Does anyone know where I could find Citations for Polish Air Force Decorations. A friend who's Father never spoke much about his WW2 Service has found reference to his Decorations; Cross of Valour and 2 bars and Air Force Medal.
Hi Brian ! I wonder if this site would give you any help or ideas !! Polish WWII Aces Cross of Valor - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Annie
Thanks for that Annie. What I have is a scan of a piece of Paper headed EXTRACT FROM RECORDS of which some of it is not too clear. The man was Sgt. PUCHALA, christian name not clear enough to make a guess. Apparently his length of Service was 10yrs,from 1937 to 1947. Perhaps we will know more when a copy of his Service Record has been obtained. I have been told he was in a Halifax 11 BB309 which was shot down 19/9/43 and that as a P.O.W. he was held in St.357
Files pertaining to the PAF and personnel are held at: Ministry of Defence, APC Polish Enquiries, Building 28B, RAF Northolt, West End Road, Ruislip, HA4 6NG, Tel: 0208 833 8603 Fax: 0208 833 8866 polishastdisoff@northolt.raf.mod.uk polishdisoff@northolt.raf.mod.uk They are very helpful and I know a member on here who has had dealings with them and stated that they bent over backwards to provide information. In the first instance it is worth phoning them. If they cannot help then it was contacting Franek Grabowski on Luftwaffe and Allied Air Forces Discussion Forum - Powered by vBulletin as he is very knowledgable about the PAF. And if you know squadrons the it is worth contacting Polish Air Force Operations Record Books 1940-1947 BTW I am assuming the airman is Polish
Sgt Roman Puchala Service Number P7938088 POW Number 539 Camp 357 Halifax II BB309 crashed Slaglille Mark 17/9 1943 These are the 5 men killed in the crash: Wladyslaw Barzdo - RAF SPECIAL DUTIES - Special Forces - Roll Of Honour Eugeniusz Pawel Kasprzak - RAF SPECIAL DUTIES - Special Forces - Roll Of Honour Julian Michalski - RAF SPECIAL DUTIES - Special Forces - Roll Of Honour Wladyslaw Stanislaw Patlewicz - RAF SPECIAL DUTIES - Special Forces - Roll Of Honour Wincenty Wasilewski - RAF SPECIAL DUTIES - Special Forces - Roll Of Honour
You're too fast for me K ... just as I found it !! :cry_smile: Halifax II BB309 crashed Slaglille Mark 17/9 1943
Thanks for that K. Yes the man was Polish. I have given his Son the Northolt address, and as his Mother is still alive I told him to make the contact in her name. Her Husband never said too much to her either and she has developed a need to know interest.
Sorry Annie Brian, it seems that for the Polish department, records can be accessed by anybody - not just NoK. And I forgot to mention the The Polish Institute and Sikorski Museum, 20 Princes Gate, London SW7 1PT who are also very helpful
Thanks to both of you for the information which I will pass on immediately. Looking at the Extract From Records this is definately the man. His Son will be very pleased with all the added information.
Sikorski Institute Thanks K. the Institute were very helpful some years ago regarding details of the P.O.W. Camp attached to the Coal Mine at Niwka.
Found this .... Halifax B. II BB309 (NF-T). 138 BS, Tempsford, Beds. SOE-mission to "Neon III" Poland. ------------------------------------------- Crew: F/Lt. Vizenty Wasilewski, PAF 138 (RAF) Sqdn. (KIA) F/Sgt. Eugeniusz Pawel Kasprzak (co pilot), PAF 138 (RAF) Sqdn. (KIA) F/Sgt. Julian Michalski, PAF 138 (RAF) Sqdn. (KIA) Sgt. Wladyslaw Barzdo, PAF 138 (RAF) Sqdn. (KIA) Sgt. Wladyslaw Patlewicz, PAF 138 (RAF) Sqdn. (KIA) Sgt. Roman Puchala (reargunner), PAF 138 (RAF) Sqdn. (POW) F/Sgt. Tadeusz Miecznik (pilot), PAF 138 (RAF) Sqdn. (ESC) (Something is not right about rank/functions I think?) ------------------------------------------- The 17th of September 1943 05.00am BB309 was on SOE-mission to Poland where 2 agents and containers with weapons were dropped. During return flight BB309 was caught by the German radar station "Seehund" at Tybjerg, about 12.5 miles SE of Soro and shortly after a German night fighter attacked the plane, and just before 05.00am. BB309 had to make a forced landing, under this forced landing the plane hit worker L. Christensen's house by Stockholtevejen (road name) on a field in Slaglille (2,5 miles ESE of Soro) and burst into flames. L. Christiansen, his wife, mother and 2 children died in the house. In miraculous ways 5 of the family's 7 children and a grandchild got out of the burning house in which the plane stood. Of the planes entirely polish crew 4 died in the flames. Rear gunner Sgt. Roman Puchala escaped the plane before it hit the house and was taken shortly after by the Germans. Pilot F/Sgt. Tadeusz Miecznik and co pilot F/Sgt. Eugeniusz Kasprzak was badly injured brought to the hospital in Ringsted, F/Sgt. Kasprzak died later that day of his severe burns. F/Sgt. Miecznik had broken left leg and right arm. The night to the 18th of September around 03.00am German soldiers buried the 5 airmen on the cemetery. Gravedigger Chr. Hansen was in the middle of the night commanded to find a suitable place. Priest Svend Jacobsen was dismayed when the gravedigger in the morning told what had happened, he immediately wrote a letter to the bishop of Zealand and complained - reason was that he wanted to know who was buried in the cemetery. Sunday the 19th of September the communion was gathering at the grave where the priest read English and a Roman payer - then he performed gravesite ceremony to the flower decorated grave. Later the priest, gravedigger and another 2 men from the parish on the 30th of September had opened the grave; the airmen's bodies were placed in coffins and buried again in correct depth. The funeral was paid by ship owner A. P. Moller. From the bishop, priest Jacobsen got the names of the 5 airmen in December 1943. Also the killed Danes are buried in Slaglille Cemetery. After 3 weeks in hospital F/Sgt. Miecznik was ready for transport but members of the Resistance removed Miecznik from the hospital and arranged for his escape to neutral Sweden (more about this below). ---------------------------------------------------------- The German night fighter, JU88C6 (W/nr. 360167) was flown by Lt. Richard Burdyna from IV/NJG3. The german crew was very occupied by their "kill" and circled over the area to see the burning bomber - so occupied that they didn't see a high-voltage power line - the night fighter hit the power line and crashed in nearby Bjernede Forest, all 3 crew members was killed and is today buried at Vestre Cemetery in Copenhagen. ---------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------- Tadeusz Miecznik Early morning on the 17th of September 1943, Halifax BB309 flew at full blast over the Baltic Sea; it had been over the Warszawa area and was now on its way home to England, the whole crew was polish. Pilot Tadeusz Miecznik had flown many hours when he at 03.00am gave F/Sgt. Eugeniusz Kasprzak the steering and went out back to get some sleep. At a point Miecznik heard some noise and felt he was kind of hanging in the air - later he woke up in a clean white hospital bed, he had broken left leg and right arm, in the bed next to him laid F/Sgt. Eugeniusz, he died later that day, the place was Ringsted Hospital. He was told that the Halifax was attacked by a night fighter and a forced landing was attempted north of Slaglille, here terrified people had seen the plane slide several hundred meters over ground before it hit and set fire to worker L. Christensen's house. Christensen, his wife, his mother and 2 of the family's 7 children died in the flames together with 4 airmen. Priest Svend Jacobsen from Slaglille was permitted on the 2nd of October to visit the injured pilot on Ringsted Hospital after he had brought order in the airmen's graves. Jacobsen and Miecznik talked over the events, on the priest's questions Miecznik answered polite but didn't tell the truth, he told they had bombed areas of German interest in Polen, where they in fact had been on SOE-mission and dropped weapons. They also discussed rear gunner Sgt. Roman Puchala's destiny, apparently he had managed to leave the plane as it slid towards the house, he only had minor injures to the head and had immediately started to run over the fields. He met Niels Rasmussen's polish born wife who was on her way to the crash site, they briefly spoke in polish and then Miecznik followed a 'farmhand'(?) home to his room and sleep a few hours but was later captured. Detective inspector Jens Jensen received the report on the crash from the officer on duty in Soro Police Station and remembers that short after his arrival to the crash site, German soldiers from Ringsted Barracks arrived and started a systematic search for surviving airmen, they later found a polish crewmember on a nearby farm (Roman Puchala). In October hardware dealer Marius Petersen from Ringsted got an inquiry from doctor Lenler-Eriksen from Ringsted Hospital - would Marius Petersen be able to help Miecznik escape before be was turned over to the Germans, Marius meant it could be done. He contacted the leader of the Fire Department in Ringsted, Jorgen Wiboltt, who went to Copenhagen and finally got in touch with a Kisling from Osterbro Fire Department, he promised to make the arrangements for transportation to neutral Sweden if Miecznik was brought to Copenhagen. On the hospital they made plans for the time of escape, it would be on the 7th of November, considering Miecznik's ability to complete the escape. Just before 10.00pm on the 7th of November Marius Petersen and Wiboltt came to hospital ground, placed a ladder to Miecznik's window and he came out helped by the 2 "kidnappers", they gave him a coat and he walked without help the 650 yards to the Fire Department, from here Wiboltt immediately drew him to Copenhagen and handed him over to Kisling. 2 days later the 9th of November, Miecznik was ready and waiting in Espergarde - one of 14 locations used to Sweden transportations - at the coast of Oresund, the location and time was carefully chosen according to sea, water level and moonlight on surface. The boat came, Erling Kiar was at the rudder and Miecznik was carried on board by Thormod Larsen and accountant Ove Bruhn who was working at the Police Station in Helsingor at that time. The boat set of shore and soon after Mecznik was safe in Sweden. Halifax Squadrons
Just spoken to the mans Son who tells me according to a friend his Father was flying with 138 Sqn. from Tempsford. This seems to confirm information in Ks earlier Posts. Thanks
Found this too ... 1942-12-16 DALE Badges of the Polish Air Force were awarded to the following aircrew personnel of the Squadron: Pilot’s Badge: F/O T MUCHA, P/O S ZUREK, Sgt T MIECZNIK, Sgt W KOWALEWICZ, Sgt E KOZIEL, Sgt B MICHALAK, Sgt S MURLOWSKI and Sgt J SKULICZ. Observer’s Badge: F/O W PIATKOWSKI, F/O W LISIECKI, F/O S J PLACHCINSKI, F/O S SEKUTOWICZ, F/O W WASILEWSKI. W/Op A.G.s Badge: Sgt C BOCHANES, Sgt K CHLOPICKI, Sgt W DROZDZEWSKI, Sgt J MICHALSKI, Sgt W PAPESZ. Air Gunner’s Badge: Sgt W PATLEWICZ, Sgt J PAWLAK, Sgt R PUCHALA, Sgt W TARAS, Sgt A ULICKI, Sgt S ZIELINSKI, Sgt R LEDOCHOWSKI and Sgt E STASIAK. P/O I LEGUN proceeded on attachment to R.A.F. Station, STORMY DOWN, for No. 4 Free Gun Sighting Course. F/L W WISNIEWSKI, Medical Officer, attended a conference in LONDON at the Polish Inspectorate General. The Polish Travelling Theatre players visited the Station and gave a musical and stage presentation for all ranks in the airmen’s mess. A dinghy search was carried out unsuccessfully by five aircraft. Polish Air Force Operations Record Books 1940-1947 » 1942-12 - No. 304 Squadron - F540
Seems the crew included a recipient of the Virtuti Militari (Poland's highest bravery award) - Wincenty Wasilewski, the radio operator. He received it, I think, whilst with 301 Squadron at Cross Chevalier class (the medal has 5 classes and this is the third class)
Afraid for service records the Northolt Polish section and Sikorski institute are he only available centres to contact. All other records that may have been held in Poland would have been destroyed during the war or under Russian rule. The best that can be done is to try and contact any members of the relevant squadrons at the time. I would suggest contacting the firms that do the signings of aviation prints such as CCB Aviation or The Aviation Bookshop and ask very nicely if it would be possible to pass your details on to any pilots they may be in contact with. Your only other chance is if you can track down a squadron association, which is slim to no hope at all. Afraid tracking down Polish in WW2 is near impossible, as I have found out recently.
Thanks Kitty,Annie and Kyt, I am sure you have given the man a lot to think about. A fine example of what the Forum is all about. Brian
This is for soldiers not airmen ... but I wonder if this address still works ?? ... no good for you Brian but might help somebody else ! To obtain the war records of Polish soldier who fought alongside the Allies in World War II, write to the British Army records office. Send details of your relationship to the soldier in question and the possible units and dates of service. Polish Army in Exile Records-British Ministry of Defence APC Polish Enquiries Building 28B RAF Northolt Westend Road Rusilip Middlesex HA4 6NG England And I thought this maybe good for some background ! Polish Fighter Pilots of World War II
