WW2 Polish Recruitment Brochure “Polish Air Force” – Canada/USA – Gift from Skalski

A rare brochure intended for the Polish diaspora in North America (United States and Canada), providing information about recruitment to the Polish Air Force in Great Britain.

The brochure was given as a gift by the famous Polish flying ace, Stanisław Skalski, on May 25, 1979.

The last page of the brochure bears the handwritten note: “A brochure promoting the Polish Air Force in England during World War II – original copy, a gift from General Stanisław Skalski to me. WIML, 25.05.1979” “Folder popularyzujący Lotnictwo Polskie w Anglii w czasie II wojny światowej – oryginał prezent od gen Stanisława Skalskiego dla mnie. WIML 25.05.1979”

Stanisław Skalski (1915–2004) was the most outstanding Polish fighter ace of World War II and one of the most distinguished pilots of the Polish Air Forces. He fought in the September Campaign, the Battle of Britain, and on the fronts of North Africa and Western Europe, with 18 confirmed aerial victories. He was awarded the Virtuti Militari and the Distinguished Flying Cross, among other honors. After the war, he was persecuted under the communist regime but later rehabilitated in the 1970s and promoted to the rank of brigadier general. Until his death, he remained a symbol of bravery and the resilience of the Polish Air Force.