Polish Air Force Operations Record Books 1940-1947

1942-03-01

LINDHOLME

Weather: Mainly cloudy, with poor visibility.
Operational flights for two senior and four fresher crews were cancelled before briefing, and eight senior crews who had been standing by for daylight operations were finally stood down. Lorenz and W/T practices were carried out.

1942-03-02

LINDHOLME

Weather: Overcast; poor visibility, especially after dusk.
Four fresher and two senior crews were detailed for operations but these were cancelled before briefing. Sgt. BERGNER, having completed and operational tour of 30 trips, left on posting to HUCKNALL. Seven crews took part in a night flying training programme.

1942-03-03

LINDHOLME

Weather: Cloudy; cloud lifting after midday and breaking slightly during afternoon. Fog during morning. Slight rain toward midnight.
Gunnery practice on 25yd turret range. Two crews carried out night flying exercises. The task of five fresher crews was cancelled before they were briefed.

1942-03-04

LINDHOLME

Weather: Overcast. Continuous rain, turning to snow in late afternoon. Poor visibility.
F/L GILBERT returned from an Aerodrome Defence Course at CATTERICK. F/L MILEWSKI attended a court martial at HEMSWELL as a waiting member. Six aircraft took part in formation flying. F/O PESKI and Sgts. KOSTURKIEWICZ, WEDRYCHOWSKI, and PIECHOCKI left on attachment to BOSCOMBE DOWN for experimental flying.

1942-03-05

LINDHOLME

Weather: Overcast, with continous snow. Poor visibility. Strong gusty winds. Frost all day.
Aerodrome unserviceable.

1942-03-06

LINDHOLME

Weather: Overcast, with snow early; becoming intermittent and changing to continous frozen drizzle. Keen frost all day. Strong gusty wind during morning.
Aerodrome unserviceable.

1942-03-07

LINDHOLME

Weather: Overcast early; cloud breaking after dusk to nil, with [Illegible letter]xtensive mist. Occasional frozen drizzle early. Frost most of day. Aerodrome unserviceable.

1942-03-08

LINDHOLME

Weather: Fine at first, cloud increasing during morning. Continous rain after dusk. Visibility moderate to poor.
W/T training. P/O TRZEBSKI left for Beam Approach Training Course at MILDENHALL. Ten senior crews and five fresher crews were detailed for operations but these were cancelled before take-off.

1942-03-09

LINDHOLME

Weather: Cloudy; overcast at times. Visibility poor early, improving later.
Nine senior crews, captained by F/O HIRSZ, F/O SKARZYNSKI, P/O MISNIAKIEWICZ, F/O MORAWSK, F/O SZCZUROWSKI, Sgt. SICINSKI, F/O KWAK, P/O OSADZINSKI and F/Sgt ZIOLKOWSKI, in aircraft numbers 1660, 1112, 597, 5627, 1172, 9680, 9829, 1602 and 9664 respectively, were detailed to attack the KRUPP works at ESSEN. Owing to the wet state of the aerodrome the aircraft operated from SWANTON MORLEY. Icing prevented some from reaching the primary target, but none returned without having made an attack. P/O OSADZINSKI returned to OAKINGTON, where, while the crew were being interrogated, another aircraft collided with his on dispersal and both were destroyed by fire.

1942-03-10

LINDHOLME

Weather: Cloudy; good visibility apart fron haze during morning.
The task for five fresher crews was cancelled in the afternoon, but seven seniors were detailed again to attack the same target as the previous night. These were: F/L ISZKOWSKI, F/O MORAWSKI, F/O SZCZUROWSKI, S/L CZETOWICZ, F/O KWAK, F/O SKARZYNSKI and P/O MISNIAKIEWICZ, in aircraft numbers 9680, 5627, 1172, 1704, 9664, 1112 and 597 respectively, all of whom successfully accomplished their task except the last-named who, on account of severe icing, was compelled to abandon it and return with full load.

1942-03-11

LINDHOLME

Weather: Cloudy, clearing toward midnight. Fog during morning.
Members of the squadron numbering 150, under the command of F/L SUSKA, attended a parade on which the Air Officer Commanding No. 1 Group, Air Vice Marshal R.D. OXLAND, decorated Sgt. MOLATA, of No. 305 (Polish) Squadron, with the Distinguished Flying Medal.

1942-03-12

LINDHOLME

Weather: Cloudy, with intermittent slight snow during morning. Strong gusty wind after dusk.
Wing Commander E. SMITH, Education Officer from Bomber Command, visited the Squadron. Three pilots carried out Lorenz exercises. Five fresher crews, captained by F/O KUCHARSKI, P/O WROBLEWSKI, Sgt. JANIK, Sgt. LOZOWICKI and Sgt. OMIELJASZKO, in aircraft numbers 9664, 437, 9827, 1230 and 441, attacked target at EMDEN, but poor visibility hampered them on their task. Sgt. LOZOWICKI landed on the return at HEMSWELL and came back to base later in the morning.

1942-03-13

LINDHOLME

Weather: Cloudy till mid-morning, then fair.
The court martial of LAC GAPINSKI was held at LINDHOLME, at which F/L MILEWSKI attended. Nine senior crews, captained by F/O KWAK, F/Sgt. ZIOLKOWSKI, P/O OSADZINSKI, P/O MISNIAKIEWICZ, F/O SKARZYNSKI, F/O H[Illegible letter] F/O MORAWSKI, Sgt. SICINSKI and F/O SZCZUROWSKI attacked COLOGNE, and three freshers, captained by P/O WRO[Illegible letter]LEWSKI, F/O KUCHARSKI and Sgt JANIK the docks at EMDEN. Lorenz and W/T exercises were carried out during the day.

1942-03-14

LINDHOLME

Weather: Mainly cloudy, with poor visibility. Fair interval with improved visibility afternoon and early evening. Slight rain early.
P/O TRZEBSKI returned on completion of B.A.T. Course at MILDENHALL.

1942-03-15

LINDHOLME

Weather: Cloudy, with fair or fine intervals. Slight rain early.
Wellington 1A aircraft number L7789 was delivered to BINBROOK on No. 1 Group’s authority. Two freshers who were detailed to make a nickel raid were later s[Illegible letter]o[Illegible letter]d down. Five aircraft took part in firing practice at MABLETHORPE. Lorenz and W/T exercises were carried out.

1942-03-16

LINDHOLME

Weather: Cloudy, with occasional slight rain after dusk.
A night flying training programme was completed. Syko tests were made.

1942-03-17

LINDHOLME

Weather: Cloudy, with considerable fair periods; becoming fine after dusk.
A number of officers and sergeants attended the funeral in NEWARK of members of a crew of No. 305 (Polish) Squadron who were killed on returning from operations on 14th March, 1942. The tasks for nine senior and three fresher crews were cancelled before the aircraft had taken off. A night flying training programme was carried out.

1942-03-18

LINDHOLME

Weather: Thick fog morning, clearing and becoming fair during afternoon. Continuous rain later.
Lorenz exercises were made. Might flying training continued.

1942-03-19

LINDHOLME

Weather: Overcast, with very poor visibility before dawn and after dusk.
W/C POZIOMEK left for LONDON to attend a court martial.

1942-03-20

LINDHOLME

Weather: Mainly overcast, with poor to very poor visibility.
Atraining conference was held in the Officers’ Mess which was attended by S/L CZETOWICZ. P/O MACKULA returned to the squadron after seven months absence in hospital. Gunnery practice was held on the 25 yards range.

1942-03-21

LINDHOLME

Weather: Mainly overcast, with bad visibility early; improving slightly later.
F/L LEWKOWICZ attended a Bombing Leaders’ Conference at H.Q. No. 1 Group.

1942-03-22

LINDHOLME

Weather: Cloudy, with mist all day.
W/C POZIOMEK returned from LONDON. Sgt. JONSKI left for a B.A.T. Course at MILDENHALL. The task for two fresher crews was cancelled.

1942-03-23

LINDHOLME

Weather: Cloudy at first, clearing to fine in afternoon.
F/O KONARZEWSKI arrived on posting from HEMSWELL for pilot duties. Tasks for ten senior and one fresher crews were cancelled but a night flying training programme was carried out. Lorenz exercises were also made.

1942-03-24

LINDHOLME

Weather: Fine, with poor visibility. Fog morning and night.
W/T teaining was carried out. Operations for 11 senior crews and one fresher were cancelled. Two aircraft took part in night flying training.

1942-03-25

LINDHOLME

Weather: Fine. Visibility poor during morning.
Twelve aircraft captained by F/O LADRO, P/O DZIEGIELEWSKI, F/O SKARZYNSKI, F/Sgt ZIOLKOWSKI, F/O SZCZUROWSKI, F/O FIGURA, F/O MORAWSKI, Sgt OMIELJASZKO, P/O OSADZINSKI, Sgt SICINSKI, P/O WROBLEWSKI and Sgt JANIK made a most successful raid on ESSEN. This raid constituted the Squadron’s largest effort to date over one target.

1942-03-26

LINDHOLME

Weather: Cloudy, becoming fi[Illegible letter]e toward midnight. Good visibility.
F/L MILEWSKI, accompanied by Cpl COMPER and Cpl LISOWSKI, left for BLACKPOOL for discussions with the Polish Record Office. Sgt SZCZUTKOWSKI left at the same time to visit the Polish Committee of Adjustment. F/LWISNIEWSKI returned from detachment at BINBROOK. Aircraft number Z1181 arrived from ALDERGROVE on No. 41 Group’s allotment 5099.

1942-03-27

LINDHOLME

Weather: Fair at first, becoming cloudy during morning.
Three aircraft were detailed for ancilliary operations in an attack on ST. NAZAIRE, but only two — numbers 1112 and 9687 captained by F/O SKARZYNSKI and F/O FIGURA — took part. Taking off from STANTON HARCOURT, thick cloud prevented either from locating the target, but the former bombed flak emplacements at VANNES.

1942-03-28

LINDHOLME

Weather: Cloudy; good visibility.
Sgt ARANOWSKI returned after nearly one year’s recovering. Eight senior crews, captained by Sgt. JANIK, F/O SZCZUROWSKI, F/O LADRO, P/O WROBLEWSKI, P/O DZIEGIELEWSKI, Sgt OMIELJASZKO, P/O OSADZINSKI and F/O MORAWSKI were detailed to attack LUBECK. This was successfully accomplished by all except P/O OSADZINSKI, who abandoned the task owing to oxygen failure, and F/O MORAWSKI, who attacked the isle of JUIST and who had a 20-minute encounter with a MESSERSCHMITT but without untoward results.

1942-03-29

LINDHOLME

Weather: Cloudy, with fa[Two illegible letters] intervals. Poor visibility around dawn. Slight frost.
F/L MILEWSKI, Sgt SZCZUTKOWSKI, Cpl COMPER[Illegible letter] and Cpl LISOWSKI returned from BLACKPOOL. Eight aircraft left for NORTHOLT to bring back the Polish National Colours, to be retained by this squadron for three months. At a full squadron parade the colours were handed to W/C POZIOMEK by G/C KARPINSKI. Operational seven crews were cancelled before take-off.

1942-03-30

LINDHOLME

Weather: Cloudy, with poor visibility, especially during morning.
Operations for 12 aircraft were cancelled before take-off.

1942-03-31

LINDHOLME

Weather: Overcast, with intermittent rain during most of the day.
F/O LEWALTH-JEZIERSKI left on posting for HEMSWELL and Sgt PAWLAK for BLACKPOOL. Formation flying was practised as part of the squadron training.

[Illegible hand signature]
Wing Commander, Commanding
No. 304 (Polish) Squadron,
ROYAL AIR FORCE, LINDHOLME