Zgórski, Richard (Oral history)

Polish civilian lived in Poland, 1925-1944; involved in Polish Resistance, 1941-1944; served as officer flying U2 with 3 Sqdn, 2nd (Kracow) Wing, Polish People's Air Force in Soviet Union and Poland, 1944; served flying U2 with 103rd Communication Sqdn, PAF in Poland, 1944; served flying YAK 9 with 1st Fighter Sqdn, 14 Polish Special Wing, PAF in Poland, 1945; served with 1st Sqdn, 9th Wing PAF in Poland, 1945; escaped to Germany, 1945; served as officer with 1st Polish Armoured Division in Germany, 1945-1946.

REEL 1 Recollections of background in Lwów, Berezowica and Tarnopol, Poland, 1925-1944: family background; boarding school education; Catholic background; question of awareness of threat from Germany; recreations including riding and hunting; effects of German invasion, 8/1939; story of shooting at German aircraft; bombing of railway station; state of morale; Polish refugees making for Romania; family links with Soviet Union and reactions to Soviet invasion of Poland on 17 September 1939; attitude to Communism; arrival of Soviet tank, 19/9/1939; Soviet removal of furniture and valuables from family estate, 10/1939; concealing firearms; background to prior Ukrainian uprisings in Poland, ca 1930-1931; attitude of local Berezowica population to Zgorski family. REEL 2 move to Tarnopol to avoid arrival of Soviet commission, 12/1939; conditions in crowded rented accommodation; financial situation; receiving assistance from Berezowica population; attending gymnastics course at Kiev and importance of sport in Soviet Union; work as gymnastics instructor in Tarnopol; question of resistance; removal of intelligentsia and officers by Soviets; escape of father to GB, 1940; attitude to Soviet Union and Communism; outbreak of Russo-German War and German invasion of Poland, 6/1941; question of increasing resistance from Soviet Army; question of German pogrom against Jewish population of Poland including creation of Jewish ghetto in Tarnopol and awareness of executions; work as assistant estate manager on German nationalised estate, 1942; resistance movement against German occupation including role of Major Pisula and cell organisation; fighting with Ukranian civilians armed by Germans. REEL 3 Continues: nature of fighting with Ukranian civilians; story of reprisal attack on Ukranian village after murder of Polish estate worker; background to subsequent Soviet siege of Tarnopol, 12/1943-1/1944; resistance weaponry; role advising on tobacco substitute crops grown on estate; evacuation of Tarnopol on arrival of Soviet forces, ca 12/1943; question of state of the Polish People's Army and background to volunteering under duress, 1/1944; attitude to Soviet Union and Germany; railway journey to Sumy, South East Ukraine, Soviet Union, 1/1944. Recollections of period as cadet with Training Sqdn, People's Polish Air Force, Sumy, 1/1944: interest in aviation and successful ruse to secure acceptance for training; barrack accommodation; prior training with resistance movement; weapons training; minimal drill; political education. Period as cadet with 2nd (Krakow) Wing, PAF, Grigorevskoye airfield (near Ryazan), Soviet Union, 1/1944-2/1944: reception form Polish Wing Commander. REEL 4 Continues: first flight in U 2 Biplane Trainer and ruse to conceal lack of experience; Soviet flying instructor; aircraft controls and instruments; method of take off, turns and landing; first solo flight, 2/1944; question of value of horse riding experience; method of spinning and recovery; lack of parachutes; method of looping; absence of accidents; intensity of flying; navigation training and cross-country flights; conditions of service including dugout accommodation on airfield; relationship with cadets and question of presence of Soviet pilots in Polish units; relationship with Russian pilots; fake curricula vitae to conceal origins; completion of course. REEL 5 Continues: absence of bombing training. Recollections of period flying U 2 with 3 Sqdn, 2nd (Kraków) Wing, PAF, Gustomil (Hostomel) airfield, Kiev area, 2/1944-8/1944: composition of wing; nature of airfield and barrack accommodation; German damage to Kiev; navigation and flying training; presence of US refuelling base at Poltau; opinion of Tempest; story of US ace Jack Hoffa landing at Gustomil; effects of rain storm; drinking habits; food rations; US supplies and transport; superior conditions of service for Soviet flying personnel. Recollections of operations as pilot officer flying U2 during operations based at Vola Rowski airfield, Lublin area, Poland, 8/1944: flight in; reactions to visit to Majdanek Concentration Camp; background to the Warsaw Uprising; nature of airfield; role of navigator/gunner; relations with local Polish Resistance; nature of night supply drops over Warsaw including load carried, question of using parachute bags and propaganda value of missions. REEL 6 Continues: nature of night supply drops over Warsaw including height ceiling when loaded, prior briefing, glide approach to drop zone, method of carrying supply bags under wings, weight of bags, take off and gaining altitude, route, glide in at low altitude, German anti-aircraft fire, return flight and landing; story of holed petrol tank during mission; personal morale; question of German air attacks on airfield; awareness of propaganda nature of supply missions after removal of parachutes from supply bags; awareness of situation in Warsaw. Recollections of period flying U2 with 103rd Communication Sqdn, PAF, Wsrudbdraw (?) airfield, Warsaw area, Poland, 8/1944-9/1944: role of unit; opinion of U 2; absence of missions; question of treatment of General Zygmunt Berling and deteriorating position as Polish pilot. Recollections of period retraining as fighter pilot on UT 2, UT 1 and YAK 7 Trainers and JAK 9 Fighter with 16 (Training) Wing, PAF at Zamosc airfield, ca 9/1944-1/1945: dual training; nature of UT1 and danger of flat spins; aerobatics including rolls and sideslips. REEL 7 Continues: nature of YAK 7; nature of YAK 9 and armament; firing at air drogue targets; restricted ammunition carried; deflection shooting and use of sights; air to ground firing; use of landing wing flaps to reduce speed in combat situations; aerial tactics; quality of vision and reaction times; formation training and p[air attack tactics; importance of all-round vision; necessity of only opening fire at close range; importance of flying within capabilities of YAK 9; oxygen and flying kit; wireless set; low proportion of Polish pilots in PAF; final assessment as fighter pilot. REEL 8 Recollections of period flying YAK 9 with 1st Fighter Sqdn, 14 Polish Special Wing, PAF at Lukov and Toruń, Poland, 1/1945-8/1945: composition of wing; various types of YAK 9; nature of former German airfield; billets; reception; training flight; story of landing blind after oil pipe engine failure; nature of reconnaissance missions recording German rail and road movements; move to Torun; story of attack on German destroyer during lone reconnaissance flight over Gdansk; story of evasive manoeuvres when attacked by German rocket fighter; ground situation; story of successful rocket attack on German troop train, 4/1945; question of lack of German air activity; prior attack by Stukas on 103rd Communication Sqdn. PAF at Wsrudbdraw airfield; German petrol shortages; question of approach of end of war, 4/1945; frequency of missions; Polish girlfriends; officers' accommodation in Toruń; question of pay and loss of family wealth. REEL 9 Continues: reaction to VE Day celebrations, 8/5/1945; question of future of Poland; role in forming glider club at Toruń using German gliders; disbandment of 14th Polish Special Wing. Period with 1st Sqdn, 9th Wing at Kraków, 8/1945-11/1945: role as duty officer in city command post; increase in Communist influence in Poland and arrest of mother; father's role in organising escape by lorry to Germany; subsequent release and escape of mother. Period as officer with 1st Polish Armoured Division in Meppen and Haren, Germany, 12/1945-10/1946: initial interrogation into status and disposition of PAF; role as sports and recreations officer; drinking habits; presence of family; attitude to Germans; black market and use of coffee as currency; personal situation and question of pursuing career as pilot; emigration of family to GB, 10/1946. Post-war career: move to London; learning English and attending Merchant Navy College. REEL 10 Continues: work as electrician in Nottingham, 1947; loss of job due to intervention of trade union; work on Polish run farm at Cheltenham, 1947-1948; work as electrician with British Communications Corporation, Stanmore, 1948-1962, including background to company, qualification with electronics degree, work on portable police wireless, role as design consultant on C13 military communications system used in Chieftain tank, 1960 and work on Multi-Channel Automatic Recording System (MARS) for RAF, 1956; work for own electronics company, 1962-1995; work on testing Jaguar military communication system with frequency shifting capability; producing uninterruptible power supplies for Channel Tunnel; establishing electronics firm manufacturing power systems in Poland, 1981; naturalisation as British, ca 1960; story of entertaining Polish engineer visiting air show and subsequent interrogation for suspected espionage. REEL 11 Continues: glider flying and story of meeting pilots trained at Toruń Glider Club; membership of rifle club; attitude to Poland and reactions to visit to Poland, 1981.