ANTONI MENTLAK - KNOWN COMBAT MISSIONS

Virtuti Militari awarded to 301 Squadron retrospectively (in 1966) for the Special Duties Missions to Warsaw

Antoni Mentlak - Known Combat Missions

F/O Jan Miszewski – first pilot

F/O Stanislaw Machej – second pilot

F/O Gebik – navigator

F/Sgt Janusz Antoniewicz – wireless operator

F/Sgt Marian Koc – air gunner

F/Sgt Pacut – despatcher

Sgt Antoni Mentlak – flight engineer

Mission 01    20/21 Feb 43       Poland

From RAF Tempsford on board Halifax DT726 NF-H.    They took off on Operation File at 18.52 and were over the primary target point 154 in Poland at 00.20; the secondary point 103 was not necessary as the crew clearly saw the recognition signal of 8 red lights and 8 white lights, one of which was flashing. They responded with the recognition code letter Z and dropped the 6 containers of supplies and four men – they had instructions to drop the men only (in a safe place) if they failed to get the correct signal at either point 154 or 103. The aircraft landed safely at RAF Middleton St George, County Durham – a long way from their home base – at 07.29 after a successful mission.

W/O Bolesław Hułas - first pilot

F/S Rzewuski Mieczysław - second pilot

F/L Malinowski Mieczysław - navigator

F/S Krzeczewski Eugeniusz – radio operator

F/S Miniakowski Stefan - front gunner

Sgt Mentlak Antoni – mechanic/flight engineer

F/S Dubiel Józef - rear gunner

Mission 02    16/17 June 43       France

Mission 03    17/18 June 43       France

F/O Sancewicz Zbigniew - 1st pilot

F/O Goszczyński Michał - 2nd pilot

F/O Krywda Władysław - navigator

Sgt Łuksza Tadeusz – radio operator

Sgt Mentlak Antoni – mechanic/flight engineer

The air gunners who usually flew in the crew were Sgt Andrzej Godecki and F/Lt Eligiusz Zaleski but sometimes there were different airmen taking their place on the flights.

Mission 04    15/16 July 43       France

Mission 05    22/23 July 43       France

Mission 06    24/25 July 43       France

Mission 07     08/09 Aug 43       Denmark

Mission 08     12/13 Aug 43       France

Mission 09     13/14 Aug 43       France

Mission 10     16/17 Aug 43       France

Mission 11     18/19 Aug 43       France

Mission 12     20/21 Aug 43       France

Mission 13     23/24 Aug 43       France

Mission 14     09/10 Sep 43       Poland 

Including F/Lt Zaleski and Sgt Godecki from RAF Tempsford on board Halifax JD-319 'A' Operation Flat 2 to Lichtarz 101 The pilot on this mission was F/O Zbigniew Sancewicz.

Mission 15     16/17 Sep 43       Poland

From RAF Tempsford on board Halifax BB378 ‘D’ Operation Neon 1 to Gurnek 103

Mission 16      21/21Sep 43       Poland

From RAF Tempsford on board Halifax LW276 ‘E’ Operation Neon 5 to Lustro 201

Mission 17     13/14 Oct 43       France

Mission 18     15/16 Oct 43       Poland

From RAF Tempsford on board Halifax JD171 ‘P’ Operation Cottage 55 to Zyto 1 801

Mission 19     18/19 Oct 43       Poland

From RAF Tempsford on board Halifax JD319 ‘A’ Operation Oxygen 1 to Chochla 507 The pilot on this mission was F/O Zbigniew Sancewicz.

After 1586 Flight was formed, Sgt Antoni Mentlak and his crew flew from RAF Tempsford (Overnight 6/7 November 43) via Gibraltar to RAF Sidi Amor near Tunis (The first place where the Flight was stationed after the movement, firstly to Tunisia and later to Brindisi in Southern Italy).

Mission 20    06/07 Nov 43       Tunisia

RAF Tempsford to RAF Sidi Amor, Tunisia via RAF Gibraltar classed as a combat mission/operational flight because their course took them over enemy territory.

Mission 21    15/16 Dec 43       Poland

In Polish Special Duties Flight 1586 flying from RAF Campo Casale, near Brindisi, Italy on board Halifax JD319 ‘A’ on Operation Ohio 1 to Rybitwa-1 16 The pilot on this mission was F/O Zbigniew Sancewicz.

Mission 22    18/19 Dec 43       Poland

In Polish Special Duties Flight 1586 flying from RAF Campo Casale, near Brindisi, Italy on board Halifax JD319 ‘A’ on Operation Ohio 2 to Tukan-1 12 The pilot on this mission was F/O Zbigniew Sancewicz.

Mission 23    13/14 Feb 44       Italy

In Polish Special Duties Flight 1586 flying from RAF Campo Casale, near Brindisi, Italy to ...............in Northern Italy

Mission 24    17/18 Feb 44       Italy

In Polish Special Duties Flight 1586 flying from RAF Campo Casale, near Brindisi, Italy

Mission 25    22 Feb 44            Jugoslavia

In Polish Special Duties Flight 1586 flying from RAF Campo Casale, near Brindisi, Italy

Mission 26    24/25 Feb 44       Poland

In Polish Special Duties Flight 1586 flying from RAF Campo Casale, near Brindisi, Italy on board Halifax JN956 ‘E’ on Operation Weller 5 to Wieszak 311 and with agents on board

Mission 27    03/04 Mar 44       Greece

In Polish Special Duties Flight 1586 flying from RAF Campo Casale, near Brindisi, Italy

Mission 28    07/08 Mar 44       Greece

In Polish Special Duties Flight 1586 flying from RAF Campo Casale, near Brindisi, Italy

Mission 29    17/18 Mar 44       Czechoslovakia

In Polish Special Duties Flight 1586 flying from RAF Campo Casale, near Brindisi, Italy. This may have been the mission mentioned in Bienecki’s book, Polski Zaloga over Europe in which they dropped supplies to the Jugoslav partisans en route and were attacked by an enemy fighter but escaped by hiding in clouds

Mission 30    03/04 Apr 44       Poland

In Polish Special Duties Flight 1586 flying from RAF Campo Casale, near Brindisi, Italy on board Halifax JP177 ‘P’ on Operation ................ to Zamek

Mission 31    06/07 Apr 44       Greece

In Polish Special Duties Flight 1586 flying from RAF Campo Casale, near Brindisi, Italy

Mission 32    09/10 Apr 44       Poland

In Polish Special Duties Flight 1586 flying from RAF Campo Casale, near Brindisi, Italy on board Halifax JP177 ‘P’ on Operation Weller 3 to Kaczka 127 with agents on board

Mission 33    12/13 Apr 44       Poland

In Polish Special Duties Flight 1586 flying from RAF Campo Casale, near Brindisi, Italy on board Halifax JP177 ‘P’ on Operation Weller 15 to Lichtarz 223 with agents on board

Mission 34    15/16 April 44      Poland

In Polish Special Duties Flight 1586 flying from RAF Campo Casale, near Brindisi, Italy on board Halifax JP177 ‘P’ on Operation ...................to Paszkot 239

Mission 35    16/17 Apr 44       Poland

In Polish Special Duties Flight 1586 flying from RAF Campo Casale, near Brindisi, Italy on board Halifax JP236 ‘A’ on Operation Weller 15 to Obraz 318 with agents on board

Mission 36    25/26 Apr 44       Italy

In Polish Special Duties Flight 1586 flying from RAF Campo Casale, near Brindisi, Italy

There are five more missions, details of which I have not been able to find. If you can help please contact me on neville.bougourd@gmail.com and also if you have any more information on the missions listed above.

Special thanks to Frances Gates and Piotr Hodyra for the incredible amount of information they have supplied to make this chart possible.

ANTONI MENTLAK

He was born on 29th January 1915 on a farm at Cendrowice, about 20 miles south of Warsaw, to Michal Mentlak and Franciszka Mentlak nee Bianczyk. After his education was completed, he enlisted as a non-commissioned officer cadet – on 14th October 1932 – where he remained until 18th June 1935 when he was posted to 213 Squadron of 1st Air Regiment as a regular airman; from 1st April 1938 he served as a flight engineer. He stayed with them throughout the September Campaign from 1st to 17th September 1939.

On the orders of Wing Commander Jozef Werakso, he was evacuated to Romania as part of the four man crew of a PZL 37 Los (Moose) bomber, serial number 72c. This was a Polish designed and built twin engine medium bomber. The crew were interned immediately on arrival in Bucarest. Two days later, on 19th September 1939, he was admitted to a military hospital where he stayed until 30th September when he was informed that they were going to amputate one of his toes. He suffered problems with this foot for the rest of his life – but kept his toe!

He made his way to Constanta, a port on the Black Sea, and stayed there until 8th October 1939 when he attempted to cross the frontier en route for France. He was detained at the border and taken to an internment camp at Turnu Severin and held there until 21st October 1939. The following day he arrived at Balczyk (Balchic) near the Danube Estuary on the Black Sea where he remained for two weeks until 5th November 1939 when he boarded a ship for Malta. He remained in Malta until 16th November 1939, when he sailed for France with the intention of rejoining the Polish Air Force.

He arrived at Marseilles on 19th November 1939 and re-enlisted in the Polish Air Force under French command at the air base in Lyon-Bron. Like many other Poles, he was unhappy with the living conditions there and the inactivity and was among the first to leave for England – arriving there on 5th January 1940. He enlisted at RAF Eastchurch in Kent – this was before it became a front line fighter base and was under frequent attack from the Luftwaffe. He spent a few weeks here on the routine induction – learning English, learning RAF regulations etc.

Antoni Mentlak (right) with unknown PAF colleague

On 26th March 1940 he was transferred to RAF Hucknall on the outskirts of Nottingham, which was the Polish training centre for both flying crew and ground crew where he would complete his training and become familiar with British aircraft – which were inherently different from their Polish equivalents in that many of them had retractable undercarriage and totally different layout of controls. On completion of his training he was posted to RAF Bramcote near Nuneaton, Warwickshire, on 28th June 1940. Here he served as a fitter, flight mechanic before becoming an established member (flight engineer) of the aircrew in the fledgling Polish Air Force in exile as part of the newly established 300 Squadron.

Later he transferred to 301 Squadron and served with them until they were disbanded at which time (30th November 1942) he was posted to 138 Squadron, based at RAF Tempsford in Bedfordshire. This has been described as the RAF’s most secret air base in WW2 and 138 Squadron was the work horse for the clandestine missions of the Special Operations Executive. Speaking of RAF Tempsford, Adolf Hitler said: “....find this vipers nest and obliterate it!” – but they never did. Between 16th March and 9th June 1943 he was seconded to No 4 School of Technical Training at St Athan for unknown reasons except possibly to improve his skills as a flight engineer.

Whilst at RAF Tempsford, he took a short break from hostilities and married Hilda Benson on 14th April 1942.

Antoni Mentlak flew at least nineteen missions from this base; he flew twelve to France, one to Denmark and six to Poland. All of this was before he transferred to the newly forming 1586 Flight on 6th November 1943. On the evening of that day he flew from RAF Tempsford, via RAF Gibraltar, to RAF Sidi Amor in Tunisia; this flight counted as a combat mission because they had to fly over territory to reach their final destination – facing the twin menaces of anti-aircraft fire and night fighters. After a few weeks to acclimatise and maintain their equipment, they flew on to RAF Campo Casale near Brindisi in Southern Italy – this was to be their new operational base from which he flew at least sixteen missions. These were to Czechoslovakia (1), Greece (3), Italy (3), Jugoslavia (1) and Poland (8) The latter involved flying over enemy territory for almost the entire route and there was a disproportionate ratio of losses associated with these long and dangerous flights. The main purpose of them was to supply partisan forces with weapons and materials and to drop agents into enemy territory; I have positively identified at least four flights carrying agents.

Halifax Bomber JD319 (GR-A) in which Antoni flew several missions

During the rest of his flying career, he took part in a further five missions and accumulated a total of 310 hours and 55 minutes flying time and 41 combat sorties – well above the minimum requirement for a tour of duty with a Special Operations crew – and even above the limit for a normal bomber crew. In this time he accumulated considerable decorations – the Silver Cross of the Virtuti Militari (5th Class), the Cross of Valour and two bars and the Polish Air Force Medal and two bars as well as his Royal Air Force campaign medals.

From 6th May 1944 he was attached to the No 3 Base Personnel Depot at Naples and , eleven days later, on 17th May 1944, he arrived back at the Polish Depot in Blackpool. On 11th August 1944 he was reassigned to the No 4 School of Technical Training at St Athan in the Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales where he remained until his transfer to 304 Squadron on 19th September 1945, which was, by this time, part of Transport Command. His duties there were flying missions, mainly to Italy and Greece on unarmed Vickers Warwicks and Handley Page Halifaxes. On the outward journeys they were ferrying supplies and on the return journeys they usually ferried returning Prisoners of War and other passengers. Although the war was over, these were still dangerous missions as the aircraft were tired and war battered converted bombers.

He was honourably discharged from the Air Force on 7th January 1947 and, the next day, reported to the Polish Resettlement Corps (technically the Army) for a two year term during which he was re-trained as a plumber to help him integrate into civilian life. He was finally demobilised on 8th January 1949.

After the war, he settled in Leeds and worked as a plumber. He was actively involved with the local Polish community and the Polish Club. He married on a further two occasions and fathered a total of eight children. He always attended the Polish reunions in Blackpool each September but in the later years he came back depressed as the numbers attending steadily declined due to the deaths of his former comrades in arms. He returned to Poland only once, in the 1980s and died of a heart attack, at home, on 17th October 1987 aged 72. He was buried in Killingbeck Cemetery, Leeds.

Personal photos copyright Kristopher Mentlak
Halifax photo copyright holder unknown

JERZY ERAZM MICHAL ISZKOWSKI

He was born on 31st March 1914 at Nowy Sacz, Poland; at his senior school, he became interested in gliders and qualified as a glider pilot in 1932. He joined the army in September 1933 as a member of the infantry. He finally chose aviation and joined the aviation school in Deblin where he trained to fly and became a pilot instructor. He later moved to the school in Grudziadz from which he graduated in 1937 and was promoted to Second lieutenant and posted to 24 Squadron, attached to the 2nd Air Regiment in Krakow; in July 1939 he was transferred to 22 Squadron.

On the outbreak of war, he was evacuated to Romania where he was interned in camps at Frecatei, Slatinie and Effori. He escaped and made it through Jugoslavia to Greece where he boarded a ship to Marseille, France where he fought in bomber squadrons until he left for England where he first went to RAF Blackpool then, in August 1940, to RAF Bramcote. He had initially tried to escape by air, but failed and eventually got there by sea – unfortunately there are no details available.

He was posted to 304 Squadron in 1941 and took part, as co-pilot, on their first operational night mission to bomb the fuel tanks at Rotterdam. On the night of 2/3 August 1941 he set off on a mission from RAF Lindholme to bomb Hamburg but, because of fog and a shortage of fuel, he crash landed at RAF Hemswell. Due to the poor visibility he had not realised that it was an aerodrome. No one was hurt and the aircraft was repairable.

He remained with the Squadron until 15th May 1942 and flew 48 operational missions, well above the required 30. During this time, he flew on a raid to Rostock (24th April 1942) on which the pilot and an air gunner were injured by machine gun fire from a German fighter and the aircraft was badly shot up. He took over the controls and successfully belly landed the plane at RAF Lindholme. He then moved on to 18 OTU as an instructor.

After leaving the Squadron, he trained in special operations and on the night of 27/28 of April 1944 he went to Poland, parachuting into the Lublin area, probably from one of the Special Operations flights from Campo Casale, near Brindisi, in Italy - where he joined up with the Armia Krajowa and took part in resistance activities. He was one of the Cichociemni operating under the Special Operations Executive, where he operated under the code names Orczyk and Kord, after recovering from a leg injury incurred during the drop.

He was awarded the Silver Cross of the Order of Virtuti Militari by Air Vice Marshall Ujejski on 21st November 1941, the Cross of Valour (four times) and the British Distinguished Flying Cross which was approved on 5th September 1942. The citation reads:

“This officer has completed 18 of his operational minions as captain of aircraft and three as second pilot. He has participated in four raids on Cologne and in attacks on other important industrial targets in Germany; also in attacks on harbours in occupied countries. Only on one occasion has he failed to reach his main objective. Flying Officer Iszkowski has displayed excellent leadership and his determination, whatever the odds, has contributed materially to the successes achieved.”

After the liberation of Poland, by the Russians, he became one of the many victims of the Stalinist regime there. He came from a family of school teachers and, at the beginning of September 1944, he became a teacher in Lublin. By the end of 1944, he was arrested by the NKVD (KGB) and sentenced to death under trumped up political charges. This was eventually commuted to ten years in prison – of which he served two. He spent the next few years trying to earn a living but he was politically questionable and was removed from several key jobs including Instructor at the Gliding School. In 1956, he was completely rehabilitated and restored to the rank of major in the reserves – having been demoted to private in 1948.

After his rehabilitation, he again became active in the field of aviation - education and aviation sport. He played a major part in organizing the Aero Club, which was formed in 1957 at Podhalanski in Nowy Sacz. He played a major role in Polish aviation sport as a player, organiser and chairman of the committee of judges. He wrote several aviation training books and articles –including a training manual for bomber crews which he wrote in prison whilst still under sentence of death. He also wrote his memoirs, which were not completed and, regrettably, never published.

For his peace time service to aviation, after the war, he was awarded the Gold Cross of Merit in 1959. He died on 29th August 1962, at the early age of only 48, in Nowy Sacz and is buried there.

Photo courtesy of www.polishairforce

JAN BIALY

He was born into a privileged family on 16^th June 1897 in Krakow.  In 1916 he was conscripted into the 57^th Infantry Regiment of the Austro-Hungarian army, spending come time as a cadet in the Officer training school at Opava, later serving on the Russian and Italian fronts.  He was captured and spent two years as a Prisoner of War.

In November 1918 he joined General Hallera’s “Blue Army” and by 1920 he was a Company Commander of the 48^th Infantry Regiment in the Polish-Bolshevik War, eventually being posted to the 11^th Infantry Division.

In May 1925 he crossed over to the Air Force with the 2nd Air Regiment and then the 3rd Air Regiment where he trained as a pilot.  His military career trail is confusing and he appears to have spent some of this time back with his old regiment.  In May 1926 he graduated from the flying school at Bydgoszcz  and was posted to the 11^th Fighter Wing at Lida.  On 14^th July 1928 he became Commanding Officer of 113 fighter squadron and later 121 squadron (2^nd Fighter Wing) at Krakow. 

He was seriously injured at an air show in Katowice in May 1930 when he crashed whilst performing low level aerobatics.  He took a long time to recover and was unable to continue as a fighter pilot.  He suffered another crash in 1935 but his injuries were relatively minor and he eventually took over as Commander of two squadrons of light reconnaissance P23 Karas.  In 1938 he graduated from the Warsaw Air Academy

At the outbreak of war he was involved in reconnaissance and bombing missions against German tanks and artillery, in command of 2^nd Bomber Squadron and on 7^th September 1939 his crew shot down a Messerschmidt Bf109 fighter.  He eventually fled to France (Lyon-Bron) via Romania and Beirut.  There are unconfirmed references to him being interned in Romania and escaping.  The capitulation of France forced him and his men to escape again,  this time via Morocco to Glasgow.  He trained at RAF Blackpool then moved to RAF Bramcote as the first Commander of 304 Squadron, a position he held from August 1940 until December 1940 when he left following differences with the British advisor.  During this time he trained his crews on Fairy Battles and left the squadron just as they were converting to Vickers Wellingtons. 

He became Polish Liaison Officer at 25 Flying Training Group (RAF) but disliked being a desk jockey and requested to be sent back to the Squadron as a pilot; in January 1943 he got his wish and became second pilot to Squadron Leader Ladro.  He was involved in the battle in which they fought off four Ju88s and was wounded in the leg in that skirmish and it was to be his last combat mission.  At this time, he was the oldest active pilot in the Polish Air Force - aged 46.

In mid-1943 he went to Scotland to set up and command a training centre for Special Operations in which he, and other Polish airmen experienced in German aircraft trained the mechanics of 1426 (Enemy Aircraft) Flight - nicknamed RAFwaffe - to maintain captured German aircraft and to salvage spares from crashed planes.  He was later active in these Polish special operations, moving to Italy in 1944 and parachuted into Poland, on the night of 27th April 1944, near Lublin where he took a high rank in the Armia Krajowa and was code named Kadlub.   He was eventually captured and imprisoned by the Russians (NKVD).

After the war he returned to Poland and lived there until his death on 2^nd October 1984, aged 87.  In 1952 he was arrested, and imprisoned for several months, by the secret police.  He is buried in Bytom Municipal Cemetery.

He won many gallantry medals; the Silver Cross of the Order of Virtuti Militari, the Cross of Valour (four times), the Gold Cross of Merit with Swords, the Silver Cross of Merit and the Cross of the Home Army.

Photograph courtesy of www.polishairforce