Polish Air Force – Hand in Hand with U.S.A., Poster by W. Guranowski

Designed in 1944 by K. Meyer and printed in London for the Polish Government Information Center and the Polish Army Education Bureau, this striking wartime poster celebrates the partnership between the Polish Air Force and the United States. Against a confident portrait of a smiling Polish pilot—one of the thousands who continued the fight for freedom after Poland’s occupation—the image of two clasped hands, bearing the American and Polish flags, conveys a powerful message of unity and shared sacrifice. Its bold colors—red, white, and blue—symbolize both nations’ commitment to defeating tyranny and restoring peace in Europe.

For American audiences, this poster was a reminder that Poland’s soldiers and airmen were not forgotten allies, but active participants in the common struggle for liberty. By 1944, Polish pilots had earned renown for their valor in the Battle of Britain and throughout Allied campaigns, and this poster connected their courage directly with American ideals of friendship and cooperation. “Hand in hand with U.S.A.” expressed both gratitude and solidarity—affirming that the Polish fight for freedom was inseparable from the global cause of democracy that Americans were defending across the world.