A special event dedicated to the naming of a steam locomotive Bulleid Pacific 34053 'Sir Keith Park’ as '303 Squadron’ was organised by SPA Valley Railway. The ceremony of naming the train and showing its new colours was held on the 85th anniversary of the start of World War 2. The naming ceremony started at Eridge station at 13:00.

British Poles had the pleasure to talk to Mr Peter Spowage, the Director for Communications at Southern Locomotives. 

British Poles: Could you tell us more about the idea of naming the train after the Polish 303 RAF Squadron? 

Peter Spowage: The Southern Locomotives had a history of naming the trains in a way to commemorate the World War 2 and Battle of Britain. The South Eastern division of the company which runs from the London Victoria station to Dover would need to name their new 44 engines after the war new names, that are somehow connected to the Kent area, so the Battle of Britain came to mind. It was only some 48 months after the World War 2 when things were still relatively secret but the company then named the engines with the names of airfields and also gave them names like Spitfire or Hurricane. They still had 22 engines to be named so the company wanted to name them after some of the RAF famous squadrons. The company applied for the names to the War Office that replied “Why are you asking? This is still top secret!” but they would eventually share the list of all the squadrons that were operational at the last day of the Battle of Britain, namely 31 October 1940. 

BP: But at that time, the famous Polish 303 was not among those which have their names on your engines?

PS: By that time some, squadrons that took part in heavy fighting in September were put to rest – including the Polish and Czech squadrons, also because of high casualties. So back then the decision was made with no intention of excluding the Polish or Czech squadrons. In Southern Locomotives we see these trains as living and moving war memorials so later on an idea was proposed “Wouldn’t it be nice if we named one of the trains after a Polish squadron?”. So we said okay, and I’ve volunteered for it. We chose a locomotive named Sir Keith Park and restored it. It kept its original number but changed it name to honour not only 303 Squadron but all Polish airmen that fought in the Battle of Britain. We want to remember the contribution of those lads. We want to make it a moving, breathing war memorial. And that is how we remember them. 

BP: So you planned the opening ceremony for 1 September, so the 85th anniversary of the outbreak of the 2 World War and the German attack on Poland? 

PS: Yes, we realise how important that day is in the memory of Polish people. And it is our way to say thank you. We want to say thank you publicly. We invited the staff from the Polish embassy, our officials, and many others, but we want to invite anybody that wants to come. We will be celebrating at the end of the day with some Polish vodka and apple pie. But obviously we will start the ceremony with a minute of silence and a keynote speech from a British general in memory of the war. 

Several years ago the long term volunteer Mike Frackiewicz, suggested that one of our BB’s should be renamed 303 Squadron, but only recently did SLL Director Peter Spowage come up with a plan to rename one of them 303 Squadron for a year in gratitude for what they achieved, some 84 years after the formation of the Squadron.

No. 303 Squadron RAF

No. 303 Squadron RAF, also known as the 303 „Tadeusz Kościuszko Warsaw” Fighter Squadron, was one of two Polish squadrons that fought during the Battle of Britain along with No. 302 Squadron, of 16 total Polish squadrons during the World War 2. Flying Hawker Hurricanes, the squadron claimed the largest number of aircraft shot down of the 66 Allied fighter squadrons engaged in the Battle of Britain, even though it joined the fray two months after the battle had begun.

No. 303 Squadron RAF was formed in July 1940 in Blackpool, England before deployment to RAF Northolt on 2 August as part of an agreement between the Polish Government in Exile and the United Kingdom. It had a distinguished combat record and was disbanded in December 1946.

„Had it not been for the magnificent material contributed by the Polish squadrons and their unsurpassed gallantry,” wrote Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding, head of RAF Fighter Command, „I hesitate to say that the outcome of the Battle (of Britain) would have been the same.”

Interviewer: Tomasz Modrzejewski

Cover photo:  Steffan Owens, Spa Valley Railway