AAR - BrisWingsofGlory WGS Campaign 1, Mission 17 - Polish Air Force 1939-45
PROLOGUE - ARRIVAL AT THE ISLAND OF LAST HOPE
From the diary of porucznik Władysław Gnyś, 24 June 1940:
"Yesterday we sighted the British coast. As darkness fell an air raid sounded and we could hear artillery fire from somewhere inland. In the morning every man was on the main deck, looking at the docks and the city of Liverpool, located on both sides of the river. People ferrying across the river wave at our ship in a friendly manner as we anchor in the middle of the river Mersey. This very first contact with the locals proved these people felt friendly towards us, a good omen. Our soldiers, having put their clothes in order, washed and shaved as much as was possible, turned out quite well in the morning sun. They showed no trace of the recent events, the difficult journey in less than primitive conditions. Looking at the bustling docks and the peaceful city from the deck, I felt a strange calmness engulf me. Huge buildings towered around, shining in the sun, full of solemn, calm, and wealthy appeal. My thoughts then flew far away, to my home country. Not long ago a foreigner would have got a similar impression in our beloved Gdynia and so, so many other Polish cities, that now lay in ruins."
"The anchor was raised the engines thrummed as the ship navigated towards the docks where we were going to berth and disembark. An English officer with a civilian came on board, asking me ranking officer if I knew everybody who arrived, and upon receiving an affirmative answer he informed us that we would disembark directly into a train that awaited us at the harbour station. Soon after we stepped onto English soil for the first time and before long had boarded the train. We did not know where we were being taken, as we did not stop and the station signs had all been overpainted. About 6pm our train stopped at a small station, where we met three English officers from the RAF and a couple of trucks. It turned out that we were in an RAF camp some three kilometres from the city of Gloucester, located on the Bristol Channel on the west coast of England. Our belongings were loaded onto these trucks, and the troops, led by the officers, marched on foot. Having marched for some two kilometres, we arrived at an RAF camp, where the enlisted men were placed in a large hall with straw mattresses on the floor. The officers were directed to a line of huts where we were each given a good spring bed with snow-white sheets. My comrades and I were taken to the mess, where I had my supper, and then to the shower hut, where I had a good bath. What a joy it was to lie down in a decent bed after so many nights of misery."
RAF TRAINING
"The next day we had to undergo some formalities, such as medical examination, ‘R.A.F. Intelligence Service’ check, photographs, and fingerprinting related to verification of our identities. I was assigned to assist the English officer of the Intelligence Service who, fortunately, spoke fluent French and German, in order to help him identify our men. In the evenings a few of us would take leave to go for a walk towards the city of Gloucester, some three-four kilometres from the camp. I had not seen such a high standard of living in any other European country. Britain is indeed a fortunate land. People in rich clothes, wealthy housing, extremely joyful and kind."
"German aircraft flew over our camp every day, both in daytime and at night, but we were not bombed. AA artillery was in action nearly all the time. This was annoying, especially at night when the noise from the guns would not allow us to sleep in peace. Many of our soldiers, after their recent experiences, could not stand the continuous alerts, and they ran from the buildings across the fence to the woods nearby. This was rather sad, as the English soldiers stayed calmly in their huts. But then they would not know, so far, what being bombed was really like. We see clumsy barrage balloons, resembling elephants, hanging over Gloucester and the nearby industrial towns. Once every two or three days a party of our soldiers would leave the camp to the Air Force Centre, where all of us will be processed and given our orders. Polish Air Force HQ was in London now, brought there from Paris. The Polish-English agreement about the restitution of our armed forces in England was being prepared there. Meanwhile, officers were paid five pounds sterling each, and the enlisted ranks, one pound each from Polish funds brought to the camp from London."
"From the first day it was made clear our first priority was to learn English before the RAF would allow us anywhere near an aircraft. So we had to go back to school. Every morning a bus took us the ten miles to Uxbridge to learn the basic vocabulary which could be coming over our earphones. We also had to be able to count up to twelve in English, so as to use the clock-face system of giving bearings. Then came the simple code words - 'Angels' for thousands of feet altitude, 'pancake' for landing, 'bandits' for enemy planes and so on. Once we learned enough to get by were sent to an OTU where the RAF instructors tested our skills. The hardest part was the throttles, they were the reverse we had used on our own and the machines we flew in France - and more than one of our men ran out of runway after failing to give his aircraft sufficient power for take off! On the whole however the English appeared surprised at our skills, as if they did not take our word that we had been flying in combat against the Germans for almost a year."
SQUADRON POSTINGS
"By early August 1940 my comrades and I had received our pilot's wings and RAF commissions. Initially we were told they we would have to swear allegiance to the English King, but this did not prove necessary. We were given our operational postings. I, along with Tadeusz Nowak, Władysław Chciuk and Tadeusz Arabski was sent to an airfield at Northolt where we were to join No.303 Squadron RAF. This would be one of the first all Polish squadrons which had only a few English officers serving in command positions. The squadron was named 'Kosciuszko' in honour of a famous Polish squadron that fought against the Bolsheviks in the Polish-Soviet War of 1920. Our comrades Tadeusz Kowalewski and Leopold Flanek were posted to RAF Duxford to join No.302 Squadron, named 'Poznański' after the Polish city. We were disappointed to be separated after serving together for so long, but at the same time excited to get another chance to strike back at the enemy."
*************************
Britain 1940 Mission 17 Defensive Patrol Sutton Bridge 30/08/1940
Despite being posted to an 'operational' squadron it soon became apparent to the Polish pilots the RAF remained unconvinced they could yet be trusted to fight the Luftwaffe. By late August 1940 despite the battles raging in the skies above south west England every day the 'Kosciuszko' squadron had not been permitted to engage the enemy. For the past two days the squadron had been practising formation flying and gunnery training at the firing range at Sutton Bridge. On 30 August the Squadron took off to practice intercepting six Blenheim bombers.
“B” Flight consisted of Flying Officer Władysław Gnyś with Sergeant Tadeusz Arabski as his wingman and Pilot Officer Tadeusz Nowak with the ranking ace Flight Sergeant Władysław Chciuk on his wing.
As the flight was climbing through 10,000 feet looking for the 'enemy' Blenheims ......
..... F/Sgt Chciuk spotted a lone twin-tailed aircraft approaching the flight from 3000 feet below and to starboard. Chciuk reported the sighting over his R/T but neither Ground Control or the English squadron commander responded.
The rest of B Flight however soon located the approaching machine. Nowak and Chciuk banked to intercept.
The German pilot Oblt. Ernst Heidemann was also wily veteran of the Polish and French campaigns however. Seeing he was at a disadvantage Heidemann turned his speedy Messerschmitt Bf 110C into the Hurricanes. Nowak and Chciuk could not react fast enough and soon overshot their target.
F/O Gnyś and Sgt. Arabski however were not caught out and soon engaged the Messerschmitt, with Sgt. Arabski putting an good burst into the German machine.
Paul (left) and Rod (right) are planning their next move. By now Rod was resigned to the fact he was not going to get a shot off in this mission, his over-shooting the 110 put down to the fact this was the first game we had played in over two months!
Gnyś and Arabski flash past the tail of the twin engine Zerstörer, too close for the rear gunner Uffz. Michael Thiele to effectively engage.
The Poles make a high G turn to port as Oblt. Heidemann keeps his throttles wide open in an attempt to evade the Hurricanes. He knows his machine is faster and if he can get out over the Kanal they can make it home.
Gnyś and Arabski take high speed deflection shots at the twin-engine Messerschmitt. The stream of lead from the guns of F/O Gnyś' Hurricane mostly misses the mark, but Sgt. Arabski plasters the Bf 110, which erupts in flames and enters a steep dive. The German machine crashes into the sea just off the coast. No parachutes or life rafts are seen, Oblt. Heidemann and Uffz. Thiele being killed in the crash.
Returning to Northolt Sgt. Arabski executes a victory roll over the airfield. During the debriefing he became concerned the stern faced RAF intelligence officer appeared to believe Arabksi had shot down a Blenheim by mistake, as two Canadian pilots had done just a few days before. But soon enough the victory was confirmed giving Sergeant Tadeusz Arabski his second victory and making him the first pilot of an all-Polish squadron to shoot down a German plane over England.
One of No.303 Squadron's RAF flight commanders recorded in his diary, "This was the squadron’s first victory and the Poles were absolutely cock-a-hoop over it. Sqn/Ldr Ronald Kellett was so pleased with the way they had behaved that he immediately asked for permission to declare the squadron ‘Operational’. This was granted and the squadron was to be placed on ‘Readiness’ for the first time the following morning, 31 August, just a year after the German attack on their country."
Reply With Quote
. But I am happy your pilots returned victorious!
Originally Posted by Nightbomber
Bookmarks