CZESLAW KORBUT

He was born on 20^th January 1910 in Starosielce and attended the Air Cadet Officers School in Deblin, graduating as a Pilot Officer in 1931.  He was posted to the 4^th Air Wing at Torun.  Six years later, in 1937, he returned to the school as an instructor on ‘bombardment’ (presumably bombing).  Later he moved to the No 1 Air Force Training Centre in the same capacity.  On the outbreak of war, they evacuated to Romania and he made his way to England via France.

In October 1941 he graduated from the Royal Air Force Observers and Air Navigation School and was posted to 305 Squadron where he completed a full tour of duty (30 missions).  This would have been at RAF Syerston and/or RAF Lindholme.  Although transferred to 18OTU, he did not take up an instructor’s post but flew with them as a navigator before moving to the Air Ministry where he was liaison officer between the RAF and PAF. 

 From January 1943 he was Flight Commander of Eskadra A (A Flight) and then he was the Squadron Commander from  19^th November 1943 until 10^th April 1944.  He improved the training of all flight crews in the use of the latest technical equipment and both Allied and Axis tactics.  In the book “No Place To Land” by Jozef Jaworzyn, there are several anecdotal stories of how W/Cdr Korbut flew on active service with his crews.  He was  not just nominal flight crew, and held the respect of his men.

He graduated from the Air Academy and moved to Coastal Command where he was responsible for the navigation department.  From 1945 he was head of the Polish Air Force Training Department.  During his service he was awarded the Silver Cross of the Order of Virtuti Militari and he won the Cross of Valour on four occasions.

He survived the war and emigrated to Canada, where he died on 3^rd September 1993 on the 54^th anniversary of Britain’s entry into the war.