Editing Battle of Britain (section)

=== Allies ===
{{Main|Non-British personnel in the RAF during the Battle of Britain}}
[[File:Dywizjon 303 4.jpg|thumb|right|126 German aircraft or "Adolfs" were claimed by [[Polish people|Polish]] pilots of [[No. 303 Squadron RAF|303 Squadron]] during the Battle of Britain.]]
About 20% of pilots who took part in the battle were from non-British countries. The Royal Air Force roll of honour for the Battle of Britain recognises 595 non-British pilots (out of 2,936) as flying at least one authorised operational [[sortie]] with an eligible unit of the RAF or [[Fleet Air Arm]] between 10 July and 31 October 1940.<ref name="Roll"/><ref>{{harvnb|Ramsay|1989|pp=757–790}}</ref> These included 145 [[Poland|Poles]], 127 [[Dominion of New Zealand|New Zealander]]s, 112 [[Canadians]], 88 [[Second Czechoslovak Republic|Czechoslovaks]], 10 Irish, 32 Australians, 28 [[Belgium|Belgians]], 25 [[Union of South Africa|South Africans]], 13 French, 9 Americans, 3 Southern Rhodesians and individuals from [[Colony of Jamaica|Jamaica]], [[Colony of Barbados|Barbados]] and [[Dominion of Newfoundland|Newfoundland]].<ref>[http://bbm.org.uk/the-airmen/ "The Airmen of the Battle of Britain"] ''bbm.org.uk''. Retrieved: 29 January 2017.</ref> "Altogether in the fighter battles, the bombing raids, and the various patrols flown between 10 July and 31 October 1940 by the Royal Air Force, 1495 aircrew were killed, of whom 449 were fighter pilots, 718 aircrew from Bomber Command, and 280 from Coastal Command. Among those killed were 47 airmen from Canada, 24 from Australia, 17 from South Africa, 30 from Poland{{refn|Polish units in the composition of the RAF taking part in the Battle of Britain, first in composition, and then alongside the RAF fought four Polish squadrons: two bomber (300 and 301), 2 Hunting (302 and 303) and 81 Polish pilots in British squadrons, a total of 144 Polish pilots (killed 29 ), representing 5% of all the pilots of the RAF taking part in the battle. Poles shot down about 170 German aircraft, damaged 36, representing about 12% of the losses of the Luftwaffe. Squadron 303 was the best unit air, taking part in the Battle of Britain – reported shot down 126 Luftwaffe planes.|group=nb}}, 20 from Czechoslovakia and six from Belgium. Forty-seven New Zealanders lost their lives, including 15 fighter pilots, 24 bomber and eight coastal aircrew. The names of these Allied and Commonwealth airmen are inscribed in a memorial book that rests in the [[Battle of Britain Chapel]] in Westminster Abbey. In the chapel is a stained glass window which contains the badges of the fighter squadrons which operated during the battle and the flags of the nations to which the pilots and aircrew belonged.<ref>Owen, R.E, [https://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2-1RAF-c4.html ''New Zealanders with the Royal Air Force''.] Wellington, New Zealand: Government Printer, 1953, Volume 1, Chapter 4, p. 71.</ref> These pilots, some of whom had to flee their home countries because of German invasions, fought with distinction. 

The [[No. 303 Polish Fighter Squadron]] was the highest-scoring fighter squadron of the Battle of Britain, even though it joined the fray two months after the battle had begun.<ref>Sikora, P. [https://books.google.com/books?id=G6L7DwAAQBAJ&dq=thirty+polish+pilots+battle+of+britain&pg=PR11 ''Poles in the Battle of Britain: A Photographic Album of the Polish 'Few' ''.] Barnsley, Air World (Pen & Sword): 2020</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Olson|Cloud|2003}}</ref><ref name="Zaloga and Hook 1982, p. 15">{{harvnb|Zaloga|Hook|1982|p=15}}</ref><ref name="Gretzyngier and Matusiak p. 25">{{harvnb|Gretzyngier|Matusiak|1998|p=25}}</ref> "Had it not been for the magnificent material contributed by the Polish squadrons and their unsurpassed gallantry," wrote Air Chief Marshal [[Hugh Dowding]], head of RAF Fighter Command, "I hesitate to say that the outcome of the Battle would have been the same."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/stories-45516556|title=The Battle of Britain's enigmatic Czech hero|first=Chris|last=Bowlby|date=15 September 2018|work=BBC News}}</ref>