Witold Urbanowicz, one of the thousands of Polish airmen to fly during the Battle of Britain, distinguished himself as a squadron leader of No. 303 (Polish) Fighter Squadron. Captured by the Soviets in 1939, Urbanowicz managed to escape Poland and ultimately made his way to Great Britain. During months of fierce flying, Urbanowicz shot down at least 15 German aircraft, becoming one of the few “triple aces.” The Polish pilot survived the war and was the recipient of several awards, including the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Silver Cross of the Virtuti Militari, Poland’s highest military decoration. (Alamy)