WLADYSLAW STANISLAW GRACZYK

He was injured in the crash of R1035 on 28^th December 1940 (300 Squadron) whilst trying to land at RAF Swinderby following a raid on an oil refinery at Antwerp.  He was then promoted to Flight Sergeant on 12^th February 1942 and transferred to 304 Squadron.  He baled out of X9687 which was shot down by flak on its way to bomb Essen on 13^th April 1942 and was taken Prisoner of War with the rest of the crew except  Flight Lieutenant Mlynarski who was killed by flak whilst still on board the aircraft. 

He survived the war and returned to Poland; he died on 21^st June 2004 and was buried in the Military Cemetery at Poznan.

CAUTIONARY NOTE:

There is some confusion in the records as the list of Polish airmen compiled by Tadeusz Krzystek attributes VM No 8262 to both F/Sgt Witold Graczyk (P-2464) and F/Sgt Wladyslaw Stanislaw Graczyk (P-780233)  I have to accept that they might be the same man in spite of the differences in forenames, birth dates and service numbers.  Alternatively, the above story should be attributed to F/Sgt Witold Graczyk.