An RAF flying jacket of the “Irvin Flight Jacket” type, made of sheepskin lined with fleece. It was one of the basic items of equipment for RAF flying personnel during World War II. These jackets were used during flights, especially at high altitudes, and on the ground in cooler weather.
Narcyz Zygmunt Dajda (1915–1976) — Born on 30 January 1915 in Chotyłów near Biała Podlaska. Before the war, he served in the military gendarmerie. In September 1939, he was taken prisoner by the Soviets. He was held in a forced labour camp near Murmansk. After the German attack on the USSR and the Sikorski-Maisky Agreement, he was released and with Allied help reached Syria. In April 1943, he began pilot training with the Polish Air Forces (PAF) in Great Britain, completing it in 1944. From September 1944 until the end of the war, he was engaged in target towing for trainees at No. 3 Air Gunnery School. After World War II, he remained in exile and from December 1945 served in the Royal Air Force (RAF). He served in various units in Great Britain, where he flew, among others, the Supermarine Spitfire SM411 on 1 and 21 August 1951. He also served overseas — from 1952 to 1954 he flew combat missions during the Malayan Emergency. He served as an active pilot until 1960. From 1966 to 1968, he was stationed in West Germany, serving as Station Warrant Officer. He held this position until his retirement in 1971. He died in Swindon on 30 November 1976, where he was subsequently buried.
The presented jacket belonged to Sergeant Pilot Narcyz Dajda, a pilot of the Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk XVIe SM411, which is an exhibit of the Polish Aviation Museum. It was donated by his son Richard on 9 April 2025.
