Mission of Honor
In 1940, Great Britain stands alone in Europe against the growing stain of the rampant Nazi empire, its nervous inhabitants wondering what the future holds. But a handful of people on this beleaguered…
Mission of Honor
In 1940, Great Britain stands alone in Europe against the growing stain of the rampant Nazi empire, its nervous inhabitants wondering what the future holds. But a handful of people on this beleaguered island know only too well what one possible future might hold. They have seen Warsaw burn, Poland crumble, and France capitulate. The British RAF fights gallantly against German attacks but is losing planes and pilots quickly. At the rate they are losing the planes, RAF is not expected to last out the month. The Germans know that the RAF is on its last legs and is expecting a total air dominance over Britain in the coming weeks. The RAF had lost half its fleet in the previous 2 weeks. The pilots of No. 303 Squadron RAF, part of the Free Polish Air Force, had escaped from Europe, following the Nazi invasions of Poland and France, to join the Royal Air Force. Men like Jan Zumbach (Iwan Rheon), Witold Urbanowicz (Marcin Dorocinski), Miroslaw Feric and Tolo Lokuciewski, pilots of the Polish Air Force, knew that if the Luftwaffe isn't stopped, then Poland, Holland and France were just Hitler's appetizers. The Polish escapes the advancing German armies and are now stationed in England but are not allowed to fight the Germans attacking British Isles. Jan himself stole a plane in France and flew across the Channel into England. Witold Urbanowicz refuses to become a bomber pilot. Urbanowicz argues that he was a fighter pilot back in Poland, but the British are nervous about the lack of English skills in the Polish airmen and wants to start them off in Bomber command. So, the Poles are ready to fight, if they are given the planes. The problem is the British don't trust the Poles. The bomber command is the place where the Poles are expected to do the least harm as they are considered to be a bunch of marauding bandits. Since Urbanowicz has good English skills and dressed impeccably, he is assigned to an undermanned fighter squadron. On his first day Urbanowicz has issues adjusting to the metric system but manages to shoot down a few German planes. Urbanowicz is selected for a training program to see how he gets along with the Brits. He conducts himself splendidly and gains acceptance among the superiors at RAF. Canadian RAF pilot John Kent, who became affectionately known as "Kentowski", has his work cut out for him when he is asked to up the 303 Squadron with the new Hurricane fighter. The squadron will be manned by foreign pilots and Kent is handed the angry and often maligned squadron of Poles to command. Czech pilot Josef Frantisek (Krystof Hadek) also refuses to be part of bomber command and assigns himself to Kent's new unit. Josef claims to have shot down 15 ME109s over France. The pilots, strangers in what seems a very strange land indeed, will over the course of a few months have to fight several wars at once - Piloting Hawker Hurricane fighter aircraft, 303 Squadron works through language barriers, with the xenophobia of the authorities and the public, the unfamiliar Hurricane fighters, with the battle-hardened Luftwaffe. The pilots are given training in English and made familiar with the various aspects of the plane. Kent is dismayed that the Poles are not disciplined, and they drink heavily each night and behave in an inappropriate manner, unbecoming of an officer. They are given a crash course in the metric system, which Jan frustrates the pilots as they are itching to fly. Kent tells the pilots that he does not trust them yet to make the right decisions in the air. Urbanowicz is dismayed at the lack of proper equipment in the RAF and is requested to transfer to Kent's unit as he might fit in better with his own kind. On a training sortie, the squadron comes across an air battle between RAF planes and the Germans. One Polish fighter breaks formation and wades into battle, saving a hurricane and shooting down a bomber, which Kent takes as a sign of indiscipline. But the antics gain attention of the superiors, and they make the unit operational. Kent orders custom made uniforms for the whole squad, paying for it from his own pocket, to instill a sense of team into the pilots and to give a message that they should not chase individual glory. But once they are reluctantly made operational by the RAF under Kent (Milo Gibson), the Polish fighters show what they can do, out-gunning the enemy and out-scoring their allies. The once hostile British fete the Polish fliers as heroes - saviors, even. Phyllis Lambert (Stefanie Martini) works at air combat HQ and is in charge of mobilizing squadrons against German attacks. She is one of the few Brits who are thankful to the Poles for their service and helps them make comfortable despite all the hostility from the fellow British pilots. Now, though, the Poles have a fresh enemy - themselves, as nerves and fatigue take a terrible toll on men pushed to the limit by constant aerial warfare, fighting to save their own country above a foreign land. Not all will make it. Not all friendships will survive. Jan in particular, takes it hard when he learns that his wife has been hanged by the Germans. The Poles learn to live one day at a time, as they don't know when they would be next in line to be shot down. John tells Jan that one of his pilots is just emptying guns and flying back every day. Jan confronts the Pole who doesn't want to kill Germans as he is Catholic. He is soon killed in battle. The Poles are run ragged by continuous sorties for 36 hours. They are barely hanging on. And when it's over when the RAF defeats the Luftwaffe and Germany surrenders in 1945, Jan Zumbach will contemplate a Pyrrhic victory, as Poland is handed over to Stalin's puppets. Jan is repatriated to Poland under Soviet rule. 143 Poles served in the RAF, 20% of their strength at one time. Many Poles who were repatriated were sentenced to death.
Mission of Honor
Action,Drama,War
Film Details
In 1940, Great Britain stands alone in Europe against the growing stain of the rampant Nazi empire, its nervous inhabitants wondering what the future holds. But a handful of people on this beleaguered island know only too well what one possible future might hold. They have seen Warsaw burn, Poland crumble, and France capitulate.
The British RAF fights gallantly against German attacks but is losing planes and pilots quickly. At the rate they are losing the planes, RAF is not expected to last out the month. The Germans know that the RAF is on its last legs and is expecting a total air dominance over Britain in the coming weeks.
The RAF had lost half its fleet in the previous 2 weeks. The pilots of No. 303 Squadron RAF, part of the Free Polish Air Force, had escaped from Europe, following the Nazi invasions of Poland and France, to join the Royal Air Force.
Men like Jan Zumbach (Iwan Rheon), Witold Urbanowicz (Marcin Dorocinski), Miroslaw Feric and Tolo Lokuciewski, pilots of the Polish Air Force, knew that if the Luftwaffe isn't stopped, then Poland, Holland and France were just Hitler's appetizers. The Polish escapes the advancing German armies and are now stationed in England but are not allowed to fight the Germans attacking British Isles. Jan himself stole a plane in France and flew across the Channel into England.
Witold Urbanowicz refuses to become a bomber pilot. Urbanowicz argues that he was a fighter pilot back in Poland, but the British are nervous about the lack of English skills in the Polish airmen and wants to start them off in Bomber command. So, the Poles are ready to fight, if they are given the planes.
The problem is the British don't trust the Poles. The bomber command is the place where the Poles are expected to do the least harm as they are considered to be a bunch of marauding bandits. Since Urbanowicz has good English skills and dressed impeccably, he is assigned to an undermanned fighter squadron.
On his first day Urbanowicz has issues adjusting to the metric system but manages to shoot down a few German planes. Urbanowicz is selected for a training program to see how he gets along with the Brits. He conducts himself splendidly and gains acceptance among the superiors at RAF.
Canadian RAF pilot John Kent, who became affectionately known as "Kentowski", has his work cut out for him when he is asked to up the 303 Squadron with the new Hurricane fighter. The squadron will be manned by foreign pilots and Kent is handed the angry and often maligned squadron of Poles to command. Czech pilot Josef Frantisek (Krystof Hadek) also refuses to be part of bomber command and assigns himself to Kent's new unit.
Josef claims to have shot down 15 ME109s over France. The pilots, strangers in what seems a very strange land indeed, will over the course of a few months have to fight several wars at once - Piloting Hawker Hurricane fighter aircraft, 303 Squadron works through language barriers, with the xenophobia of the authorities and the public, the unfamiliar Hurricane fighters, with the battle-hardened Luftwaffe. The pilots are given training in English and made familiar with the various aspects of the plane.
Kent is dismayed that the Poles are not disciplined, and they drink heavily each night and behave in an inappropriate manner, unbecoming of an officer. They are given a crash course in the metric system, which Jan frustrates the pilots as they are itching to fly. Kent tells the pilots that he does not trust them yet to make the right decisions in the air.
Urbanowicz is dismayed at the lack of proper equipment in the RAF and is requested to transfer to Kent's unit as he might fit in better with his own kind. On a training sortie, the squadron comes across an air battle between RAF planes and the Germans. One Polish fighter breaks formation and wades into battle, saving a hurricane and shooting down a bomber, which Kent takes as a sign of indiscipline.
But the antics gain attention of the superiors, and they make the unit operational. Kent orders custom made uniforms for the whole squad, paying for it from his own pocket, to instill a sense of team into the pilots and to give a message that they should not chase individual glory. But once they are reluctantly made operational by the RAF under Kent (Milo Gibson), the Polish fighters show what they can do, out-gunning the enemy and out-scoring their allies.
The once hostile British fete the Polish fliers as heroes - saviors, even. Phyllis Lambert (Stefanie Martini) works at air combat HQ and is in charge of mobilizing squadrons against German attacks. She is one of the few Brits who are thankful to the Poles for their service and helps them make comfortable despite all the hostility from the fellow British pilots.
Now, though, the Poles have a fresh enemy - themselves, as nerves and fatigue take a terrible toll on men pushed to the limit by constant aerial warfare, fighting to save their own country above a foreign land. Not all will make it. Not all friendships will survive.
Jan in particular, takes it hard when he learns that his wife has been hanged by the Germans. The Poles learn to live one day at a time, as they don't know when they would be next in line to be shot down. John tells Jan that one of his pilots is just emptying guns and flying back every day.
Jan confronts the Pole who doesn't want to kill Germans as he is Catholic. He is soon killed in battle. The Poles are run ragged by continuous sorties for 36 hours.
They are barely hanging on. And when it's over when the RAF defeats the Luftwaffe and Germany surrenders in 1945, Jan Zumbach will contemplate a Pyrrhic victory, as Poland is handed over to Stalin's puppets. Jan is repatriated to Poland under Soviet rule.
143 Poles served in the RAF, 20% of their strength at one time. Many Poles who were repatriated were sentenced to death..