He was born on 1st or 15th November 1914 (accounts vary) in Minsk, Russia and he joined the training school at Bydgoszcz in 1930 but appears to have failed the course as he was released after two years. In August 1939 he was conscripted and sent to 6 Air Regiment in Lwow. He was evacuated after the September Campaign and arrived in France in January 1940. He stayed there until the fall of France and arrived in Britain on 27th June 1940.
After a period of training he was posted to 307 Fighter Squadron on 27th September 1940 at RAF Kirton in Lindsey in Lincolnshire. He requested aircrew duties and began wireless operator training at the Blackpool Depot on 24th November 1941; he completed the course at 1 Signal School RAF Cranwell, Sleaford, Lincolnshire on 17th September 1942. Next day he went to 8 Air Gunnery School at RAF Evanton, Invergordon, Scotland where he qualified on 16th October 1942. On 16th December 1942 he went to 7 Signal School and then on to 6OTU at RAF Silloth in Cumberland (now Cumbria) for operational training. On 15th April 1943 he was posted to 304 Squadron at RAF Docking in Norfolk.
He was on board Wellington bomber HE304 on 17th July 1943 when it ran out of fuel on the return journey from the Bay of Biscay. The whole crew bailed out and landed safely at Carlow in the Irish Republic and the plane crashed near Ballickmoylar, County Laois. He managed to send out an SOS and three aircraft were sent out to look for them but they failed to find the crash because they were unable to violate Irish neutrality and the visibility was so poor.
I have not been able to trace his immediate movements after this, perhaps he was detained in Ireland for a while. However, I have traced a further 27 missions flown with 304 Squadron between December 1943 and June 1944, with a regular crew:
Some missions flown by Sgt Mikolaj Pawluczyk after the crash of Wellington HE304 in Ireland and with his new regular crew during his time in Coastal Command.
The normal crew referred to in this partial reconstruction of his missions was as follows: F/O L. Krempa, Sgt J. Zientek, P/O S. Sawicki, Sgt W. Szerszun, Sgt M. Pawluczyk and Sgt J. Gumiński
19 Dec 43 Wellington XIV 2E (HF198)
Anti-submarine patrol T.3 Percussion extended to 49.30N
Normal crew flying out of RAF Predannack
None of the crew on this mission were on board this aircraft when it crashed into the sea, for unknown reasons, on a training flight between RAF Predannack and Cardigan Bay (Wales), less than four weeks later, on 14th January 1944. All five crew were killed.
13/14 Jan 44 Night Wellington XIV 2F (HF199)
Anti-submarine patrol T.3 Percussion
Normal crew flying out of RAF Predannack
20/21 Jan 44 Night Wellington XIV 2R (HF275)
Anti-submarine patrol M.3 Percussion
Normal crew flying out of RAF Predannack
28/29 Jan 44 Night Wellington XIV 2V (HF121)
Anti-submarine patrol N.1
Normal crew
Flying out of RAF Predannack
None of the crew on this mission were on board this aircraft when it was shot down on the night of 7/8 April 1944 whilst on patrol over the Bay of Biscay. The crew managed to send off an SOS call but all were killed. This was the second off last 304 Squadron plane to be lost to enemy action.
05/06 Feb 44 Night Wellington XIV 2F (HF199)
Anti-submarine patrol M.2 Percussion
Normal crew flying out of RAF Predannack
08/09 Feb 44 Night Wellington XIV 2G (HF202)
Anti-submarine patrol M.1 Percussion
Normal crew flying out of RAF Predannack
20/21 Feb 44 Night Wellington XIV 2H (HF200)
Anti-submarine patrol Patrol No 2
Normal crew flying out of RAF Predannack
24/25 Feb 44 Night Wellington XIV 2D (HF196)
Anti-submarine patrol Patrol No 3
Normal crew flying out of RAF Predannack
28/29 Feb 44 Night Wellington XIV 2P (HF181)
Anti-submarine patrol Patrol No 2
Flying out of RAF Predannack
F/O Ejbich replaced Sgt Zientek
Bohdan Ejbich is still alive and living in Canada – he is now a novelist and PAF Historian
02/03 Mar 44 Night Wellington XIV 2H (HF200)
Anti-submarine patrol Patrol No 3 flying out of RAF Predannack
F/O Ejbich replaced Sgt Zientek
Bohdan Ejbich is still alive and living in Canada – he is now a novelist and PAF Historian
After a period of training he was posted to 307 Fighter Squadron on 27th September 1940 at RAF Kirton in Lindsey in Lincolnshire. He requested aircrew duties and began wireless operator training at the Blackpool Depot on 24th November 1941; he completed the course at 1 Signal School RAF Cranwell, Sleaford, Lincolnshire on 17th September 1942. Next day he went to 8 Air Gunnery School at RAF Evanton, Invergordon, Scotland where he qualified on 16th October 1942. On 16th December 1942 he went to 7 Signal School and then on to 6OTU at RAF Silloth in Cumberland (now Cumbria) for operational training. On 15th April 1943 he was posted to 304 Squadron at RAF Docking in Norfolk.
He was on board Wellington bomber HE304 on 17th July 1943 when it ran out of fuel on the return journey from the Bay of Biscay. The whole crew bailed out and landed safely at Carlow in the Irish Republic and the plane crashed near Ballickmoylar, County Laois. He managed to send out an SOS and three aircraft were sent out to look for them but they failed to find the crash because they were unable to violate Irish neutrality and the visibility was so poor.
I have not been able to trace his immediate movements after this, perhaps he was detained in Ireland for a while. However, I have traced a further 27 missions flown with 304 Squadron between December 1943 and June 1944, with a regular crew:
Some missions flown by Sgt Mikolaj Pawluczyk after the crash of Wellington HE304 in Ireland and with his new regular crew during his time in Coastal Command.
The normal crew referred to in this partial reconstruction of his missions was as follows: F/O L. Krempa, Sgt J. Zientek, P/O S. Sawicki, Sgt W. Szerszun, Sgt M. Pawluczyk and Sgt J. Gumiński
19 Dec 43 Wellington XIV 2E (HF198)
Anti-submarine patrol T.3 Percussion extended to 49.30N
Normal crew flying out of RAF Predannack
None of the crew on this mission were on board this aircraft when it crashed into the sea, for unknown reasons, on a training flight between RAF Predannack and Cardigan Bay (Wales), less than four weeks later, on 14th January 1944. All five crew were killed.
13/14 Jan 44 Night Wellington XIV 2F (HF199)
Anti-submarine patrol T.3 Percussion
Normal crew flying out of RAF Predannack
20/21 Jan 44 Night Wellington XIV 2R (HF275)
Anti-submarine patrol M.3 Percussion
Normal crew flying out of RAF Predannack
28/29 Jan 44 Night Wellington XIV 2V (HF121)
Anti-submarine patrol N.1
Normal crew
Flying out of RAF Predannack
None of the crew on this mission were on board this aircraft when it was shot down on the night of 7/8 April 1944 whilst on patrol over the Bay of Biscay. The crew managed to send off an SOS call but all were killed. This was the second off last 304 Squadron plane to be lost to enemy action.
05/06 Feb 44 Night Wellington XIV 2F (HF199)
Anti-submarine patrol M.2 Percussion
Normal crew flying out of RAF Predannack
08/09 Feb 44 Night Wellington XIV 2G (HF202)
Anti-submarine patrol M.1 Percussion
Normal crew flying out of RAF Predannack
20/21 Feb 44 Night Wellington XIV 2H (HF200)
Anti-submarine patrol Patrol No 2
Normal crew flying out of RAF Predannack
24/25 Feb 44 Night Wellington XIV 2D (HF196)
Anti-submarine patrol Patrol No 3
Normal crew flying out of RAF Predannack
28/29 Feb 44 Night Wellington XIV 2P (HF181)
Anti-submarine patrol Patrol No 2
Flying out of RAF Predannack
F/O Ejbich replaced Sgt Zientek
Bohdan Ejbich is still alive and living in Canada – he is now a novelist and PAF Historian
02/03 Mar 44 Night Wellington XIV 2H (HF200)
Anti-submarine patrol Patrol No 3 flying out of RAF Predannack
F/O Ejbich replaced Sgt Zientek
Bohdan Ejbich is still alive and living in Canada – he is now a novelist and PAF Historian
04/05 Mar 44 Night Wellington XIV 2R (HF275)
Anti-submarine patrol T.2 Percussion
Normal crew flying out of RAF Predannack
07/08 Mar 44 Night Wellington XIV 2R (HF275)
Anti-submarine patrol Patrol B
Normal crew flying out of RAF Predannack
10/11 Mar 44 Night Wellington XIV 2C (HF179)
Anti-submarine patrol R.2 Percussion
Normal crew flying out of RAF Predannack
15/16 Mar 44 Night Wellington XIV 2R (HF275)
Anti-submarine patrol S.1 Percussion
Normal crew flying out of RAF Predannack
19/20 Mar 44 Night Wellington XIV 2P (HF181)
Anti-submarine patrol S.4 Percussion
Normal crew flying out of RAF Predannack or RAF Chivenor. 19th March 1944 was the official movement date to the latter RAF Station.
22/23 Mar 44 Night Wellington XIV 2A (HF188)
Anti-submarine patrol R.1 Percussion
Normal crew flying out of RAF Chivenor
None of the crew on this mission was on board this aircraft when it was shot down by German fighters on a patrol over the Bay of Biscay, less than three weeks later on 11th April 1944. The crew managed to send off an SOS but all were killed. This was the last 304 Squadron plane to be lost to enemy action.
25/26 Mar 44 Night Wellington XIV 2A (HF188)
Anti-submarine patrol T.3 Percussion
Normal crew flying out of RAF Chivenor
Shot down over the Bay of Biscay on 11th April 1944 (see previous entry)
05/06 Apr 44 Night Wellington XIV 2B (HF185)
Anti-submarine patrol Patrol ANormal crew flying out of RAF Chivenor
27/28 Apr 44 Night Wellington XIV 2N (HF330)
Anti-submarine patrol Patrol No.2
Normal crew flying out of RAF Chivenor
30 Apr/01 May 44 Night Wellington XIV 2K (HF388)
Anti-submarine patrol Patrol No.2
Normal crew flying out of RAF Chivenor
06/07 May 44 Night Wellington XIV 2D (HF386)
Anti-submarine patrol Patrol No.4
Normal crew flying out of RAF Chivenor
11/12 May 44 Night Wellington XIV 2M (HF334)
Anti-submarine patrol Patrol No.4
Normal crew flying out of RAF Chivenor
16/17 May 44 Night Wellington XIV 2M (HF334)
Anti-submarine patrol Patrol No.4
Normal crew flying out of RAF Chivenor
23/24 May 44 Night Wellington XIV 2M (HF334)
Anti-submarine patrol Box 1 patrol
Normal crew flying out of RAF Chivenor
09/10 Jun 44 Night Wellington XIV 2Q (HF420)
Anti-submarine patrol Patrol V
Normal crew flying out of RAF Chivenor
14/15 Jun 44 Night Wellington XIV 2Q (HF420)
Anti-submarine patrol Patrol No.52
Normal crew flying out of RAF Chivenor
21/22 June 44 Night Wellington XIV 2K (HF388)
Anti-submarine patrol Patrol Y
Normal crew flying out of RAF Chivenor
He returned to the Blackpool Depot and was later posted to RAF Morecambe Polish training wing in Lancashire on 16th November 1944. Subsequently he was commissioned as an officer and transferred to 133 Wing as adjutant. On 3rd September 1945 he received his final posting to RAF Dunholme Lodge in Lincolnshire which appears to have been a storage facility for Hamilcar gliders at this time. He was awarded the Cross of Valour three times and the Air Medal.
After his discharge he returned to Poland and later joined the Merchant Navy, travelling the world until his death from a heart attack on 6th December 1975; he is buried in the Central Cemetery in Szczecin, Poland.
Unfortunately, there are no wartime photographs available.
Unfortunately, there are no wartime photographs available.
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