Polish Air Force Operations Record Books 1940-1947

1942-11-01

The weather was unsuitable for flying, thus no flying, operational, or otherwise takes place. Very cloudy, and raining most of day. In eveing Squadron parades to celebrate All Sculs day, and pay homage to pilots missing, and presumed killed.

1942-11-02

Weather in morning was quite good, and fair amount of sun. Nothing of importance occurred in morning. In afternoon, weather still fairly good, Squadron takes off with Polish Wing on a sweep to Cherbourg, but is recalled when over channel, owing to bad weather conditions. Air to Air firing which was arranged for today, was cancelled in view of operational flying. Nothing else to report.

1942-11-03

Weather was slightly cloudy all day. F/Sgt Krzyzagorski departs for 58 O.T.U. No operational flying. Usual training flying, including formation flying.

1942-11-04

Weather: Fog, and more fog. No operation flying, and training owing to weather conditions.

1942-11-05

Weather was bad, and rain most of day. No flying at all. Link training carried out, and also practice of pilots in dingy drill, using a water pool.

1942-11-06

Sunny in the morning, with clouds gradually collecting toward late afternoon. Squadron formation training flying in morning. In afternoon Squadron with Polish Wing escorted Bostons to Caen airfield, which was bombed. No enemy aircraft were seen, and Squadron returned at 15.30. Three pilots acted as air-sea rescuers, but did not have any thing to do.

1942-11-07

Weather was bad in the morning with rain, and mist, but in afternoon, improved, and the sun came out to play. In morning pilots see a film of the the air-fighting at Dieppe. In afternoon, liaison officer from anit-aircraft battery lectured pilots on affiliation of searchlights, and night fighters. Two pilots takeoff on rhubarb, and shoot up locomotive at Le Touquet, and then on to Berek sur Mer, where they shoot up some buildings. Some opposition from ground defences experienced, but no casualties to our aircraft. Two more pilots take off to shoot up targets in Le Havre area, but when near French coast find that it is impossible to get in land as the cloud base was low, and the cliffs of France were too high to be crossed. Opposition from ground defences was answered with a drop of fanon fire. Five pilots do dusk flying in evening.

1942-11-08

Weahter was sunny in the morning, and continued into the afternoon. Squadron takes off on a diversionary sweep with Wing, and Defiants. They see some aircraft but are unable to identify. No casualties experienced. Later sector recco by several pilots.

1942-11-09

Weather was misty before lunch, and slightly improved toward the afternoon. In afternoon Squadron fly with Wing to escort Bostons to Le Havre. No casualties occurred on our side. Squadron experienced flak from the ground defences, but most of this was directed toward the Bostons. Squadron landed at 16.20.

1942-11-10

Weather was misty in the morning, but improved later on in the day. F/O Zbierchowski arrives from 58 O.T.U. and F/O Habela proceeds on course at Administrative School at R.A.F. Cosford. No flying in the morning, but in afternoon Squadron takes off with Wing to escort Bostons to Le Havre. Two Bostons collide and crash into sea. No casualties to our Squadron, but one of our pilots fires at ainti – aircraft post on French coast. No more flying today.

1942-11-11

Misty all day. No flying at all. Lecture on searchlight affiliation. F/Sgt Piatkowski arrives from 58 O.T.U. Squadron parades to receive A.O.C. 11 Group who comes to decorate 306 personnel.

1942-11-12

Weather was misty all day, and squadron were released, thus no activity at all.

1942-11-13

Cloudy, and foggy. F/O Officer Piasecki arrives to take over Engineer duties from F/O Czeppe. No flying at all. Pilots do Link training. Pilots visit a searchlight post near Ruislip.

1942-11-14

Sunny in morning, gradually deteriorating toward afternoon. airfield was misty. No flying at all. Pilots do Link training, and night flying programme is cancelled owing to weather.

1942-11-15

Cloudy, and foggy all day. No flying at all. Nothing else of any interest.

1942-11-16

foggy in the morning, improving slightly in afternoon. No operational flying. Squadron, and Section formation training flights. Cine camera gun practice. Two pilots do a spot of bathing in their dingy in the water pool.

1942-11-17

Two sections of aircraft take part in training, and operations control them in affiliation exercises. Attacks with use of cine-camera guns, and cloud flying in sections. Usual training. Two pilots take part in ari sea rescue. “A” Flight consisting of six piots take part in night flying, from 01.25 to 03.35. and F/Sgt Okroj overshot runway, and damaged aircraft after running into soft earth. Polish choir of the Polish Army gave concert in camp theater.

1942-11-18

Sunny before lunch, deteriorating to mist and fog in afternoon. No operational flying. Usual training flying esercises, with use of camera gun. Homing exercises, and formation flying carried out. Air test with guns. Squadron eommences night readiness.

1942-11-19

Cloudy, and misty all day. No flying at all. Eight pilots at night readiness.

1942-11-20

Sunny in the morning, and cloudy in afternoon. Training flying including cloud flying, and attacks. Link training. Squadron Hanges disperal points with 306 Squadron. Night readiness consists of eight pilots. Three aircaft took off for engine tests.

1942-11-21

Cloudy, and misty. Twosections take off on rhubarb in morning. Recalled owing to bad weather conditions. In afternnon, three aircraft do section formation training. Six pilots do dusk flying training. Five pilots take off on night flying training.

1942-11-22

No operational flying. Aircraft take off for engine tests. Three pilots exercise on Master in Blind flying. Nothing of any importance happened.

1942-11-23

Arrival of F/O Wiejski arrives from 403 Canadian Squadron. F/O Sobolewski goes to Paderewski hospital. Cloudy and misty day. Training flying carried out at night, from 00.10 to 04.50. eleven pilots flying.

1942-11-24

Misty day. Pilots do Link training all day, while some fly in Master on training flights. Ten pilots do cloud flying. F/O Pokropek arrives from Polish depot for interpreters duties. P/O Kotlarz awarded Krzyz Walecznych by Polish authorities. No operational flying.

1942-11-25

Cloudy, and misty. No flying in the morning, but pilots carry out training flying in afternoon, including cloud flying, blind flying in Master, and dusk, and nigh flying.

1942-11-26

Cloudy, and misty. Link training carried out all day. Training flying, consisting of cloud flying, formation flying, dusk flying,, and usual training exercises. Two pilots take off in morning to straffe locomotives in Northern France. They achieve their object, but F/O Kijakowski is hit by ground defences, and on the way home, his machine dives straight into the sea, and nothing more is seen of him. P/Lt. Koc who was with him could not contact him over R/T. Pay parade. Moral-Good!!! Night flying carried out from 00l45 to 06.20.

1942-11-27

Cloudy, and misty. No operational flying. Training flying, including formation flying in sections. Engine tests carried out. Dusk flying and Link training carried out. Lecture by Squadron M.O. on visibility at Night, for the information of the pilot.

1942-11-28

Cloudy. Flying training, including cloud, and dusk flying. Link training all day. Night flying in two phases, one from 22.45 to 01.00, and the other from 00.10 to 15.25. No operational flying.

1942-11-29

Cloudy, alternating several times to clear. Link training all day. Five pilots did dusk flying, and later pilots did night flying. F/O Kobierzycki crashed lunded after hitting an obstacle on approach to land, but received no injurios. No operational flying. In afternoon pilots did formation flying, and one pilot did blind flying in Master.

1942-11-30

Cloudy. “A” Flight pilots were instructed in flying discipline regulations. In afternoon, Squadron formation flying, and usual exercise including use of camera-gun. One pilot did blind flying in Master. Night flying [Illegible] after 04.00, and finished owing to unsuitable weather contidions. No operational flying.

Flying Officer, Adjutant,
for, Squadron Leader, Commanding,
308 Polish Squadron, R.A.F.,
Northolt, Middx.