Silver Medal of the Polish Army presented at London embassy

On Friday 2 December the Polish Heritage Flight received the Silver Medal of the Polish Army from the Minister of National Defence of the Republic of Poland, Mariusz Blaszczak, presented by Col Robert Pawlicki and Col Tomasz Ferfecki. To accept the medals on behalf of the flight were pilots Clive Denney and Dave Harvey and project leader Derek Rusling, who attended the ceremony at the Polish embassy in London.

“It is with the utmost humility and dedication to our duty that we accept this recognition on behalf of the Polish people, whose stories we try to tell, to remember and inspire through unity”, commented Derek Rusling. Clive Denney added, “To fly a Hurricane or Spitfire is an enormous responsibility and privilege. The success of the PHF in the past three years has only been possible due to the fantastic support from the public, event organisers, sponsors and in particular the directors and volunteer team of the Historic Aircraft Collection. This award is theirs too”. The flight has used the HAC’s Hurricane XII and Spitfire LFVb BM597 for flying display and commemorative appearances.

Dave Harvey says, “ Every time I climb on board Spitfire BM597, I think of the Polish airmen that flew this very aeroplane 80 years ago from RAF Woodvale. Some of their signatures are on the cockpit door and you very much understand, even 80 years on, it is still their Spitfire. It is the ‘Polish Spitfire’.”