Tuesday 1 September 2009

Invasion of Poland 1939 - 70 years ago today




Sorry for another aircraft post but today being the 70th anniversary of the start of WW2 with the invasion of Poland, see BBC coverage including interview with Ignacy Skowron who literally saw WW2 start. I thought I would contribute with a clasic kit of the past and WW2 Polish tanks etc are a specialist area I have not ventured into...amazingly!!

The PZL P-11c was obsolete by 1939 but heroically flown by their well trained pilots, many of whom were to prove themselves with the RAF flying Spitfire and Hurricanes very succesfully in the Battle of Britain and throughout the war.

Amazingly one survives in the aviation museum in Krackow The link will also give you the history of this iconic aircraft...well its the one I think of to do with the Invasion of Poland.

Back in the early 70's we used to stay as a family on our summer holidays with friends in Somerset and Dad and I used to spend some of his hard earnt 'Green Shield Stamps' (awarded from petrol stations etc put them in a book and exchange for goods at the green shield stamp shop)on kits. Revell did a set of four planes etc and one of these was the PZL P-11c, dad made this on one wet summers day as I was in my formative years as a modeller/wargamer & it still exists somewhere!This is an unmade kit from my 'nostalgia collection' comprising of 23 pieces!!



Note also Ospreys new battles of World War II series of books obtainable in Smiths etc the cheap welcome to the series offer is Poland 1939 Germany's 'lightning strike' a hardback book on the invasion of Poland for £1.99. I usually get the first few offers with this kind of deal and never join! bargain!!

2 comments:

Ralphus said...

Great looking plane. I really like the early war bits and pieces - have a look at this clip of a Polish tankette in action
http://ralphadeus.blogspot.com/search?q=tankette

Fraxinus said...

Great stuff Ralph enjoyed those clips on your link they seemed to be 'more in setting' than seeing the WW2 re enactments in the Uk...which tend to be in public display rings at show grounds. The Tankette phenomenon was peculiar to a few country's Poland, France & Italy although our 'bren gun carriers' were similar I suppose...I must return to tricorns etc before another interest overwhelms!!