In May 1942, ORP Błyskawica and her ship’s company heroically defended Cowes and East Cowes from an enemy air attack. See : https://www.blyskawica-cowes.org.uk/cowes_blitz/
It was quite a coincidence that the ship was undergoing an emergency refit in J. Samuel White’s shipyard, the very yard where she had been built for the Polish Navy.
The Friends of the Błyskawica Society was constituted in March 1998 and organise an annual commemoration marking the part played by ORP Blyskawica in defending the towns during the Luftwaffe air raids over the night of 4th-5th May 1942.
The gratitude of the local people for the actions of the officers and crew that night, is shown to this day during the annual ceremony.
You can visit the Friends of the ORP Blyskawica Society website for more information about the annual commemorations www.blyskawica-cowes.org.uk
