ZDZISLAW STANISLAW PIECZYNSKI

He was born on 28th April 1916 in Sulejewo near Poznan and in 1934 he joined the training school in Bydgoszcz in 1934 and qualified as a wireless operator in 1937. His first posting was to the 1st Air Regiment in Warsaw where he was attached to 214 Bomber Squadron and later to 211 Bomber Squadron. He took part in the September Campaign but on the night of 18/19th September 1939 he was evacuated to Romania. There is no information on his escape route but he made his way to France and immediately applied for transfer to England.

He was accepted and after further operational training he was posted from 18OTU at RAF Bramcote near Nuneaton in Warwickshire on 12th April 1942 (possibly 1941 to RAF Syerston in Nottinghamshire – which seems more likely as he could not possibly have been so highly decorated in just 16 days) to 304 Squadron at RAF Lindholme in Yorkshire.

He was on board Wellington bomber Z1088 which disappeared on a mission to Cologne on 28th April 1942. His aircraft is believed to have been shot down near Villers la Ville in Belgium and he is buried in the Charleroi Communal Cemetery there.

He was awarded the Silver Cross of the Order of Virtuti Militari, the Cross of Valour four times and the Air Medal.