Polish Air Force Operations Record Books 1940-1947

1942-02-01

LINDHOLME

Weather - Overcast, with slight snow most of day. Frost all day.
Aerodrome unserviceable. Sgt. ZIEBA left on posting to STORMY DOWN. P/O OSADZINSKI returned from TORQUAY.

1942-02-02

LINDHOLME

Weather - Overcast, with snow early morning and late night. Night frost.
Aerodrome unserviceable. P/O PIWOWAREK left for medical treatment. F/O LADRO returned from RAUCEBY.

1942-02-03

LINDHOLME

Weather - Mainly overcast, with snow early, becoming rain later. Visibility poor.
Aerodrome unserviceable. F/L MILEWSKI attended as a member of a Court Martial at HEMSWELL.

1942-02-04

LINDHOLME

Weather - Mainly overcast, with intermittent snow or rain morning and afternoon. Night frost.
Seven crews were detailed for day operations and stood by throughout the day.

1942-02-05

LINDHOLME

Weather - Cloudy. Light snow early. Frost early and late.
Stand-by for day operations continued. The Station Commander addressed all officers regarding gas precautions. F/O ZIEMANSKI returned from a Beam Approach course at MILDENHALL.

1942-02-06

LINDHOLME

Weather - Cloudy. Mist or haze, with period of fog about dawn. Light snow and frost at night.
Pilot Officers SKARZINSKI, SZCZUROWSKI, LADRO, PIWOWAREK and DOMANSKI were promoted to the rank of Flying Officer. Stand-by for day operations continued.

1942-02-07

LINDHOLME

Weather - Cloudy, with light snow during morning. Frost all day.
Stand-by for day operations was terminated at 16.00 hours.

1942-02-08

LINDHOLME

Weather - Fine at first, becoming overcast after dusk. Fog all day, with frost during morning.
Seven senior crews were detailed for night operations but these were cancelled owing to bad weather.

1942-02-09

LINDHOLME

Weather - Cloudy; mist; occasional rain or drizzle during morning.
F/O DOMANSKI left on posting for GRANGEMOUTH for training as a fighter pilot. F/O SZCZUROWSKI left for a Beam Approach course at MILDENHALL.

1942-02-10

LINDHOLME

Weather - Variable cloud with slight mist. Rain or drizzle early part of night. Strong gusty winds.
Aerodrome unserviceable.

1942-02-11

LINDHOLME

Weather - Variable cloud, with haze. Frost during morning.
Aerodrome unserviceable. F/O WALENDOWSKI investigated an accident in which LAC PRUSSKI was involved and received injuries.

1942-02-12

LINDHOLME

Weather - Cloudy; occasional rain or drizzle during morning; slight mist; strong gusty winds.
Aerodrome unserviceable. Sgts. ZIOLKOWSKI, KOSTURKIEWICZ, GRACZYK, APANASEWICZ, SZEWCZYK and PASKIEWICZ were promoted to the rank of Flight Sergeant. News was received from the International Red Cross that S/L BLAZEJEWSKI, F/O KOMLACZ and Sgt. RUTKOWSKI, who had been missing since 16th December, 1941, were drowned, and that F/O KLEWICZ, missing since 19th January, 1942, had also been found drowned.

1942-02-13

LINDHOLME

Weather - Fine; strong gusty winds.
F/L ISZKOWSKI left with crew for LLANDOW and LYNEHAM to collect Wellington aircraft on No. 41 Group’s allotment but neither aircraft was ready. A night flying programme was carried out. Four fresher crews were detailed to attack the docks at Le Havre. P/O MISNIAKIEWICZ was unable to take off owing to engine trouble but P/O OSADZINSKI, Sgt. OMIELJASZKO and P/O TRZEBSKI, in aircraft numbers 1704, 1697 and 437, carried out the task although much hampered by cloud.

1942-02-14

LINDHOLME

Weather - Fine at first; cloud increasing during morning; hazy. Frost early morning.
P/O DZIERZBICKI arrived on posting for aircrew duties from HEMSWELL. F/O ZAKRZEWSKI and F/O PIETROWICZ, of the Polish Central Trade Test Board, visited from BLACKPOOL. Eight senior crews captained by F/L ISZKOWSKI, F/O HIRSZ, Sgt. JONSKI, Sgt. SICINSKI, Sgt. ZIOLKOWSKI, F/O KWAK, F/O SKARZYNSKI and P/O DZIEGIELEWSKI, in aircraft numbers 5688, 1660, 9827, 9680, 1704, 1088, 1112 and 441, were detailed to attack the docks at MANNHEIM but thick cloud impeded the attack. F/O SKARZYNSKI made a return to HUNSDON and to base the next day. A night flying training programme was carried out. P/O MISNIAKIEWICZ, with a fresher crew, was detailed for operations but engine trouble compelled the early abandonment of the task.

1942-02-15

LINDHOLME

Weather - Fair, becoming fine after dusk. Misty. Night frost.
Nothing to report.

1942-02-16

LINDHOLME

Weather - Small amounts of cloud at first, increasing during morning. Hazy morning and night. Frost early and late.
F/O SZCZUROWSKI returned from MILDENHALL and F/O KOSSAKOWSKI from a Gunnery Leaders’ Course at CHELVASTON. The task for three fresher crews was cancelled during briefing. A night flying training programme was carried out.

1942-02-17

LINDHOLME

Cloudy with light snow during morning.
F/L GILBERT left for a tactical course of a fortnight’s duration at CATTERICK. Seven senior crews were detailed to carry out an attack on HAMBURG but the task was cancelled at 19.00 hours.

1942-02-18

LINDHOLME

Weather - Overcast, with intermittent light snow afternoon and early evening.
A night flying training programme was carried out.

1942-02-19

LINDHOLME

Weather - Mainly cloudy; with mist at night. Frost early and late.
Weather conditions being unfavourable, five fresher crews’ task to carry out a leaflet raid on enemy-occupied territory was cancelled, but it was possible to carry out a night flying training programme.

1942-02-20

LINDHOLME

Weather - Cloudy, with occasional light snow during morning. Frost most of day; fog after midday.
Seven senior crews and three freshers were detailed for operations but both tasks were cancelled — the seniors, who should have attacked the enemy submarine base of St. NAZAIRE, at 16.30 hours; and the freshers at 13.45 hours - before briefing. A programme of night flying training was carried out.

1942-02-21

LINDHOLME

Weather - Cloudy with snow showers. Frost all day.
F/O SKARZYNSKI left for Beam Approach Course at MILDENHALL.

1942-02-22

LINDHOLME

Weather - Cloudy with snow showers. Frost most of day.
The tasks of four fresher crews — Sgt. OMIELJASZKO and P/O OSADZINSKI detailed to attack EMDEN, and F/O KUCHARSKI and Sgt. JANIK detailed for a raid on OSTENDE –were cancelled at 16.00 hours. Sgt. BERGNER, one of the original members of the Squadron, who has completed 30 operational sorties, left for HUCKNALL with a view to training as an observer.

1942-02-23

LINDHOLME

Weather - Cloudy, with intermittent snow. Frost early and late.
The task for four Fr[Illegible letter]sher crews was cancelled before briefing. A local night flying training programme was carried out.

1942-02-24

LINDHOLME

Weather - Mainly cloudy, with occasional fair periods, especially after dusk. Occasional snow early part of day. Frost early and late. Poor visibility after dusk.
W/C GRUSKA, from the Polish Inspectorate General, visited the Squadron. P/O BARNES, who has been attached to the Squadron from R.A.F.Station, LINDHOLME, for instruction in administrative duties, left on posting to Air Ministry Code & Cyphers School. Six senior crews were detailed for operations but the task was cancelled before briefing.

1942-02-25

LINDHOLME

Weather - Mainly cloudy, except for fair period in morning. Occasional snow showers. Slight frost early and late.
P/O TRZEBSKI and Sgt. JANIK flew to LLANDOW (no. 38 Maintenance Unit) to collect aircraft numbers X-9764 and X-9687 on No. 41 Group allotments 41G/1841 and 41g/1897 respectively. Six of the Squadron aircraft successfully undertook their first formation flight. A local night flying training programme was carried out.

1942-02-26

LINDHOLME

Weather - Mainly overcast, and slight haze after dusk. Frost early and late.
Task number 154, an attack on the GNEISENAU in the floating dock at KIEL, and on the town of KIEL, was carried out by nine aircraft of the Squadron — numbers 1230, 9680, 5688, 5627, 1602, 1112, 441, 597 and 1697, captained respectively by F/O SZCZUROWSKI, SGT SICINSKI, F/SGT ZIOLKOWSKI, F/O KWAK, F/O FIGURA, F/O LADRO, P/O DZIEGIELEWSKI, P/O MISNIAKIEWICZ and P/O OSADZINSKI. Of these Sgt. SICINSKI had to abandon the primary target owing to failure of the inter-comm. system, bur carried out an attack on what is believed to have been SCHLESWIG; and P/O OSADZINSKI had similar trouble on the outward journey and was forced to return to base, jettisoning his bombs in the sea. The rest all reached the target. Enemy fighters were active,and Sgt. SICINSKI’S aircraft was twice attacked — probably by Me. 110s on both occasions. The rear gunner, Sgt. WIECKOWSKI, believes he scored hits when he re[Illegible letter]urned the fire of the second fighter. In addition opposition from ground defences was intense and F/Sgt. ZIOLKOWSKI’s aircraft was struck in several places by anti-aircraft fire. F/O HIRSZ was detailed for the task in aircraft number 1660, but engine trouble necessitated abandonment of the sortie before the take-off. There was local night flying training. F/L MILEWSKI left for BOLTON, where he attended a civil court, and BLACKPOOL, where he carried out verification of records at Polish Record Ofcice. He returned on 28th February.

1942-02-27

LINDHOLME

Weather - Fine, with haze particularly after dusk. Frost early and late.
Before the crews had been briefed, the task of four freshers was cancelled.

1942-02-28

LINDHOLME

Weather - Mainly cloudy; poor visibility.
Four fresher crews were detailed for operations but the task was cancelled at 13.30 hours before breifing had been carried out.

[Illegible hand signature]
Wing Commander, Commanding
No. 304 (Polish) Squadron,
R.A.F. Station, LINDHOLME