IN HONOUR OF THOSE WHO DIED

 

In honour of all those who died and those who lived.  And in spite of the disrespectful politically correct and the idiots at FIFA.  We WILL remember them.

WACLAW SLAWINSKI

 

According to his military records he was born on 11th September 1919 but his family tell me that he was born on that day but in the year 1920 at Antonowka near Kielce in Poland, the son of Jozef Slawinski and Maria Slawinski (nee Kozlowska).  After completing his education he trained as a fitter/mechanic before joining the Polish Army for his National Service on 28th August 1936. 

He trained with 1st Air Regiment (Warsaw Regiment) and saw active service with them from the very first day of the September Campaign following the German invasion of Poland on 1st September 1939.  He fought through that campaign until 28th September 1939 when he was taken prisoner by the Russians at the defence of Warsaw.  Following this he was shipped to the USSR and held prisoner in Siberia until 27th September 1941 when he was released to join the Polish forces in the Middle East, under the flag of General Anders' Army following the negotiated release by Churchill and Sikorski. 

From wherever he was held in Siberia, he made his way to Krasnovodsk and joined one of the heavily over laden tramp steamers to take him across the Caspian Sea to Pahlevi in Persia (now Iran), where he joined the British forces. 

The following extracts from a much larger story will give some idea of the suffering they went through.  They are reproduced with full acknowledgement to Ryszard Antolak and Pars Times to show the condition of the Poles on and after reception in Persia (Iran).

A makeshift city comprising over 2000 tents (provided by the Iranian army) was hastily erected along the shoreline of Pahlavi to accommodate the refugees. It stretched for several miles on either side of the lagoon: a vast complex of bathhouses, latrines, disinfection booths, laundries, sleeping quarters, bakeries and a hospital. Every unoccupied house in the city was requisitioned, every chair appropriated from local cinemas. Nevertheless, the facilities were still inadequate.

At this time there were only 10 doctors and 25 nurses in the whole of Pahlavi.

In the clean area, the arrivals were channelled into a series of tents where their clothes were collected and burned. They were then showered, deloused, and some of them had their heads shaved in the interests of hygiene. As a result, women began to wear headscarves to conceal their baldness. Finally, they were given sheets, blankets and fresh clothes by the Red Cross and directed to living quarters.

Food provision was inappropriate. Corned beef, fatty soup and lamb, distributed by the British soldiers, caused havoc with digestions accustomed only to small pieces of dry bread. They could not tolerate the rich food, and a large number died purely from the results of over-eating.

Weakened with illness and badly undernourished, he survived all this and was fed, properly clothed and given medical attention in a tent city on the beach - the healthiest place due to the clean air and fresh breezes which discouraged the build up and spread of infections.  Here he came under British command on 1st April 1942 and was selected for the Air Force and shipped to Britain, reaching the Polish Depot at Blackpool on 10th July 1942.

He was posted to the Polish Technical Training School, probably at RAF Weeton which was part of the Blackpool complex, on 6th August 1942 and stayed there until 10th September 1942 when he was transferred to No 8 Air Gunnery School at RAF Evanton near Invergordon, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland to complete his training as an air gunner.

On 16th October 1942 he completed the course and was sent to 18 OTU (Operational Training Unit) where he was to learn British operational tactics and to form up with and familiarise with a crew with which he would work closely and build up trust over the following tour of duty.  Later, on 14th November, they were moved to 6 OTU at Thornaby on Tees to complete the course.  Finally, on 30th January 1943, the crew, Captained by Sgt S. Franczak, were posted to 304 Squadron at RAF Dale and, after a week's leave, took up their posting on 6th February 1943.  Three months later on 11th May 1943 he was awarded his Field Service Badge in recognition of ten active service missions.

As with all Coastal Command aircrews, he spent many long hours flying over featureless seas and this was as risky as it was boring.  Crews had to maintain concentration as these long flights were often at very low level.  They rarely made sightings of U-Boats but their presence kept these ships underwater and dramatically reduced the likelihood of torpedo attacks.

In spite of this, he had his fair share of excitement and danger: on 5th September 1943 his aircraft, Vickers Wellington NZ-M, was attacked by four Junkers Ju88 fighters and was badly shot up but none of the crew were seriously injured and all survived the wheels-up crash landing.  The following is the Official Squadron write up:

"The aircraft of which F/S F. Rybarczyk was first pilot encountered four Junkers 88's, one of which, in a combat which lasted 10 minutes, was severely damaged and was last seen diving in flames through the clouds.  This aircraft was claimed as destroyed.  The remaining three enemy aircraft attacked repeatedly but the Wellington maintained violent evasive measures and succeeded in reaching cloud cover.  Although extensively damaged, the aircraft made a successful belly-landing at base.  None of the crew was injured either in the combat or in the crash-landing, except that the Navigator, F/L A. CHOMKA, received a slight facial wound from a splinter from the astro dome."

On the night of 28th/29th January 1944 his aircraft came across a fully surfaced U-Boat and illuminated it with their Leigh Light before running in to the attack.  In the face of machine gunfire and heavy flak Waclaw (rear gunner) and the front gunner expended about 2,500 rounds whilst the pilot lined up to release six 250 lb torpex depth charges, the last two of which straddled the stern quarter of the vessel.  All return fire ceased and the submarine disappeared from the radar within about 20 seconds.  The nearer  of the two was seen to explode an estimated 10 feet from the vessel.  If not a fatal blow, this would have caused significant damage - no U-boats were reported sunk in that area on that night and it was too dark to see any evidence of debris.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Official report to Admiralty on the attack on a U-Boat

His military career came to an end on 4th May 1944 (not 12th May 1944 as shown in his military records) when he was involved in a serious motorcycle accident in North Devon and was admitted to Tiverton General Hospital and was transferred the next day to the Princess Elizabeth Orthopaedic Hospital in Exeter.  On 25th May 1944 he was transferred again to the RAF General Hospital at Wroughton, near Swindon, Wiltshire and on 18th June 1944 he was posted back to RAF Chivenor near Barnstaple, Devon but it was a brief respite as he was re-admitted on 21st June 1944 to RAF General Hospital at Church Village, Pontypridd, South Wales.  Subsequently he was transferred to No 4 Polish General Hospital at Ormskirk in Lancashire where he stayed until he was finally re-posted to the Polish Depot at Blackpool on 1st August 1945.  After this he was discharged to the Polish Resettlement Corps where he spent two years training for civilian life.

He met Thelma Partridge in Birmingham, just outside the Cathedral, and eventually they married and had four sons - Roy, Adrian, Jan and Alan.  After leaving the Air Force he went to work as a storeman for Electrical Power Engineering in Birmingham.

During the course of his military career he was awarded the Cross of Valour, the Virtuti Militari and the Polish Air Medal as well as British campaign medals. 

 

Award of the Virtuti Militari by Air Vice Marshal Izycki

 

In 1998 he was posthumously awarded the Military Combat Cross of the Polish Armed Forces in the West.  This Cross was established on 17th May 1989 for award to former members of the Polish Armed Forces of the Exiled Government in London.

 

Post-war honour for courage

 

Sadly, he died in Birmingham on 24th February 1972 and his interment took place at the Yardley Crematorium.

With many thanks to Alan Slawinski for access to family records and Krzystek's List for the portrait photo.

A MOTTO FOR MILITARY BLOGGERS

I found this on the Internet and thought about just how true it is.  Roald Dahl is a famous writer but he was also a WW2 fighter pilot.

Lukewarm is no good!

HALIFAX CRASH AT LAWSHALL, SUFFOLK

This Transport Command Handley Page Halifax crashed during a training flight at Green Farm, Lawshall, Suffolk.  Pilot error was the reason given and the entire crew died, they were: F/Lt Zygmunt Dabrowski, F/Lt Nikodem Matylis and F/Sgt Stanislaw Michalak.  The pilot lost control of the aircraft at low altitude and low airspeed in the circuit and the aircraft dived into the ground.

 

This photograph shows the extent of the damage; the rear part of the fuselage lying upside down.  The wings and front section are missing.

 

Contemporary press report from the Bury Free Press & Post

 

A contemporary newspaper report suggests that the aircraft was in difficulties before it became obvious that it was going to crash: "Farm workers busy in the harvest field observed the machine flying low and noticed that it was making a peculiar noise and spluttering.  Suddenly flames burst from the plane, which then dived straight into the ground."

 

Two of the witnesses, Ernie Hill and Stan Armstrong were members of the local Home Guard and they attended the scene and helped recover the bodies from the fiercely burning aircraft.  They, and a German Prisoner of War, were commended for their courage and coolness in the face of the flames and further explosions within the burning aircraft.

Lawshall Home Guard with Ernie Hill and Stan Armstrong shown

 

With thanks to Elizabeth Clarke and the Lawshall Archive

 

 

LUDWIK SWIERZB

He was born on 26th February 1900, the son of Jan and Wiktoria (nee Pula) at Dabrowa Tarnowska near Krakow and was listed as a fitter in civilian life.  He joined the Polish Army in 1918 and fought as a soldier in the Russo-Polish War of 1918-1920; he was in the 16th Infantry Regiment of the 9th Company.  He saw action in the Ukraine and in the battles at Cieszyn and Vilnius, during which time he was awarded the Cross of Valour and promoted to corporal. 

After the war, he stayed in the army serving as a mechanic with the 2nd Air Regiment at Krakow until he was placed on the reserve list and returned to civilian life in 1923.  He is known to have attended training courses at 1st Air Regiment based at the Warsaw garrison but the duration is unknown  He met and married Maria Wodka and they had five children during the peacetime years that followed.

Ludwik's wife, Maria Wodka

Still being on the reserve list, he was called up for service as the crisis with Germany continued and he was back in uniform when the War broke out on 1st September 1939.  He was involved in the September Campaign but was evacuated to Romania on 18th September 1939 - the day after the Russians attacked Poland from the rear.

Once in Romania, the Polish forces were disarmed and interned but the Romanian authorities were sympathetic and escape from the internment camps was easy once the Polish Embassy had provided false ID, money and travel documents.  There is no detail on the route he took - either overland through Jugoslavia and Italy or by sea from one of the Black Sea ports but the latter is most likely as he arrived at Marseilles on 3rd February 1940 and was transferred to Lyon-Bron two days later.  He was lucky and was employed there because of his trade skills.

After the Capitulation of France, it is most likely that he was one of those who arrived at St Juan de Luz, on the Spanish border, and was taken off as one of the last evacuees before the German and Vichy authorities took over.  At any rate, he arrived in England on 2nd July 1940 and remained at the Blackpool Depot until he was transferred to 304 Squadron on 23rd August 1940.

He was a mechanic who later specialised as a rusznikarz (armourer) and did a specialist training course on Fraser-Nash gun turrets  at No 10 School of Technical Training at RAF Kirkham near Blackpool.   This was particularly important to his work with Wellington Bombers.  On 1st march 1946 he was given the permanent war rank of Sergeant.

During his time with 304 Squadron he was posted to RAF Bramcote (Warwickshire), RAF Syerston (Nottinghamshire), RAF Lindholme (Yorkshire), RAF Isle of Tiree (Inner Hebrides), RAF Dale -twice - and RAF Talbenny (both in Pembrokeshire), RAF Docking (Norfolk), RAF Davidstow Moor and RAF Predannack (both in Cornwall), RAF Chivenor (Devon), RAF Benbecula (Outer Hebrides), RAF St Eval (Devon) and RAF North Weald (Essex).

He was to remain with 304 Squadron throughout the War before transferring to RAF Faldingworth then moving to RAF Skipton-on-Swale in Yorkshire with the rank of Corporal on 28th October 1946. It is not clear what he was doing there but he remained there after joining the Polish Resettlement Corps on 2nd May 1947.  He later moved to the PRC Camp at RAF Framlingham, Suffolk.  During his war service, he was awarded the British Defence Medal, the War Medal and the Polish Air Force Medal, which was for courage not in the face of the enemy and was probably for risking his life fighting a fire on board a Wellington Bomber and saving two others.  After the war he received a second, third and fourth award of this medal for unspecified actions during the war.  He also received a Bronze Cross of Merit for his actions prior to May 1942 - this was most likely for outstanding work rather than courage.  Few ground crew received so many awards.

On 17th December 1948 he was discharged from the PRC to take up a 3 year contract as a mechanic with the emergent Pakistan Air Force.  He continued to send money home to his family but then it suddenly stopped and I have been unable to trace his whereabouts in Pakistan or elsewhere, since that time in the very early 1950's. 

If anyone, particularly my readers in Pakistan, can help with further information please contact me on nevillebougourd@gmail.com

Photographs courtesy of Alicja Morawiec

 

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.