickb- Thank them for their service, All gave some, But Some gave all.

[@kaycey7361]

South Africans, Australians, Newzealander, Indians , Rhodesians, British South West Africans

[@mikeleo5990]

Yup basically the cream of the crop pilots from all over the world 👌🖖

[@bessarion1771]

When this movie came out, the former Polish pilots had a love-hate relationship with it. They loved it, because it was the first time that the contribution of the Polish pilots was acknowledged in a Western movie and in a very positive way, and they hated it because unlike in the movie, the Polish pilots were VERY disciplined and it included the radio communication.

[@lindapocklington7816]

Yorkshire Television made a documentary which was transmitted on the national 'First Tuesday' slot on the 1st of September 1985 and repeated on 9th November 1986. My husband filmed it and was lucky enough to meet and talk with many of the Polish and other pilots and hear their confidential remarks.

[@shanewaterman4125]

A little fact about the real encounter on which this scene is based: half the Polish aircraft which 'engaged' the Luftwaffe bombers had NO AMMO.... and they still went in to the fight. Huge respect.

[@stevetheduck1425]

On ferry and training flights, ammunition was rarely in place.

[@mieteksnopowiazaka5359]

Poles do not beg for freedom, Poles fight for it !!!💥💪✝ 🇵🇱 🇵🇱 🇵🇱

[@videoluvver1]

THEY FOUGHT BACK FOR SURE!

[@peterbassey9668]

While the British are surrendering theirs by the hour!!

[@MegaPierzak]

Bardzo miło czyta się tę sekcję komentarzy. Mam nadzieję, że będziemy mogli zawsze pokazać się z jak najlepszej strony. Jeszcze Polska nie zginęła!

[@latarnickboston]

Prawda, bardzo milo przeczytać coś pozytywnego. Nie zawsze z rozsądkiem ale zawsze z sercem, za naszą wolność i waszą!!

[@jeannotschumacher1024]

​@@latarnickboston believe it

[@angeljoseaquinohernandez902]

Your countri your compatriots really are brave

[@hunterwatkins714]

Lol at 1:32 "shut up! .... silence! .... in Polish!" 😂

[@tommyatkins2527]

Repeat..please...

[@mikethecabbie8476]

This is my favourite sequence of the entire film. It brilliantly takes the Mickey out of the whole British colonial attitude; "Silence!....in Polish!" I'm told that the Polish pilots were brave but reckless; they tended to make sure the German planes crashed, which left themselves vulnerable to attack.

[@peterbassey9668]

“Repeat, please!” 😂😂😂

[@Raggy60]

I love the way they all suddenly understood English

[@timheavrin2253]

Did anyone else notice how those Polish fellas ripped into the Germans like lions? One of my favorite scenes in this incredible movie.

[@raypurchase801]

No CGI. Sumptuous music. A stellar cast. Lots of advisers who'd actually participated. The portrayal of the events is about as accurate as could ever be achieved in a movie. Excellent movie in every regard..

[@CoffeHeaven22]

First of all, the training process in 1939 in Poland required Polish pilots to open fire only when they "See the eyes of the enemy pilot" usually from a maximum distance of 150 meters. And this was due to the very poor armament of their aircraft (PZL P11c had only two machine guns). The result was that a British Hurricane or Spitfire with a Pole at the helm from that distance would literally rip an Me-109 to shreds, because it had 8 machine guns or two cannons and 2 MG :) That's why Polish pilots were considered madmen and extremely brave people. On top of that, they were well-trained in aerobatics, because they usually flew gliders as kids before they went to Deblin (Poland's elite flight school).

[@lorrainecrampton1632]

Polska na zawsze 🇵🇱🇵🇱🇵🇱

[@andrewb325]

You have to love the enthusiasm. They see the enemy and who needs orders just take 'em out.

[@carvinieri5217]

In 1946, a great military parade was held in London to celebrate the Allied victory over Germany and Japan. Representatives of 30 countries marched through the streets of the city in a column that stretched for several kilometers. Only Poles were missing, who were one of the most numerous national formations fighting on the side of the Allies. It was not until 2003 that British Prime Minister Tony Blair apologized to Polish veterans for the attitude of his predecessors and the lack of invitation to the victory parade... "I deeply regret that none of the Polish troops that fought alongside us in so many battles and that shed their blood for the common cause were allowed to participate in the Victory Parade," declared Winston Churchill in 1946...

[@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684]

If you'd like a brief(ish) outline of the run up to the 1946 victory parade then read on, It's something I've written previously that I have saved ready to "copy and paste" in response to the oft repeated nonsense within YT regarding a supposed British "ban" on Poles at the victory parade. For those who believe Poland was "excluded" from the 1946 London victory parade, here is a brief timeline of what actually happened to give some context to the oft repeated nonsense that "Brits never invited the Poles" or "the Brits banned the Poles". Since before the end of WW2 in Europe, Britain and the US had been negotiating with the Soviets over the future of eastern Europe and especially Poland in post WW2 Europe. The UK & US wanted a democratic Polish government that would by way of democracy include both the Polish communists of the existing Moscow backed "Lublin committee", and the Polish nationalists from the Polish Govt in exile that had been based in London during most of WW2. This proposed "Polish provisional government of national unity" (Tymczasowy Rząd Jedności Narodowej) was to be setup in Warsaw, and was agreed to by all of the "Big 3" (UK / US / USSR) at the Feb 1945 Yalta conference, but from the outset the Soviets then occupying Poland did everything they practically could to bar the inclusion of the "London Poles" within the "unity govt", and to intimidate the small number of nationalists that did eventually make it into the provisional govt. With regard to the 1946 Victory parade when Britain sent out its invites to all of the countries that had fought on the side of the Allies during WW2, The British Labour government of Clement Attlee, quite correctly handed the Polish invitation to the newly constituted Warsaw based "Polish provisional government of national unity" which was after all now the official government of Poland, as recognised by the United Nations. The now effectively powerless & stateless nationalist Polish government in exile in London took great offence at their sidelining in this matter, and raised a torrent of indignation within the UK Parliament that was backed by many British MPs and ordinary people. A few days before the parade was due to take place, and with no response having been forthcoming from the Warsaw government, a belated invitation was hurriedly sent both to the Polish Govt in Exile in London as well as directly to various Polish generals who had fought with the allies, ALL of whom felt so disgusted with the perceived public disrespect shown by the INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY (That is, being made to play "second fiddle" to the official Warsaw Polish government on the world stage) that they CHOSE not to attend the parade to register their fury and resentment at not being consulted first. And the final ignominy? The Soviet backed Warsaw government neither acknowledged the British invite, or attended the parade either. We Brits are nevertheless still most appreciative of their important contribution to our collective victory against the horrors of European totalitarianism (indeed they are SPECIFICALLY honoured EVERY year at EVERY UK remembrance day parade I have attended since the 1970s)

[@janosik47]

Not only that most of the polish gold send to England were never returned ( stolen).They charged polish troops for their their sacrifice fighting against common enemy germany. Thats the only known case in history where volunteers army got charged for their bravery and sacrifice instead of being paid .They didn't expect to get paid ,but they also had no idea they will be charged for it .

[@red_london]

​​@@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684 all good except Poland as well as other eastern European countries were "sold" to Stalin in Teheran 1942 by UK and US.

[@tarikwildman]

Shameful, toadying to Stalin, the Putin of his day

[@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684]

@@tarikwildman More BS... Read above.

[@Nmille98]

I love how he starts laughing as he banks to follow them toward the Germans.

[@bessarion1771]

Not so fun fact. Originally, the "Polish" sequence" was twice as long. If you noticed, the first scene with the burning JU-88 stops abruptly, and the movie transforms to the post- battle briefing. Originally, the scene continued with the Polish pilot continuing shooting at the burning bomber. He then gets admonished by Kent (the commander) for doing it. In the next scene, Kent witnesses a German pilot shooting at a British pilot hanging below the parachute, after which Kent apologizes to the Pole and saying "Sorry, I was wrong to stop you." Apparently, the German ace Adolf Galland, who was an advisor to the movie, objected and threatened a law suit, unless the movie producer found a reliable witness to such an event. So, the scene was removed.

[@laverdajota8089]

Nothing wrong with the polish, fought hard , they wanted to avenge all the home folk , murdered by the Germans, Thank you polish , for what you did to help save England in WW2

[@TralfazConstruction]

Barry Foster deserved an Oscar for this moment alone. His reaction/expression is subtle yet priceless. 2:54

[@MarkHarrison733]

He was too old to play a pilot.

[@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684]

Igonre Mark, he types nonsense about subjects he has little or no understanding of.

[@MarkHarrison733]

@@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684 The average age of a pilot in the Battle of Britain was 20.

[@James-cn7hl]

I love the Poles and from the bottom of my heart thank you so much for your service to this country. Also if anyone hasn't, don't go to Spain on your holidays go to Poland it is gorgeous!

[@Eagle_the_18th]

If you look closely at the three aircraft in the rear you’ll notice they’re actually Spanish Buchons painted to resemble Hurricanes, the same Buchons they also use in the film to portray the BF-109

[@grumpyoldman4736]

True!

[@newforestroadwarrior]

They had Rolls Royce Merlin engines as well, as did the Heinkels

[@lalek3346]

Cześć i chwała bohaterom♥️🇵🇱

[@piotrkos2248]

75 years ago, a great military parade was held in London to celebrate the Allied victory over Germany and Japan. Representatives of 30 countries marched through the streets of the city in a column that stretched for several kilometers. Only Poles were missing, who were one of the most numerous national formations fighting on the side of the Allies. Such is your gratitude, Englishmen! Yesterday, Today, Always!!!

[@old_spice8054]

Jebać złodziei polskiego złota!

[@Flanel_]

For this absence you can thank Churchil who did not want to irritate s.talin

[@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684]

For those who believe Poland was "excluded" from the 1946 London victory parade, here is a brief timeline of what actually happened to give some context to the devious nonsense that "Brits never invited the Poles". Since before the end of WW2 in Europe, Britain and the US had been negotiating with the Soviets over the future of Poland in post WW2 Europe. The UK & US wanted a democratic Polish government that would by way of democracy include both the Polish communists of the existing Moscow backed "Lublin committee", and the Polish nationalists from the Polish Govt in exile that had been based in London during WW2. This proposed "Polish provisional government of national unity" was to be setup in Warsaw, and was agreed to by all of the "Big 3" (UK / US / USSR) at the Feb 1945 Yalta conference, but the Soviets then occupying Poland did everything they could to bar the inclusion of the "London Poles" in the unity govt. With regard to the 1946 Victory parade when it came to handing out the national invites to all the countries that had fought on the side of the Allies in WW2, The British Labour government of Clement Attlee, trying to engender good will between the eastern and western allies, handed the Polish invitation to the Warsaw based Polish provisional government of national unity (which was after all the official government of Poland, as recognised by the United Nations, though it was also by then well on its way to becoming a communist puppet govt). The now effectively powerless & stateless national Polish government in exile in London took great offence at their sidelining in this matter, and raised a torrent of indignation that was backed by many British MPs and ordinary people. A few days before the parade was due to take place a belated invitation was sent both to the Polish Govt in Exile in London as well as directly to various Polish generals who had fought with the allies, ALL of who felt so disgusted with the perceived disrespect shown by the INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY (I.E being made to play "second fiddle" to the official Warsaw Polish government) that they CHOSE not to attend the parade. And the final ignomy? The Soviet backed Warsaw government neither acknowledged the British invite, or attended the parade either.

[@horsenuts1831]

A lot of foreign nationals were ordered to leave the UK within a matter of days at the end of hostilities (the French in particular). It isn't discussed much, but it is a stain on this country. Sadly the 'hostile environment' to foreigners has been resurrected by the current Tory government.

[@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684]

@@horsenuts1831 You mean refugees returned to their home nations once they were liberated? So what?

[@jacekzaniewski142]

Polish heroes : Urbanowicz ,Krasnodębski , Zumbach , Łokuciewski , Ferić , Głowacki , Frantisek , Henneberg , Drobiński , Pisarek , Karubin , Żak ,Szaposznikow, Wojciechowski , Kowalski , Paszkiewicz , Bełc , Wunsche and others brave Polish pilots from 303 and 302 Polish RAF Squadrons .

[@elmonte5lim]

Frantisek was the Czech, but in another movie, as in the actual BOB - the title of which I don't recall just now' - he was the highest scoring ace in the squadron. In a scene in that movie, when each of them, solemnly affirmed that they were Poles, he affirmed the same. I think that qualifies as 'solidarność'.

[@raypurchase801]

This event happened pretty-much exactly as portrayed in the movie.

[@teedub00]

"Oh, God's Truth!" Best line in the movie.

[@stanisawdebski8897]

Death from the skies

[@GhostEye31]

I think the "Silence in Polish." Shortly after might be better.

[@feistyphysicist]

Can you imagine some of the 'men' stepping up today? No, me neither. Thanks, Polishmen , for helping us 80 years ago.

[@zielonysnajper2105]

Any time my friend

[@peace-now]

I met one of the pilots in the Battle of Britain. He is mentioned in this video.

[@peace-now]

He is mentioned in 2:45, as the signed officer, AOC 11 Group.

[@JediMik]

"Польша жива, пока мы живы" 💪

[@nomanvardag1]

Quite a few of WWII Polish pilots joined the Pakistan Air force and the Pakistani civilian Airlines after 1947.

[@StarskiPL]

Some of them also hired themselves as merecenary pilots in African wars.

[@videoluvver1]

That was smart, they stayed alive.

[@ricardocorbie6803]

Repeat Pleeze, Repeat Please 😂😂! Classic ❤❤❤❤

[@ELCHUCKO666]

Best scene in the movie!

[@oldfatbastad6053]

"stop that polish chatter and steer two three zero - repeat please" is one of the funniest lines ever in movies.

[@JMethuSelah309]

Always in our hearts for centuries the same slogan "For your freedom and ours"

[@hughbarton5743]

A lovely video. It is easy for us western europeans/Americans to forget that the Poles had an extensive and impressive military heritage. Their empire at one point encompassed most of Europe. They were, in modern parlance, really badass. Is it any shock that these sons of audacious, practically lunatic cavalry men would be highly aggressive, practically lunatic fighterjockeys? I

[@davidnemoseck9007]

Great men, all of them.

[@laurenceeaton5911]

Without the polish pilots we would have lost the battle of Britain, I salute them as a Brit

[@lyndoncmp5751]

No, thats a myth. The Luftwaffe already failed to win the battle BEFORE the Poles even went into action. British pilots shot down 80% of Luftwaffe planes.

[@CB-fz3li]

Sterling effort from the Poles but you are guilty of over egging the pudding there.

[@rogueriderhood1862]

Bit of hyperbole there, Laurence, the Poles were a valuable addition to Fighter Command but no more than that.

[@raypurchase801]

Here are the reasons why the Poles did so well in the battle: Luck, training and tactics. LUCK - The earliest phase of the BoB saw the RAF being attacked out of the sun as they climbed from their bombed-out airfields. Hurricanes climbed more slowly than Spitfires and were more vulnerable. The RAF suffered very heavy casualties. The Poles were kept out of this early phase of the Battle. TRAINING - The Poles were among the most highly trained pilots on Earth. Many had previously been aircrew during the invasion of Poland. They escaped to France, but the French were uncertain of the abilities of the Poles, so they were retrained. Then the Poles escaped to the UK, and were again retrained because the RAF used control from the ground and couldn't speak any English. In air combat, there is no substitute for time spent in the cockpit and mastering your aircraft. TACTICS - The RAF had determined specific tactics for attacking bombers, which were ineffective. Instead, the Poles used the tactics they'd adopted in their obsolete PZL fighters a year later: Dive on the enemy, close to point-blank range and open fire with a zero-deflection shot. This was the perfect tactic. As Bader told his pilots, "Get as close as you can before opening fire. When you think you're far too close, get even closer". The highest-scoring BoB ace was a Czech, who'd been trained in his own air force, escaped and been retrained in the Polish Air Force, escaped and been retrained with the French, then escaped and retrained with the RAF.

[@wcresponder]

Hmmmm not so much ol chap.

[@bobapbob5812]

My father served in the 29th Division, 175th regiment. They were from the Baltimore National Guard and had many Poles. One time at St Lo the Germans sent a parlay for my father's platoon to surrender. The Germans were Polish conscripts. All the negotiations were in Polish. Needless to say the Americans did not surrender.

[@konradadamczyk5755]

Poles conscripted into the Wehrmacht were often the only additions to Polish units in the west and often looked for an opportunity to surrender to the Allies but this was not always the case because many signed Volklist and simply served as Germans

[@wojciechbl8167]

confirmed, I was there then

[@jimgomez5396]

They were fearless! Heroes all!

[@mochtegerndane7097]

During the Battle of Britain the Norwegian King Haakon was visiting one of the RAF bases, where Douglas Bader showed him a map of the different units. He pointed to a base and said - "And here are my Norwegian boys". To which King Haakon just said "You mean - MY Norwegian boys".

[@MarkHarrison733]

Bader was an extreme racist.

[@Hartley_Hare]

It's interesting to get a Polish person to translate what they're saying, because it's rather naughty. And what I like about this clip is, firstly, the bravery of the Poles, who were quite happy to wade in wherever the opportunity arose, and also the squadron commander. He tells them to follow him but, when they don't, has no hesitation in coming after them to get involved himself, come what may. This country is extraordinarily lucky it could call on brave men and women of all nationalities.

[@piotrmalewski8178]

The dialogue is not exactly a strong/historical part of this movie and one of the pilots actually complained about it 'we didn't gaggle like gooses!'. This was related to the fact that those were very highly trained pilots who originally were trained and fought on PZL fighters that didn't have any radios, so they weren't used to radios in the first place, and for communication they used specific slight manoeuvres, such as wing waving. But here you go: 'Germans, Germans, down there! 'Where, I can't see them! 'Down there, on the right, I'm going for them!' "I see them!' Later: 'Max (?) watch out! Fritz is behind you! ' 'I've got him! I's had it sonuvabitch!' 'Don't fight!' 'Thank you, I'm leavhing thorugh right (side)' then; about the same sentences shouted in altered order and incohorent. Then the only thin I can understand is; 'They're shooting at us!' So, this dialogue doesn't make much sense. It's also worth noting that these guys had undergone a very difficult training in Boom&Zoom technique back in Poland, and then fought in the actual campaign, and still managed to shoot down some German planes, using obsolete and totally outclassed PZL fighters. They wouldn't have shouted incoherently in battle. Especially since they had been trained to fire and evade from collision course only once they could see whites of enemy's eyes. Even if they did that a little earlier in much faster Hurricane, that still required extreme concentration. And not only you want to Boom in, but also Zoom out in such a way to preserve as much pendulum as possible, so the Germans can't jump on your tail, and you're good for another attack as quickly as possible. They really had no time for distractions. Also, in the final battle scene of this movie, the exact same dialogue is cut and played in random order.

[@TheCrimsonFckr]

These men had experience in spades by this point. Bravery too.

[@jimgomez5396]

Love the guy sitting by the window! Watch his face!!

[@garysantana7906]

a great example of the polish pilots fighting for (or with) the RAF, look up jozef jeka. Quite the history this man had

[@justynakowalska3221]

Yes, Poles are brave, but also independent. .

[@lyndoncmp5751]

Not really independent. Otherwise they would have had their own planes and their own air force in the Battle of Britain 😂.

[@justynakowalska3221]

@@lyndoncmp5751 Do you even know, why they were in England and in RAF?! 🤦🏻 Do you know, that in 1939 they had to escape from Poland through Scandinavia? And learn about Squadron 303 during the Battle of Britain.

[@jacobrivers5728]

@@lyndoncmp5751 Agreed. The Poles love to boast about their achievements or lack thereof, whereas in reality they did very little.

[@wbertie2604]

@@justynakowalska3221 Some in 303 Squadron escaped to France and flew for France and escaped a second time to the UK!

[@Ord_Wingate]

Brave as lions superb pilots. Their efforts must never be forgotten

[@konradadamczyk5755]

A very unfair picture showing undisciplined Poles, in fact, they were great soldiers much better trained than British pilots and this was the reason for their results. Besides, the Poles did not accept the way the British flew. Already in 1939, after experiences in the sky of Poland, they decided that flying a 3-person squad was a mistake and started flying in pairs like the Germans, and considered the "weaver" a suicidal position. Of course, the British did not take their advice as the French had before, they had to see for themselves.

[@obvious-troll]

But this scene is based off a real incident that occurred during the battle so it’s not exactly unfair.

[@elliott7531]

I can’t remember the British commanders name but I read his memoir a while ago. He said he punished the Polish pilot who led this attack in front of his men as he wasn’t following orders and didn’t want to cause a breakdown in discipline.. but privately commended him. The Polish pilot and I’m sorry for forgetting his name was shot down and killed a few months later.

[@konradadamczyk5755]

@@elliott7531 Yes, he received a verbal reprimand from the british commander who led them to the exercise, Ronald Gustave Kellett. Immediately after this event, he also received congratulations from him. The pilot's name was Ludwik Paszkiewicz.

[@ChrisCrossClash]

@@konradadamczyk5755Seriously sod off, I'm sick of you Poles always ridiculing anything British.

[@xXJo3bobXx]

Repeat please

[@Majorgamer2005]

I actually love polish 303 squadron. They are most bravery pilot fighters, i am very impressed polish squadron. 🇵🇱 it was successful defending battle of Great Britain.

[@jeshkam]

So proud! ♥️🇵🇱♥️

[@crassusofrome6386]

Proud to stand side by side with Poles still to this day 🇬🇧🇵🇱

[@jeshkam]

@@crassusofrome6386 Cheers! Glad to know this! 🇵🇱🇬🇧😉

[@johnallen7807]

I was lucky enough to be on a flying scholarship at Cambridge when this was made at Duxford. They used to fly over head each morning, what an incredible sight!

[@YaguPL]

Repeated "Repeat please" it's something you'd hear in Monty Python's skit.

[@robertwilkinson8421]

"Shut up", "Silence in Polish"! Perfect!

[@martinmaster497]

Did you know Poland had to pay in gold to the British government after the WWII for using British equipment to defend the country?

[@videoluvver1]

To this day they have never paid it back. They need to. Sorry not sorry.

[@martinmaster497]

@@videoluvver1 Pay it yourself.

[@ChrisCrossClash]

@@martinmaster497We (Britain) shouldn't have even got involved in the first place.

[@kaes2000]

Anglicy to bardzo praktyczni ludzie, Polska musiała zapłacić nawet za pogrzeby poległych w obronie Angli lotników.

[@PanProper]

Powielasz komunistyczną propagandę...

[@captainbirdseye86]

Thank you to all of the Polish people who fought with us. I love your country and visit there often. Wroclaw is my current favourite, so many great people !

[@RandomTrinidadian]

British Pilot: We shall return to base Polish Pilots: LEEEEEEROOOOOOOYYYYYYY JENKINS!!!!

[@mazzgoldie9149]

Love how the English guy gives them a bollocking then at the end has a sly little smile 😂

[@freakyflow]

The Polish had the pure grit of going to a fight They wanted revenge, The Canadians Pure heart They risked themself on the sea And in the air And proved themself on the D-day landings Add in 1 in 4 RAF members was a Canadian

[@jzzr345]

Yes ,George Beurling comes to mind .Laddie Lucas knew how to handle him .

[@raypurchase801]

I love Ron Goodwin's music at the end of this clip, resurgent and hopeful.

[@fastyaveit]

The problem with the poles is that they used to get in far too close before they took the shot, which made the 303 squadron the best the RAF had. Thank you, Poland, for contributing to WW2, As a country you lost everything. LEST WE FORGET! 11/11/2022

[@marekszczepanski2370]

Because this was the way they were trained back home. They were very effective and efficient. Also RAF implemented Polish formation instead of one they were using before.

[@jimwalsh8520]

@@marekszczepanski2370 They were untrained in Poland beyond early solo. They were actually trained by the RAF Plus all RAF fighters, before the poles even entered into the Battle of Britain, too late to make any difference, had their guns harmonised for 100 Yds, close, any closer you would die

[@marekszczepanski2370]

@@jimwalsh8520 lol where did ubget this bulsh.....t

[@jimwalsh8520]

@@marekszczepanski2370 Historical fact and not polish hysterical fiction

[@xaxaszaposznikow175]

@@jimwalsh8520 hysterical "fact". Check who where they, name by name. Many of them fought in 2 campaigns (Poland and France) before even entering Britain. Thats why polish pilots were more than unhappy for prolonged training

[@fijapopovic5335]

I love the fact they used spanish Bf109 (Hispano Aviación HA-1112) in the back ground there at 0:19 to complete a british squadron.

[@emilmlodnicki3835]

I've seen this movie many times but only now noticed that, then found your comment. I thought they may have been P-40s at first.

[@xaxaszaposznikow175]

They found only few (I believe 3) operational Hurricanes for the movie, so they had to use Hispano. HA-1112 also pretended BF109, funny fact is that Hispanos that they used in movie, were equipped with famous Merlin engines.

[@RogbodgeVideo]

Well, as many people have pointed out over the years, it can be very difficult to tell the difference between the Bf-109, spitfire and Hurricane, and then there's the early P-51s.

[@sarumano884]

Spanish "Buchon" (Letterbox) Me109 with Merlin engine. How you can tell is the original Me109 Daimler exhausts were at the bottom of the fuselage, Merlin exhausts were at the top.

[@kasiairys]

Honor and Glory to the Heroes!🇵🇱🇵🇱🇵🇱

[@JeffreyWilliams-dr7qe]

Best part of a wonderful film

[@Zakalwe-01]

This is a great film. In Polish.

[@tarikwildman]

hahaha

[@stewartdeerfield]

One of my favorite scenes.

[@purplecow5150]

love the poles ;O)

[@allanfoster6965]

I've shown this to Polish colleagues. They liked it and translated the 'chitchat'! We needed them all bless 'em.

[@radio3k]

I've seen this movie dozens of times but never noticed this. In watching this clip at 0:54, there are five aircraft pictured. The first two, in the forefront, are Hawker Hurricanes. The three in the background, are Bf-109's! You can tell by the support struts on the tail. Then, at 1:05 (if you freeze the video) you can see the blurred German black crosses on the underside of the final 109 as it turns. Guess they needed additional aircraft to fill in. Flyable Hurricanes were tough to come by in the late 1960's.

[@tarikwildman]

Exactly true.

[@martinsmith6049]

A Polish carpenter (I was on a London building site run by Poles) called me out for some reason. I said, 'I won't be having any of that Polish chit chat young man.' He gave me a long look. Then Zibbie burst out laughing and asked if I'd seen the film. They were great to work with. I believe that training flightgot a numbered squadron but I don't know what it is. They gave me hassle for The West not coming to the aid of the Poles. I told Zibby that time machines havent been invented yet mate,

[@stevetheduck1425]

The RAF Squadrons manned by Polish crews were the 300+ numbers, 303 is the most famous, possibly because in t flew from RAF Northolt, now inside London itself.

[@seanbryan4833]

While Poland was too poor to afford any but the worst, most obsolete fighter planes, their pilots were well trained and experienced flyers. If they'd had modern aircraft when Germany invaded things would have gone much differently. The Polish pilots who escaped to England were top notch fliers and hungry for revenge.

[@bratbrata4974]

Tu się mylisz, bo Polski przemysł lotniczy był na wysokim poziomie. Sterotyp.

[@TheMrgrzegorz220]

Dude, you're wrong in a very big part. Main force of PAF was PZL P.11c from 1934/1935 known as the best plane with high-mounted wings in the world with much better agility than German Messerschmidts. Yeah, it was obsolete, but not as much as it is believed. And Poland wasn't "too poor" to have modern aircraft (see PZL Łoś light bomber and prototypes of PZL Wilk, PZL Łosoś and PZL Jastrząb - they were much more modern than Western planes) - the problem was with general command, who believed that Polish Air Force should be just an auxiliary power for ground forces. It was fatal mistake.

[@Dragonomics42]

Two great films were realeased in 2019 about the Polish pilots in Britain -- the Polish one is called Squadron 303, and the English one is called Hurricane. Well worth watching both of them.

[@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684]

Both are poorly made CGI shitfests, and are in NO way comparable to this 1960s classic.

[@peterj5083]

​@@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684Does everything have to be a comparison/competition? The 1969 film is of course a classic. But it is about the Brits.This segment is just a small piece of the puzzle and that's ok. At least it is included in the film in general. I have seen both of the films that the poster mentions and they are Ok. These two films focus on the Polish experience exclusively, they revolve around the Poles and tell the story from their perspective.

[@fw1421]

Did anybody besides myself notice when the Polish pilots broke off that the planes in the back were 109’s in the group? Notice the horizontal tail planes have braces like 109E’s.

[@mikethecabbie8476]

Actually, I did. Suspect budgets may have had some input into the decisions...!

[@michal5086]

In fact it's not a 109 - it's Ha-1112 Hispano Buchon. Spanisch version of 109 produced after the WWII, based on german 109 but with Rolls-Royce Merlin engine (exhaust at the top, in 109 in lower part of engine)

[@fw1421]

@@michal5086 Yes,that’s true. Most of these aircraft were traded to the stunt coordinator for services rendered. He lived in Texas and the planes sat unassembled in his hangar ever since they came back to the states. They were auctioned off and several of the aircraft have been restored in Europe.

[@Pablo668]

Yeah I spotted that too.

[@rogueriderhood1862]

There weren't enough Hurricanes for the film, so they had to use the Buchons. Maybe the film makers hoped no one would notice.

[@georgedavidson957]

these are the people that charged the Bismarck in a destroyer and jumped at Arnhem when it was pretty much known the battle was lost. cant question their bravery .... sanity maybe but never their bravery. 👍

[@dodgygit]

Bruce Kubrewicz was my grampys best friend

[@WildBikerBill]

It was fun seeing the films from when I was young. Recognizing the actors by face and voice, all of whom are long gone. It was fun watching the British officer trying to turn his Polish pilots back to base, when they could see the fast approaching fight. This was the moment they were living for and nothing was going to hold them back. It was fun watching the British officer chastising the Polish pilots, with a Polish officer translating. And then came the announcement they were being made operational, and somehow that needed no translation. Funny, that.

[@jorgemarcelobana61]

U don't know why the Academy Awards never nominated for Oscar this cult movie

[@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684]

It didn't fulfill ANY of their agendas. Simple as.

[@alanjones6359]

My dad served in the RAF ww2 he was trained by a polish pilot said he was crazy but a brilliant pilot he flew an Anson through the cheddar gorge (dad on board ) buzzed cattle in fields and trains , great guy dad said