ERNEST FAJA - LATEST

He was born in Cieszyn on 24th December 1920. He graduated from the SPLdM military school in Deblin in 1939 but was captured by the Russians on 18th September 1939 – the day after they invaded Poland – and taken to the prison in 15th Century Dubno Castle (now Ukraine) – a transit camp for those bound for the gulags. He was moved to Siewzeldorlag camp in the autonomous republic of Komi (Russia) arriving there on 15th June 1940. The following year he was moved to Juza camp in the Russian Province of Iwanowska and on 24th October 1941, he arrived at Aktiubinsk camp in Khazakhstan where he appears to have stayed until he was released to join the Polish forces.

After being released from Russian captivity, he suffered from a severe illness, probably aggravated by malnutrition, he joined the newly forming Polish forces in Samarkand (Uzbekistan) in 1942 but he became ill again and remained in hospital until the spring of 1943.

He was then taken, via Baghdad, Iraq, to the Suez Canal where he boarded a ship and sailed for Glasgow in Scotland. He was accepted for the Air Force and probably sent to the Polish depot at RAF Blackpool, where he would complete his basic training and begin to learn English.

He was eventually posted to 304 Squadron where he was probably a member of the ground crew whilst he waited for his place in 16 Service Flying Training School at RAF Newton near Nottingham. He trained there as a pilot and qualified in 1945. Afterwards he was transferred to RAF Dunholme Lodge in Lincolnshire.

On 30th September 1946 he married Maria Machowska, who was in the Womens Auxiliary Force at RAF Hucknall in Nottinghamshire. She had also been arrested and sent to Mucznaja Labour Camp in Archangel, Russia, on 11th March 1940. After his honourable discharge in 1947, they returned to Poland with their first born son Zbyszek. They later had another son, Kazimierz and a daughter.

After that Ernest worked in a coal mine as a planner and manager. He died on 8th December 1990 in the mining hospital at Bytom, Poland.  He is buried in the Catholic Cemetery, Bracka Street, Katowice.

ERNEST FAJA

This is virtually all I knew about Sgt Ernest Faja

FAJA Sgt Ernest P-706799



He was a pilot and was born on 24th December 1920. He survived the war and returned to Poland in 1946. He is known to have served for much of the war in 304 Squadron and spent the latter part of his service with 16 SFTS at RAF Newton during which time he was married to Maria Machowska.

The following came from his son, Kazimierz:

In your mail you ask about some details from his life. I have some of them but not much:



He was born on 24th December in 1920 in Cieszyn, Poland. He attended to school of aviation in Dęblinek, Poland, but I don’t know which years he spent in army. After war (in 1946) he married Maria Machowska. She also was in army but as a medical staff (volunteer). Also in England was born their first son - my brother - Zbyszek. In the same year they came back to Poland, where me and my sister was born. After that Ernest worked in coalmine as a planner and manager. He died on 8th December in 1990 in mining hospital in Bytom because of health problems.

Can anyone help with information on Ernest Faja, or do you recognise anyone in these pictures?

                                         Pre-war picture of Ernest in Poland
 

Ernest Faja and fellow airmen - location and date unknown - probably before he came to England as there is no sign of RAF insignia or POLAND shoulder flash
 

Wedding day photograph, 30th September 1945 at Church of the Holy Cross, Hucknall, Nottinghamshire

If anyone can help, please contact me on nevillebougourd@gmail.com or leave a message here, but please also include a return email address which I will edit out before posting your response.

Photos courtesy of Kazimierz Faja 

JERZY TUSIEWICZ

He was born on 24th February 1922 in Pultusk in Warsaw Province. In 1939 he was in the 2 Cadet Corps in Rawicz. In September 1939 he was transferred to 2 Baloon Battalion in Legionowo. During the September Campaign, on 15th September 1939, he was captured by the Germans and became a Prisoner of War until 23 March 1942. It is highly unlikely that he was released so presumably he escaped.

In 1943 he found himself in England and was directed to the Polish Depot in Blackpool. In July 1943 he was posted to the Flying School at RAF Hucknall in Nottinghamshire (probably 15 Polish Elementary Flying Training School) and then to 16 SFTS (16 Polish Service Flying Training School) in Newton as pilot-cadet with Polish rank of plutonowy (the equivalent British rank is L/Ac). In December 1944 he was posted to Navigation School at RAF Blackpool as a pilot and navigator-cadet. In February 1945 he qualified and was posted to 304 Squadron as a pilot.

In May 1945 he was promoted to the polish rank of sierżant-podchorąży (the equivalent British rank is Sergeant). In May 1946 he finished his flying service as a pilot in 16 SFTS in RAF Newton.

In 1947 he emigrated to Canada and settled in Port Severn, Ontario. He became a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society and later, Senior Administrator of the University of Toronto. He died on 18th May 2011.