The Polish Air Force Memorial near Northolt: remembrance just beyond Ealing

At the junction of West End Road and Western Avenue stands a memorial with significance for Polish residents of Ealing too. The Polish Air Force Memorial is in Hillingdon, not within the borough of Ealing. The nearby RAF Northolt name should not be taken to mean that the monument belongs administratively to Ealing's Northolt area.

Ealing Council explains its inclusion in the borough's local history through the airfield connection and the long-established Polish population. That makes it part of the wider neighbourhood's story without moving a boundary on the map.

Airmen and post-war remembrance

The council's historical account places Polish squadrons at Northolt between 1940 and 1943. During the Battle of Britain, No. 303 Squadron served there flying Hurricanes. After the war, Polish air force officers set out to commemorate their fallen comrades, raising money through a public appeal.

Imperial War Museums records the unveiling on 2 November 1948 by Marshal of the RAF Lord Tedder, accompanied by Poland's president-in-exile, August Zaleski. It identifies Mieczysław Lubelski as the sculptor and Morris Singer as the foundry. The register describes the bronze eagle above a tall column and the wall bearing names. It also records extensive restoration in 1996.

Heritage protection

On 14 September 2020, the Polish Embassy in London announced the memorial's upgrade to Grade II* listed status, marking the Battle of Britain's eightieth anniversary. This recognised an existing historic site; it was not the construction of a new monument. The announcement placed the decision alongside other measures to protect Britain's surviving physical reminders of the war.

Continuing remembrance

In an account published on 1 September 2026, the Polish Air Force Museum in Dęblin described its delegation's attendance at a ceremony beside the memorial on 29 August. Representatives of the Military Aviation Academy, veterans' organisations and the Polish diaspora also took part. This is a documented August event, not an announcement of another gathering.

RAF Northolt's current website continues to identify the monument as local heritage and directs readers to the Polish Air Force Memorial Committee. Anyone seeking future ceremony details should use organisers' announcements rather than infer a date from an older report.

The monument should not be confused with entry to the military station. The RAF separately explains arrangements for invited visitors and identifies the memorial beside the A40 roundabout. For Ealing residents, it is a nearby place to explore Polish-British history, not an open invitation to tour the airfield.