Polish Air Force Operations Record Books 1940-1947

PART I – OPERATIONS.

1945-02-01 – 1945-02-02

BRINDISI

16.20 – 02.25
6 Halifaxes and 3 Liberators detailed for supply- dropping in ITALY. One Liberator unsuccessful owing to no receptions and one Halifax returned owing to engine trouble, before reavhing target, load being jettisoned in the sea. All the remaining aircraft with the exception of one Liberator which successfully dropped full load, found their targets covered in 10/10ths cloud and brought full stores load back to base.

1945-02-06 – 1945-02-07

BRINDISI

16.05 – 02.45
6 Halifaxes and 2 Liberators detailed for supply-dropping in ITALY. One Halifax brought back full [Illegible]oving to compass trouble and the Navigator unable to find target. One Liberator brought back fuselage load owing to engine trouble, the containers being jettisoned at sea. All the remaining aircraft successfully dropped full loads.

1945-02-07 – 1945-02-08

BRINDISI

16.45 – 04.05.
4 Halifaxes and 4 Liberators detailed for supply-dropping in ITALY and AUSTRIA. 1 Liberator brought back full load, owing to no receptions. The other aircraft successfully dropped full loads.

1945-02-08 – 1945-02-09

BRINDISI

16.35 – 02.40.
2 Halifaxes and 3 Liberators detailed for supply-dropping in ITALY. One Liberator brought back full load owing to the artificial horizon being unserviceable. 1 Liberator and 1 Halifax failed owing to weather and 1 Halifax owing to no receptions. One Liberator dropped full load successfully.

1945-02-13 – 1945-02-14

BRINDISI

16.55 – 03.30.
5 Halifaxes and 4 Liberators detailed for supply-dropping in ITALY. 3 Halifaxes and 2 Liberators brought back loads owing to cloud in target areas. 1 Halifax owing to technical and navigational trouble and 1 Liberator owing to no reception at Primary and cloud covering Alternative.

1945-02-16 – 1945-02-17

BRINDISI

18.05 – 04.50
6 Halifaxes and 4 Liberators detailed for supply-dropping in CZECHOSLOVAKIA and AUSTRIA. 2 Halifaxes and 3 Liberators brought back full loads owing to weather in target areas, one Halifax owing to navigator falling ill, and one Liberator owing to no reception. Remaining 3 Halifaxes dropped successfully.

1945-02-17 – 1945-02-18

BRINDISI

18.55 – 03.40.
3 Liberators detailed for supply-dropping in CZECHOSLOVAKIA. 2 Liberators brought back full loads one owing to no reception and one owing to weather. The Third Liberator successfully dropped stores load on Eureka but brought back the Joe.

1945-02-18 – 1945-02-19

Illegible

1945-02-20 – 1945-02-21

BRINDISI

18.45 – 04.15
2 Halifaxes and 2 Liberators detailed for supply-dropping in JUGOSLAVIA and CZECHOSLOVAKIA. 2 Liberators and 1 Halifax detailed for CZECH targets brought back full loads owing to no reception. The Halifax on JUGOSLAV target was successful.

1945-02-21 – 1945-02-22

BRINDISI

16.30 – 01.20
5 Halifaxes and 3 Liberators detailed for supply-dropping in JUGOSLAVIA. One Halifax brought back full loads owing to the illness of Navigator, and one Liberator owing to no reception. One Liberator brought back all containers owing to distribution trouble but dropped fuselage load. One Halifax which dropped at Alternative as there was no reception at Primary target brought back packages destined for Primary only.

1945-02-22

BRINDISI

16.00 – 22.15.
3 Liberators detailed for supply-dropping in JUGOSLAVIA. All were successful on Primary Target dropping full loads.

1945-02-23

BRINDISI

16.00 – 23.55
5 Halifaxes and 4 Liberators detailed for supply-dropping in JUGOSLAVIA. All aircraft were successful.

1945-02-24

BRINDISI

15.55 – 22.55
3 Liberators detailed for supply-dropping in JUGOSLAVIA. All aircraft were successful.

1945-02-25

BRINDISI

6 Halifaxes and 1 Librator were detached to ROSIGNANO to carry out a special operation in ITALY, taking with them ground crews. Only 6 aircraft were required for the operation, the seventh going as a reserve.

1945-02-25 – 1945-02-26

ROSIGNANO

19.25 – 03.15.
5 Halifaxes and 1 Liberator detailed for supply-dropping in Italy took off from Rosignano. 4 Halifaxes and 1 Liberator landed there the remaining Halifax landing at BRINDISI, after it had been successful. 1 of the other Halifaxes were successful, but the remaining 3 Halifaxes and the Liberator found no reception.

1945-02-26

ROSIGNANO

03.40.
Halifax V (LL 465 „J”) was destroyed on the ground at Rosignano by fire after it had been hit when dispersed, by a Wellington of No. 38 Squadron which was crash-landing.
Halifax V (LL 534”M”) returned to Rosignano.

1945-02-27

ROSIGNANO

5 Halifaxes and 1 Liberator returned to BRINDISI from ROSIGNANO.

1945-02-27

BRINDISI

16.25 to 23.05.
4 Liberators detailed for supply-dropping in JUGOSLAVIA. All aircraft were successful.

II – PERSONNEL

1945-02-01

76758 W/Cdr. M. BOKALSKI and P-0215 S/Ldr. K. KACZMARCZYK (Pilots) posted to No.344 Wing and attached to this Unit for flying duties.
P-0314 S/Ldr. E. ARCIUSZKIEWICZ appointed Acting Wing Commander (Navigator)
76701 F/Lt. E. LADRO, appointed Acting Squadron Leader. (Pilot)

1945-02-13

P-2576 P/O. J. ZAPALOWSKI (Pilot); 781320 W/O. ABAKANOWICZ, L. (A.G.) and 705423 Sgt. PACHLA, K. posted to No. 56 P.T.C.

1945-02-14

784958 W/O. MARKIEWICZ, H. (Pilot), 784165 W/O SERAFINI, J. (W/Op.), 703088 W/O. ZDYB, J. (A.B.), 794031 W/O. PAPESZ, W. (W/Op), 792492 F/S. KLAK, E. (A.G), 784706 Sgt. SZYMANSKI, K. (Pilot), 793392 Sgt. LOTKO, S. (F/Eng), 781238 SGT. MALIK, J. (F/Eng), 704625 Sgt. PAWLOWICZ, W. (Pilot) and 782439 Sgt. KOCON, E. posted to this Unit from No. 56 P.T.S. Ex. U.K.

1945-02-16

P-0122 S/Ldr. E. KWOLEK (Navigator), P-0461 F/Lt. WESALOWSKI. F. (Navigator), P-1655 F/L. RATAJCZAK, A. (Pilot), P-2018 F/O. KONCEWICZ, M. (Navigator), 794777 W/O. BAK, F. (W/OP), 783224 W/O. ARTYMIUK, K. (Pilot), 703900 W/O. CHABROWSKI, S. (A.G.), 780541 W/O. BESTECKI, B. (A.G.), 704752 Sgt. GRZMIELEWSKI, J. (Pilot), 703893 W/O. BANKOWSKI, T. (A.G.) and 794266 W/O. JAROCKI, L. posted to this Unit from No. 56 P.T.S. Ex. UK.

1945-02-28

P-2580 P/O. J. CZARNOTA, (A.G.), 792341 W/O. SKOCZYLAS, L. (Pilot), 704784 W/O. SCHIKE, A. (A.G.), 784117 W/O. LEWKONOWICZ, A. (A.G.), 783882 W/O. ZIELINSKI, S. (A.G.), 783263 W/O. SZEWCZYK, K. (W/OP), 794371 W/O. MIODUCHOWSKI, T. (Pilot), 704126 F/S. KRZEMINSKI, S. (Navigator), 703934 F/S. PRZYBYLAK, Z. (Pilot), 704832 F/S. WALOCH, E. (A.G.), 704212 F/S. KAJDEWICZ, A. (A.B.), and 78291 F/S. PIATKOWSKI, S. (F/Eng.) posted to No. 56 P.T.C.

STATISTICS FOR FEBRUARY 1945.

Operational Flying - Night 628 hrs. 17 mins.
Non-operational flying – Day 114 hrs. 30 mins.
- Night 7 hrs. 20 mins.

Operational Sorties Attempted 86 (includes 6 from ROSIGNANO)
Operational Sorties Successful 45 ½ (includes 2 from ROSIGNANO)

Weight of Stores etc. dropped (not including ROSIGNANO operations)
577 containers 115,523 lbs. nett.
705 packages 46,680 lbs. nett.
——————-
162,206 lbs. nett.
Nickels 25,100 lbs.
11 Personnel 2,200 lbs.

Total for month. 189,503 or 84.6 tons.

The whole personnel of the Unit have worked unceasingly and with great fervour striving to raise the standard of the Squadron , indeed it seemed as if all were seeking to submerge in work the deep feeling associated with certain political tidings, so unpleasant and distressing, recently in the forefront.

[Illegible]
Officer Commanding
No. 301 (P) SQUADRON

Note:
[ 301 Squadron personnel transferred to U.K. march 1945, (but bearing …… a/c in MAAF) and reformed wef. 4 April, 1945 at BLACKBUSHE as a transport Squadron with Warwick III a/c
S.D. 155 592/45 d/d 11/3/45 ]