Polish Air Force Operations Record Books 1940-1947

1941-04-01

Weather – Wind gusting at 20 mph, rain showers low clouds, visibility 2,000 yards. F/L S.MILEWSKI visited BRAMCOTE to enquire into Polish documents. F/D LYNES was appointed Officer i/c British personnel Barrack Block vice F/L VINCENT. 14 Polish airmen arrived on posting from BLACKPOOL. F/L B.MUSGRAVE has been appointed Station Adjutant and Pilot Officer T.GILBERT Squadron Adjutant in his place.

1941-04-02

Weather – Wind 15-20 mph. Cloud 10/10. Rain and drizzle with visibility varying between 700 and 2000 yards. S/LDR ABRAHAM attended as a member a Court Martial at SHQ. No.P780757 A/SGT BRUCHACZ A. has been promoted to the acting rank of F/Sgt, and No.178333 SGT TAYLOR to that of T/F/Sgt.

1941-04-03

Weather – Wind 10 mph, rain or drizzle, cloud 7/10 to 10/10, visibility poor but improving. No.567294 CPL HOLDAWAY has been promoted to the rank of A/Sgt. The British team defeated Officer’s Mess at Association Football by 3 goals to 2.

1941-04-04

Weather – Wind 15-20 mph, rain showers. Cloud 6/10, visibility 1000 to 1500 yards. S/LDR ABRAHAM and F/O LYNES visited TOLLERTON. Aerodrome surface unserviceable.

1941-04-05

Weather – Wind 10-15 mph gusting to 30. Cloud 10/10. Rain showers, poor visibility.

1941-04-06

Weather – Wind 20-35 mph cloud increasing from nil to 10/10, visibility good, some rain or sleet.
W/CDR. P DUDZINSKI accompanied by F/LT. S MILEWSKI and LAC COMPER left on a visit to Polish Records at BLACKPOOL and returned the next day.

1941-04-07

Weather – wind gusting from 15-25 mph. 6/10 Cloud, visibility good, light showers. P/O WAROCZEWSKI returned after convalescence. 25 Polish airmen arrived from BLACKPOOL on posting.

1941-04-08

Weather – wind 5-10 mph, 10/10 Cloud, visibility good, weather clear generally. S/LDR ABRAHAM flew the Station Commander to KIRKBRIDE. P/O WILCZYNSKI arrived on posting from BRAMCOTE.
Night Flying Training was interrupted by enemy aircraft and all planes were recalled and landed in 4½ mins.

1941-04-09

Weather – Hazy early but clearing later with good visibility, wind 10 mph. S/LDR CHARLTON-JONES visited from No. 1 Group. The full programme for Night Flying was accomplished. SQUADRON LEADER ABRAHAM returned from KIRKBRIDE.

1941-04-10

Weather – Wind 5-10 mph cloud 4/10, hazy, visibility poor to moderate. Air Vice Marshal R.D. OXLAND, Air Officer Commanding No. 1 Group and S/LDR PRING visited.
P/O T. GILBERT was promoted to the rank of Flying Officer.
S/LDR WOJDA, F/L NOWICKI, F/L MICHALEK, F/O GALCZYNSKI, P/O WIECZOREK, P/O KANIEWSKI P/O WOJCIK and P/O GISMAN returned from an Observers Course at STVERTON.
S/LDR WOJDA re-assumed command of “A” Flight.

1941-04-11

Weather – 10-15 mph, heavy mist and drizzle lessening to hazy with cloud 10/10.
F/L CARR-BIRKBECK visited from No. 1 Group.

1941-04-12

Weather hazy early, wind 15 mph, cloud 8-9/10, visibility moderate.

1941-04-13

Weather – wind 25-30 mph, cloud 5-7/10, fine, visibility 1 – 3 miles. Polish Officers attended the Airmen’s Dinner in the Airmen’s Dining Hall.

1941-04-14

Weather – wind 5-7 mph. Cloud 8/10, decreasing to 4/10, rain showers but good visibility.

1941-04-15

Weather – wind 10-15 mph, low clouds increasing from 4-8/10, visibility moderate to good. P/O ALBERTI left on posting to Castle Bromwich for super-numerary flying duties.
P/O KANIEWSKI left for WAINFLEET to act as Range Security Officer. WELLINGTON aircraft R 1212 crashed in Flintham Woods (map reference 184677) at 1727 hours and was written off. F/O R. CHRISTMAN, P 793339 SGT PIETRUSZEWSKI W, and No. P 793337 SGT BERGER A were killed, P/O Z. GALCZYNSKI and No. P780219 SGT ARANOWSKI A were seriously injured and removed to Newark hospital, and No. 780960 JARUSZ J very slightly hurt. Aircraft returning from a night cross country flight was attacked by enemy aircraft but sustained no damage.

1941-04-16

Weather – clear with showery periods, wind 15-20 mph cloud 5-7/10, visibility 1 to 3 miles. W/Cdr. Kippenberger visited from No. 1 Group.

1941-04-17

Weather – wind varying from 5 to 15 mph, cloud 6/10. S/LDR PICKERSGILL was detailed to investigate into the accident to Wellington aircraft R1212.
The funeral of the deceased Polish airmen took place at 1730 hours in Newark Graveyard, and was attended by Group Captain KARPINSKI of No. 1 Group, the British and Polish Squadron Commanders and a large number of British and Polish personnel.

1941-04-18

Weather – hazy early, wind gusting at 20-25 mph, cloud 9/10 visibility moderate. No. 510117 F/SGT RANSHAW arrived from BLACKPOOL onposting as Flight Sergeant Discip.vice F/SGT NORTH who has been posted to PADGATE.

1941-04-19

Weather – hazy, wind 10-15 mph, cloud 6/10, visibility 1,000 to 2,000 yards.

1941-04-20

Weather – Wind 10-15 mph, clear with 6/10 cloud, visibility good. S/LDR. CHARLTON-JONES visited from No. 1 Group.

1941-04-21

Weather – Wind 10-15 mph, clear but hazy later with drizzle at night, cloud 8/10, visibility good.
S/L STANTON visited from No. 1 Group. P/O A TURSKI left for an Intelligence Course at BLACKPOOL.

1941-04-22

Weather – Heavy mist but wind increasing to 10 mph, 8/10 cloud, poor visibility, rain later.
W/C KIPPENBERGER and W/C HESKETH visited from No. 1 Group.

1941-04-23

Weather – wind 20 gusting 30 mph Cloud 6-8/10, some showers, visibility moderate. P/O KANIEWSKI returned from WAINFLEET.

1941-04-24

Weather – Wind 15-20 mph gusting to 30 mph. Cloud varying nil and 7/10, fair generally with good visibility. Air Vice Marshall S. UJEJSKI, Polish Inspector General visited.
F/L P VINCENT visited from Grantham. S/L ABRAHAM and F/O LYNES left for Cosford to collect aircraft W 5668 on B/C Allotment No. 41G/4319.

1941-04-25

Weather – Wind gusting between 25 and 40 mph, clear with 25% cloud, visibility good. WELLINGTON AIRCRAFT Nos 1704 and R 1761 were ferried from ALDEGROVE on B.C. Allotment No. 41G/4469. P/O A TURSKI returned from BLACKPOOL.
The Squadron’s first operational flights were made by Aircraft Nos. R 1230 and N 2852 captained respectively by P/O SYM and F/O CZETOWICZ. On Account of low haze the former was unable to locate the target in ROTTERDAM after one and a half hours search, but it was bombed by the latter and explosions recorded. The aircraft took off at 20.20 hours and returned at 02.20 hours and the second aircraft took off at 20.25 hours and returned at 0120 hours. The Polish Squadron Commander P/O P. DUDZINSKI acted as 2nd Pilot to P/O SYM.

1941-04-26

Weather – Gusty wind 25-30 mph, cloud 8-10/10, visibility moderate to good. F/O STEPIEN, F/O JAROSCZYNSKI and P/O SOBIERALSKI returned from an Observers’ Course at STAVERTON.

1941-04-27

Weather – Variable wind gusting 10-20 mph, showery, mostly good visibility. The following telegram was received from Air Vice Marshal R.D. OXLAND, Air Officer No. 1 Group, on the occasion of the Squadron’s first operational flight: - “Congratulations on very successful first operations last night”. Congratulatory telegrams were also received from Group Captain and Mrs. DAVIDSON, R.A.F. Station, BRAMCOTE and The Officers Commanding Nos. 300 and 301 Squadrons, SWINDERBY.

1941-04-28

Weather – Slight showers, Cloud 7/10, wind 10-15 mph, visibility 2,000-3,000 yds. WELLINGTON AIRCRAFT No. W 5688 was ferried from ALDERGROVE on BC Allotment No. 41G/4319.

1941-04-29

Weather – Clear, visibility good but decreasing later to hazy. Four aircraft captained respectively by F/L BLAZAJEWSKI, F/O CZETOWICZ, P/O ISZKOWSKI and P/O SYM were detailed for night operations which were cancelled before the fourth of these had left the ground. The first three machines were recalled after P/O Iszkowski had experienced some difficulty in lower undercarriage.
After landing, his rear gunner, SGT ZIEBA, was involved in an accident with the propeller and very seriously injured.

1941-04-30

Weather – Wind 10 gusting 20 mph, 9/10 cloud, clear but hazy later. S/L BELL left for a conference at Polish Inspectorate General. S/L ABRAHAM attended a Court of Inquiry as President at NEWTON.
P/O [illegible] ICKI left for WAINFLEET to act as Range Security Officer. Owing to bad weather night Operations were cancelled. Night Flying Training however continued.

Graham
Wing Commander, Commanding
No. 304 (Polish) Squadron
R.A.F SYERSTON.