POLISH AIRMEN

780685. SGT.Zygmunt Klein. POLISH. 234 & 152 Sqn’s. He was born on the 24th of August 1918 in Koronowo. As he was 18 he joined Polish Air Force. He overwent his flying training in 4. Air Regiment - 4. Pulk lotniczy in Torun and he was posted to 142 eskadra mysliswk in III/4 Dyon Mysliwski. In september 1939 he was still serving there. On 3rd September 1939 he shot down German reconnaissance plane Hs-126 (shared with 3 other pilots). After 17th September 1939 he left Poland and through Romania he got to France He joined 234 Squadron at St Eval on the 6th of August 1940. He claimed a Bf 109 destroyed on the 7th of August. according to "my" sources he also claimed Bf-110 as shot down on 4th September 1940 and Do-17 as probable on 7th September 1940. He was posted to 152 Sqn at Warmwell on the 5th of October 40. On the 7th he damaged a Bf 110, on the 26th of November he crash landed near Torquay, having run out of petrol. He was reported missing two days later and belived to have been shot down while in combat with Bf 109’s in the Isle of Wight area in Spitfire P9427. He is remembered on the Polish Air Force Memorial at Northolt. as well as on Memorial in his town, Koronowo; he was awarded the Krzyz Walecznych with a bar (KW, Cross of Valour).

780712. SGT. Jozef Szlagowski. POLISH. 234 & 152 Sqn’s. He was born at Koscierzyna in 1914 on 5th January. He joined the PAF in March 1934 [Before he had been working in power plant in Koscierzyna] and after completing his training at Torum [should be: Torun; exactely at 4. Air Regiment - 4. Pulk Lotniczy] he was posted to a fighter Squadron this squadron was called "III/4 Dyon Mysliwski"]. In 1937 he was appointed an instructor at the Officer cadet school at Deblin. He was there at the outbreak of war and later escaped to Roumania in a light aircraft, with his mechanic. They boarded a boat for Beirut in Balcik, a seaport at Black Sea], then got on to another heading for Marseilles. On the 16th of February 1940 he joined I’Armee de I’Air. He was sent to the UK for a course on the 9th of March 1940, and did not return to France. He went to 5 OTU, Aston Down in early July and joined 234 Squadron at St Eval on the 3rd of August. After running out of petrol during a routine patrol on the 8th he made a forced landing at Pensilva, wrecking Spitfire N3278. He claimed a Bf 110 and a Do 17 destroyed on the 4th of September. He was posted to 152 Sqn at Warmwell on the 21st of October and stayed with the Squadron until the 23rd of February 1941. He was then posted to 303 Squadron at Northolt. He was awarded the KW (1.2.41) Krzyz Walecznych - Cross of Valour]. On a Blenheim escort to Holland on the 13th of March the tailplane and rudder of Szlagowski’s aircraft were severely damaged in a collision with another Spitfire. He managed to get back to Northolt. On the 23rd of June he probably destroyed a Bf 109 and two days later was posted away to No 1 AGS, Manby as a staff pilot. In December 23rd 1941 he was sent to CFS, Upavon for an instructors course. He joined the staff at 16 FTS, Newton on February 2nd 1942 and became Airfield controller there on July the 22nd 1943. He went on a twin engine refresher course at Newton on September the 14th 1944 and then became a staff pilot there. He was released from the PAF in November 1946 as a Warrant Officer. he stayed in Great Britain. He died on 4th of December 1993 in London.

F/Lt Wladyslaw Maciej Drecki (service number P-0213) born on 19th May 1915 in Slupia near Kielce1937-1939 Szkola Podchorazych Lotnictwa (Air Force Cadet Officer School in Deblin) September 1939 - 112 eskadra mysliwska (112 Fighter Flight in Warsaw) on 4th September 1939 wounded in air combat over Warsaw, sent to hospital on 16th September came back to his unit and on 17th September he went to Romania in France he flew in a fighter unit in Lyon (May-June 1940) in England he trained in 56 OTU and then he flew with 303 squadron (April-August 1941), 306 squadron (August 1941-February 1942) and 317 squadron (February-May 1942). July-December 1942 - he was an instructor in 58 OTU (RAF Grangemouth) Than he volunteered to fly in Northern Africa in Polish Fighting Team ("Skalski Circus", Polish C flight in 145 squadron) - March-May 1943 He was offered to stay with British units in Mediterrean and he was posted on 8th August 1943 to 152 sqn., he became commander of "B" flight. On 11 September 1943 (flying Spitfire VC UM-T, MA289) he shot down a Bf-109 from JG 53 (its pilot, Oblt. Rudolf Steffens saved his life using parachute, but was captured by the Americans). On 13 September 1943 he perished in an accident during starting (his Spitfires tyre blew up what caused he collided with another Spitfire of 152 sqn that was staying near airstrip). He was buried in Catania. Awarded with Srebrny Krzyz Virtuti Militari (Silver Cross of Virtuti Militari), Krzyz Waleczny z trzema okuciami (Cross of Valour with 3 bars) His claims in Polish Air Force: 28.06.1941: 2-0-0 (Bf 109; as a pilot of 303 sqn) 20.04.1943: 1-0-1 (both Bf-109; as a pilot of Polish Fighting Team)