Polish Air Force Operations Record Books 1940-1947

1943-04-01

HESTON

10/10 cloud – visibility Nil, but increasing to 2 miles.
Weather test only.
Two pilots, W/O M. Wojciechowski and F/Sgt. Chojnacki posted to No. 25(P) E.F.T.S. Huckanll for instructor duties.
Squadron a/c and detachment of mechanics still at Martlesham for air firing training.
Flight on Station Commanders colour hosting parade on occasion of 25th anniversary of R.A.F.

1943-04-02

No change in the weather.
Sixty three flights carried out at Martlesham in connection with air firing training.
Notification of promotion of Sgt, pilot Judek A. to Flight Sergeant wef. 1.2.43.

1943-04-03

2/10 cloud visibility 3 miles – sunshine. Afternoon 4/10 cloud vis. 6 miles.
Seventy eight sorties at Martlesham on air firing training.

1943-04-04

4/10 cloud visibility ½ mile due to ground mist, but sunshine. 7/10 vis. 2 miles.
Eighteen sorties on air firing at Martlesham.

1943-04-05

Weather 3/10 cloud visibility 1 mile – some ground mist – sunshine.
Sixty five sorties on air firing practice.
Sgt. J. Lemanski W.E.M. attached to British Thomas Houston Co. Ltd. Coventry on 5 days course.

1943-04-06

2/10 cloud visibility 2 miles – sunshine.
Air firing training contained – fifty three sorties.

1943-04-07

10/10 cloud visibility 2 miles – some rain.
Last day of air firing at Martlesham – four sorties only.
Notification of award of Polish Krzyz Walecznych to F/O Z. Wojda and P/O J. Karczmarz.

1943-04-08

1/10 cloud visibility 3 miles sunshine – Afternoon 9/10 cloud visibility 6 miles.
Squadron aircraft and maintenance party returned to Heston on completion of air firing training. A total of 725 practices were carried with an average score of 3.31 over the whole training period.
F/Lt. B. Drobinski, V.M., K.W., D.F.C., and P/O M. Adamek, V.M., K.W., D.F.M. posted to No. 58 O.T.U. Grangemouth for Instructor duties.

1943-04-09

10/10 cloud visibility three miles.
Lecture by Intelligence Officer on “K” type dinghy.

1943-04-10

HESTON

Weather 10/10 cloud visibility 3 – 4 miles.
Local flying only.
Squadron parade at dispersal to meet the new Polish Station Commander, W/Cdr. Z. Krasnodebski, who was the first Commanding Officer of the Squadron on formation in August 1940.

1943-04-11

10/10 cloud visibility 3 miles.
Little training Flying – Army co-operation Only.
F/Lt. R. Nartowicz posted from No. 58 O.T.U. Grangemouth as Flight Commander of “A” Flight.
Lecture on aircraft recognition by Squadron Intelligence Officer.

1943-04-12

No change in the Feather.
06.20
One section “scrambled” on patrol base at 6-8000 feet. Nothing to report and both aircraft down 06.45 after 25 min. flying. Weather good.
Training flying.
F/Lt. Z. Wodecki, Squadron medical officer since formation posted to Deputy Polish Inspectorate General Blackpool.
F/O W. Galuska posted from R.A.F. Station Newton as Squadron M.O.
F/O W. Wyganowski, pilot, posted to No. 16 (P)S.F.T.S.
Lecture on Fighter nights.

1943-04-13

Weather 1/10 cloud – visibility ½ mile due to ground mist. Later increasing to 6 miles – sunshine.
14.35
One section on Convoy in region of Selsey Bill and about 8 miles from the coast. Convoy consisting of 15 + 4 vessels. Patrol carried out at height of 4,000 feet. Weather very good – visibility 25 miles. Both aircraft down 16.15.
15.20
Two sections (4 aircraft left by F/Lt. Retinger) on patrol some convoy off Selsey Bill at height 4 – 6000 feet. Weather still very good. All aircraft down after uneventful patrol at 17.00 hrs.
16.05
One further section on patrol same convoy in the same area at height of 5000 feet. Nothing to report and both aircraft down 17.55.
16.45
Two aircraft on patrol same convoy at heights between 5 – 6000 feet. Weather excellent – Nothing to report and aircraft down 18.15.
Training flying – Navigation.
Squadron Commander congratulated the mechanics and armourers who had been on detachment at Martlesham for the air firing on the excellent way work had been carried out.

1943-04-14

HESTON

3/10 cloud – visibility 1/2 mile due to ground mist and fog. Afternoon 2/10 cloud visibility 6 – 7 miles.
14.45.
3 aircraft on Rescue patrol in region of Selsey Bill at height 3 – 4000 feet. All aircraft down 16.15 having nothing to report. Weather and visibility very good.
Training flying – cine gun attacks on bomber aircraft.
The Squadron was briefed for an operational sortie and flew to Martlesham in readiness. The operation was however cancelled and the aircraft returned to base.
Sgt. Ruczka Armr. Admitted to Hillingdon Hospital.

1943-04-15

Weather 3/10 cloud visibility 4 – 5 miles – sunshine. Afternoon 1/10 cloud visibility 7 miles.
13.50
S/Ldr. Z. Bienkowski, Officer Commanding, flew with the Northolt wing on Ramrod 55 using Spitfire IX aircraft from Northolt. Landing 15.30.
Training flying: Formation flying: attacks with cine gun. Dusk and night flying.

1943-04-16

HESTON

1/10 cloud visibility 1/2 mile due to ground mist – sunshine. Afternoon 2/10 cloud visibility 6 miles – sunshine.
08.10
Three aircraft on Patrol in area of Beachy Head at a height of 500 – 800 feet. Weather and visibility very good, but nothing to report. All aircraft down 09.45.
13.30
CIRCUS 285. The Squadron (9 aircraft) took off led by S/Ldr. Bienkowski and joined the Northolt Wing (Wing Leader W/Cdr. Kolaczkowski). The Wing was to act as escort to 12 Venturas – target Chemical works at Ostend. Rendezvous was made with 11 Venturas below 500 feet at Clacton. The Wing flew for the next 6 mins. at sea level and then climbed with the bombers to the target. Bombers made landfall at the Belgian coast just N.E. of Ostend, bombed on a north – south run, turned right and the return journey lost height until they crossed the English coast at 3000 feet at Clacton. Just before reaching the Belgian coast the Wing was warned of e/a to the North coast of Ostend at 20,000 feet, so this Squadron stayed with the bombers at 10,000 feet and the two Spitfire IX Squadrons, 315 and 316 went to 16,000 feet and 22,000 feet. No e/a seen. Moderate amount of flak from Ostend area. One bomber turned back when 30 miles out, another just before Belgian coast and a third bomber broke formation on the return journey and probable flew to Manston. Weather – Channel – hazy. France – clear. All aircraft landed base 15.30.
19.55
Ten aircraft scrambled to patrol in the area of Dungeness at a height of 13,000 feet. No enemy aircraft seen and all aircraft down at 20.55 after an uneventful patrol. Weather: Visibility 4 – 6 miles.

1943-04-17

Weather 3/10 cloud visibility 1 mile, due to ground mist – sunshine. Afternoon 1/10 cloud visibility 5 miles.
No flying.
F/Sgt. R. Gorecki attached to British Aircraft Co. Ltd. For visit to works.

1943-04-18

0/10 cloud visibility 4 miles – sunshine.
17.25
12 aircraft scrambled to patrol base at 10,000 feet, from which they were vectored to the couth coast to patrol at height of 20,000 feet. No enemy aircraft seen and no interception made. All aircraft landed at base 18.40. Weather and visibility good.

1943-04-19

4/10 cloud – visibility 3 miles – sunshine. Afternoon 10/10 cloud visibility 2 miles some rain. Later in the evening less cloud and increasing visibility – sunshine.
Training flying - Cross country and low flying. G.C.I. training, formation flying and cine camera gun exercises.

1943-04-20

0/10 cloud – visibility 1 mile – mist and fog. Later 4/10 cloud visibility 6 miles sunshine.
11.00
Three aircraft on “Rescue” patrol off Beachy Head at height of 5,000 feet. – Nothing to report and down 12.20. Weather and visibility good.
Training flying – formation practice. Lecture to pilots on performance and construction of F.W.190 and Spitfire IX.
Notification received from Polish Inspectorate General of the following promotions:
A/S/L. Z. Bienkowski and A/F/L. R. Nartowicz to the rank of Flight Lieutenant.
To Kapitan (F/Lt.) wef. 1.3.43. F/Lt. R. Nartowicz. A/F/L/ J. Palusinski.
To Porucznik (F/O) wef. 1.3.43. F/O S. Baran, F/O T. Kolecki, F/O S. Podobinski,
F/O S. Socha, F/O M. Szelestowski.

1943-04-21

HESTON

Weather 2/10 cloud – visibility 3 miles – Sunshine. More cloud later in a day.
10.40
Patrol over convoy. One section on convoy patrol at height of 5000 feet over 30 vessels approaching Portsmouth from the east. Weather fair. Both aircraft down 11.45.
10.50
One further section on patrol over the same convoy – Nothing to report and down 12.30.
11.35
One section again maintained patrol over the same convoy off Portsmouth. Entirely uneventful. Down 13.15.
11.00
S.L. Bienkowski on patrol over the same convoy landing 12.45.
12.25
Last section took off to concluded the patrol over convoy, landing 13.40.
Training: Navigation flying.

1943-04-22

10/10 – visibility 2 miles.
Training: Navigation and cloud flying.
F/O L. Karaszewski admitted Station Sick quarters.
F/Sgt. A. Judek returned from R.A.F. Hospital Cosford.

1943-04-23

10/10 cloud – visibility 2 miles. Very strong south – west wind.
No flying, and nothing at all eventful.

1943-04-24

2/10 cloud – visibility 5 miles – sunshine – still very windy.
Training flying: Dog fighting over 30,000 feet. G.C.I. and local flying. Navigation and low flying. Formation and cine gun practices.

1943-04-25

2/10 cloud visibility 5 miles – sunshine.
Easter Sunday breakfast held at 09.00 after Mass. Attended by G/C/ Pawlikowski, W/Cdr. Krasnodebski, W/Cdr. Kolaczkowski and the Station Commander, W/Cdr. Mortimer.
No flying.

1943-04-26

9/10 cloud – visibility 3 miles. Afternoon 5/10 cloud visibility 6 miles. Sunshine. Again no flying and nothing of interest to record.

1943-04-27

Varied training: Cine gun attacks – ground attacks – cloud and navigation flying. Formation and A.A. Co-operation.

1943-04-28

5/10 cloud visibility 2 miles – sunshine.
Training flying. Low flying and navigation. High flying, cloud and local flying.

1943-04-29

HESTON

Weather 4/10 cloud visibility 1/2 mile due to mist and fog. Afternoon 10/10 vis. 3 miles
Training: Navigation, dog fighting and cine gun exercises. G.C.I. train: and local flying.
P/O K. Wunsche and P/O J. Dzialowski returned to Unit after one months Officers Training course at Cosford.

1943-04-30

10/10 cloud visibility Nil due to fog and mist – some little increase in visibility but rain and mist and low cloud combined to make it extremely bad flying weather.
Sqdn and 30 mins during the whole day and no flying.

Z. Bienkowski S/Ldr (Autograph)
O.C. No. 303 (P) SQDN.