Polish Air Force Operations Record Books 1940-1947

1943-04-01

Exeter

Weather mainly cloudy with very slight drizzle over high ground. Visibility 6-12 miles with rather high wind in gusts. Flying Training continued by day. Four patrols were flown by night. there was no enemy activity in area. We regret to report an accident to AC1 LICHMIRA in which he received serious injuries. At 16.30 hours he was driving a tractor with trailer on tow, carrying large oxygen cylinders for charging aircraft with oxygen. He brought the oxygen cylinders into position near the aircraft and in doing so the engine stopped. He started the engine with the reverse gear engaged and the tractor went towards the aircraft. Lichmira endeavoured to stop it but was knocked down by the propeller and the tractor ran over him. He was admitted to Exminster Emergency Hospital and died on the 6th. Inst.
Total Flying Hours :- 7.45 Day. – 12.10 Night.

1943-04-02

Exeter

Weather fair to cloudy becoming fine after 17.00 hours. Visibility good. Flying training continued by day. Nine patrols were flown during the night. Flight Lieutenant Andrzejewski, Pilot, W.O. Kaliszewski, Nav/R. and Squadron Leader Szablowski, Pilot, and Sergeant Gajewski, Nav/R carried out patrols over convoys in Hope Cove area. Wing Commander Orzechowski, Pilot was posted to the Unit for flying duties.
Total Flying Hours :- 13.55 Day. – 21.30 Night.

1943-04-03

Exeter

Weather mainly fair to fine. Visibility 2-4 miles to dawn, improving to more than 20 miles during morning, deteriorating in evening to 4-8 miles. Flying training continued by day. Six patrols were flown during the night. There was no enemy activity in area. Bullseye Exercise C.S.7. For the purpose of this exercise, the sector was reinforced by 2 Beaufighters from No. 141 Sqdn. Predannack. Total number of targets over sector 25, 2 Mosquitoes from this Sqdn and 2 Beaufighters from No. 141 Sqdn took part. Targets engaged by searchlights 13. Attempted interceptions 12. Visual kills with A.I. Nil. Visual kills without A.I. 3. Abortive A.I. contacts 1. The small percentage of successful interceptions was due to the A.I. on two aircraft going U/S and R/T trouble.
Total Flying Hours :- 16.25 Day. – 12.10 Night.

1943-04-04

Exeter

Hazy night and morning. Mainly fine. Visibility 2000 yds before dawn and soon after dusk. otherwise 4-12 miles. Flying training continued by day, but conditions were unsuitable for night flying.
Total Flying Hours :- 13.50 Day. – Nil Night.

1943-04-05

Exeter

Thick fog early, clearing afternoon. Fair or fine becoming cloudy in evening. Visibility less than 300yds at first improving to 4 miles by noon. Flying training continued by day. Two patrols were flown during the night. There was no enemy activity in area.
Total Flying Hours :- 22.05 Day. – 4.30 Night.

1943-04-06

Exeter

Weather fine. Visibility 8-12 miles. Flying training continued by day. Four patrols were flown during the night. There was no enemy activity in the area. Bullseye exercise C.S.17 For the purpose of this exercise, the Sector was reinforced by two Beaufighters from No. 141 Sqdn, Predannack. Total number of targets over Sector, 30. Two Mosquitoes of the Unit and two Beaufighters of No. 141 Sqdn took part. [Illegible] Attempted interceptions, 16.Visual kills without A.I., 6. kills with A.I. 4. Abortive A.I. contacts, Nil. The results obt ained were very gratifying as three of the four pilots had never before done searchlight interceptions by night. Army Air Liasison Officers Observers flew in two of A/C and were particularly pleased with the corrections of the E/T drill and the pilots general handling of the situations.
Total Flying Hours :- 15.25 Day. – 11.25 Night.

1943-04-07

Exeter

Weather cloudy becoming fair after 17.00 hours. Visibility 8-12 miles. Flying training continued by day. No night flying took place.
Total Flying Hours :- 9.05 Day. – Nil Night.

1943-04-08

Exeter

Weather fair to cloudy. Visibility good. Flying training continued by day. Four patrols were flown during the night. No enemy activity in the area.
Total Flying Hours :- 17.45 Day. – 7.30 Night.

1943-04-09

Exeter

Weather cloudy with good visibility. Flying training continued by day. Seven patrols were flown during the night. There was no enemy activity in the area.
Total Flying Hours :- 15.00 Day. – 13.25 Night.

1943-04-10

Exeter

Weather cloudy with good visibility. Flying training continued by day. Four patrols were flown during the night. There was no enemy activity in the area.
Total Flying Hours :- 13.50 Day. – 9.05 Night.

1943-04-11

Exeter

Weather cloudy with slight rain at noon. Flying training continued by day. There was no enemy activity in the area. Signal received from No. 10 Group that the Squadron is to move to Fairwood Common, Nr. Swansea, South Wales. Two patrols were flown during the night.
Total Flying Hours :- 8.10 Day. – 4.05 Night.

1943-04-12

Exeter

Rain and drizzle before dawn. Flying training continued by day. One patrol was flown during the night. There was no enemy activity in the area.
Total Flying Hours :- 5.00 Day. – 2.30 Night.

1943-04-13

Exeter

Weather cloudy. Hazy at first becoming fair. Flying training continued by day. Two patrols were flown during the night. There was no enemy activity in the area. F.O. Pacholczyk, Pilot, and F.O. Michalski, Nav/R. on operational night flight had port engine failure caused by loss of coolant. Vibration of engine was first noticed. The pilot switched off the engine, feathered the propeller and turned in the direction of base. The pilot again switched the engine on, but it still vibrated and fire was poring from exhaust pipes. Pilot switched off engine and made a successful one engine landing.
Total Flying Hours :- 7.00 Day. – 4.30 Night.

1943-04-14

Exeter

Weather fair with moderate visibility. Flying training continued by day. Three patrols were flown during the night. There was no enemy activity in the area.
Total Flying Hours :- 6.15 Day. – 5.25 Night.

1943-04-15

Exeter

Weather fine with good visibility. The Squadron move to Fairwood Common took place today. 26 wagons loaded with equipment left Broadclyst Station at 08.30 and an advance party under the charge of F.o. Letowski consisting of twenty man had proceeded to Fairwood Common on the previous day. At 10.45 the main party consisting of about 240 airmen and a number of officers left Braodclyst Station. The remainder of the party consisting of aircrew proceeded by air after lunch and a number of officers with private cars went by road. The whole party arrived without any particular incident. Great credit is due to F.O. Gatowski, the Squadron Engineer Officer and his staff for the efficient manner in which the movement of equipment was organised. The Squadron left Exeter with much regret after very happy associations over a period of some two years. During this time considerable operational activity took place in which this Squadron has played its full share. The Squadron made many friends in Exeter, and their participation in Civic and Social functions was much appreciated. The Squadron flag presented to the city, hangs in the guildhall as a lasting link between Exeter and the 307 LWOW Squadron. Semepr fidelis appropriately is the motto of both cities. Exeter city was also presented with Squadron badge.

Fairwood Common

F/Lt. Andrzejewski, Pilot, and W.O. Kaliszewski, NAV/R. were involved in an accident in a Mosquito aircraft causing slight damage to aircraft when landing at night and overshooting the runway. The brake pressure was low before taking off but the pilot considered the compressor would give more pressure in the air. This failed to take place. This accident was assessed as and error of judgement.

1943-04-16

Fairwood Common

Weather fine and later fair. Visibility fair to good. Flying training continued by day. Three patrols were flown by day.
Total Flying Hours :- 7.30 Day. – Nil. Night.

1943-04-17

Fairwood Common

Weather fine. Visibility good. Flying training continued by day, one operational patrol being made. Four patrols were flown during the night when there was no enemy activity in the area.
Total Flying Hours :- 8.35 Day. – 9.45 Night.

W.O. Cook, Sgt. Tilman, and Sgt. Kirkbride reported on attachment for Nav/R. flying duties.

1943-04-18

Fairwood Common

Weather fine to cloudy. Visibility fair to good. Flying training continued by day. Weather conditions were unsuitable for night flying.
Total Flying Hours :- 9.30 Day. – Nil Night.

1943-04-19

Fairwood Common

Weather cloudy all day. Visibility good. Flying training continued by day. Three patrols were flown during the night. There was no enemy activity in the area.
Total Flying Hours :- 10.30 Day. – 7.30 Night.

1943-04-20

Fairwood Common

Weather fine to fair. Visibility very good. Flying training continued by day. Three patrols were flown during the night. There was no enemy activity in the area.
Total Flying Hours :- 13.10 Day. – 7.35 Night.

1943-04-21

Fairwood Common

Weather fine to fair. Cloudy with continuous rain from 17.10 hours onwards. Flying training continued by day. Weather conditions were unsuitable for night flying.
Total Flying Hours :- 11.50 Day. – Nil Night.

1943-04-22

Fairwood Common

Weather cloudy with rain becoming fair during late afternoon. Flying training continued by day. Two patrols were flown during the night. There was no enemy activity in the area.
Total Flying Hours :- 8.40 Day. – 1.50 Night.

1943-04-23

Fairwood Common

Weather mainly cloudy with intermittent slight rain. Visibility moderate. Flying training continued by day. Three patrols were flown at night. There was no enemy activity in the area.
Total Flying Hours :- 7.35 Day. – 5.15 Night.

1943-04-24

Fairwood Common

Weather fair in the morning, deteriorating later. Flying training continued by day. There was no night flying owing to weather conditions being unfavourable.
Total Flying Hours :- 12.[ Illegible] Day. – Nil Night.

1943-04-25

Fairwood Common

Weather mainly fair with local showers. Flying training continued by day but weather conditions were unfavourable for night flying.
Total Flying Hours :- 14.20 Day. – Nil Night.

1943-04-26

Fairwood Common

Weather cloudy to fair. Flying training continued by day. Two patrols were flown during the night. There was no enemy activity in the area.
Total Flying Hours :- 5.05 Day. – 5.05 Night.

1943-04-27

Fairwood Common

Weather cloudy to fair. Visibility moderate. Flying training continued by day with two patrols in[Illegible]
No enemy activity to report. The same applies to the four night patrols.
Total Flying Hours :- 9.00 Day. – 6.30 Night.

1943-04-28

Fairwood Common

Weather cloudy with intermittent slight rain. Visibility good. Flying training continued by day with one convoy protection patrol. Two patrols were flown during the night.
Total Flying Hours :- 8.15 Day. – 2.50 Night.

1943-04-29

Fairwood Common

Weather cloudy with rain or drizzle. Visibility poor. Flying training continued by day. [Illegible] Conditions were unsuitable for night flying.
Total Flying Hours :- Nil. Day. – Nil Night.

1943-04-30

Fairwood Common

Weather cloudy at first becoming fair during the afternoon. Flying training continued by day. Three patrols were flown during the night and two convoy protection patrols were also carried out.
Total Flying Hours :- 16.50 Day. – 7.05 Night.

[Illegible]
Wing Commander, Commanding,
No. 307 (Polish) Squadron,
R.A.F. Fairwood Common