Polish Institute and Sikorski Museum
Compact but dense with originals, this museum-archive tells the story of Poland’s armed forces in exile and the Polish Government-in-Exile in London during WWII. Expect battlefield colours, RAF squadron memorabilia, commanders’ belongings, and meticulously kept archives that connect objects to named people and units. Best for visitors who like artefacts with provenance and campaigns with clear timelines.
Opening Hours
What's not to miss inside?
Polish Air Force in the RAF
Personal kit and squadron insignia put names and faces to famous units such as 303 (Kościuszko) Squadron during the Battle of Britain.See flight gear and squadron badges that chart how Polish pilots transitioned from occupied Europe to British bases—and turned the air war.
📍 Upper galleries, aviation section
General Władysław Sikorski Collection
Belongings and documents of Poland’s Commander-in-Chief and Prime Minister illuminate the strategy and diplomacy of the exile years.From field dress to diplomatic gifts, these objects track Sikorski’s journey from reorganising forces in France and the UK to his final 1943 Gibraltar flight.
📍 Core galleries, leadership cases
Monte Cassino & the II Corps
Regimental standards, badges and battlefield relics link directly to the 1944 Italian campaign where the Polish II Corps took the monastery heights.Uniform pieces and colours carry unit histories stitched into their fabric—look for dates and honours added post-battle.
📍 Army campaigns corridor
Government-in-Exile Archives
Original orders, maps and correspondence ground the displays in primary sources, from formation orders to post-war resettlement.Typed commands, ink signatures and annotated maps reveal how an army without a homeland coordinated across continents.
📍 Research rooms (by arrangement); selections on display
Inspire your Friends
- The museum grew from the wartime Polish Government-in-Exile’s own London headquarters, preserving frontline unit colours, documents, and commanders’ effects that never returned to occupied Poland.
- Displays on the Polish Air Force in Britain highlight units like No. 303 Squadron—one of the top-scoring fighter squadrons in the Battle of Britain—through named kit, insignia and photographs.
- Monte Cassino material in the army galleries connects directly to the Polish II Corps’ assault in May 1944, including unit badges and colours bearing post-battle honours.
- Personal items linked to General Władysław Sikorski anchor narratives about the command of Polish forces abroad and the politics of recognition by Allied governments.
