On 26 June 2025, a deeply moving meeting took place at the Polish Aviation Museum in Kraków — our institution was visited by the family of Bolesław Czerwiński, a pilot of the Polish Air Forces in the West, who after World War II flew our Museum’s Supermarine Spitfire SM411.
From Canada, the United States, Great Britain and Spain, not only the pilot’s four sons but also their relatives — a total of 23 people — came to Kraków as part of a family reunion. The visit to the legendary fighter aircraft that their father had once piloted was an exceptional and deeply emotional experience for the entire family.
The fact that Bolesław Czerwiński — a pilot of the 315th “Dęblin” Fighter Squadron — flew this very particular Spitfire was discovered by aviation history researcher Wojciech Matusiak, who established contact with the pilot’s family and helped organise their visit to our Museum.
This meeting is an excellent example that museum exhibits are not only preserved objects — they are above all carriers of memory and testimonies of human destinies. The Spitfire SM411 became a bridge connecting history with the present — it brought back memories, stirred emotions and reminded us of the courage of Polish aviators who fought during World War II.
We thank the family of Bolesław Czerwiński for the visit and for sharing this exceptional moment with us. It is a great honour for us to host the descendants of a hero whose story is so strongly connected to our Museum.
