PIOTR DUDZINSKI

He was born on 4^th June 1899 in Lvov.  He joined the army and fought in the Polish-Bolshevik war.  He graduated as an officer and then opted to join the Air Force.  He attended the flying school in Bydgoszcz then returned to Lvov with the 6^th Air Wing. Between 1927 and 1932 he commanded 64 and then 63 Flights.  At the beginning of the war he escaped to France via Romania and became to the 3^rd Air Group before moving on to England.

He joined 10OTU then moved to 304 Squadron.  On 22^nd December 1940 he took over as Squadron Commander but remained an operational flier and took part in their first operational mission to bomb the fuel tanks at Rotterdam the following summer (24^th April 1941).

On 13^th November 1941 he moved on to take command of No16 Flying Training School and between April 1943 and November 1945 he held the same position with 18OTU.  He then became Polish Liaison Officer to the RAF and Bomber Command.

After the war he settled in England and died on 22^nd February 1974 in London; he was cremated at Mortlake crematorium, Richmond, Surrey.

He flew many operational missions and he was awarded the Cross of Valour, for bravery in action, by Air Vice Marshal Ujejski on 28th June 1941 and won it again on two further occasions.  He was also awarded the Silver Cross of the Order of Virtuti Militari.