Description
Object description
Polish civilian arrested during Soviet occupation of Poland, 1940; prisoner in Soviet Union, 1940-1941; served as officer flying Spitfire with No. 317 Polish Fighter Squadron in North West Europe, 1945-1946.
Content description
REEL 1 Recollections of background in Borysław, Poland, 1919-1939: family background and social circumstances; qualification as glider pilot with local gliding club, 1932-1936; education including sporting activities and basic military training; attending course and qualification as glider pilot, ca 1937-1938; flying training on LWD8 with Polish Air Force at Lwów, 1938, including first solo, instrument flying during cross country flight, spinning and practicing forced landings; question of threat from Germany and Soviet Union; studying civil engineering at Lwow Polytechnic, 1938-1939; German air raids on outbreak of war, 1/9/1939; return to Borysław, 2/9/1939.
REEL 2 Continues: initial period of German occupation, 9/1939; prior Boy Scouts activities; and consequent threat of arrest by Germans; nature of Soviet occupation, 9/1939; background to refusing to attend Communist political lectures and consequent arrest, 4/1940; conditions in prison, 4/1940. Conditions during cattle truck train journey into Soviet Union, 4/1940-5/1940. Period at Charkow Transit Camp, Soviet Union, ca 5/1940-6/1940. Period at Starobielsk, accommodation in former church; sentence to 5 years in the Gulag for alleged espionage activities; cattle truck journey to Siberia, ca 10/1940.
REEL 3 Continues: cattle truck journey to Siberia, ca 10/1940; prior success in communicating with parents. Recollections of period as prisoner at Uchta Camp, Siberia, Soviet Union, 1940-1941: confiscation of personal possessions; clothes; hut accommodation; latrines; breakfast; role as electrician on working party building bridge over River Uchta; food; relationship with Russian prisoners; story of mending lights for camp commandant; effect of winter conditions; German invasion of Soviet Union, 6/1941. Period at Vorkuta Camp, 1941: hard labour on working parties building factory; death rate; attack of dysentery and move to hospital camp; state of health; amnesty following Anglo-Soviet union agreement, 1941; improved conditions; story of avoiding being sent to Kazakhstan; volunteering on news of formation of Polish Army unit at Buzuluk; train journey to Buzuluk.
REEL 4 Background to enlistment as pilot into Polish Air Force at Buzuluk, 11/1941-1/1942: tent accommodation; awareness of Katyn massacre of Polish officers and attitude to Soviet Union; passing message to relative working in Polish Consulate; enforced move of family to Gliwice; train journey to Archangel; improved treatment by Soviets. Voyage aboard HMS Trinidad to Scapa Flow, 1/1942: story illustrating improved food and treatment by British; question of seasickness; hammock; German air attack; Walrus aircraft on ship. Period at Blackpool, ca 2/1942-9/1942: train journey; issue of RAF uniform; state of morale amongst Polish contingent; state of health. Recollections of period at 25 Elementary Flying Training School, Hucknall, 9/1942-4/1942: learning English; lectures; PT.
REEL 5 Continues: flying training on Tiger Moth and comparison with training in Poland; navigation and Morse code training; Polish instructors; night flying; assessment and selection for fighter training. Recollections of period flying Miles Magister at 16 Service Flying Training School at Newton, 12/1942-5/1943: opinion of Magister and retractable undercarriage; aerobatics; night flying including effect of cockpit, necessity of instrument flying and casualties; cross-country flights. Recollections of period flying Lysander at Air Armament School, Mamby, 5/1943-1/1944: nature of Lysander; role towing drogues for training of Blenheim air gunners; first light in Hurricane acting as 'enemy' fighter using camera gun; opinion of and nature of Hurricane; attending beam approach landing course on Oxford at Watchfield, 9/1943-10/1943; opinion of Oxford and preference for fighter; use of Link trainer simulator.
REEL 6 Continues: return to Mamby. Recollections of period at Polish Army Cadet School, North Berwick, 1/1944-4/1944: temporary status within Polish Army; conditions of service; infantry training; relationship with Polish cadets. Period at Polish Depot, Blackpool, 4/1944-6/1944: re-equipment with RAF uniform; commission. Period at AAS, Mamby, 6/1944-9/1944. Period flying Spitfire V at 61 Operational Training Unit at Rednall and Mondford Bridge, 10/1944-12/1944: nature of Spitfire V; formation flying; practicing gunnery and dive bombing on ground targets; practice dogfights between Spitfires and question of blackouts; deflection shooting; night flying and story of electrical failure. Period at 84 GSU, Lasham, 12/1941-1/1945: volunteering to deliver Spitfire to Netherlands; burst wheel on landing at Antwerp. Recollections of conditions of service lifestyle and operation flying Spitfire V with "A" Flight, No. 317 Polish Fighter Squadron, 131 Wing in Belgium, 1/1945-10/1945: composition of wing; reception on joining unit at Ghent; dive bombing and strafing German barged on beaches.
REEL 7 Continues: opinion of Squadron Leader Marian Chełmecki; relationship with officers; billet and tent accommodation; nature of typical mission including prior briefing, flying gear, parachute, question of testing aircraft, use of personal aircraft and relationship with ground crew, take off procedure, formation, German anti-aircraft fire, question of German fighters, maintaining lookout, use of intercom, dive bombing, strafing and bomber escort roles, reaction to casualties, use of drop tanks to extend endurance range, story of nearly attacking US aircraft, story of strafing German cars and Spitfire shot down, debriefing and camera film recording activities.
REEL 8 Continues: story of squadron attack on concealed German headquarters in woods; effects of repeated raids on German HQ at Ordenburg, Germany, 4/1945 wing attacks on German shipping at Wilhelmshaven and story of instrument failure during return flight; effects of German AA fire; flying at ground level in training and action; firing at German cars concealed by camouflage nets and accidentally hitting Red Cross hospital; absence of German fighters and abortive attack on German airfield; army cooperation missions and problems in identifying troops on ground; story of accidentally firing on Dutch horse and cart; attacks on trains and German AA trap; personal morale; story of problem with oil on windscreen on take off and subsequent clash with US aircraft; movements and problems with state of various airfields; reactions to VE Day, 8/5/945; story of meeting Belgian wife at Ghent, 25/12/1944. Period with Enemy Aircraft Servicing and Salvaging Unit, Hamburg, Germany, 10/1945-7/1946: flying Junker 52.
REEL 9 Continues: flying Storch and Sibot 204; role flying aircraft to Northern Ireland. Period with 317 Sqdn, RAF at Alhorn, Germany, 8/1946-11/1946: marriage, 9/1946; nature of flying. Period with Polish Settlement Corps, Portreath, 1946-1947. Demobilisation 1947. Post-war career: question of return to Poland; review of qualification and career in civil engineering; question of visits to Poland during Soviet occupation; visit to Poland, ca. 1958.