JERZY KRANC

He was born on 24^th May 1909 at Brzezno, Konin District and in November 1927, he was accepted at the Officer Cadet School in Ostro-Komorowo.  In August 1930 he was promoted to second lieutenant and was posted to 58 Infantry Regiment as a platoon leader.  During the first half of 1933 he trained as an observer at the Air Officers Training School in Deblin.  In 1935/36 he was under training in the 2^nd Air Wing at Krakow and then joined an air officers corps where he served in various capacities until he was accepted at the War College at Rembertow.

He was only there for three days (probably because of the imminence of the German Invasion) before being posted to II Bomber squadron where he took up the post of tactical officer.  He fought for the 17 days after the German invasion until Russia attacked from the rear.  At this time, he made his escape through Romania and reached the Polish Depot at Lyon-Bron, France on 16^th November 1939.  He became a navigation instructor in the Polish Air Force in exile and remained as such until the French capitulation when he made his way to England.

On arrival in England he did conversion training and then served with 309 Squadron which, at that time were flying Westland Lysanders – probably on army co-operation duties.  He then moved to 304 Squadron; the date is uncertain but Marius Konarski lists him as a Squadron Leader with the squadron on 8^th July 1943.  He became Squadron Commander on 10^th April 1944 and held that post until 2^nd January 1945.

He was not just nominal flight crew; he flew with his men on many occasions, sometimes as a supernumerary observer and sometimes as a navigator in the regular crew.  For his efforts, he was awarded the Cross of Valour, for bravery in action, by Air Vice Marshal Ujejski on 28^th June 1941 and the Order of Virtuti Militari on 21^st November 1941 also by Air Vice Marshal Ujejski.  He won the Cross of Valour on three other occasions.

His next move was to the Air Academy and on graduation, in September 1945, he was posted to the Polish Airforce HQ as the official Liaison Officer to the Navy.  Then from 14^th May 1946 he served with BAFO 2 (British Air Forces of Occupation) Group HQ.

Sadly, on demobilisation from the Air Force, he returned to Poland and died in 1960 at the relatively young age of 51.