Polish Air Force Operations Record Books 1940-1947

1941-07-01

Swinderby

Cloud cover 8/10. Local flying and cross country 11.05 hours. P.T. and usual ground training.

1941-07-02

Swinderby

Cloud cover 4/10. Local flying and cross countries 08.30 hours. P.T. and usual ground training. Inspection of aircrew. Report of the crew who had a forced landing in sea.

1941-07-03

Swinderby

Cloud cover 6/10. Local training flights 3.25 hours. Briefing at 18.30 hours and preparing for operations. 7 crews operated over Bremen. One crew failed to return. Total operational hours 32.

1941-07-04

Swinderby

No cloud. Local training flights, one engine flying. 3.15 hours. Usual ground training.

1941-07-05

Swinderby

Cloud cover 5/10. Local flying, cross countries. 12.30 hours. Briefing at 18.30 hours, inspection of air-crew and preparing for operations. 7 crews operated over Bielefeld. All crews returned safely. Total operational flying time 36.30 Hours. News received regarding one of previously missing crews.

1941-07-06

Swinderby

No Cloud. Cross countries 4.30 hours, Crews rested after operations remainder of personnel usual ground training.

1941-07-07

Swinderby

No cloud, Local and cross countries flights 3.25 hours. Briefing at 18.30, preparing for operations, 5 crews operated over Cologne. All returned to base. Total operational flying time 44.20 hours.

1941-07-08

Swinderby

Overcast, rain in the evening, preparing for operations. Briefing at 18.30 hours. 5 crews operated over Bielefeld. Total operational flying time 27.35 hours.

1941-07-09

Swinderby

No cloud. Local flights 3.15 hours. Usual ground training and rest for operational crews.

1941-07-10

Swinderby

No cloud. Local flights 5 hours. Inspection of aircrew and preparing for operations. Briefing at 18.30 hours. 5 crews operated over Cologne. One crew failed to return. Total operational flying time 28 hours.

1941-07-11

Swinderby

No cloud. Local train flights 40 minutes. Complete stand down and rest.

1941-07-12

Swinderby

Cloud cover 5/10. Local flying 40 minutes. Usual ground training. Operations cancelled.

1941-07-13

Swinderby

Cloud cover 3/10. Heavy rain in afternoon. Local flying and Lorenz practice 7 hours. Operations cancelled. Usual ground training.

1941-07-14

Swinderby

Cloud cover 5/10. Local flying 3.10 hrs. Preparing for operations. Briefing at 18.30 Hrs. 6 crews operated over Bremen. One crew returned on account of engine trouble. Total time 35 hours.

1941-07-15

Swinderby

Overcast. rain in the evening. No flying. No operations. Arrival of guests for celebrations of 16.7.41. with the President of Polish Republic. Ceremony at Newark cemetry at 21.00 hrs.

1941-07-16

Swinderby

Cloud 10/10. Ceremony of presentation of colours to Commanding Officer by General Sikorski.

1941-07-17

Swinderby

Cloudy. Local flying 2 hrs. W/Cmdr. Makowski reads the order of leaving the Squadron and greets the personnel. S/Ldr. Cwynar is appointed as Officer Commanding. Preparing for operations over Cologne which was carried out by 6 crews. All returned to base. Total time 33 hrs. Prepared to move to Hemswell.

1941-07-18

Ditto.

Overcast and rain. The Squadron moves to Hemswell. Portion proceeded by air at 07.30 hours.

1941-07-19

Ditto.

Cloudy no rain. Next party moves to Hemswell. Local flying and night flying training 10.25 hours.

1941-07-20

Hemswell

Cloudy no rain. Local flying 6.10 hours. Night flying training 2.15 hours. Usual ground training

1941-07-21

Ditto.

Cloudy no rain. Local flying 3.20 hrs. Night flying training 1.30 hrs. Preparing for operations. Briefing at 18.30 Hrs. 5 crews operated over Frankfurt. Total time 35 hours.

1941-07-22

Ditto.

Clouds 3/10. Local flying 4 hrs. No operation. Usual ground training.

1941-07-23

Ditto.

Cloud 2/10. Increasing gradually to 8/10 in the evening Local flying 6 hours. Preparing for operations. Briefing at 18.30 Hrs. 6 crews operated over Mannheim. Total time 37.30 hrs.

1941-07-24

Ditto.

No cloud. Local training 4 hours. Usual ground training.

1941-07-25

Ditto.

Cloud 8/10. Slight rain. Local training flights. Preparing for operations carried out by 4 crews over Hamburg. Only one crew came safely to Base. One crew failed to return, one landed in sea and crew were pickup next day and one landed in field owing to engine trouble, this aircraft damaged;

1941-07-26

Ditto.

Cloud 10/10. Raining all day. Local flights 7 hrs. One crew searched for missing crew landed in sea. Usual ground training.

1941-07-27

Ditto.

Cloud 5/10. Local formation flying and other training flights 9 hours. Night flying training 1.30 hrs. Church service in the morning, usual ground training.

1941-07-28

Ditto.

No cloud in morning. 11/10 in evening. Local training flights, group flights and cross countries 10.15 hours. Usual ground training.

1941-07-29

Ditto.

Cloud cover 10/10 with showers. Improvement in evening. Local flights 1.10 hrs. Usual ground training.

1941-07-30

Ditto.

Cloud cover 10/10. and some rain. Local and instrument flights. 11 hrs. Usual ground training.

1941-07-31

Ditto.

Cloud cover 10/10, rain and bad visibility. No flying. Usual ground training.