MIKOLAJ PAWLUCZYK

He was born on 1st or 15th November 1914 (accounts vary but his military records show the date as 1st November 1914) 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. From 1933 to 1935 he was called up for National Service with 5th Air Regiment in Lida and afterwards was placed on the Reserve List.

On 26th December 1936 he married Weronika Jefimick at Brzesc (now Brest, Belarus).  He was working as a telegraph clerk at the time.  They had a daughter, Krystina on 5th January 1939.

On 27th August 1939 he was conscripted and sent to 6 Air Regiment in Lwow where he was posted to 63 Eskadra, flying as an observer and rear gunner in the brand new RWD 14b Czapla  aircraft which were perfect for their task but hopelessly inadequate against modern Luftwaffe fighters.  His main task was to photograph enemy positions and to protect the aircraft with a single Vickers K machine gun.  His task was in support of the ground troops in the Lwow area.

 

RWD 14b Czapla (Heron)

He was evacuated to Romania on 18th September 1939 and was interned there until 11th October when he escaped and made his way to Balcic (now Bulgaria) where he stayed until 17th December 1939.  On 18th December he boarded a ship to Beirut in the Lebanon and on 16th January 1940 he took another ship to Marseilles, France.  At first he was sent to a military camp at Carpiagne but then, on 24th January 1940 he was moved to Septfonds which was originally just a transit camp in WW1 and then became a settlement camp for Spanish Civil War refugees.  It was an awful place without running water and with only the most basic sanitation.  It was an inhospitable place with little or no heating and was very poor shelter through the winter; he remained there until 20th February 1940 until he moved to the air base at Lyon-Bron.

Like all the other airmen, he was under used and must have felt really frustrated and pleased to leave France for Great Britain, known to the Poles as the Islands of Last Hope.  He was evacuated from St Jean de Luz, a French port almost on the border with Spain.  He must have arrived on the Batory, the Sobieski, the Ettrick or the Arandora Star which left on the last day of the evacuation and arrived in Britain on 27th June 1940.  Just a few days later on its very next journey, the Arandora Star was torpedoed  and sunk with the loss of 805 lives

After a period of training and learning the King's Regulations - and learning to speak English - he was posted to 307 Fighter Squadron on 23rd September 1940 at RAF Kirton in Lindsey in Lincolnshire and later at RAF Pembrey at Carmarthen in Wales.  He was grounded, probably because of malaria picked up in the Danube Delta, and spent a lot of time in No 1 Aircrew Convalescent Depot in Blackpool and various hospitals over the next few years.

He requested aircrew duties and began Wireless Operator training at the No 1 Signals School at RAF Cranwell North, Sleaford, Lincolnshire on 13th May 1942; he completed the course 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. After a few weeks back at the Polish Depot, on 16th December 1942 he went to 7 Signals School  at South Kensington, London where he learned care and maintenance of advanced radio equipment and then moved on to 6 OTU at RAF Thornaby on Tees in County Durham for operational training.  The Squadron ORB incorrectly states that he was posted in from 6 OTU at Silloth.  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 baled 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 38 missions flown with 304 Squadron between July 1943 and June 1944, from December 1943 with a regular crew:

The normal crew referred to in this partial reconstruction of his missions was as follows: F/O L. Krempa, Sgt J. ZienSgt J. Zientek,  P/O S. SawicP/O  S. Sawicki,  Sgt W. SzerszSgt W. Szerszun,  Sgt M. Pawluczyk and Sgt J. Gumiński Sgt J. GumińskiSgt M. Pawluc
2 Jul 43 Wellington X HZ258 - S Anti-submarine patrol	Flying out of RAF Davidstow Moor Sgt S Kieltyka, Sgt KS Pasieka, S/Ldr Korbut, Sgt E Duszczak, Sgt M Pawluczyk, Sgt W Kaczan
8 Jul 43 Wellington X HZ258 - S Anti-submarine patrol	Flying out of RAF Davidstow Moor Fully surfaced U-Boat sighted from a height of 500 feet and engaged with machine gun fire.  Aircraft dropped to 50 feet and released 7 torpex depth charges across the swirl.  All exploded and some wreckage seen. Sgt S Kieltyka, Sgt KS Pasieka, Sgt M Salewicz, Sgt E Duszczak, Sgt M Pawluczyk, Sgt W Kaczan
Wellington X  HZ258 - S which was the first 304  Squadron aircraft in which Mikolaj Pawluczyk flew
16 Jul 43 Wellington X HE304 - C Anti-submarine patrol	Flying out of RAF Davidstow Moor Aircraft ran out of fuel and crashed in the Irish Republic.  All crew baled out and safe.  Repatriated to England.  Sgt S Kieltyka, Sgt KS Pasieka, Sgt M Salewicz, Sgt E Duszczak, Sgt M Pawluczyk, Sgt W Kaczan
12 Aug 1943 Wellington XIII HZ573 - C Anti-submarine patrol	Flying out of RAF Davidstow Moor F/Sgt S Czekalski, Sgt E Jaworski, F/Lt E Stanczuk, F/Sgt E Siadecki, Sgt B Szpinalski, Sgt M Pawluczyk
15 Aug 43 Wellington XIII HZ645 - F Anti-submarine patrol	Flying out of RAF Davidstow Moor Attacked by Junkers Ju88 - rear gunner returned fire and plane reached safety of cloud cover. F/Lt J Ochalski, F/Sgt S Kieltyka, F/O J Borzych, Sgt R Duszczak, Sgt M Pawluczyk, Sgt S Wisniewski
17 Aug 43 Wellington XIII HZ644 - 2E Anti-submarine patrol	Flying out of RAF Davidstow Moor F/Sgt S Kieltyka, F/Sgt W Kasprowicz, Sgt M Salewicz, Sgt R Duszczak, Sgt M Pawluczyk, Sgt L Winkiel
21 Aug 43 Wellington XIII HZ577 - 2J Anti-submarine patrol	Flying out of RAF Davidstow Moor F/Sgt S Kieltyka, F/O J Glebocki, Sgt M Salewicz, Sgt R Duszczak, Sgt M Pawluczyk, F/Sgt E Muszala
26th/27th Aug 43 Wellington XIII HZ577 - 2J Anti-submarine patrol	Flying out of RAF Davidstow Moor Sgt S Kieltyka, Sgt KS Pasieka, Sgt M Salewicz, Sgt R Duszczak, Sgt M Pawluczyk, Sgt Z Gustowski
2 Sep 43 Wellington XIII HZ762 - 2G Anti-submarine patrol	Flying out of RAF Davidstow Moor Sgt S Kieltyka, Sgt KS Pasieka, Sgt M Salewicz, Sgt R Duszczak, Sgt M Pawluczyk, Sgt P Kaczan
4 Sep 43 Wellington XIII HZ577 - 2J Anti-submarine patrol	Flying out of RAF Davidstow Moor Sgt S Kieltyka, Sgt KS Pasieka, S/Ldr C Korbut, Sgt R Duszczak, Sgt M Pawluczyk, Sgt P Kaczan
6 Sep 43 Wellington XIII HZ551 - A Anti-submarine patrol	Flying out of RAF Davidstow Moor Sgt S Kieltyka, Sgt E Jaworski, Sgt M Salewicz, Sgt R Duszczak, Sgt M Pawluczyk, Sgt P Kaczan
19 Dec 43 Wellington XIV 2E (HF1982E (HF198) Anti-submarine patrol (Percussion T.3 extended to 49.30N)	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 13/14.01.Wellington XIV 2F (HF499) 2F (HF199) Wellington XIV Anti-submarine patrol	T.3 Percussion Normal crew Flying out of RAF Predannack
20/21.01.194420/21 Jan 44 Night Wellington XIV Wellington XIV 2R (HF275) 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 F/O Ejbich replaced Sgt Zientek Bohdan Ejbich settled in Canada – he became a novelist and PAF Historian   Flying out of RAF Predannack
02/03 Mar 44 Night Wellington XIV 2H (HF200) Anti-submarine patrol	Patrol No 3 F/O Ejbich replaced Sgt Zientek Bohdan Ejbich settled in Canada – he became a novelist and PAF Historian   Flying out of RAF Predannack
Wellington XIV  2H (HF200) He flew in this aircraft twice; both times piloted by F/O Ludwik Krempa
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 A Normal 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
Wellington HF330 - 2N, another of his aircraft, seen here with battle damage
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 promoted to Warrant Officer and transferred to 133 Wing as adjutant. He is known to have served in the Polish Army Officer training facility at Crieff, Perthshire, Scotland.  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 but it was also a Polish Resettlement Corps site. He was awarded the Cross of Valour three times and the Polish Air Medal as well as British campaign medals.

On 16th July 1947 he was discharged from the Polish Air Force and the Polish Resettlement Corps at his own request.  After his discharge he returned to Poland and later joined the Merchant Navy, travelling the world until his death from a heart attack on 6^th December 1975; he is buried in the Central Cemetery in Szczecin, Poland.

STANISLAW ANDRZEJ JOZEF BOCZKOWSKI

He was a pilot, born on 14th March 1919 at Chmielnicki (now Ploskirow, Ukraine), the only child of Aleksander and Irena (nee Zurakowska).

 

Following the Russia/Poland war the family moved to Krzemieniec where Stanislaw spent most of his youth.  The idea of flying caught his interest from an early age.  Whilst still in high school he joined a flying club which offered summer camps that taught aviation.  In his second last year he learned flight theory and how to fly gliders; in the final year he was taught how to fly light aircraft.  Stanislaw finished lyceum and began his compulsory military service as an infantry cadet.  Following completion of this training he volunteered to join the Polish Air Force and was enrolled as an air cadet.

In the pre-war uniform of an air cadet

 

Stanislaw is second from the right in this group of cadets

 

At the start of World War II in 1939, when Poland was invaded by both Russia and Germany, he was still an air cadet.  Once it was clear that Poland could no longer hold out, the Polish Air Force drew up plans to fight and resist from outside the country.  Escape plans were developed and these included the cadets.

As a cadet at Deblin in 1939

 

His escape was organised by the Polish Air Command which provided a bus for their journey out of Poland.  He was one of about 40 military passengers.  They travelled to the town of Snyatin, close to the Polish-Romanian border and then crossed into Romania near the town of Czernauti where the Romanians had established a military camp and barracks in which the cadets were interned, after being disarmed.

 

Within a few days a Polish embassy official arrived at the camp and instructed everyone to get out of their Polish uniforms and to head to Bucarest  where they were to pick up their Polish passports and would also be given money for their journey.

 

A group of them then headed to the Port of Tulcea.  After about a week, he obtained a booking on a Romanian paddle steamer heading to Beirut, Lebanon.  Before being allowed to leave he was interviewed by Romanian port authorities.  The story he provided, along with a cash bribe, was that he was a student going to France.

 

Once having reached Beirut, he had to wait again for transport to France.  The Polish government had arranged for a French ship to pick them up and take them to Marseilles.  This was an uneventful journey and from there he went to Lyons via Istres.  There was an exhibition hall and a lovely park near the Lyons airport and the group stayed there for about two months until after Christmas.  Conditions were primitive and there were no proper beds or hot water and the group were glad to leave for RAF Eastchurch in England early in 1940.

 

Primitive conditions at Lyon-Bron.  Stanislaw is at the back left, wearing a hat

 

Conditions were much better in England but the British Government required them to take an Oath of Allegiance to the British Crown.  Stanislaw and a number of others declined to do so as their allegiance was to Poland.  As a result of this refusal they were sent back to France.

 





 PAF personnel in civvies at RAF Eastchurch before being sent back to France. 

Stanislaw is in the back row towards the centre

 

Stanislaw, on the left and a friend back in Lyons

 

With the rapid collapse of France, Germany's impending invasion of Britain and its shortage of experienced personnel, Britain changed its mind about its allegiance requirements and Stanislaw and his company were allowed to return.

 

Back at RAF Eastchurch, Kent

 

Britain sent a ship to Saint Jan de Luz which picked them up and delivered the group to Liverpool.  They then headed to Blackpool where the PAF Headquarters were located and where they were assigned to their various operational bases in England and Scotland.  Stanislaw's first posting was to RAF Benson in Oxfordshire to ferry aircraft.  This posting lasted for about six months.

 

At RAF Benson in 1940.  Stanislaw is in the back row, towards the centre, wearing a wedge cap

 

When he was posted to 304 Squadron, there was a brief period of time where nothing was happening.  To make the best use of such time he was told to report for a training flight with the crew of R1268 (NZ-T).  The purpose was to continue training of the two navigators attached to the flight as well as to allow Stanislaw to become more familiar with that specific aircraft type.

 

Due to severe icing and a shortage of fuel they were forced into making a crash landing near West Edmondsley farm just a few miles out of Durham.  All four on board were injured but there were no fatalities.

 

The airmen were given morphine and first aid by Dr Mukerji, the local GP from Craghead, which was the nearest village.  They were then taken to Chester-Le-Street Hospital and later transferred to York Military Hospital.  The crew were F/O  Marian Kostuch, F/O Jan Stanislaw Waroczewski (the pilot), Sgt Stanislaw Boczkowski (second pilot) and P/O Stanczuk.

 

It was actually on a cross country training mission.  The circumstances were that the pilot had selected an emergency landing site but his wings iced up and his windows iced over at 3,500 feet and he lost site of his chosen landing ground.  It must be remembered that this was one of the worst winters of the 20th Century.  The pilot saw the farmhouse at the last minute and his evasive action, a hard right turn, caused him to hit the trees on slightly higher ground.

 

A fellow researcher interviewed the surviving eye witness in December 2009 and was told that the aircraft approached from the direction of Blackhouse and did a complete 180 degree turn before pancaking and falling into a clearing in the trees.  This account squares with the sketch that he did at the time, which shows that the wings were still attached to the fuselage.  It is also borne out by the orientation of the aeroplane when it crashed and the fact that none of the older trees in the area show signs of an impact.  It also suggests that the Wellington stalled and simply fell out of the sky.  This may have saved the lives of the crew as the downward impact from a low level would be far less severe than a forward impact from a headlong rush through the trees and into the bankside.

 

The Squadron Operational Record Book is blank for the day of the crash but it was recorded in the Operational Record Book of RAF Syerston (Nottinghamshire).

 

On 18th March 1941 he transferred to 300 Squadron and was serving at RAF Hemswell in 1942 as part of the crew of the Assam Bomber BH-T, a Wellington that was bought by subscription of the people of Assam in North East India.  He is also known to have been in the crew of BH-W.  He is

 

 

The Assam bomber crew and ground crew.  Stanislaw is third from the right, standing

 

recorded in 300 Squadron ORB as being posted to 18 OTU at RAF Bramcote as a flying instructor on 27th March 1942, possibly on completion of his tour of duty as he had flown 30 missions.  A few months later he was assigned to Ferry Command to transport new planes from North America to Britain, India and North Africa.  One North American posting was in Montreal.  Thus he got to know that city quite well.  His final posting during the war was to Bushey Park in London which was the Headquarters of Bomber Command.

 

RAF Bramcote Instructors in 1943 - Stanislaw is second from the right

 

Bomber Command staff at Bushey Park - Stanislaw is third from the left in the third row

 

He survived another crash on 11th February 1942 where he piloted a flight on a bombing raid to Bremen which was hit by ground flak which damaged some of his controls.  He was given permission to land on a fighter squadron field but, due to the length of the field, the plane crashed against an embankment.  No one was hurt as a result of the crash and there was only slight damage to the aircraft.

 

While serving in 300 Squadron he met Maria Regina Boczkowska (nee Malinowska) who came from the same city (Krzemieniec) in Poland as himself.  She was a survivor of Stalin's deportations to Siberia and was later released to the Anders Army.  She escaped with her mother, Marcelina, to Palestine and then joined the RAF in England.  Their son, Richard, was born in Lincoln in 1948 and the next year the extended family emigrated to Canada.

 



Marcelina, Richard and Maria Regina in Lincoln

 

With the end of the war, he and Regina were aware of the arrests made by the Soviets and their puppets and executions of officers returning to Poland.  They were aware of the effects of Yalta where Poland was given up by Britain and the United States to the USSR - and the fact that the Russians were establishing the Ukraine as a new country that included the part of Poland from which they both came.  Finally the British encouraged the Poles to return home, work in British coal mines or just get out of the country.  A plan was hatched to leave for Canada - Montreal.

 

After being demobilised from RAF Cammeringham (near Lincoln) the new family (which also included Regina's mother Marcelina Malinowska nee Juszczyk who was serving with the RAF in Scotland), took advantage of Canada's offer to settle immigrants who were willing to set up a farm - even though they knew nothing about farming.  As it happened, Stanislaw's aunt, Waclawa, and her husband Col Mietec Karaszewicz had bought a farm in St. Rose, Quebec.  They called for the extended family to join them to help them farm.  Of course no one intended farming but it was a way of getting into the country and starting a new life.

 

The family left Britain by ship and landed (first for a few hours) in St John's, Newfoundland and finally in Halifax.  Almost immediately they moved to and settled in Montreal where a new Polish community was establishing itself.

 

Maria Regina and son Richard on board the Nova Scotia bound for Canada

 

Given his training and experience as a pilot for most of his adult life, Stan tried to find work in the aviation field including being a bush pilot.  Unfortunately at the age of 29 he was considered too old.  With a wife, infant and mother in law relying on him, he had to resort to menial low paid work (locomotive stoker, refrigerator repair man etc.) to survive financially.  Whist working he also went to school to learn architectural drafting.

 

Gradually conditions improved leading to better pay and a more settled life.  Together with Regina's help (she acquired a dress designer certification and worked in that industry for many years) they had a new home built and eventually managed to own it outright, acquired a car and managed to put their son through University.  Stan was an active member of the Polish RCAF Veterans Association for many years.  He and Regina retired from work and spent many a winter in Florida's warmer climate.

 

Stanislaw in Montreal, 2008

 

After a long and happy life, he died in Montreal, Canada in November 2014 at the age of 95.

 

 

All photographs used come from the Boczkowski family collection and are used by kind permission of Richard Boczkowski.





 

THE VALUE OF THIS BLOG

I have just stumbled across a review of the value of this blog and I had to laugh!  It has been assessed as worth US$16 - which is about £10 or the equivalent of four pints of local beer or 20 decent quality cigarettes.  Not bad for ten years work!

 

I also discovered that it was an American blog - which surprised me a bit, since I live in the North East of England! 

JAN STANISLAW AWDZIEJEW

 

He was born on 20th June 1920 at Lwow (now Lviv, Ukraine) and after his formal education, he attended the school for non-commissioned officers at Bydgoszcz.  His course was accelerated because of the imminence of war and he qualified as an aircraft mechanic at Krosno in 1939.  He was there during the September Campaign and was evacuated from Luck to Romania.

 

He was one of the many who quietly slipped out of the detention camp and travelled to France with the help of false papers and cash provided by the Polish Embassy in Bucarest.  Like so many others, he was not happy with the fact that he was not used or given training.  When France fell, he was again evacuated and made the journey to England where he arrived on 26th July 1940 and rejoined the Polish forces.

 

He was given immediate language training and familiarisation with British aircraft; he completed several courses and was then deployed to airfields with combat and auxiliary units.  One of his postings was with 317 Fighter Squadron where he was a corporal mechanic working on fighters.  He then volunteered for flying duties and was selected for pilot training.  He started the training in December 1942 and passed out as a pilot in April 1944 and was posted to 577 Army Co-operation Squadron to gain experience of flying.

 

    Awdziejew as a mechanic (behind pilot) with 317 Squadron

His duties there were mainly target towing, probably in Airspeed Oxfords as he had trained on twin engined aircraft.  The Squadron was based at RAF Castle Bromwich in Warwickshire but he may have served almost anywhere as they had detachments spread widely across the North, the Midlands and Wales.

He was later posted to No 6 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit where he became a member (second pilot) of the crew of F/O Dabrowski and was involved in ripping together a crew.  Together, they were posted to 304 Squadron on 15th December 1944 who were then serving in Coastal Command and based at RAF Benbecula in the Outer Hebrides.

As with so many of the long, dreary patrols over the water there was very little action but, on the night of 21st/22nd April 1945, his crew spotted the wake of a U-Boat;  they were unable to attack, but saw it again on two occasions during the patrol.  On the final sighting they dropped six depth charges, spaced 60ft apart and from a height of 170ft.  Nothing was seen but a large oil slick appeared along the track of the wake and was still visible an hour later indicating probable damage to the U-Boat.

 

During his career he was awarded the Cross of Valour, the Polish Air Medal, the 1939-1945 Star, the War Medal, the Air Crew Europe Star and the Defence Medal.  After the War ended, on 9th July 1945, he was posted to 17 ACHU (Air Crew Holding Unit) at RAF Snaith near Goole on Humberside and then on to RAF Hucknall in Nottinghamshire as an instructor.

 

He was then transferred to the Polish Resettlement Corps where he remained until he emigrated to Brazil in 1946.

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