IN SUPPORT OF THE PEOPLE OF NICE

JAN ADAMOWICZ

He was an electrician and was born on 29^th August 1927.  He was released from Russian detention and was taken to Persia (Iran) where he spent time in Teheran and Isfahan before being sent to England as part of the Youth Brigade.  He trained at RAF Halton near Wendover, Buckinghamshire and qualified as an electrician there on 29th July 1947.

At this time 136 Polish apprentices completed the school, and on 10th of March 1948, the remaining 31 completed the course. All finished the school successfully, obtaining the Trade Apprenticeship Certificate ratified by the Central Trade Test Board, together with the certificate of completion of the Polish Secondary School (Gimnazjum No 2) from the Polish Ministry of Education.

Due to his age, he never saw war service.  Stories vary as to whether he remained in Britain or returned to Poland (in 1947 according to Krzystek's List).  It would be interesting to find out.  

 Boy recruits - a very young looking sixteen year old freshly arrived from Persia.  As you look at the picture, Jan is left of the man seated.

 

 

Jan Adamowicz is in the Middle Row, fourth from the right in this graduation picture taken at RAF Halton in July 1947

IS THERE ANY POINT?

Following the Brexit campaign and the subsequent victory, I have received a lot of abuse and insults.  The whole point of this blog is that it was non-political and in support of the Polish Airmen.  I wanted to keep their memories alive and to honour their bravery.

 

I am now being subjected to insults and abuse - even from people of Polish descent whom I have helped in the past.  It seems pointless to go on with this project if the people I had hoped to help are my biggest critics and want nothing more than to heap abuse on me.

 

I have not yet made a final decision but I cannot see any sensible reason to keep on committing my time and resources to help people who will then turn on me because my country has chosen to go it alone and come out of Europe.

RE PREVIOUS POST

Information received from Poland suggests that this IS RAF Benbecula and the following photographs show some pretty strong evidence of that fact.  It is also said to have happened in summer 1944 although it is not mentioned in the ORB.

 

DOES ANYONE RECOGNISE THIS?

 

 

The photo may be colorised or it may be a genuine colour photo.  It is shown exactly as I received it and it appears to be a 304 Squadron aircraft in difficulties on the perimeter road of an airfield.  To me, it looks like RAF Benbecula but others think it is North Africa.

 

I don't think the long grass/heather is typical of North Africa and I hope someone may have a similar photo and can identify it.  I have one description of a similar event which took place in November 1944 but the fact that some of the men are shirtless in the photo makes that seem improbable.

 

It has also been suggested that the recovery vehicles are American.  That is not totally surprising bearing in mind that Lease Lend provided us with a lot of such equipment.  I also know that this equipment was in use in North Uist in the latter part of 1943 so I know that such equipment was in the area.

 

Q was the code letter for Wellington HF420 which first flew for 304 Squadron in June 1944 and continued well in to 1945.  However it could have been an earlier Q which was around some time after mid 1942 because it is painted in Coastal Command colours.

 

If anyone has any ideas or suggestions regarding the aircraft, the date or the location please pass them on.

MEMORIAL TO 304 SQUADRON AIRMEN

I am very happy to support a scheme to honour the men of 304 Squadron (among others) who were killed in crashes at, or near, Bleasby in Nottinghamshire.  This is being organised by Ken Ogilvie and I think it best to describe his fund raising methods in his own words:

 

This event is a day out at the Great Central Railway, going back in time to travel and dine in 1950s style, travelling in Pullman Car comfort, complete with a five course meal. The train will be pulled by a steam locomotive, both selected for us and driven on the day by Bill Brazier, a long time Bleasby resident.

Travel from Bleasby to and from Loughborough will be by coach leaving from the Waggon and Horses. For those who want to experience a cab ride in the locomotive at their own risk between stations on the line, this can be arranged, subject to numbers, and booked in advance.

Drinks can be pre-ordered to be served at your reserved seat at extra cost.

A choice of one of two starters and main courses will be available, and most special other dietary requirements can be catered for, all pre-ordered. A child’s meal will be served for younger passengers.

Access for the disabled can also be provided, again by prior arrangement.

We are taking bookings now for this excursion. A minimum number of 75 adult priced tickets must be sold to make the excursion viable.

The maximum number that can be catered for on the train is 126 people, including children.

No non-dining seats are presently available, although additional coaches may be added to the train if there is a demand for these seats, but only if the required minimum of adult priced dining seats have been sold.

In this edition of the Bleasby News, you will find an application form for excursion reservations. If you wish to book on this excursion, please complete and submit the form, remembering to attach your cheque which can be post-dated to 9^th June, 2016. Each adult priced ticket cost £75 and includes a donation of £20 for the project. Child seats, including a child’s meal, cost £35 each, with no donation included, but there only a maximum of 42 child seats available. If you are able and willing to do so, it would help further if you would complete and sign the attached Gift Aid form, and attach it to your application. Completed forms can be either delivered in a sealed envelope to me at Forge Cottage, Bleasby, or handed to any Bleasby Local History Society Committee member, or alternatively handed in at the bar of the Waggon and Horses. Please be sure to include your contact details.

Cheques are to be made payable to St Marys Church – Memorial Fund. Cheques will only be presented for payment following a decision being made that the project will be viable. If a decision is made on 9^th June that the project will not go ahead due to lack of support, your application form and cheque will be returned to you.

If you either cannot or do not want to take part in this event, but would like to make a donation to the Project, then please return your donation, with completed Gift Aid form if appropriate, in a sealed envelope to any of the above recipients. Please do not pay either for your tickets or your donation in cash.

Donations or payments should be sent to Ken Ogilvie at Forge Cottage, Main Street, Bleasby, Notts., NG14 7GH, England accompanied by the attached form.

 

 

 

Anyone wishing to book a place on this excursion, please email Ken Ogilvie and he will send you an application form email address bleasbybcms2016@btinternet.com 

 

 

NEPAL

Hello and welcome to my new visitor from Nepal!  I was seriously surprised to see that I had received a hit from that country.  I hope you will enjoy the site and come back on many occasions.