Montpellier Fighter Squadron

Blue Series No 7108
By Bartlomiej Belcarz
Mushroom Model Publications, ©2008
ISBN 978-83-89450-35-7
Softbound, 128 Pages
Available from MMP for £14

Reviewed by Chris Banyai-Riepl

The opening moves of the Second World War saw Polish aviators moving around quite a bit, flying in the skies over Poland, France, and finally, England. The newest title in MMP’s Blue Series details the Polish aviators who served in the Armee d L’Air in 1940. After the fall of Poland, the Polish aviators were split between Great Britain and France, with the former getting the bomber crews and the latter the fighter pilots. The Montpellier Fighter Squadron was the result, a unit equipped with several different aircraft. Their successes over the skies of France were short-lived, though, as France soon fell to the Germans. While flying with the Armee de L’Air, though the Polish pilots of the Montpellier Squadron did quite well.

This is the first book in English on this unit (that I have found, anyway), and it is quite a thorough history of the Montpellier Fighter Squadron. The organization is mainly by the specific squadron sections, which were spread through GC I/2, II/6, II/7, III/1, III/2, and III/6. The main aircraft used was the Morane Saulnier MS 406, with some pilots flying the Curtiss Hawk 75, Bloch MB 152, and Dewoitine D 520. The well-written text is complemented by many photos of these aircraft, most of which have not been seen before. Like other MMP titles, this book finishes up with several pages of color profiles, bringing these aircraft to life.

For those interested in some of the lesser-known aviators of the Second World War, this is an excellent book to pick up. My thanks to Mushroom Model Publications for the review copy.