Polish Air Force Operations Record Books 1940-1947

1941-05-01

Weather no clouds visibility good.
13.00 Section at readiness. “A” Flight 2 aircraft on section recce. Practice low flying to dusk with R/T. 6 pilots visited operations during morning and two others in afternoon.
14.00 Sections took off in alarm at 14.00 hrs. No interception. 1 section dusk patrol.
18.00 Lessons in English are given by Educational officer at 18.00 hrs. “B” Flight 2 aircraft in local flying during morning. In afternoon practice formation flying with R/T.

1941-05-02

Dawn to 13.00 Weather and visibility good. Sections at readiness, dawn to 13.00 hrs.
11.40 Two sections took off in alarm and landed 12.00 hrs.
13.05 One section operational patrol.
13.25 “B” Flight practiced formation flying with R/T Rest of pilots lectured on air discipline. English lesson by Educational officer. to those at “available”

1941-05-03

Weather fine with some ground haze in morning, clearer later, visibility good.
13.00 to dusk Sections at readiness.
09.15 Church Service in commemoration of Polish Constitution. “A” Flight two sections practice air attack and formation flying with R/T. One aircraft in section recce. P/O. Kratke and F/O Wisniewski damaged aircraft R.4216 and V.6552 respectivly during dusk flying. Pilots unhurt.
16.00 to 17.00 “B” Flight One aircraft practice landing. Two aircraft on local flying. Two sections on operational flights 16.00 to 17.00 hrs. One section dusk patrol and one aircraft night patrol.

1941-05-04

Weather fine visibility good. Section at readiness dawn to 13.00 hrs “A” Flight two sectionsair attack and R/T. Formation flying with R/T. Two aircraft in section recce and airobatics.
“B” Flight practiced fighter attack at 20,000 feet. One aircraft on section recce in afternoon. Dusk landings. Two aircraft on night flying and one aircraft on night patrol.

1941-05-05

13.00 Weather cloudy, rain during afternoon. Three sections at readiness. “A” Flight practice attacks.
14.30 Formation with R/T. Cloud flying. Two sections on alarm.
23.00 Two aircraft night readiness. “B” Flight Two aircraft practice interception. One aircraft local flying with R/T practice.
12.05 Squadron Leader Cole to Drem nad back
17.50 Formation flying.
18.50 Return to base.
19.35 Three section take off in alarm. Three aircraft dusk flying and three aircraft night patrol.

1941-05-06

Weather very cloudy with rain. Moon at night.
21.50 “A” Flight Two sections interception. R/T air attack practise.
01.00 Return to base.
to 23.59 Three aircraft dusk flying and three aircraft night flying. “B” Flight 09.55 to 10.55 Two sections practice interception.

1941-05-07

Weather sunny with some clouds.
19.00 “A” Flight Two sections practice with R/T.
12.00 Return to base.
Aerodrome was bombed by E/A damaging hangar and destroying Hurricane V.7119 by fire and damaging V.6602 and V.6582. A/C V.6852 transferred to No. 43 Group Deposit Account.
15.00 Two sections “A” Flight practice R/T.
17.00 Return to base.
22.00 Two sections patrol to protect convoy.
24.00 Return to base.
02.00 Four aircraft dusk and night flying.
13.05 Sections “B” Flight take off on alarm.
19.50 Return to base.

1941-05-08

03.05 “B” Flight One aircraft take off on alarm.
10.20 Convoy protection by sections.
12.20 Return to base.
22.55 Dusk flying.

1941-05-09

13.30 “A” Flight Three sections R/T interception practice.
P/O Howes Adjutant goes on four day leave. P/O Rainey Intelligence officer takes his place.
Weather cloudy but warmer. Light wind.
19.45 “A” Flight. Section cloud flying and attacks
10.45 Return to base.
10.15 “B” Flight. Five aircraft in R/T practice. F/O Wczelik, F/O Silwestrowicz and F/O [Illegible] go on leave for week. P/O Martel returns from leave.

1941-05-10

Weather Mild and cloudy.
21.50 “A” Flight. Three aircraft practice dusk flying.
23.00 One aircraft practices night flying “B” Flight. R/T used in interception practice.

1941-05-11

Weather sunny and some cloud.
11.00 to 13.00 “A” Flight. High flying to 25.000 feet towards Peebles. Premission given by operations 10.45.
21.45 Three aircraft did dusk nad night flying.
22.30 Returned to base.
22.30 Two aircraft night flying. One aircraft on patrol
23.30 Returned to base.
23.45 One aircraft night flying.
00.30 returned to base.

1941-05-12

Weather same. Reports that yesterday hight flying caused 6 other a/c to investigate. Complaint from Fighter Command against hight flying without permission. Pointed out error lay with Operations, as permission has been granted.
09.45 2 A/C formation flying and attack
11.00 Return to base.
23.05 “B” Night flying 3 a/c
00.25 Return to base.

1941-05-13

Flying Officer Howse returns to duty. Pilot Officer Rainey released from Adjutant Duties returns to inteligence duties.Weather cloudy and very cold.
09.30 “A” Flight 1 section formation attack with camera gun.
10.30 Return to base.
09.45 1 section formation attack (head on)
11.00 Returns to base.
13.00-23.00 3 sections at readiness and one section takes off in alarm.
23.00-24.00 1 a/c practices night landing.

1941-05-14

Weather cloudy during morning. Fin in afternoon Vis. Good. P/O Bochniak and Sgt. Brzeski flew to Drem to collect Hurricane. Camera gun training.

1941-05-15

Weather Fine, visibility good, snow in afternoon. P/O Czarnecki posted to 302 Squadron, Kenley P/O Sikorski flew Magister to Harwell. 1 Section A Flight practiced flying with cooperation with Searchlights. 2 A/C Camera Gun training. F/Lt. Szczesny and Sgt. Brzeski, flew N.W. and N.E. to E. At 6,000 feet and home at 12,000 feet. P/O Ozyra, Sgt. Baranowski, F/O Koc, Sgt. Malinowski patrolled Hlyth and Farne Islands in the afternoon on operational flight.

1941-05-16

Weather low clouds, Rain at intervals. Formation flying attacks with Camera Guns were carried out above cloud with 5 a/c. F/Lt. Wczelik, P/O Sylwestrowicz and P/O Wojcik returned from leave.

1941-05-17

Weather cloudy visibility good. F/Lt. Wczelik, P/O Wojcik of Red Section scrambled base and after 10 minutes ordered to land. There were practice formations with R/T P/O Kratke and P/O Bochniak go on leave. 7 a/c take part in Camera Gun practice. Sgt.Baranowski went off runway while taxying and tipped A/c on nose damaging air screw.

1941-05-18

Weather cloudy, but with rain later. Group Captain Iwaskiewicz arrived in a four engined De-Havilland and inspected A Flight and B Flight, luched at the mess and given cordial reception. He left in the evening by train. S/Ldr. Brzezina and F/Lt. Kowalczyk scrambled base in operational flight, patrolled over Farme Islands, Dunstanburgh Castle, Cloud base 8,000 feet. No E/A sighted.

1941-05-19

Weather Cloudy, very dull and peer visibility. Operational flying co-operation with Ops Room. Also night flying. F/Lt. Szczesny, Sgt. Brzeski, F/O Ozyra, Sgt. Malinowski, P/O Malarowski, Sgt. Baranowski, P/O Martel, carried out patrols throughout the afternoon ranging over Farne Islands at 15,000, Sunderland and Seaham Harbour.

1941-05-20

Weather, cloudy changing to fine. Practice formation flights, Camera Gun and Army Co-operation plane. P/O Arendarski on leave.

1941-05-21

Weather cloudy and cold. F/Lt. Young of A Flights is sick and goes off duty. P/O Martel and P/O Wojcik scramble base 18,000 feet coming to 4,000 feet. English lessons daily to pilots.

1941-05-22

Weather. North wind, cloudy and rain. Cold. Resin elucidated by Intelligence Officer for pilots P/O Niemiec and Sgt. Malinowski do convoy patrol between Farme Islands and Berwick.

1941-05-23

Cloudy and rain with bright intervals. Four Hurricanes patrol between Elyth and Seaham Harbour in convoy patrol.

1941-05-24

Weather cloudy cold with good visibility. P/O Paczowski posted as interpreter from Blackpool 2 a/c [Illegible] patrol and two night patrol over Hlyth and Berwick.

1941-05-25

Weather Fine but becoming dull with rain. 2 A/C patrol over Berwick and Farme Islands. One Hurricane transferred by air to 29 M.U. Sgt. Karaszewski forced landed damaging A/C. Mass said by Polish personnel

1941-05-26

Weather mild with rain, but sunny in the afternoon. 1 section scrambled base after lunch. 1 A/C employed army on co-operation with army.

1941-05-27

Weather cloudy becoming colder. P/O Arendarski posted to Polish depot Blackpool. Pilots had lecture on A/C Recognition, and read Order Book. 4 A/C patrolled convoy off Hlyth in the evening.
F/Lt. Young posted to No.406 Squadron.

1941-05-28

Weather, warner than usual. One section with F/Lt. Szczesny and Sgt. Brzeski ordered to patrol over Farme Islands but cloud base fell to 100 feet and so returned to base.

1941-05-29

Weather still mild. 2 Sections patrol over Farme Islands but bad weather forces them to return to base. F/O Niemiec, sgt. Koscik F/O Ozyra and P/O Szumowski on operational flight.

1941-05-30

Weather warm with showers. Practice Flights.

1941-05-31

Weather still warn, but heavy mists in afternoon curtail flying when sections at readiness.