The Atkinson: Courage & Devotion

The Atkinson: Courage & Devotion

When

26.6.21 - 12.3.22    
All Day

Where

The Atkinson
Lord Street, Southport, PR8 1DB, Sefton

Event Type

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Courage & Devotion

26 June 2021  – 12 March 2022

The Atkinson, Southport

https://www.theatkinson.co.uk/exhibition/courage-and-devotion/

Image: 317 Woodvale, 1942

This exhibition remembers the lives of the Polish Airmen based at RAF Woodvale, the iconic Spitfire and some of the stories associated with the area during World War 2.

RAF Woodvale was originally conceived as a fighter base for the protection of Merseyside. It opened in 1941 with 308 Krakowski Squadron. Conditions were harsh in the early days, even for battle-hardened airmen, some of whom described facilities as being worse than Tobruk. A total of 145 Polish fighter pilots served in the RAF during the Battle of Britain, making up the largest non-British contribution. By the end of the war, around 19,400 Poles were serving in the Polish Air Force in Great Britain and in the RAF. During WW2 The Atkinson held numerous events such as concerts and held and exhibition of work by Polish artists to help fund the Polish servicemen.

Along with the stories of the airmen and objects to help illustrate the story we have commissioned a replica scale model of a Spitfire Vb AB273 from paper artist sculpture Suhail Shaikh.