He was born on 16th January 1922 at Tykocin near Bialystok and joined the training school in Swiecie in 1938. Because of the outbreak of war, he could not complete his course and his entire class was evacuated from their base in Moderowka to Romania.
16 year old Air Cadet at SPLdM - 1938
He arrived in France on 21st November 1939 and requested a transfer to England which he was granted and arrived here on 6th March 1940 apparently at RAF Manston in Kent. This is most unusual as the normal reception centre at that time was RAF Eastchurch (also in Kent).
His initial service consisted of duties with the anti-aircraft defence of RAF Bramcote in Warwickshire and RAF Syerston in Nottinghamshire which were both Polish stations. One source quotes 304 and 305 squadrons but this is incorrect as neither had been formed at this point in time.
He began his pilot training on 9th September 1941 and completed it on 10th July 1943. In order to gain flying experience he was posted to 3 Air Gunnery School at RAF Castle Kennedy near Stranraer in Scotland but two weeks later he was sent to RAF Squires Gate (Blackpool) for a short navigation course. On 30th November 1943 he was posted to 3OTU at Haverfordwest in Wales for his operational training.
On 7th April 1944 he was posted to 304 Squadron at RAF Chivenor in Devon. He completed a tour of duty with them and was sent back to the Polish Depot at Blackpool for a rest from operational flying in April 1945. He served for a while as a staff pilot until his posting to RAF Dunholme Lodge on a date that has been suggested as 1948 but this is unlikely as it closed at the end of the war.
During his service he was awarded the Cross of Valour three times and the Air Medal. He was demobilised on 12th November 1948 and went to work in the coal mines. From 1953 he worked as a skilled toolmaker. He retired early at the beginning of 1985 due to ill health. His civilian work would probably have been in Staffordshire as he was last heard of in Walsall in 1999. He died in Cannock, Staffordshire on 16th October 2009.
Receiving the Cross of Valour from General Izycki
With special thanks to Ryszard Kolodziedjski for the use of photographs from his personal collection
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