Pilots of the 2nd Aviation Regiment

Piotr Abakanowicz (1889–1948) was a lieutenant colonel pilot of the Polish Army and a soldier of the National Armed Forces. He graduated from the Cadet Corps in Kyiv and then the Pavlov Military School in St Petersburg. After graduating in 1911, he began his service in the Volhynian Guards Regiment in the rank of second lieutenant. During World War I he fought in East Prussia, where in December 1914 he was seriously wounded near Łódź. After his convalescence, in August 1916, at his own request, he was transferred to the aviation branch. He completed training at the Military Pilots’ School in Gatchina and then attended an instructors’ course in England. After returning to Russia he served in the aviation units of the Tsarist army. In 1917 he joined the I Polish Corps commanded by General Józef Dowbor-Muśnicki, where he assumed the position of corps aviation commander. After the corps was disbanded by the Germans in 1918, Abakanowicz was arrested by the Bolsheviks. Released on the condition of joining the Red Army’s aviation branch, he deserted in 1920, landing his aircraft at a Polish airfield in Žodzina near Barysaw. After being cleared of allegations of collaboration with the Bolsheviks, he was admitted to the Polish Army. Between 1921 and 1930 he served in Polish aviation, holding positions including commander of the 11th and 5th Aviation Regiments. He served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. In 1921 he was awarded the Silver Cross of the Virtuti Militari Order. In 1930 he retired from active service. During World War II he was active in the underground. In 1941 he joined the Union of Armed Struggle in Kraków, and from 1944 he was associated with the National Armed Forces (NSZ), where he served as commander of District VI (Warsaw counties) under the pseudonym “Grey Antoni”. From October 1944 he served as Chief of Staff of the NSZ High Command under the pseudonym “Barski”. After the war he was arrested by the communist authorities. He died on 1 June 1948 in the prison in Wronki, probably as a result of a beating by a prison guard.

Bernard Antoni Adamecki (1897–1952) was a colonel pilot-observer of the Polish Army, a participant in the Polish-Bolshevik War and an activist in the independence underground during World War II. For his combat merits he was awarded the Silver Cross of the Virtuti Militari Order. In the interwar period he served in military aviation and was associated, among others, with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He was among the experienced aviation officers, holding a number of responsible command and staff positions. In the September Campaign of 1939 he held the position of Chief of Staff of the Aviation of the “Modlin” Army. After Poland’s defeat he became involved in clandestine activities, using the pseudonyms “Bocian”, “Gozdawa” and “Dyrektor”. Within the Home Army (AK) structures he headed the Aviation Department of the AK High Command, being responsible for preparing aviation personnel for operations in the final period of the war and organising landing strips for aircraft maintaining communication with Poland from Allied bases in the West. He also took part in the Warsaw Uprising. After its fall he was taken prisoner by the Germans and remained in a POW camp until the end of the war.

After returning to Poland he resumed service in the reconstituting military aviation. He assumed the position of commandant of the Officers’ Aviation School, participating in the training of new aviation cadres. During the Stalinist period, however, he became a victim of political repression. In 1952 he was arrested by the communist authorities and charged with participation in an alleged conspiracy aimed at overthrowing the state system and espionage activities. After a show trial he was sentenced to death. The sentence was carried out on 7 August 1952 in the prison on Rakowiecka Street in Warsaw. In 2017 the Aviation Engineering Training Centre in Dęblin was named after Colonel Bernard Adamecki, commemorating his contribution to the development of Polish military aviation.

Tadeusz Jan Arabski (1920–1986) was a senior private pilot of the Polish Air Force and a participant in the Polish Campaign of 1939. Before the outbreak of World War II he served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, and in September 1939 he was assigned to the 121st Fighter Squadron forming part of the aviation of the “Kraków” Army.

At the outbreak of war the squadron was stationed at the field airstrip in Aleksandrowice near Bielsko. On 1 September 1939, during an emergency scramble to intercept German aircraft, the commander of the III/2 Fighter Group, Captain pilot Mieczysław Medwecki, was shot down by a German fighter. Senior Private pilot Tadeusz Arabski, taking off behind him and witnessing the events, probably aborted his take-off, avoiding his superior’s fate. In the following days of the campaign he participated in combat operations against the German air force. On 9 September 1939, in the Kielce area, together with Second Lieutenant pilot Władysław Gnyś and Lance Corporal pilot Leopold Flanek, he took part in shooting down a German Heinkel He 111 bomber. This was one of the successes achieved by Polish fighter pilots during the fighting conducted during the retreat of the “Kraków” Army. After the end of World War II he was associated with the Aero Club. He died on 11 January 1986. He was buried at the Grębałów Cemetery in Kraków in quarter LV, row III, plot 2.

Lotariusz Arct (1900–?) was an officer of the Polish Army, a military pilot and a participant in the fights for Polish independence in 1918–1920. He was educated during World War I, attending a gymnasium in Przemyśl and a higher Realschule in Moravia, which he completed in 1917. He then continued his studies at the Military Academy in Wiener Neustadt. In November 1918, after Poland regained its independence, he participated in the disarming of German units on the streets of Warsaw. Shortly afterwards he enrolled in the Officer Cadets’ School, and in 1919 he was assigned to the 7th Infantry Regiment of the Legions. In its ranks he took part in the Polish-Bolshevik War, during which he was wounded and after convalescence transferred to a reserve battalion.

At the age of 21 he began flight training, being admitted to the Officers’ Aeronautical School in Toruń, which he completed in 1922. He then served in the IV Balloon Battalion in Kraków, after which in 1924 he began studies at the Pilots’ School in Bydgoszcz, obtaining a military pilot’s diploma. In the following years he served in aviation units, including the 2nd Aviation Regiment, participating in the development of Polish military aviation in the interwar period. The further fate of Lotariusz Arct is not well documented in available sources. His activities, however, belong to the generation of officers who co-created the aviation structures of the Second Polish Republic during the period of its intensive organisation and development.

Feliks Ludwik Baczyński (?–?) was an officer of the Naval Aviation Squadron of the Polish Armed Forces in the interwar period. In 1924 he served in this unit, stationed in Puck, which constituted the primary naval aviation formation of the Second Polish Republic. The Naval Aviation Squadron was responsible for conducting maritime reconnaissance, patrolling the Polish coastline and cooperating with the Navy. It comprised pilots and observers who carried out reconnaissance and training missions in the field of maritime operations. During this period Lieutenant Feliks Ludwik Baczyński served as an officer within the squadron structures, participating in the execution of naval aviation tasks. The unit, despite limited technical and organisational capabilities, constituted an important element in the building of Polish air forces on the coast and was linked in the command structure with the 2nd Aviation Regiment. Baczyński’s service belonged to the initial stage of development of Polish naval aviation, when its basic operational and organisational tasks were being formulated. The further fate of Feliks Ludwik Baczyński is unknown in available sources.

Jerzy Bajan (1901–1967) was a colonel pilot of the Polish Army, an outstanding military aviator and a participant in key events in the history of Polish aviation in the interwar period and World War II. In 1923 he graduated from the Air Force Officer Cadet School in Dęblin and began his service in the military aviation of the Second Polish Republic, quickly gaining a reputation as one of the best Polish military pilots. In 1934, together with Sergeant Gustaw Pokrzywka of the 2nd Aviation Regiment, he took part in the International Challenge Tourist Aircraft Competition, in which he achieved victory. This success was of significant propaganda and prestige importance, contributing to the international recognition of Polish aviation and its level of training. After the outbreak of World War II Jerzy Bajan continued his service in the Polish Air Force. After the defeat of the September Campaign he made his way to France and then to Great Britain, where he served in the Polish Air Force within the Royal Air Force. He took part in combat operations against the Luftwaffe, remaining an active pilot despite his age and deteriorating health. After the war he remained in exile in Great Britain, where he continued his activities in aviation circles and was involved in initiatives commemorating Polish airmen. He was decorated with, among others, the Silver Cross of the Virtuti Militari War Order and the Cross of Valour. Jerzy Bajan died in 1967 and has been remembered as one of the most outstanding military pilots of the Second Polish Republic.

Jan Bąk (1901–1942) was a captain pilot of the Polish Army and the Polish Air Force, a bomber aviation officer during World War II. Before the war he served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment, associated with Polish military aviation of the interwar period. After the September Campaign he made his way to France and then to Great Britain, where he was incorporated into the Polish Air Force within the Royal Air Force. He served as a pilot in No. 300 Polish Bomber Squadron “Masovia”, one of the first Polish bomber units formed in the West. As part of his crew he worked with, among others, observer F/O Wacław Mosiewicz and air gunners P/O Stefan Berdys, Sgt. Paweł Krenżel and Sgt. Marian Łagodziński. The squadron carried out combat missions over occupied Europe as part of RAF bombing operations. Jan Bąk died on 16 January 1942 in Newark-on-Trent, Great Britain. The circumstances of his death are not well documented in available sources.

Adam Baran (1904–1939) was a senior sergeant pilot of the Polish Army, chief pilot of the 26th Observation Squadron, and a participant in the September Campaign of 1939. He served in the reconnaissance aviation of the Second Polish Republic, specialising in observation operations and cooperation with ground forces. In 1939 his unit was subordinated to the aviation of the “Kraków” Army. On 1 September 1939, at approximately 13:00, he took off from the field airstrip in Zarębice in a Lublin R-XIII D aircraft together with Lieutenant observer Leon Wrzeszcz. The crew was carrying out a mission to reconnoitre the movements of German forces in the Częstochowa area on the first day of the German invasion of Poland. During the execution of the mission their aircraft was shot down by German fighters over the locality of Strzebiń. Both airmen were killed on the spot. They were initially buried in Strzebiń, and in 1958 their remains were exhumed and transferred to a collective grave at the Central Cemetery in Gliwice, where they were laid to rest among the victims of a German camp that had operated in the area during World War II.

Franciszek Baranowski (1894–1944) was a lieutenant pilot of the Polish Army, a participant in World War I, the Greater Poland Uprising and an officer of the military aviation of the Second Polish Republic. He began his military service in 1914 in the Prussian army, where he was conscripted into the 155th Infantry Regiment. He took part in fighting on the Western Front, during which he was wounded twice. After the end of hostilities he returned to the Polish lands and took active part in the Greater Poland Uprising, fighting in the ranks of the Września company in the Gniezno, Szubin, Żnin, Inowrocław and Rynarzew area. In January 1919 he began his service at the Ławica Air Station, becoming involved in the organisation of Polish military aviation in the territories recovered after the partitions.

In September 1919 he was assigned to the French Pilots’ School in Warsaw, and then continued his training at the Higher Pilots’ School in Poznań. After completing the courses in 1920, he served as a flight instructor at aviation schools in Dęblin and Bydgoszcz. He then served in the 2nd and 3rd Aviation Regiments. On 31 March 1928 he was transferred to the reserve in the rank of lieutenant pilot. Facing the outbreak of World War II, in August 1939 he volunteered for service and together with the personnel of Base No. 3 made his way to Great Britain. Due to his health condition he was declared unfit for air service and assigned to the Aviation Reserve Centre in Blackpool. He died on 1 September 1944 at Military Hospital No. 4 in Ormskirk and was buried at the local cemetery in grave No. 5.

Zygmunt Marian Bednarski (1915–1994) was a lance corporal pilot of the Polish Army and the Polish Air Force, a participant in World War II. He was born on 21 January 1915 in Janów in the Kielce voivodeship. Before the war he served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment. After the September Campaign of 1939 he made his way to Great Britain, where he was incorporated into the Polish Air Force within the Royal Air Force. Details of his assignment to a specific unit and the course of his combat service are not widely documented in available sources. After the end of World War II he remained in exile in Great Britain. He died on 19 March 1994 in Cleethorpes.

Tadeusz Berezowski (1905–1988) — captain observer of the Polish Army, officer of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He was born on 20 October 1905 in Kraków. In the interwar period he served in the aviation of the Polish Army, including in the structures of the 2nd Aviation Regiment. After 1939 he made his way to France and then to Great Britain, where he served in the Polish Air Force within the RAF. He held the rank of Flight Lieutenant (F/Lt), RAF service number P-0197, and served as a technical officer, lastly at the Halton base. In the Polish Air Force structures he held the rank of captain. He died on 10 December 1988 and was buried at the cemetery in Córdoba, Argentina.

Jan Biały (1897–1984) was a captain pilot of the Polish Army, a participant in three wars, a Cichociemny (Silent Unseen paratrooper) and a bomber aviation officer of the Polish Air Force. He was born on 16 June 1897 in Kraków, where he graduated from St Anne’s Gymnasium. In 1915 he was conscripted into the Austro-Hungarian army, in which he served in the 57th Infantry Regiment, taking part in fighting on the Russian and Italian fronts. After the end of hostilities he was held in Italian captivity. After Poland regained its independence he joined the Polish Army. In 1920 he served as an infantry company commander and participated in the Polish-Bolshevik War, including the Battle of Warsaw. In the interwar period he developed his military career, associated with bomber aviation. He was associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment. In 1939 he served as commander of the II Light Bomber Group of the “Kraków” Army. After the September Campaign he made his way to France and then to Great Britain, where he became the first commander of No. 304 Polish Bomber Squadron “Silesia”. He carried out patrol flights over the North Sea searching for German submarines. In 1943 he was trained as a “Cichociemny” (Silent Unseen) and in August 1944 was parachuted into occupied Poland. Within the Home Army structures he served as head of the aviation services of the Aviation Department of the 3rd Section of the AK High Command. He took part in the Warsaw Uprising, being responsible for organising supply flights for the fighting capital. After the war he settled in Bytom, where he died on 2 October 1984.

Karol Bieda (?–1923) was a lieutenant pilot of the Polish Army, a military aviation officer of the Second Polish Republic. He served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, associated with the development of Polish military aviation in the interwar period. In 1923, while on active duty, he suffered an aircraft accident during a flight in a Fokker D.VII aircraft with serial number 8422/18. As a result of the injuries sustained he died approximately five hours after the incident. His death was noted in the contemporary military press, which emphasised his professionalism and dedication to aviation service.

Zbigniew Bieniawski (1899–1963) — lieutenant pilot of the Polish Army, aviation lecturer, photographer and architect, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He was born on 18 August 1899 in Bieniawa, Ukraine. He completed aviation training at the Military Academy in Vienna and studied architecture at Lwów Polytechnic. He was also an active photographer, associated with the Lwów Photographic Society and the Polish Photo Club. Before 1939 he worked as a lecturer at the Air Force Officer Cadet School in Dęblin and was associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment. During World War II he served as a squadron commander in France, and then as a lecturer for the Royal Air Force in Great Britain. After the war he worked as an architect in Great Britain. He died in France in 1963.

Michał Bleicher (1898–1992) — major pilot-observer of the Polish Army, engineer, glider designer and test pilot. During the Polish-Bolshevik War he served in the 16th Reconnaissance Squadron, carrying out reconnaissance and ground-attack flights in the Radzymin, Lida and Grodno areas, among others; he was twice decorated with the Cross of Valour. In the interwar period he served as an officer of the 2nd and 6th Aviation Regiments, then as an instructor in Dęblin; a graduate of Lwów Polytechnic (1931), he was associated with the development of Polish gliding — commandant of the Military Glider Camp in Ustjanowa, designer of gliders (including B-1, CW-5 bis/35, WOS-37, B-38, WWS “Tryton”), Polish record holder (1934), activist and lecturer of the League of Air and Anti-Gas Defence (LOPP). In 1939 he was commandant of the 6th Aviation Regiment’s Park; after the evacuation he served in the Polish Air Force and RAF in Great Britain as an instructor and technical officer (including at Evanton, Boscombe Down, and 13 Maintenance Unit), promoted to the rank of major (Squadron Leader). After the war he served in the RAF and the Royal Canadian Air Force. He died on 11 June 1992 in Milwaukee.

Władysław Bohuszewicz (1897–1956) — colonel (General Staff qualified) observer of the Polish Army, Knight of the Virtuti Militari Order, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He served in the Russian army during World War I, after which in 1918 he joined the Polish Army. In 1920 he graduated from the Officers’ Observer School in Toruń and, as an observer of the 9th Reconnaissance Squadron, took part in the Polish-Bolshevik War, distinguishing himself among others during the fighting near Radzymin. After the war he held instructional and staff positions, including at the Officers’ Observer School, the Mixed Border Commission, the Military Geographical Institute and the 3rd Section of the General Staff. He commanded, among others, the 22nd Aviation Squadron and the 26th Cooperation Squadron in the 2nd Aviation Regiment. In 1939 he was on the staff of the Polish Army aviation, and subsequently made his way to Great Britain, where he served in the Polish Air Force and RAF, including as head of the Technical Department of the PAF Inspectorate and Chief of the Commander-in-Chief’s Office. After the war he remained in exile in Great Britain. He died in 1956 in London and was buried at the Streatham Park Cemetery (Rowan Road).

Michał Bokalski (1900–1966) — captain pilot of the Polish Army, later lieutenant colonel, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He was born on 29 September 1900 in Sosnowiec. In his youth he took part in World War I fighting and independence activities; he served in the 7th Uhlan Regiment, where he was seriously wounded near Lida in 1919. He was decorated with, among others, the Cross of Valour, the POW Cross, the Legions Cross and military medals for participation in the 1920 war. After his transfer to military education he graduated from the Officer Cadets’ School and the Higher Aviation School at the Higher War School. In the interwar period he worked at the Aviation Technical Research Institute and at the Higher Aviation School. In 1939, as a lieutenant colonel pilot, he served in the Bomber Brigade in Dęblin, coordinating the combat operations of bomber groups, including during the attack on Oława. After the September Campaign he made his way through Romania to France and then to Great Britain, where he held staff and liaison positions in the Polish Air Force. In 1942–1944 he headed the Higher Aviation School re-established in exile, later serving at the 31st Air Base and No. 301 Bomber Squadron. After 1945 he held positions on the Commander-in-Chief’s staff and in the Polish Air Force. He was decorated with, among others, the Cross of Valour, the Air Medal (four times) and the Order of the British Empire (OBE). In 1948 he returned to Poland and was placed on the retired list. He died in 1966 and was buried in Dąbrowa Górnicza.

Jerzy Borejsza (1889–1975) — colonel pilot of the Polish Army, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, one of the officers who developed Polish military aviation in the interwar period. He was born on 25 September 1889 in the Grodno Governorate (according to other sources in St Petersburg). He graduated from military schools in Tiflis and then trained as a pilot in the Russian Empire. During World War I he served as a frontline pilot, was shot down and taken prisoner by the Germans. After Poland regained its independence in 1918 he joined the Polish Army. He served in aviation squadrons, including in Lwów, where he carried out combat flights. He then held command and staff positions, including the post of deputy commander of the 1st Aviation Regiment in Warsaw and commander of the 2nd Aviation Regiment. In 1924 he was promoted to colonel and assumed a senior position in the Air Navigation Department of the Ministry of Military Affairs. In the 1920s and 1930s he also held training functions, including as commandant of the aviation school in Bydgoszcz. In 1930 he retired from active service. In 1939 he was remobilised and fought in the September Campaign, during which he was taken prisoner by the Germans. After World War II he returned to Poland and was active in veterans’ organisations. He died on 25 February 1975.

Józef Borkowski (1902–1975) — lieutenant observer of the Polish Army, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, Home Army soldier with the pseudonym “Skaryś”. He was born on 3 March 1902 in Kołaki Wielkie (Grudusk commune, Ciechanów county). Before 1939 he served as an observer in the aviation of the Polish Army. During World War II he was active in the Home Army, in the structures of the “Północ” Group, VI Battalion of the PPS Militia, in the Old Town and City Centre area. He participated in clandestine activities and uprising fighting, including the evacuation through the sewers during the Warsaw Uprising. He died on 31 October 1975. He was buried at the Military Cemetery at Powązki in Warsaw (quarter A4, row 1, grave 6).

Witalis Brama (1913–1943) was a second lieutenant observer of the Polish Army, a participant in the September Campaign of 1939 and a soldier of the Union of Armed Struggle–Home Army. He graduated from the Infantry Officer Cadet School in Ostrów Mazowiecka, after which he completed his mandatory practical training in an infantry unit. He then volunteered for the observers’ course at Aviation Training Centre No. 1 in Dęblin, upon completion of which he was transferred to the aviation officers’ corps and assigned to the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. In the September Campaign of 1939 he served in the 21st Bomber Squadron of the Bomber Brigade. On 7 September 1939 he participated in a combat flight over the area north of Łódź, carrying out a reconnaissance mission in a crew with Corporal pilot Mikołaj Zykow and Lance Corporal gunner Teofil Gara. In the Rawa Mazowiecka area their PZL.23 Karaś aircraft was shot down by a German fighter. The crew, however, managed to perform an emergency landing on improvised terrain and return to their unit, although Brama was wounded and sent for treatment to a hospital in Rawa Mazowiecka.

After his recovery, from 1940 he undertook clandestine activities in the structures of the Union of Armed Struggle–Home Army. In 1943 he was arrested by the Gestapo and executed by firing squad. He was buried at the Parish Cemetery in Dębe Wielkie on 103rd Rifle Battalion Street.

Włodzimierz Braun (1906–1967) was a captain pilot of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain and a Knight of the Virtuti Militari Order. He was born on 20 September 1906 in Tenczynek. In 1925 he began his studies at the Officers’ Aviation School in Grudziądz, which he completed in 1927 as an observer. He was then assigned to the 23rd Aviation Squadron of the 2nd Aviation Regiment. In 1928 he was commissioned as a second lieutenant and assigned to serve in the 2nd Aviation Regiment, and subsequently in the 22nd Line Squadron. In 1930 he underwent pilot training and obtained military pilot qualifications. In December of that year he was promoted to lieutenant. From 1935 he held staff and administrative positions in the 2nd Aviation Regiment, including regimental adjutant and mobilisation officer. In the September Campaign of 1939 he did not take direct part in combat operations. After Poland’s defeat he made his way to Great Britain, where he joined the Polish Air Force within the Royal Air Force, receiving service number P-0540. He served in No. 304 Polish Bomber Squadron “Silesia, Prince Józef Poniatowski” and in the Polish Transport Detachment Takoradi–Cairo. After the war he was demobilised in the rank of captain of the Polish Army and Flight Lieutenant RAF, and remained in exile in Great Britain. He died on 21 June 1967 in London.

Wincenty Braziewicz (1885–?) was a captain of the Polish Army, an officer associated with the Naval Aviation Squadron. In 1924 he was part of the officer complement of this unit, stationed in Puck and responsible for the development of naval aviation of the Second Polish Republic. In 1933 he was decorated with the Medal of Independence for his merits in independence and military activities. His further fate is unknown in available sources.

Henryk Brusch (?–?) was a lieutenant pilot of the Polish Army and commander of the 63rd Cooperation Squadron in 1933–1934. In the interwar period he served in various aviation units, including the 2nd Aviation Regiment and other reconnaissance and liaison units. From June 1933 to February 1934 he commanded the 63rd Cooperation Squadron, responsible for support and liaison tasks for ground forces. His further fate is unknown in available sources.

Aleksander Brzazgacz (1895–1941) — major pilot of the Polish Army, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He was born on 8 November 1895 in Pisarzowa near Nowy Sącz. During World War I, from 1914, he served in the Polish Legions in the 1st Infantry Regiment of the Polish Legions. During this period he was treated at St Lazarus Hospital in Kraków, and at the turn of 1914 and 1915 he passed his external secondary school examinations in Żywiec. After 1918 he served in the Polish Army, developing his career in aviation. Verified as a captain pilot (1 June 1919), he was promoted on 15 August 1924 to major pilot. In 1925–1926 he was commandant of the aviation park of the 2nd Aviation Regiment. He then served in the Aviation Department of the Ministry of Military Affairs, and in 1932 he was abroad on study leave. From 1933 he was head of the Aviation Technical Research Institute in Warsaw, then deputy head for factories in the Aviation Supply Directorate (from 1934, in the rank of lieutenant colonel pilot). In September 1939 he was evacuated to France and then to Great Britain. Despite volunteering for combat flights, due to his age he served at the 38th Aviation Supply Unit in Llandow. He died on 4 November 1941 as a result of an aircraft malfunction and was buried at the St Martin’s Cemetery in Haverfordwest.

Czesław Brzycki (1901–1972) was a senior sergeant pilot of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain, a participant in World War II. He was born on 19 July 1901 in Słociny. In the interwar period he served in various aviation units, including the 2nd Aviation Regiment. He served in the Polish Air Force in the West, carrying out duties in training and operational units. According to available information, his last known service assignment was on 9 July 1942, when he was discharged from service. After the war he remained in exile in Great Britain, where he died on 27 December 1972 and was buried there.

Jan Tadeusz Buczma (1899–1980) was a lieutenant colonel observer-pilot of the Polish Army, a participant in the fights for Polish independence, and a Knight of the Virtuti Militari War Order. He was born on 17 November 1899 in the village of Wojtkowa. He began his military service during the period when the independent Polish state was being formed. As an observer and pilot he participated in the operations of the Polish Army’s aviation, taking part among others in the Polish-Bolshevik War, where he distinguished himself through courage and skill in reconnaissance and combat operations. In the interwar period he served in various aviation units, including the 2nd Aviation Regiment. He was involved in both reconnaissance flights and operational tasks, participating in the development of Polish military aviation and gaining experience in both staff and line service. For his combat merits he was decorated with the Virtuti Militari War Order, awarded for valour demonstrated on the battlefield. After World War II he settled in Sopot, where he spent his final years. He died on 5 February 1980.

Adam Bujak (1916–1988) — lance corporal pilot of the Polish Army, later warrant officer in the RAF, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. During World War II he served in the Polish Air Force within the RAF. After the war he settled in Great Britain. He died on 30 December 1988 and was buried in Wirral, Great Britain.

Grzegorz Jerzy Bukowiecki (1916–1942) — second lieutenant pilot of the Polish Army, later Flying Officer in the RAF, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. A graduate of the Air Force Officer Cadet School in Dęblin (1939), pilot of the 22nd Bomber Squadron during the September Campaign. In the RAF he served in No. 307 Night Fighter Squadron; he was killed on 3 April 1942 in a crash of a Bristol Beaufighter aircraft in Exminster, Devonshire. He was buried at Higher Cemetery in Exeter.

Marian Burchard (1896–?) was a captain pilot of the Polish Army. He was born on 8 December 1896. In the interwar period he served in various aviation units, including the 2nd Aviation Regiment. In the later period he was associated with the Polish Air Force in exile, serving at the Officers’ Assembly Station in Rothesay, Great Britain, where aviation personnel were concentrated after evacuation from occupied Europe. His further fate is unknown in available sources.

Franciszek Burghardt (1914–1989) was a lance corporal pilot of the Polish Army, a soldier of the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków and a participant in the September Campaign of 1939. He served in the line aviation of the Second Polish Republic, associated with the 22nd Line Squadron of the 2nd Aviation Regiment. In 1938 he took part in international aviation competitions, in which he received distinctions and awards confirming his high piloting qualifications. In 1939, during the mobilisation, he served in the 22nd Line Squadron, operating from the Rakowice and Sadków airfields, participating in the combat operations of the September Campaign. After Poland’s defeat he was taken prisoner by the Germans. In 1941, during transport to a POW camp, he escaped and made his way to the Polish Armed Forces being formed in the Middle East. He joined Anders’ Army, with which he travelled the evacuation route to the Middle East. After the end of World War II he settled in Great Britain, where he died in 1989.

Kazimierz Burtowy (1897–1926) — captain observer of the Polish Army, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He was born on 13 October 1897 in Trybuchowce (Bobrka county, Lwów voivodeship). He studied at gymnasiums in Żółkiew and Gorlice. In 1917 he was called up to the Austro-Hungarian army, where he served on the Italian front and was taken prisoner. He subsequently joined General Haller’s Army, served in the 52nd Infantry Regiment and took part in the Polish-Bolshevik War; he was twice decorated with the Cross of Valour. After the war he was transferred to aviation, completed the Observers and Aerial Gunners’ School in Toruń in 1924 and was assigned to the 2nd Aviation Regiment. Simultaneously he undertook studies at the School of Political Sciences in Kraków. In 1926 he was promoted to captain. He was killed on 14 May 1926 during a flight from the Mokotów airfield, when his Potez XV aircraft was destroyed during the fighting of the May Coup. He was buried on 21 May 1926 in Rawa Ruska at the Defenders of the Fatherland Cemetery.

Józef Cagášek (1891–?) — Czech military pilot, senior sergeant in the Austro-Hungarian army aviation, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. During World War I he served in the Austro-Hungarian aviation, where he reached the rank of Stabsfeldwebel and was decorated with the Gold Medal of Bravery on 28 March 1918. After the end of the war he joined the Polish Army, choosing to serve in the reborn Polish state. He was incorporated into the structures of Polish military aviation and associated with units of the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. His further fate is unknown.

Wacław Cecota (1905–1940) was a lieutenant observer of the Polish Army, a military aviation officer of the Second Polish Republic. He was born on 2 August 1905 in Huta Bankowa. In 1926 he graduated from the Walerian Łukasiński Gymnasium in Dąbrowa Górnicza, and then undertook training at the Officers’ Aviation School in Grudziądz, preparing for service in the aviation corps of the Polish Army. After completing his training he was commissioned as a second lieutenant (15 May 1928) and assigned to service in aviation. In the interwar period he served in various aviation units, including the 2nd Aviation Regiment. In 1937 he served in the Aviation Training Battalion in Świecie, where he held the position of armament platoon commander, participating in the training and preparation of aviation personnel. After the outbreak of World War II he was arrested by the Soviet authorities. In the spring of 1940 he was murdered, most probably as part of the Katyn massacre; his name appears on the NKVD deportation lists from the camp in Kozelsk. He has been commemorated at the Polish War Cemetery in Katyn.

Stanisław Józef Chałupa (1915–2004) – Captain pilot of the Polish Armed Forces and the Polish Air Force in Great Britain, veteran of the Polish and French campaigns and the Battle of Britain, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He was born on 14 January 1915 in Zalasie near Chrzanów, to the family of Wincenty and Helena née Małodobra. After passing his secondary school examinations in 1935, he began military service at the Artillery Officer Cadet School in Włodzimierz Wołyński, and subsequently transferred to the Aviation Officer Cadet School in Dęblin. On 15 October 1938, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant pilot and assigned to the 123rd Fighter Squadron of the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. In September 1939, he fought as part of the 123rd Fighter Squadron, subordinated to the IV/1 Fighter Group of the Pursuit Brigade defending Warsaw. On 5 September, he participated in a combat engagement that resulted in the shooting down of a German Heinkel He 111 bomber. After the Soviet invasion on 17 September 1939, he evacuated to Romania and from there made his way to France. During the French campaign, he fought on Morane-Saulnier MS.406 aircraft in Groupe de Chasse I/2, scoring further aerial victories. After the fall of France, he reached Great Britain, where he received RAF service number P-1300 and was assigned to the 302 “City of Poznań” Fighter Squadron. As its pilot, he participated in the Battle of Britain. On 21 August 1940, he reported a probable shoot-down of a Junkers Ju 88 bomber, and on 15 September he shot down a Dornier Do 17 and reported a probable destruction of a Dornier Do 215. According to the so-called Bajan list, he was credited with a total of 3⅔ confirmed and two probable aerial victories. In subsequent years of the war, he served in the 302 “City of Poznań” Fighter Squadron and the 315 “City of Dęblin” Fighter Squadron, among others, and also held positions at ground command posts. In 1944, he was sent to an instructor course and subsequently served at the 16th Polish Elementary Flying Training School at Newton as a navigation instructor. He was demobilized in 1946 with the Polish rank of Captain and the British rank of Flight Lieutenant. He was decorated with, among others, the Silver Cross of the War Order of Virtuti Militari, the Cross of Valour, the Air Medal twice, and the French War Cross – Croix de Guerre. After the war, he remained in exile, initially in Great Britain and subsequently in Canada. In 1995, he returned to Poland and settled in Kraków. He died on 24 April 2004 in Katowice and was buried at the Prokocim Cemetery in Kraków.

Władysław Chciuk (1915–2007) — second lieutenant pilot of the Polish Army, later captain of the Polish Air Force and RAF, Knight of the Silver Cross of the Virtuti Militari War Order, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He was born on 6 June 1915 in Oświęcim. In 1939 he graduated from the Air Force Officer Cadet School in Dęblin and was assigned to the III/2 Fighter Group. In the September Campaign he served as a pilot of the 121st Fighter Squadron. After evacuation through Romania he made his way through Yugoslavia and France to the Polish Air Force in the West. He fought in the French campaign, scoring an aerial victory over the Luftwaffe. He then served in the RAF, receiving number P-0548 and an assignment to No. 308 Fighter Squadron “Kraków”. In 1941, during a combat flight over France, he was shot down and taken prisoner by the Germans. He was held at, among others, Oflag X C Lübeck, Oflag VI B Warburg and Stalag Luft III in Żagań, where he participated in the preparations for the so-called “Great Escape”. After the war he remained in exile — he lived in Great Britain, and from 1951 in the United States. He spent his final years in San Francisco, where he died on 6 October 2007.

Marian Stefan Chełmecki (1916–1988) — major pilot of the Polish Army, later officer of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain (RAF), squadron and fighter wing commander, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He was born on 2 August 1916 in Jasło. He graduated from the King Stanisław Leszczyński State Gymnasium in Jasło (matura 1935), and then the Air Force Officer Cadet School in Dęblin, which he completed in 1938. Assigned to the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, he served in the 122nd Fighter Squadron, and subsequently was an instructor at the Aviation Officers’ Training Centre in Dęblin. In the September Campaign of 1939 he organised the anti-aircraft defence of the Ułęż airfield and then operated in improvised aviation units. After evacuation through Romania and France he reached Great Britain, where he joined the RAF (service number 76690). He trained on Hurricanes and served successively in No. 56, 17, 308, 302 and 317 Fighter Squadrons RAF, holding the positions of instructor, flight commander and squadron commander. He achieved 3 confirmed aerial victories and was ranked 90th on the Bajan List. After the war he served in the Allied Expeditionary Air Service Support Unit in Hamburg, and in 1948 returned to Poland in the rank of major. He settled in Zabrze, where he worked as a technical specialist in a water supply company. He was decorated with, among others, the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta (1981). He died on 28 March 1988 in Zabrze and was buried in Nowy Sącz.

Aleksander Chełstowski (1912–1973) — lieutenant observer of the Polish Army, captain of the Polish Air Force, navigator and bombardier of No. 300 Polish Bomber Squadron RAF “Masovia”, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He was born on 22 April 1912 in Różan. In 1939 he completed the observers’ course in Dęblin and was assigned to the 26th Cooperation Squadron. In the September Campaign he carried out a total of eight combat flights, participating in reconnaissance and ground-attack operations in the Częstochowa, Przemyśl and Lwów areas, among others. After the Soviet invasion he crossed the Romanian border and was interned. Through the Middle East and France he made his way to Great Britain, where he joined the RAF and underwent training as a navigator and bombardier. In No. 300 Polish Bomber Squadron RAF “Masovia” he flew Vickers Wellingtons, carrying out 34 combat missions over Germany and occupied Europe in 1941–1942. He subsequently held instructional positions in British aviation training schools. After the war he remained in exile. He lived in Argentina and then in the United States, where he worked as a technician installer and ran his own company. He died on 26 March 1973 in San Jose, USA.

Aleksander Cichocki (1900–1928) was a lieutenant pilot of the Polish Army, a military aviation officer of the Second Polish Republic. He was born on 27 January 1900. He served in the 11th Aviation Regiment, stationed in Lida, where he performed duties as a pilot in the line aviation structures of the Polish Army. The unit was responsible for training and carrying out operational tasks in cooperation with ground forces. He died on 1 May 1928 in the line of duty as an aviator. He was buried at the Catholic cemetery in Lida.

Franciszek Ciepiński (?–?) was a lance corporal pilot of the Polish Army, a soldier of the 26th Cooperation Squadron, a participant in the September Campaign of 1939. He served in the reconnaissance aviation of the Second Polish Republic, carrying out cooperation tasks with ground forces. During the September Campaign of 1939 he was part of the 26th Cooperation Squadron. On 2 September 1939, together with Lieutenant observer Władysław Szymik, he carried out a reconnaissance flight in the area of the road leading towards Częstochowa, aimed at establishing the presence of enemy units and anti-aircraft weapons. Over the locality of Chorzenice the aircraft was attacked and shot down by German fighters. The observer was killed in the air, while the pilot managed to bail out by parachute and after several days returned to his home unit.

Ludwik Cieślak (1907–1983) was a lance corporal pilot of the Polish Army and a Warrant Officer in the Royal Air Force, a soldier of the Polish Air Force during World War II. He was born on 25 February 1907 in the village of Podczerwone near Nowy Targ. In the interwar period he served in various aviation units, including the 2nd Aviation Regiment. He then evacuated to France, where he participated in the 1940 campaign, and after its fall made his way to Great Britain, where he was incorporated into the Polish Air Force within the RAF. Between 1940 and 1945 he took part in the defence of the British Isles and combat operations as part of No. 301 Bomber Squadron. During his service he was shot down on 21/22 October 1941 and was taken prisoner by the Germans, being held in the Stalag Luft III POW camp in Żagań. After the war he returned to service in Allied aviation structures. He was decorated with the Silver Cross of the Virtuti Militari Order. After the war he remained in exile in Great Britain, where he died on 8 October 1983 in Bradford.

Ernest Jan Cieślewski (1886–1942) was a lieutenant colonel engineer pilot of the Polish Army, one of the organisers of Polish military aviation in the interwar period. He was born on 29 August 1886 in Ostrów. After graduating from gymnasium he studied at Lwów Polytechnic and then at the Military Technical Academy in Mödling. In 1907 he began his service in the Imperial and Royal Army, where he was commissioned as a second lieutenant of artillery. Between 1912 and 1914 he continued his engineering studies at the Vienna Polytechnic. During World War I he served in the 10th Mountain Artillery Regiment, where he was adjutant and then battery commander. After the end of the war and Poland’s regaining of independence he joined the Polish Army, becoming involved in building the structures of military aviation. Between 1921 and 1939 he served as commander of the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, one of the key aviation regiments of the Second Polish Republic, responsible for the training and organisation of aviation units. During this period he played a significant role in the development of Polish military aviation and its technical and organisational infrastructure. After the outbreak of World War II he was arrested by the German occupation authorities and imprisoned in the Auschwitz concentration camp, where he died on 1 November 1942.

Antoni Ciosiński (1904–1933) — lieutenant pilot of the Polish Army, observer and pilot of the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He was born on 11 June 1904 in Zwierzyniec. In 1923 he passed his matura and began his military service at the Engineering Officer Cadets’ School in Warsaw, after which he transferred to the Officers’ Aviation School in Grudziądz, which he completed in 1927. He was assigned to the 22nd Aviation Squadron of the 2nd Aviation Regiment as an observer. In 1928 he was promoted to second lieutenant, and in 1930 to lieutenant. In the same period he completed a piloting course at the Aviation Officers’ Training Centre, and then served as a pilot in the 121st Fighter Squadron of the 2nd Aviation Regiment. He also completed an advanced piloting course at the Aviation Gunnery and Bombing School, after which he held the position of deputy squadron commander. He was killed on 25 September 1933 in Kraków as a result of an aviation disaster during a mid-air collision. He was buried at the Rakowicki Cemetery in Kraków in the aviation quarter.

Czesław Czarnecki (1918–1989) — sergeant pilot of the Polish Army, later officer of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain (RAF), lieutenant RAF (F/O), pilot of the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, pseudonym “Chester”. He was born on 9 April 1918 in Twardów in the Poznań county. During World War II he served in the Polish Air Force in Great Britain, receiving RAF service number P-2383. He flew in RAF combat units as a fighter pilot and took part in operational activities over Europe. After the war he remained in exile in Great Britain. He died on 21 October 1989 and was buried at the cemetery in Colchester, Essex.

Kazimierz Czetowicz (1910–1983) — lieutenant colonel pilot (General Staff qualified) of the Polish Army, commander of No. 304 Bomber Squadron “Silesia”, officer of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain (RAF), Knight of the Virtuti Militari and the Distinguished Flying Cross. He was born on 11 March 1910 in Vilnius. After completing training in Dęblin and Bydgoszcz he became a professional pilot of the Polish Army. He served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, including in the 21st and 22nd Line Squadrons. In 1939 he took part in the September Campaign as a pilot of the 22nd Light Bomber Squadron, carrying out reconnaissance and ground-attack flights. After the defeat he made his way through Romania and France to Great Britain, where he received RAF service number P-0005 and underwent training on British equipment. From 1940 he served in No. 304 Polish Bomber Squadron RAF, participating in numerous raids on targets in occupied Europe. In 1942 he assumed command of a flight, and then served as commander of No. 304 Squadron. After the war he remained in exile in Great Britain. He worked in the structures of the Polish Resettlement Corps, and then took British citizenship and changed his name to Kenneth Kazimierz Czetowicz Cunningham. He died on 25 January 1983 in London.

Zygmunt Czyżowski (1911–1939) — second lieutenant reserve pilot of the Polish Army, observer of the 26th Observation Squadron of the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, associated with KS “Cracovia”. He was born on 31 March 1911 in Kraków. He served as a pilot-observer in the reserve in the 2nd Aviation Regiment, assigned to the 26th Observation Squadron. In the September Campaign of 1939 he carried out a combat flight on 1 September, during which he was shot down in the Mikołów area. He was killed on the first day of the war. He was buried at the parish cemetery in Bujaków.

Tadeusz Dąbrowski (1918–1940) — lieutenant observer of the Polish Army, officer of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain (RAF), pilot associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He was born on 8 January 1918 in Białystok. After the evacuation from Poland in 1939 he made his way to Great Britain, where he joined the RAF (service number P-0539) and achieved the rank of Pilot Officer (P/O). He served in the Polish Air Force in Great Britain as a pilot and member of RAF combat crews. He died on 25 October 1940 and was buried at the cemetery in Pwllheli, Gwynedd, Great Britain.

Czesław Dolecki (?–?) — major pilot of the Polish Army, commander of the 22nd Line Squadron of the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He served in the aviation of the Polish Army in the interwar period, holding command positions in the 2nd Aviation Regiment. In 1925 he was commander of the 22nd Line Squadron, and during the May Coup of 1926 he commanded a 10-aircraft squadron detached from the regiment. In the following years he oversaw the process of re-equipping the unit, among others with Potez XXVII aircraft and later PZL-23 “Karaś” planes. In the second half of the 1920s and in the 1930s he held training and command positions, including as head of the Pilots’ School in Stanisławów, where he contributed to the development of aviation training. He also participated in exercises and military concentrations in which squadrons of the 2nd Aviation Regiment cooperated with infantry units. The further fate and date of death of Czesław Dolecki are unknown.

Józef Domaszewski (1903–1967) — lieutenant pilot of the Polish Army, later Squadron Leader Royal Air Force (RAF), officer of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków.

He was born on 7 July 1903 in Ciechanów. Before the war he served in the aviation of the Polish Army, organisationally associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment. After the defeat of 1939 he made his way to Great Britain, where he joined the RAF (service number P-0622) and continued his service in the Polish Air Force. During World War II he served in RAF structures, reaching the rank of Squadron Leader. After the war he remained in exile in the United States. He died on 13 April 1967 and was buried at the Saint Thomas Catholic Cemetery in Ann Arbor Charter Township, USA.

Augustyn Lambert Domes (1895–1969) — colonel pilot of the Polish Army, Knight of the Virtuti Militari War Order, associated among others with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He was born on 8 April 1895 in Jarosław. He was educated at schools in Jarosław and Przemyśl, and then graduated from the military Realschule in Kismarton and the Maria Theresa Military Academy in Wiener Neustadt (1915). During World War I he served in the Austro-Hungarian army, first in the infantry and then in aviation. From 1917 he underwent observer and pilot training, serving on the Italian front. He carried out dozens of combat flights and commanded aviation units. After 1918 he joined the Polish Army. He served as chief of piloting at the Kraków aviation school, and then commanded reconnaissance squadrons. During the Polish-Bolshevik War he commanded aviation units at the front. In the interwar period he held command positions in squadrons and aviation regiments, including units associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment. In 1935 he retired from active service. During World War II he lived in Hungary and then settled in Vienna, where he died on 18 October 1969.

Antoni Domogała (?–?) was a corporal pilot of the Polish Army, a soldier of the 161st Fighter Squadron, one of the fighter aviation units of the Second Polish Republic. He served in the structures of the 161st Fighter Squadron in 1937–1939, participating in training and operational activities of the fighter aviation of the Polish Army in the period preceding the outbreak of World War II. His further fate is unknown in available sources.

Stanisław Duchnicki (1912–1941) — reserve second lieutenant observer of the Polish Army, officer of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain (RAF), associated with No. 304 Bomber Squadron “Silesia”, originating from the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He was born on 10 August 1912 in Oświęcim (Kęty). After the outbreak of World War II he made his way to Great Britain, where he received RAF service number P-0022 and the rank of Pilot Officer (P/O). He served as an observer in No. 304 Polish Bomber Squadron RAF. He went missing on the night of 6–7 May 1941 during a combat flight over the North Sea, probably in the area of Denmark. He was declared killed in action.

Andrzej Duda (?–?) was a lance corporal pilot of the Polish Army, a soldier of the military aviation of the Second Polish Republic. He served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, associated with the basic training and operational infrastructure of Polish aviation. In the interwar period he served in the 26th Cooperation Squadron, active in 1934–1939, which carried out tasks of cooperation with ground forces, reconnaissance and liaison. Within this unit he participated in training and operational activities in the period preceding the outbreak of World War II. The further fate of Andrzej Duda is unknown in available sources.

Piotr Dudziński (1899–1974) was a colonel observer of the Polish Army, Knight of the Virtuti Militari Order, a participant in the Polish-Bolshevik War and World War II. He was born on 4 June 1899 in Lwów. He began his military service after Poland regained its independence in 1918, taking part in the Polish-Bolshevik War. After its end he continued to serve in the Polish Army, undergoing officer training and assuming successive positions in ground and aviation units. In 1922, after being verified in the rank of lieutenant, he was assigned to the 1st Aviation Regiment in Warsaw, and then to the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. In the interwar period he completed a piloting course in Bydgoszcz and served in aviation units associated with, among others, the 6th and 2nd Aviation Regiments. In 1927 he assumed command of the 64th Line Squadron, and in 1929 he organised and commanded the 63rd Cooperation Squadron. He also participated in the international Challenge aviation competitions of 1930 and 1934. In 1932 he completed an advanced piloting course at the Higher Pilots’ School in Grudziądz, after which he assumed the position of commandant of that school, continuing training activities in Dęblin after its relocation. After the outbreak of World War II he made his way to France and then to Great Britain, where he joined the Polish Air Force within the RAF. In 1942 he assumed command of No. 304 Bomber Squadron, participating in combat operations over occupied Europe. After the war he remained in exile in Great Britain, where he died on 22 February 1974 in London.

Stanisław Dudziński (?–?) was a second lieutenant observer of the Polish Army, a military aviation officer of the Second Polish Republic. He served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków.

In the 1930s he appeared in the unit’s personnel records, serving in the corps of aviation observer officers. There is no detailed information regarding his further military career or his fate after his service in the 2nd Aviation Regiment.

Lucjan Dutkiewicz (1906–1994) was a lance corporal pilot of the Polish Army and a Flying Officer in the Royal Air Force, an officer of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain. He was born on 17 October 1906 in Warsaw. He served in the military aviation of the Second Polish Republic, including the 2nd Aviation Regiment, where he gained experience as a pilot in line units. During World War II he made his way to Great Britain and was incorporated into the Polish Air Force within the RAF. He served at No. 5 Air Observer School and at No. 6 Operational Training Unit, participating in the training and preparation of aviation personnel for combat operations. He achieved the rank of Flying Officer in the RAF. After the war he returned to Poland and died on 7 June 1994. He was buried in Warsaw.

Stanisław Działowski (1900–1942) was a senior sergeant pilot of the Polish Army and the Polish Air Force in Great Britain, and subsequently a soldier of the Royal Air Force. He was born on 11 April 1900 in Mielec. From a young age he was interested in aviation, which led him to service in the military aviation of the Second Polish Republic, where he gained experience as a pilot. In the interwar period he served in various aviation units, including the 2nd Aviation Regiment. After the outbreak of World War II he made his way to Great Britain, where he continued his service in the Polish Air Force within the RAF. He served as a pilot in aviation units formed in exile, participating in training and operational activities of Allied aviation. Alongside his military service he engaged in amateur construction work in the field of aviation, making attempts to build and design light aircraft structures. He was killed on 19 March 1942 in Perth, Scotland. His death cut short both his military and technical activities.

Teofil Dziama (1895–1943) was a captain pilot of the Polish Army, Knight of the Silver Cross of the Virtuti Militari Order, a participant in World War I, the Polish-Bolshevik War and an activist in the underground during World War II. He was born on 5 January 1895 in Zalesie. Before the outbreak of World War I he studied at Lwów Polytechnic and was active in the Sokół Field Squads. From August 1914 he served in the Polish Legions, initially in the 16th company of the IV battalion of the 2nd Infantry Regiment. He fought on the Carpathian front, and then in the ranks of the 40th Infantry Regiment of the Austro-Hungarian army on the Italian front, where in November 1918 he was taken prisoner by the Italians. After the end of hostilities he joined the aviation of the “Blue Army” and was trained in France.

In January 1920 he was assigned to the 581st Reconnaissance Squadron, and then served in the 17th and 16th Reconnaissance Squadrons, participating in the Polish-Bolshevik War and operations relating to Central Lithuania. In the interwar period he served in the 1st Aviation Regiment in Warsaw, holding command positions in fighter squadrons. In 1924 he became a flight instructor at the Higher Pilots’ School in Grudziądz, and then held management positions in Department IV of the Air Navigation section of the Ministry of Military Affairs. He served in various aviation units, including the 2nd Aviation Regiment. In 1940 he was arrested by the Gestapo and imprisoned in the Auschwitz camp, where he conducted underground activities. He was executed by the Germans on 11 October 1943 in Auschwitz-Birkenau.

Józef Faber (?–?) was a reserve officer cadet observer of the Polish Army, a military aviation officer of the Second Polish Republic. He served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. In 1939 he served in the 22nd Bomber Squadron, taking part in the bomber aviation operations of the September Campaign. The unit carried out reconnaissance and strike tasks as part of the wartime mobilisation of the Polish Army. The further fate of Józef Faber is unknown in available sources.

Bronisław Fabjan (1892–1976) was a captain observer of the Polish Army, Knight of the Virtuti Militari Order, a participant in World War I, the Polish-Bolshevik War and an officer of the aviation of the Second Polish Republic. He was born on 3 September 1892 in Rajtarowice. After passing his matura he began law studies, which he interrupted due to the outbreak of World War I. On 15 August 1914 he joined the Eastern Legion, and was subsequently conscripted into the 30th Infantry Regiment. In 1915 he completed training at a reserve officers’ school and fought on the Eastern and Italian fronts. In 1916 he was taken prisoner by the Russians, from which he escaped in January 1918, returning to service in the 30th Infantry Regiment. After Poland regained its independence in 1918 he took part in the defence of Lwów, and then served in the 40th Infantry Regiment “Children of Lwów”. In 1919 he was assigned to the Officers’ Observer School, which he completed in 1920. He was then assigned to the 6th Reconnaissance Squadron, in which he took part in the Polish-Bolshevik War. During the fighting against Semyon Budyonny’s Cavalry Army in August 1920 he carried out numerous combat flights, conducting reconnaissance and low-altitude attacks on enemy cavalry units. He served in the military aviation of the Second Polish Republic, including the 2nd Aviation Regiment. For his merits he was decorated with the Silver Cross of the Virtuti Militari Order. After ending his military service he settled in Great Britain, where he died on 10 April 1976 in Dartford.

Kazimierz Feluś (1903–1943) was a senior sergeant pilot of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain, a participant in World War II. He was born on 6 January 1903 in Kraków. Before the war he served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, where he held the position of flight instructor. After the September Campaign of 1939 he made his way to Great Britain, where he was incorporated into the Polish Air Force within the Royal Air Force. During his service in the RAF he was assigned to 1485 Flight. He was killed in the line of duty as an aviator on 6 August 1943 in Newark-on-Trent, Great Britain.

Józef Feruga (1914–1945) was a lance corporal pilot of the Polish Army, a soldier of the fighter aviation of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain. He was born on 26 October 1914. He served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, and after the outbreak of World War II made his way to France and then to Great Britain, where he was assigned to No. 316 Fighter Squadron. The unit conducted combat operations over occupied Europe as part of the RAF. He was killed on 1 March 1945 during an operational flight over France. His aircraft crashed into hills north of Sedan.

Henryk Antoni Flame (1918–1947) was a lance corporal pilot of the Polish Army, captain of the National Armed Forces, commander of forest units of the VII NSZ District in Silesia, a participant in underground activities during and after World War II. He was born on 15 January 1918 in Fryštat. He began his military service in the aviation of the Polish Army, where he served among others in the 123rd Squadron of the 2nd Aviation Regiment, achieving the rank of lance corporal pilot. After the defeat of the September Campaign of 1939 he became involved in underground activities. During the German occupation he joined the National Armed Forces, operating in the structures of the VII Silesian District. He held the position of commander of forest groups, being responsible for organising partisan units and armed operations against the occupier. He used the pseudonyms “Grot” and “Bartek”. After the end of World War II he continued his activities in the anti-communist underground, remaining in hiding under conditions of repression by the authorities of the Polish People’s Republic. He was killed on 1 December 1947 in Zabrzeg during operational activities conducted by the security apparatus. Flame was decorated with, among others, the Cross of Valour. His figure has become one of the symbols of the post-war independence underground.

Leopold Flanek (1902–1940) was a corporal pilot of the Polish Army, a soldier of the fighter aviation of the Second Polish Republic. He was born on 13 December 1902 in Bieżanów.

He served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, where after training he was assigned to one of the fighter squadrons. He distinguished himself as a pilot and aerobatic performer, taking part in aviation competitions and air shows both in Poland and abroad. In 1939 he fought in the September Campaign of 1939 as part of the 121st Fighter Squadron. After Poland’s defeat he made his way to France, where he underwent additional training in Montpellier. He was then assigned to Frontline Flight No. 1 “Ła” under the command of Captain Stefan Łaszkiewicz and participated in the French Campaign of 1940. During the aerial fighting in May 1940 he achieved combat successes. On 16 May 1940, during a fight with a German aircraft, his plane was damaged. He attempted a forced landing in the Ardennes area, but was killed as a result. He was initially buried in Neuville-aux-Tourneurs, and his remains were later transferred to the Czechoslovak War Cemetery “Nazdar” in Neuville-St-Vaast.

Witold Foltyn (?–?) was a lance corporal pilot of the Polish Army, a soldier of the military aviation of the Second Polish Republic. He served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków.

In the 1930s he appeared in the unit’s personnel records, serving in the corps of line aviation pilots. There is no detailed information regarding his further military career or his fate after his service in the 2nd Aviation Regiment.

Karol Frizer (1890–1982) was a captain observer of the Polish Army, Knight of the Virtuti Militari Order, a military aviation officer of the Second Polish Republic. He was born on 3 March 1890 in Lubaczów. He graduated from the classical gymnasium in Sanok, and then studied at the Faculty of Law and Economics of the Jagiellonian University, obtaining his master’s degree in 1912. In August 1914 he was called up to the Austro-Hungarian army, in which he served in the 29th Field Artillery Regiment, then in the 90th Infantry Regiment and in the 375th Infantry Regiment of the German army. He took part in fighting on the Serbian, Italian and Romanian fronts. In 1917 he completed observer training in Wiener Neustadt and served in the 101st and 102nd aviation companies. During the hostilities he was shot down twice and seriously wounded, which ended his frontline service for the remainder of World War I. After Poland regained its independence in 1918 he was appointed commandant of Lubaczów, and then joined the Polish aviation. He served in the 3rd Aviation Squadron, later the 7th Squadron, stationed at Rakowice near Kraków. He then held positions in the aviation structures, including in the II Air Group in Przemyśl and on the staff of the 3rd Army. In the interwar period he held a number of command and staff positions, including in the 3rd Aviation Regiment in Poznań, the 6th Aviation Regiment in Lwów and in the Aviation Department of the Ministry of Military Affairs, where he was responsible for training and organisation of aviation. He was also associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment. In 1939 he was in charge of the Air Port Service, preparing the state’s airport infrastructure. After the Soviet invasion of Poland he made his way to Romania, where he was interned, and then escaped and through Bucharest reached France and later Great Britain. There he held organisational positions in the Polish Air Force structures, including in Blackpool, dealing with the selection and preparation of aviation personnel. After the war he returned to Poland and settled in Gdańsk, where he worked in civilian enterprises. He was placed on the retired list. He died on 27 December 1982 in Gdańsk.

Franciszek Fugiel (1904–1942) was a captain observer of the Polish Army and a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force, an officer of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain during World War II. He was born on 20 August 1904 in Gorlice. He served in the military aviation of the Second Polish Republic, including the 2nd Aviation Regiment. During World War II he served in No. 301 Bomber Squadron “Pomerania”, carrying out combat missions over occupied Europe as part of RAF bombing operations. During his service he achieved the rank of Flight Lieutenant in the British air force. He was killed on 26 February 1942 during a raid on Kiel. His aircraft did not return from the mission; neither the wreckage nor the crew’s remains were found. It is assumed that it was shot down and fell into the sea.

Stanisław Gajek (1904–1975) was a captain pilot of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain, a participant in World War II. He was born on 2 November 1904 in Zrecze Małe. He graduated from the Air Force Officer Cadet School (II promotion), after which he began his service in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. In the interwar period he gained experience in the military aviation of the Second Polish Republic, preparing for line service. After the outbreak of World War II he made his way to Great Britain, where he was incorporated into the Polish Air Force within the Royal Air Force. He served, among others, at 25 Elementary Flying Training School (25 EFTS), an RAF basic training unit, taking part in the preparation of pilots for further combat service.

For his service he was decorated with the Silver Cross of Merit with Swords and the Air Medal. He died on 1 April 1975 in Kraków.

Jerzy Garbiński (1896–1979) was a colonel pilot of the Polish Army, one of the outstanding officers of Polish military aviation in the interwar period.

He was born on 22 May 1896 in Lipetsk. In 1913 he began studies at the Faculty of Agronomy of Lwów Polytechnic, but interrupted them after the outbreak of World War I. In 1914 he joined the Russian army and graduated from the Officers’ Cavalry School in Tver. He then served in the 12th Uhlan Regiment, taking part in fighting on the Galician front.

In 1916 he began flight training at the Officers’ Aviation School in Gatchina. After completing it he served as a pilot on the Eastern front, and then as an instructor at the Observer School in Yevpatoria. During the revolution and the fights for independence he operated in Polish aviation formations in Russia, and after the Battle of Kaniów he was taken prisoner, from which he escaped in 1918. After Poland regained its independence he joined the Polish Army and quickly became one of the key organisers of aviation training. In 1919 he held positions as an instructor and staff officer in aviation structures, and then commanded the 581st Squadron. Between 1920 and 1928 he was associated with the French pilots’ school, serving as its commandant after it was moved to Poland. In the interwar period he held senior command and training positions, including commanding units in the 3rd Aviation Regiment in Poznań, serving as commandant of the Air Force Officer Cadet School in Dęblin and as commander of the 5th Aviation Regiment in Lida. In 1932–1933 he served as commander of the air base at the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. In 1939 he ended his military service in connection with the mobilisation and reorganisation of aviation. His further fate after the outbreak of World War II remains less well documented. He died on 19 September 1979.

Marian Gaweł (1889–1937) was a major observer of the Polish Army, a World War I veteran and an officer of the aviation of the Second Polish Republic. He was born on 10 September 1889 in Sanok. He graduated from the Agricultural Academy in Dublany, and then began his military service in the Austro-Hungarian army in 1909. After completing the Military Technical Academy in Mödling he served in the artillery, including in the 30th Field Gun Regiment in Przemyśl. During World War I, after being wounded, he underwent aviation training and as an observer participated in combat operations on the Balkan and Romanian fronts. He subsequently obtained fighter pilot qualifications. After Poland regained its independence he joined the Polish Army, where he held staff positions in aviation. In 1920 he took part in the Polish Military Purchasing Mission in Paris, assessing aircraft for Polish military aviation. After returning to Poland he served, among others, as deputy commander of the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. Due to health problems he was transferred to the reserve. After ending his military service he lived in Lwów, where he engaged in business activities in the automotive industry. He died on 16 November 1937 in Warsaw.

Jan Stanisław Gaździk (1899–1965) — captain pilot of the Polish Army, major of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain, flight commander of No. 304 Bomber Squadron RAF, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He was born on 17 December 1899 in Rymanów. He began his military service in the 61st Infantry Regiment, taking part in the Polish-Bolshevik War. In 1920 he graduated from the Infantry Officer Cadets’ School in Warsaw, and in 1923 he completed a piloting course in Bydgoszcz, obtaining the pilot’s badge (No. 596). He was then transferred to the aviation corps and assigned to the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. In the interwar period he held command positions, including commander of the 22nd Line Squadron (1930–1931), and was active in the Silesian Aero Club. In 1935 he was promoted to captain and later served in the 6th Aviation Regiment in Lwów as a staff officer. In September 1939 he served as the tactical-operational officer of the VI Bomber Group of the Bomber Brigade. After evacuation through France he reached Great Britain, where he served in No. 304 Polish Bomber Squadron RAF as commander of B Flight, and subsequently on the staff of the Polish Air Force. He was ultimately promoted to major and demobilised. After the war he remained in exile in Great Britain, where he was active in Polish community and musical circles. He died on 2 December 1965 in London and was buried at Highgate Cemetery.

Ignacy Giedgowd (1897–1975) was a major pilot of the Polish Army and a Squadron Leader in the Royal Air Force, an officer of the Polish Air Force in the West. He was born on 1 February 1897 in Popłuszcze. He began his military service in the Tsarist army during World War I. After its end he joined the Polish Army, taking part in the Polish-Bolshevik War and serving in the ranks of the Blue Army of General Józef Haller. In the interwar period he was associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, where he continued his aviation career as a military pilot. During World War II he served in the Polish Air Force in the West within the RAF structures, where he also served as a test pilot. He was considered a pilot of great composure and reliability, which earned him the nickname “Diesel”, as well as “the Englishman”. For his service he was decorated with, among others, the Silver Cross of the Virtuti Militari Order and the Air Medal. He died on 25 January 1975 in Thornhill.

Juliusz Gilewicz (?–?) — major pilot of the Polish Army, fighter pilot and experienced squadron commander, associated among others with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He graduated from the gymnasium in Zhytomyr (expelled for underground activities), and passed his matura externally in Vyazma (1909). He studied at Kyiv University (medicine and law). In 1915 he was called up to the Russian army, completed pilots’ school in Gatchina and served at the front. From 1917 he served in the aviation units of the I Polish Corps, and subsequently in the Red Army — as commander of an aviation detachment. In 1919 he deserted, flying to the Polish side in a Nieuport 24bis aircraft; in Russian aviation he had carried out approximately 200 combat flights. In the Polish Army from 1919, he served in the 6th and 5th Reconnaissance Squadrons, where he was among others squadron commander and chief of pilots. During the Polish-Bolshevik War he carried out 40 combat flights, participating in reconnaissance, liaison and ground-attack operations. In 1921–1922 he directed training and technical structures (including the Higher Pilots’ School in Grudziądz). In the 1920s and 1930s he held command positions in the 3rd, 4th and 2nd Aviation Regiments, commanded training and fighter groups, and participated in experimental flights and aviation competitions (including the 1st Pomeranian Circuit Flight — 1st place). In 1933 he was promoted to lieutenant colonel. Before the war he worked in the Aeronautics Department of the Ministry of Military Affairs, and subsequently at PLL LOT as head of the navigation and flight personnel department. During World War II his complete service record is not fully documented in available sources.

Władysław Gnyś (1910–2000) was a colonel pilot of the Polish Army, Knight of the Virtuti Militari Order, a participant in the September Campaign of 1939 and World War II. He was born on 24 August 1910 in Sarnów. He graduated from the Air Force Officer Cadet School in Dęblin, after which he was assigned to the 121st Fighter Squadron of the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. On 1 September 1939, during the first day of the war, he took off from the field airstrip in Balice and in the Kraków area intercepted a formation of German Dornier Do 17 bombers, shooting down two of them — these were among the first German aircraft shot down in World War II by a Polish pilot. In the following days of the September Campaign he took part in further aerial combat, and on 6 September he was shot down and wounded. After evacuation he made his way to France and then to Great Britain, where he served in the Polish Air Force within the RAF. He was assigned to No. 302 Fighter Squadron “Poznań”, participating in the Battle of Britain and serving as a flight instructor. After the war he settled in Canada, where he was active in the Polish community and aviation circles. He died on 28 February 2000 in Beamsville.

Bolesław Godlewski (1920–1940) was a captain pilot of the Polish Army, an officer of the aviation of the Second Polish Republic. He was born on 11 June 1920 in Suwałki. He served in military aviation, among others in the 21st Bomber Squadron, one of the units of the Polish Army’s Bomber Brigade. Before the outbreak of World War II he held organisational positions at air bases, including those related to servicing and maintaining aviation infrastructure. He served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. During the September Campaign of 1939 he served in the structures of Air Bases, associated with the mobilisation and evacuation of the Polish Army’s aviation. After the Soviet invasion of Poland he was arrested by the NKVD. His name appears on the lists of victims of the Katyn massacre murdered in the spring of 1940 in Kharkiv. He was buried at the Polish War Cemetery in Kharkiv-Pyatikhatki.

Jan Górecki (?–1931) — second lieutenant pilot-observer of the Polish Army, associated with the 22nd Aviation Squadron of the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He served as a pilot-observer in the 22nd Aviation Squadron. He was killed on 6 March 1931 in an aviation accident during service.

Walerian Górecki (?–?) was a second lieutenant pilot of the Polish Army, an aviation officer associated with the early period of organisation of the Polish air forces. During the Polish-Bolshevik War he served in the 10th Reconnaissance Squadron, carrying out reconnaissance and intelligence tasks as part of frontline operations. In the interwar period he was associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, where he continued his service in the military aviation of the Second Polish Republic. Detailed information regarding his further military career or his fate after his service in the 2nd Aviation Regiment is not available in the sources.

Wacław Grandys (1914–1939) was an officer cadet observer of the Polish Army, a participant in the September Campaign of 1939. He was born on 27 October 1914 in Krzepice. He graduated from the Henryk Sienkiewicz Gymnasium in Częstochowa, where in 1936 he passed his matura examination. He then began his studies at the Air Force Officer Cadet School in Dęblin (XII promotion). After completing his training he was assigned for practical service to the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, one of the main centres of military aviation of the Second Polish Republic. After the outbreak of World War II he was assigned as an observer to the 22nd Bomber Squadron of the Bomber Brigade. On 3 September 1939 he took part in a combat flight in a PZL.23 “Karaś” aircraft over the Radomsko, Włoszczowa and Koniecpol area, the aim of which was to reconnoitre and attack German armoured columns. During the mission the aircraft was attacked by German Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters. As a result of the gunfire Grandys was seriously wounded. The crew managed to bring the damaged aircraft in for a landing in the Kamień area, but during the touchdown the machine crashed and caught fire. Grandys died as a result of the injuries sustained and the fire of the wreckage. He was buried at the military cemetery in Radom.

Jan Gray, pseudonym “Eryk Grzyb” (1893–1971) was a major of the Polish Army and the Polish Air Force in Great Britain, a participant in the fights for Polish independence and an activist in the Silesian Uprisings, Knight of the Virtuti Militari Order. He was born on 29 April 1893 in Racibórz. In 1913 he was called up to the German army, in which he served on the front during World War I. At the end of August 1914 he escaped from his unit and was taken prisoner by the French. In May 1918 he joined the Army of General Józef Haller, where he completed a piloting course and began military service in the Polish structures. After returning to Upper Silesia in 1919 he became involved in independence activities. In 1920 he joined the Polish Military Organisation of Upper Silesia, where he held leadership positions, including chief inspector. During the Second Silesian Uprising and subsequent plebiscite activities he held positions in the command structures in the Upper Silesia area. After the end of the uprising fighting he continued his service in the Polish Army, reaching the rank of major. He served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. During World War II he served in the Polish Air Force in Great Britain. He died on 22 April 1971 in London. He was decorated with, among others, the Virtuti Militari Order, the Cross of Independence with Swords and the Silver Cross of Merit.

Zbigniew Groyecki (?–?) was an officer cadet observer of the Polish Army, an aviation officer associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków in the interwar period.

After the outbreak of World War II he made his way to Great Britain, where he was assigned to No. 300 Polish Bomber Squadron “Masovia” of the Polish Air Force. He took part in combat operations over occupied Europe, carrying out bombing missions over Germany. On the night of 7–8 November 1941, during a raid on Mannheim, his aircraft was shot down. Zbigniew Groyecki managed to avoid capture and after making his way through occupied territory returned to Great Britain on 21 January 1942.

Władysław Grudziński (1917–1941) was a lieutenant pilot of the Polish Army, an officer of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain. He was born on 2 April 1917. In the pre-war period he was associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, where he underwent training and served in the military aviation of the Second Polish Republic. After the outbreak of World War II he made his way to Great Britain and was assigned to No. 315 Fighter Squadron of the Polish Air Force. He took part in combat operations over occupied Europe. He was killed in the line of duty as an aviator on 23 November 1941 over the English Channel in the Dunkirk area.

Włodzimierz Gubarew (?–?) was a lieutenant observer of the Polish Army, an aviation officer associated with the early period of formation of Polish military aviation.

During the Polish-Bolshevik War he served in the 10th Reconnaissance Squadron, which operated within the aviation structures from 15 October 1918 to 1925. He carried out reconnaissance and intelligence tasks as part of frontline operations. In the interwar period he was associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, where he continued his service in the military aviation of the Second Polish Republic. Detailed information regarding his further military career or his fate after his service in the 2nd Aviation Regiment is not available in the sources.

Karol Gutkind (?–?) was a sergeant pilot of the Polish Army, associated in the interwar period with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. Only brief mentions of his service records within the regiment’s structures have been preserved in available sources. There is no detailed information about his further military career or his fate after his service in the 2nd Aviation Regiment.

Tadeusz Hahn (1892–1929) was a lieutenant pilot of the Polish Army, an aviation officer associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He held service positions, including that of commandant in the regiment’s training structures. He died on 26 June 1929. He is buried at the Military Cemetery on Prandoty Street in Kraków (Quarter 4A, plot 17, aviation row).

Tadeusz Halewski (1898–1942) was a captain pilot of the Polish Army, a doctor of law, a participant in the Polish-Bolshevik War and an aviation activist. He was born on 7 May 1898 in Delatyn. In 1919 he joined the Polish Army, serving in the 16th Reconnaissance Squadron. In 1920 he graduated from the Kraków Pilots’ School and was assigned to line service in the 2nd Aviation Regiment. In the interwar period he developed both his military career and organisational activities in civil and military aviation. In 1928 he was promoted to captain and assumed command of the 64th Line Squadron in the 6th Aviation Regiment. In 1929–1931 he worked in the structures of the League of Air and Anti-Gas Defence, cooperating with the Aviation Department of the Ministry of Military Affairs. He was a co-founder of the Kraków Academic Aero Club and president of the Warsaw Aero Club in 1930–1939. After the outbreak of World War II he made his way to Great Britain, where he served in the Polish Air Force, among others at No. 46 Aviation Supply Unit in Lossiemouth. He was killed on 7 November 1942 during an experimental flight.

Jan Zbigniew Halkiewicz (1909–1996) — captain observer of the Polish Army.

He was the last commander of the 29th Cooperation Squadron (1937–1939), associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. After 1939 his further fate in military service is not widely documented. He was last recorded as living in Aix-en-Provence, France.

Antoni Hejdukiewicz (1891–?) — officer of the Polish Army. Recorded as an observer in the personnel lists of the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. Detailed information regarding his further military career or his fate after his service in the 2nd Aviation Regiment is not available in the sources.

Józef Hendriks (1896–?) was a major pilot of the Polish Army and an officer of the Polish Air Force in the West, Knight of the Silver Cross of the Virtuti Militari Order.

He was born on 13 March 1896 in Świątki Małe. After graduating from gymnasium he studied at polytechnics in Hanover and Wismar. He began his military service in 1914 in the German army, in the 9th Infantry Regiment, and in 1917 underwent aviation training.

After the end of World War I he joined the Polish military formations, participating in the Polish-Ukrainian War and the Polish-Bolshevik War as a fighter pilot. In the interwar period he served in Polish military aviation, among others as commander of a fighter group in the 3rd Aviation Regiment in Poznań and in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. After the outbreak of World War II he made his way to Great Britain, where he served in the Polish Air Force in the West. He held command positions, including commandant of the air station at Hucknall, as well as in aviation administrative structures in 1943–1946. After the war he returned to Poland, where he was arrested by the Security Office and sentenced to prison. He was released in 1953. The exact date of his death is not known.

Stanisław Hermanowski (1901–1941) was a captain observer of the Polish Army, an officer of the aviation of the Second Polish Republic and of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain.

He was born on 29 July 1901. In the pre-war period he was associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, where he served as an observer in the military aviation structures.

After the outbreak of World War II he made his way to Great Britain and was assigned to No. 18 Operational Training Unit of the Royal Air Force, an RAF training and operational unit preparing crews for combat operations. In the British structures he held the rank of Flying Officer. He died on 4 October 1941. He was buried at the cemetery on Oaston Road in Nuneaton.

Ryszard Hesse (1897–1926) was a lieutenant observer of the Polish Army, an aviation officer of the Second Polish Republic. He was born on 24 November 1897 in Mościska.

During World War I he served in the Austro-Hungarian army, fighting on the Italian front. After Poland regained its independence he joined the Polish Army, where as an aviation observer he took part in the combat operations of the Polish-Bolshevik War, including in reconnaissance operations and support of frontline activities. In the interwar period he was associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. For his combat merits, including participation in aerial reconnaissance during the fighting for Lwów, he was decorated with the Silver Cross of the Virtuti Militari Order. He died on 8 December 1926 in Poznań.

Zdzisław Hirsz (1914–1945) was a second lieutenant pilot of the Polish Army, an officer of the Polish Air Force. He was born on 17 April 1914 in Warsaw. In the pre-war period he was associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. In the September Campaign of 1939 he served as a pilot in the 23rd Cooperation Squadron. After Poland’s defeat he made his way to Great Britain, where he continued his service in the Polish Air Force. He remained in exile in Great Britain, where he died on 6 February 1945.

Gustaw Hławiczka (1912–1989) — corporal pilot of the Polish Army.

He belonged to the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków and the 2nd Light Bomber Squadron. On 3 September 1939 he was wounded when his PZL.23 “Karaś” aircraft was shot down near Gidle. He was buried at the Evangelical cemetery at Groniczek in Wisła.

Stanisław Hordyjewicz (1907–1937) — lance corporal pilot of the Polish Army.

He belonged to the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He was killed in the line of duty as an aviator in Łódź in 1937. He was buried at the Military Cemetery on Prandoty Street in Kraków.

Jan Hryniewicz (1902–1989) — lieutenant colonel pilot-observer of the Polish Army.

He graduated from the Joachim Lelewel State Gymnasium in Vilnius. In 1925 he began his studies at the Officers’ Aviation School in Grudziądz, which he completed in 1927 as an observer. After being promoted to second lieutenant he served in the 54th Line Squadron of the 5th Aviation Regiment. In 1931 he obtained pilot qualifications at the Aviation Officers’ Training Centre in Dęblin and was promoted to lieutenant. In the interwar period he was associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. In 1935 he was assigned to the 53rd Cooperation Squadron, and in 1938 he assumed command of the 1st Training Squadron at Aviation Training Centre No. 1 in Dęblin. After 1939 he evacuated through Romania to France, where he served at the Lyon–Bron air base. He then made his way to Great Britain and joined the RAF (P-0056). In 1942–1943 he commanded C Flight of No. 309 Squadron, then served as adjutant to General Lucjan Żeligowski. After the war he returned to Poland, settling in Środa Śląska and subsequently in Kielce. In the 1980s he moved to Dęblin. He died in 1989 in Dęblin.

Ludwik Idzikowski (1891–1929) — major pilot of the Polish Army, Knight of the Virtuti Militari Order. After passing his matura in 1912 in Russia he began studies at the mining faculty in Liège. During World War I he was mobilised into the Russian army, where in 1916 he graduated from the pilots’ school in Sevastopol and served as a pilot on the Eastern front. After the revolution he returned to Warsaw and in 1918 joined the Polish Army as a second lieutenant. He participated in the Polish-Ukrainian War, defending Lwów as a pilot, and then in the Polish-Bolshevik War, flying in the 7th Fighter Squadron and the 6th Reconnaissance Squadron. After the war he held positions as an instructor and squadron commander, and as deputy chief of piloting at the Higher Pilots’ School in Grudziądz. In the interwar period he was associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, and subsequently served among others in the 1st Aviation Regiment in Warsaw. In 1926 he was assigned to the Polish Military Mission in Paris, where he tested aircraft purchased by Poland. It was then that he became involved in preparations for a transatlantic flight. In 1929, during a second transatlantic attempt, after an engine failure, he attempted an emergency landing on the island of Graciosa, where he was killed in an aviation disaster. His body was brought back to Poland and buried at the Powązki Cemetery in Warsaw.

Piotr Ignut (1907–1953) — captain of the Polish Army aviation, engineer. In 1926 he began his studies at the Officers’ Aviation School in Grudziądz, which was subsequently relocated to Dęblin. After graduating from the school in 1929 he served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, and then in the 22nd Line Squadron. In 1930 he suffered a serious aviation accident. In 1932 he began studies at the Electrical Faculty of the Warsaw Polytechnic, which he completed in 1936. He then served as a technical officer of the 21st Line Squadron. In the interwar period he was associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. In 1939 he served at the Aviation Technical Institute and held the rank of captain. He also obtained a tourist pilot’s licence. During the September Campaign of 1939 he fought in the defence of Warsaw. After the capitulation he was taken prisoner by the Germans and held in Oflag II A Prenzlau and Oflag II E Neubrandenburg. After the war, in 1945, he settled in Wrocław, where he took part in organising civil aviation. From 1946 he worked at PLL LOT as head of the Wrocław branch, and then as a representative in Stockholm. He died on 30 October 1953 in Wrocław.

Stanisław Ignut (1899–1940) — second lieutenant pilot of the Polish Army.

Until 1923 he served in the IV Balloon Battalion. In 1924 he was transferred and belonged to the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. In 1928 he served in the 5th Aviation Regiment. In the interwar period he was a Polish Army aviation officer, promoted to the rank of lieutenant. He was one of the victims of the Katyn massacre murdered in 1940 in Kharkiv.

Marian Imiela (?–?) — corporal pilot of the Polish Army. He belonged to the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków and the 152nd Fighter Squadron, active in 1937–1939. His further fate is unknown in available sources.

Jerzy Iszkowski (1914–1962) – Major pilot of the Polish Armed Forces and the Polish Air Force in Great Britain, officer of the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, pilot of the 304 “Land of Silesia” Bomber Squadron, a Silent Unseen (Cichociemny), officer of the Home Army. Knight of the Order of Virtuti Militari, awarded the British Distinguished Flying Cross. He was born on 31 March 1914 in Nowy Sącz to the family of Erazm Iszkowski and Amalia née Beer. He developed an interest in aviation from a young age. In 1932, he completed glider training and obtained a Category B glider pilot rating. After passing his secondary school examinations in 1933, he began military service at the Reserve Infantry Officer Cadet School in Zambrów, and subsequently served in the 1st Podhale Rifles Regiment in Nowy Sącz. In 1935, he was admitted to the Aviation Officer Cadet School in Dęblin. He also completed specialist training at the Aviation Gunnery and Bombing School in Grudziądz. On 15 October 1937, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant pilot. After commissioning, he was assigned to the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He initially served in the 24th Line Squadron, and subsequently in the 22nd Bomber Squadron. Concurrently, he performed instructional duties in the Training Squadron of the 2nd Aviation Regiment, where he served as, among others, chief of pilots, commander of the instructor course, and commander of the training platoon. In September 1939, he participated in the evacuation of Polish aviation personnel. After the Soviet invasion of Poland, he crossed the border into Romania and subsequently made his way to France. Following its defeat in June 1940, he was evacuated to Great Britain and joined the Polish Air Force. He received RAF service number P-0403. In Great Britain, he was assigned to the 304 “Land of Silesia” Bomber Squadron. From 1941, he participated in operational missions, initially within Bomber Command and subsequently Coastal Command. He flew bombing missions as well as long-range patrols against German shipping and submarines. For his combat service, he was awarded the Silver Cross of the War Order of Virtuti Militari, the Cross of Valour four times, and the British Distinguished Flying Cross. In 1942, he volunteered for clandestine service in occupied Poland. He underwent specialist training for the Silent Unseen (Cichociemni), which included parachute and conspiratorial preparation, as well as flight training on German aircraft types. On 15 December 1943, he took the oath of the Home Army. On the night of 27–28 April 1944, he was dropped into occupied Poland as part of aerial operation “Weller 21”, using the pseudonyms “Orczyk” and “Kord”. After the jump, he was promoted to the rank of Major. Upon arrival in the country, he was assigned to the Lublin District of the Home Army, where he served as deputy chief of aviation. During Operation “Tempest” (Burza), he also operated in the Warsaw area and joined the 32nd Infantry Regiment of the Home Army. After reaching Lublin again, he participated in the reconstruction of the local District Command of the Home Army. On 31 December 1944, he was arrested by Soviet security organs. On 13 March 1945, he was sentenced to death, which was subsequently commuted to imprisonment. Ultimately, the period of incarceration was reduced to two years. He was released from Wronki Prison on 1 January 1947. After his release, he returned to Nowy Sącz, remaining under surveillance by the security apparatus for the following years. In 1956, his military rank was restored and he took up work at the Podhale Aero Club. He died on 29 August 1962 in Nowy Sącz and was buried at the local municipal cemetery. A street in Nowy Sącz and a primary school in Tęgoborze bear his name. The sentence passed against him in 1945 was annulled years later.

Wacław Iwaszkiewicz (1893–1963) — captain pilot of the Polish Army.

He graduated from the Naval Cadet Corps in St Petersburg, after which he served in the Russian navy. In 1917 he completed training at the Naval Pilots’ School in St Petersburg. After 1918 he joined the aviation of the Polish Army, where he served in line and staff units and held command positions. He participated in the Polish-Bolshevik War, and then in the interwar period served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków and other aviation units. In the following years he held command positions in military aviation, among others in the 6th Aviation Regiment. During World War II he served in the Polish Air Force in the West, continuing his command and organisational activities in the structures of Polish aviation. He was decorated with, among others, the Silver Cross of the Virtuti Militari Order and the Cross of Valour. After the war he remained in exile in Great Britain. He died in 1963 in London.

Mateusz Iżycki de Notto (1898–1952) — brigadier general pilot of the Polish Air Force. He fought in the Polish-Ukrainian War and the Polish-Bolshevik War as a cavalryman. From 1922 he served in military aviation, holding command and staff positions. He was a graduate of the Higher War School. He belonged to the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. In 1939 he served as Chief of Staff of the Bomber Brigade. After the defeat of the September Campaign he made his way to France and then to Great Britain, where in 1943 he assumed command of the Polish Air Force. After the war he settled in France, where he died in 1952.

Stanisław Jadczak (1898–1934) — warrant officer pilot of the Polish Army. He belonged to the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków and the 22nd Line Squadron, in which he served as a pilot. On 29 May 1934 he was tragically killed during a night flight in the Lubaczów area. He was buried at the Military Cemetery on Prandoty Street in Kraków.

Stanisław Jakubowski (1891–1951) — captain pilot of the Polish Army. He belonged to the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, where he was recorded as a pilot. His further fate is not widely known in available sources. He was buried at the St Mary Roman Catholic Cemetery in London.

Paweł Zygmunt Janeczko (1895–1944) — captain pilot of the Polish Army, Knight of the Virtuti Militari Order, Home Army soldier. He belonged to the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He served in the 1st, 8th, 9th and 10th Reconnaissance Squadrons of the Polish Army. During the September Campaign of 1939 he served as commander of Air Base No. 2. He was killed on 6 September 1944 in Równianki during wartime operations.

Józef Janik (1914–1942) — corporal pilot of the Polish Army. He belonged to the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. In the Polish Air Force in Great Britain he held the rank of Sergeant. He served in No. 304 Bomber Squadron “Silesia”. He was killed on 11 April 1942 during a raid on Essen — he was shot down by a night fighter after being illuminated by searchlights and crashed in the Kessel area near Goch, Germany. He was buried at the Reichswald Forest War Cemetery in Kleve, Germany.

Mieczysław Janus (1915–1938) – Lance Corporal pilot of the Polish Armed Forces, fighter pilot of the 123rd Fighter Squadron, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, younger brother of Stefan Janus – later Major pilot, fighter ace of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain. He was born on 18 June 1915 in Prokocim near Kraków. He came from a family strongly connected with Polish military aviation. His elder brother was Stefan Janus, who also served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków and during World War II commanded, among others, the 315 “City of Dęblin” Fighter Squadron and the I Fighter Wing. Mieczysław Janus chose his future in military aviation. He was assigned to the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, where he completed pilot training and was promoted to the rank of Lance Corporal. In 1937, he completed an advanced flying course at the Aviation Gunnery and Bombing School in Grudziądz, obtaining fighter pilot qualifications. After returning to Kraków, he was assigned to the 123rd Fighter Squadron of the 2nd Aviation Regiment. On 30 December 1938, he was killed during a training flight in the vicinity of Kraków. While flying at low altitude near Bieżanowska Street, his aircraft struck a building chimney. Despite the damage to the machine, the pilot managed to reach the vicinity of the Rakowice airfield; however, during the landing attempt, the aircraft crashed and Mieczysław Janus was killed. He was buried with military honours in the aviation section of the Rakowicki Cemetery in Kraków.

Roman Janus (1912–1937) – Corporal pilot of the Polish Armed Forces, pilot of the 21st Line Squadron and instructor at the Regimental Flying School, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, brother of Stefan and Mieczysław Janus. He was born on 12 April 1912 in Prokocim near Kraków. He was one of three brothers who devoted their lives to Polish military aviation. His brothers were Stefan Janus, later Major pilot and fighter ace of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain, and Mieczysław Janus, Lance Corporal pilot of the 123rd Fighter Squadron of the 2nd Aviation Regiment. After completing primary school, he was called up for military service and assigned to the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He subsequently volunteered for the NCO Pilot School, and after completing training returned to his parent regiment. He completed an advanced flying course at the Aviation Gunnery and Bombing School in Grudziądz, after which he was assigned to the 21st Line Squadron. He initially served as a supernumerary NCO, and subsequently as a career NCO. He was promoted to the rank of Corporal. In connection with the re-equipment of the 21st Line Squadron, he was sent to the 1st Aviation Regiment in Warsaw for conversion training on the new PZL.23 “Karaś” reconnaissance-bomber aircraft. After returning to Kraków, he became an instructor at the Regimental Flying School of the 2nd Aviation Regiment. On 28 July 1937, he was killed in an aviation accident near Liszki during a post-maintenance test flight of a PZL.23 “Karaś” aircraft. Three other members of the 21st Line Squadron personnel were killed with him: L/Cpl. Stanisław Jarguz, L/Cpl. Jan Koza, and Pte. 1st class Bolesław Ufir. Roman Janus was buried with military honours in the aviation section of the Rakowicki Cemetery in Kraków.

Stefan Władysław Janus (1910–1978) – Major pilot of the Polish Armed Forces, Squadron Leader of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain, fighter ace, commander of the 315 “City of Dęblin” Fighter Squadron and the I Fighter Wing, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He was born on 22 March 1910 in Wola Duchacka near Kraków, to the family of Ignacy and Władysława née Czyżewicz. He attended the 6th Tadeusz Kościuszko State Boys’ Gymnasium in Kraków. He initially served in the artillery, but in 1934 was assigned to the Aviation Officer Training Centre in Dęblin, where he completed a flying course. On 31 August 1935, he was assigned to the 22nd Line Squadron of the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. After completing an advanced flying course at the Aviation Gunnery and Bombing School in Grudziądz, he served successively in the 123rd and 122nd Fighter Squadrons. In 1938, he was transferred to the No. 1 Aviation Training Centre in Dęblin, where he served as an instructor. In September 1939, he participated in the evacuation of personnel from the Dęblin flying school. On 19 September, he crossed the Hungarian border and was subsequently interned. After escaping, he made his way through Yugoslavia and Greece to France. In 1940, he trained in North Africa and served in a Polish fighter flight assigned to the air defence of Algiers. After the fall of France, he was evacuated to Great Britain. In September 1940, he was assigned to the 308 “City of Kraków” Fighter Squadron. From December, he flew operational sorties, and in 1941 participated in offensive operations over occupied Europe. On 17 November 1941, he assumed command of the 315 “City of Dęblin” Fighter Squadron, and in 1942 became commander of the I Fighter Wing. He participated in, among others, the operation over Dieppe. According to the so-called Bajan list, he was credited with six confirmed aerial victories and one damaged, earning him the status of a fighter ace. On 26 January 1943, during a combat flight over France, his aircraft collided with another machine. Janus saved himself by parachute but was taken prisoner of war and held at Stalag Luft III in Żagań. He participated in the preparations for the escape from the camp but did not leave during the so-called Great Escape on the night of 24–25 March 1944. He regained his freedom in May 1945 and returned to Great Britain. After the war, he remained in exile. In 1953, he joined the Royal Air Force, in which he served until his retirement in 1965. For his combat service, he was decorated with, among others, the Silver Cross of the War Order of Virtuti Militari, the Cross of Valour four times, the British Distinguished Service Order, and the Distinguished Flying Cross. He died on 11 November 1978 in East Farleigh, Kent. His ashes were brought to Poland and interred at the Rakowicki Cemetery in Kraków.

Kazimierz Jarzębiński (1897–1957) – captain pilot of the Polish Army, later an officer of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. During World War I he served in the Polish Legions in the 2nd and 4th Infantry Regiments, where he was taken prisoner by the Russians in 1915. After Poland regained independence he joined the Polish Army, initially serving in the infantry (1st Podhale Rifles Regiment), before transferring to aviation. In 1923 he began service in the 3rd Aviation Regiment in Poznań, where he soon took command of the 15th Fighter Squadron (later the 112th Squadron). In 1924 he was promoted to captain. In subsequent years he held command positions in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, including the 21st and 26th Squadrons and the II/2 Line Group. In 1932 he served in a diplomatic capacity as assistant military attaché in Paris. In 1939 he served at the Aviation Officer Cadet School in Warsaw. After the September Campaign he made his way to Great Britain, where he served in the Polish Air Force and No. 303 Polish Fighter Squadron RAF. He remained in exile and died in 1957; he was buried in Sanderstead (Surrey).

Józef Jasiński (ur. 27 stycznia 1897 w Pieniakach – zm. 9 sierpnia 1975 w Londynie) – podpułkownik dyplomowany pilot Wojska Polskiego, oficer korpusu lotnictwa, związany z 2. Pułkiem Lotniczym w Krakowie. Służbę rozpoczął w armii austro-węgierskiej (1916), następnie w 1918 wstąpił do Armii Polskiej we Francji, gdzie służył w oddziałach pancernych jako dowódca plutonu czołgów. Wziął udział w walkach wojny polsko-bolszewickiej (1919–1920), m.in. pod Bobrujskiem, Dyneburgiem, Wilnem, Grodnem i Warszawą, za co został odznaczony Orderem Virtuti Militari oraz Krzyżem Walecznych. Po wojnie pozostał w Wojsku Polskim, służąc w 1 pułku czołgów, a następnie w 18 pułku piechoty. W 1923 ukończył szkolenie lotnicze i został przeniesiony do korpusu oficerów aeronautycznych, obejmując służbę w 2. Pułku Lotniczym w Krakowie oraz w Departamencie Żeglugi Powietrznej MSWojsk. W kolejnych latach pełnił wysokie funkcje sztabowe i szkoleniowe: m.in. w Polskiej Misji Wojskowej Zakupów w Paryżu (1928–1930), a następnie jako słuchacz Wyższej Szkoły Wojennej (1930–1932), którą ukończył jako oficer dyplomowany. Od 1932 służył w 3. Pułku Lotniczym, gdzie dowodził eskadrą i dywizjonem szkolnym. W latach 1935–1939 zajmował stanowiska sztabowe w Dowództwie Lotnictwa MSWojsk., dochodząc do stopnia podpułkownika. Po 1939 nie został przyjęty do Polskich Sił Powietrznych w Wielkiej Brytanii. Zmarł w Londynie w 1975 roku, jego prochy złożono w krematorium Golders Green.

Stanisław Jasiński (1891–1932). Staff-qualified colonel pilot of the Polish Army, one of the most distinguished Polish aviators of the interwar period. He was affiliated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. In 1908 he passed his secondary school leaving examination at the Realschule in Kołomyja, and then studied at the Mining Academy in Leoben. Between 1912 and 1914 he was a member of the Polish Rifle Squads. On 1 August 1914 he was called up to the 1st Uhlan Regiment of the Austro-Hungarian army. In August 1915 he completed the Reserve Cavalry Officer School, and in May 1916 the aerial observer school in Wiener Neustadt. From December 1916 to March 1918 he flew as an observer on the front, after which he completed basic pilot training and fighter pilot school in Sarajevo, assuming command of the 37th Fighter Aviation Company. After Poland regained independence in 1918 he joined the Polish Army. At the Rakowice airfield near Kraków he organised the 1st Combat Squadron (later the 5th Aviation Squadron), which he commanded until January 1920. He then served as commander of the 3rd Aviation Group, and from March to August 1920 was deputy head of Department III of Air Navigation at the Ministry of Military Affairs, simultaneously serving as head of Organisational Section I. After the war he served as chief of aviation at the Supreme Command of the Polish Army, where he advocated expansion of military aviation. In 1922 he completed an advanced course at the Higher War School, obtaining the title of General Staff officer. He was affiliated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. In 1924 he was promoted to lieutenant colonel, and in 1925 became aviation commissioner in Section IV of the General Staff. After three months he was transferred to the reserve at his own request. In 1928 he returned to active service as deputy commander of the 6th Aviation Regiment in Lwów. He then served as training inspector of the Aeronautics Department of the Ministry of Military Affairs, first deputy head of the Aeronautics Department, and commander of the 3rd Aeronautical Group. In 1932 he was promoted to colonel. He was killed on 10 August 1932 in a car accident in Nowy Sącz.

Walerian Jasionowski (born 10 February 1905 in Teliki – died 17 June 1977 in Los Angeles) was a Captain and pilot of the Polish Army and an officer of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain, associated with the 2nd Air Regiment in Kraków. In 1928 he graduated from the Officers’ Aviation School as an observer and was posted to the Naval Air Wing, where he served in the 2nd Naval Destroyer Escadrille (later the Naval Multi-Engine Escadrille). During this period he served, among other roles, as armament platoon commander, taking part in naval reconnaissance and strike aviation duties. In 1934 he was transferred to the 2nd Air Regiment in Kraków, where he underwent pilot training and was assigned to the 121st Fighter Escadrille. In the following years he held line and command posts, commanding an escadrille in 1937–1938. He was promoted to captain in 1938. During the September Campaign of 1939 he served as tactical officer of the III/2 Fighter Wing, and after the death of Mieczysław Medwecki he took command of the wing. He organised a radio guidance system for fighters and took part in combat operations. After the Soviet invasion he ordered the evacuation to Romania and then made his way through France to Great Britain. In 1940 he organised the training of Polish pilots in France before evacuating to Great Britain, where he received RAF service number P-0702. In 1940 he briefly commanded No. 308 Fighter Squadron, then being formed. In 1942–1943 he served with No. 315 and No. 303 Fighter Squadrons, and later held staff positions within RAF and USAAF structures as an operations officer and fighter controller. After the war he graduated from the Higher Aviation School and remained in exile. He settled in the United States, where he died in Los Angeles in 1977.

Stefan Jasnorzewski (born 20 August 1901 in Burzanka – died 23 August 1970 in London) was a Captain and pilot of the Polish Army and the Polish Air Force in Great Britain, a participant in the Battle of Britain, associated with the 2nd Air Regiment in Kraków. He came from a landed gentry family in Volhynia. He was educated in Kyiv and, after the October Revolution, returned to the reborn Poland and joined the Polish Army. He was among the first military aviators of the Second Polish Republic, serving as a lieutenant in the 2nd Air Regiment in Kraków. From 1934 to 1939 he served as an instructor at the Aviation Training Centre in Dęblin, where his roles included instructor and adjutant. In 1931 he married the poet Maria Pawlikowska-Jasnorzewska. After the outbreak of the Second World War he evacuated with his wife through Romania and France to Great Britain. There he served in the RAF under service number P-0571 with the rank of Flight Lieutenant. He took part in activities connected with the Battle of Britain, also serving in ground and technical roles. After his wife’s death in 1945 he withdrew from active service. He died in London in 1970 and was buried beside his wife in Southern Cemetery, Manchester.

Józef Jeleń (1917–1939). Second lieutenant pilot of the Polish Army. He was affiliated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków and the 22nd Light Bomber Squadron. He was killed on 3 September 1939 during the September Campaign. He was buried at the Municipal Cemetery on Dworcowa Street in Olesno.

Jan Kazimierz Józefkowicz (1913–?). First lieutenant pilot of the Polish Army and Flight Lieutenant RAF. He was affiliated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, where he was recorded as an observer. He served in No. 307 Fighter Squadron and the 21st Light Bomber Squadron. His further fate is unknown in available sources. He was buried in Orangeville, Canada.

Paweł Kaczmarczyk (1901–1987). First lieutenant pilot of the Polish Army, officer of the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków as a military pilot. In the 1930s he was recorded in regimental documents as an active pilot. Further details of his service and life are not known.

Kazimierz Kalinowski (1901–1925). Corporal pilot of the Polish Army, soldier of the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, member of the 21st Light Bomber Squadron. He served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, where he was a member of the 21st Light Bomber Squadron. During his service he carried out flying duties as a military pilot. He was killed on 13 August 1925 in an air accident near Ojców in an Ansaldo A.300 aircraft, together with cavalry lieutenant Paszkiewicz. He was buried at the Military Cemetery on Prandoty Street in Kraków.

Tadeusz Kalinowski (1916–1939). Second lieutenant observer of the Polish Army, graduate of the Aviation Officer Cadet School in Dęblin, officer of the 22nd Bomber Squadron of the Bomber Brigade, participant in the 1939 Polish Campaign. He graduated from the Aviation Officer Cadet School in Dęblin (11th class). On 15 October 1938 he was commissioned as a second lieutenant observer and assigned to the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. During the 1939 Polish Campaign he served as an observer in the 22nd Bomber Squadron, operating within the Bomber Brigade. On 3 September 1939 he took off from the Kamień airfield near Radom in a PZL P.23 “Karaś” aircraft as crew commander, with pilot Corporal Gustaw Hławiczka and gunner Private A. Ustupski. The crew carried out a bombing mission against German armoured columns in the Radomsko–Pławno area, after which they were attacked by German fighters. Despite the rear gunner shooting down one of them, the aircraft was seriously damaged; during the forced landing Kalinowski sustained severe injuries. Wounded, he was rescued by local civilians and transported to Warsaw, where he died on 18 September 1939. He was buried at the Powązki Military Cemetery in Warsaw.

Władysław Kalkus (1892–1945). Brigadier general of the Polish Army, pilot, Knight of the War Order of Virtuti Militari. After completing officer school in 1913 he began service in the Austro-Hungarian army, participating in combat on the fronts of World War I. After Poland regained independence he joined the Polish Army. In 1918 he took part in the defence of Lwów, and subsequently linked his military career with aviation. In 1921 he assumed command of a reconnaissance squadron, later serving as commander of an aviation group. He also served at the Central Aviation Works and the Ministry of Military Affairs. He was associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. In 1929 he became deputy commander of the aviation regiment in Poznań. In 1938 he held the position of aviation commander of the Independent Operational Group “Silesia”. During the 1939 Polish Campaign he served as aviation commander at the Ministry of Military Affairs. After the war he lived in exile in Great Britain, where he died on 25 February 1945. He was buried at Layton Cemetery in Blackpool.

Edward Karaś (1892–1977). Major observer of the Polish Army, aviator, officer of the Polish Armed Forces, participant in the Polish-Bolshevik War, Knight of the War Order of Virtuti Militari. He began his military service in the Polish Legions, fighting in the 2nd and 3rd Infantry Regiments. After the end of World War I he joined the Polish Armed Forces in France, and in 1919 served in the 580th Salmson Reconnaissance Squadron. After returning to Poland he took part in the fighting for Gdańsk Pomerania and on the Lithuanian-Belarusian front.

During the Polish-Bolshevik War he assumed command of the 18th Reconnaissance Squadron, which in the final phase of the conflict was converted into a fighter unit. After the war he continued service in Polish aviation. In 1922 he became commander of the 8th Reconnaissance Squadron, and then commanded the 2nd Group in the 2nd Aviation Regiment. In 1929 he took up the post of deputy commander of the 2nd Aviation Regiment, and in 1933 became commandant of the 3rd Aviation Regiment in Poznań, where he served until 1937. He was decorated with, among others, the Silver Cross of the War Order of Virtuti Militari, four Crosses of Valour, the Cross of Independence, and the Observer’s Field Badge.

He died on 18 December 1977 in Bochnia and was buried at the municipal cemetery in Bochnia.

Stanisław Karpiński (1891–1982). Brigadier general pilot of the Polish Army, officer of the Polish Air Force in the West, participant in World War I and World War II, instructor, émigré activist, author of aviation literature. In 1913 he was called up to the army of the Russian Empire, where he served in the 15th Artillery Brigade. In 1915 he graduated from the Military Aviation School in Odessa, obtaining a military pilot diploma. He then served in the 36th Aviation Group operating on the Russian-Romanian front. In 1917 he was shot down by anti-aircraft artillery, and after convalescence served as an instructor at the aviation school in Odessa. That same year he joined the secret Union of Poles in the Military in Odessa, participating in the organisation of Polish aviation units. In 1918 he made his way to the reborn Polish Army. He took part in the Polish-Bolshevik War, where he commanded aviation operations and co-created the Combat Aviation Detachment of the Polish Army. In 1920 he was promoted to lieutenant, and in 1922 to captain. He served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. In the interwar period he was one of the pioneers of sport and long-distance aviation. In 1931 he completed a rally around Poland and Europe, in 1932 a flight to Asia, and in 1935 an attempt to fly to Australia. He was also the author of aviation books and publications, including on long-distance flights, as well as the screenplay for the aviation film “The Winged Victor” (1923). After the outbreak of World War II he served as liaison officer with the air forces of France and Great Britain on the staff of the Commander-in-Chief of Aviation, Gen. Józef Zając. After evacuation through Romania he organised Polish aviation in France, and subsequently in Great Britain. In 1940 he was promoted to colonel, and after the war assumed command of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain. After the dissolution of the PAF he remained in exile. From 1950 to 1954 he served as president of the Association of Polish Airmen in Great Britain. In 1958 he settled in Los Angeles, where he died on 30 January 1982. He was decorated with, among others, the Silver Cross of the War Order of Virtuti Militari, the Commander’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta, the Cross of Valour, the Medal of Independence, the Gold Cross of Merit, and the British Order of the British Empire.

Ludwik Karst (1898–1940). Captain pilot of the Polish Army, officer of training aviation, flying instructor, victim of the Katyn massacre. He served in the Polish Army from 1918. He graduated from the Infantry Officer Cadet School in Bydgoszcz, after which he linked his career with aviation. He was associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He completed an instructor course at the Aviation Officer Training Centre. From 1937 he served as commander of the training squadron at the Advanced Piloting School in Grudziądz. In 1938 he was promoted to captain. In January 1939 he took up the position of adjutant to the commandant of the Advanced Piloting School.

After the Soviet invasion of Poland he was arrested and interned at the camp in Kozelsk. In 1940 he became one of the victims of the Katyn massacre.

Włodzimierz Eugeniusz Karwowski (1912–1978). Second lieutenant pilot of the Polish Army, officer of the Polish Air Force, fighter ace, commander of No. 306 “Toruń” Polish Fighter Squadron. Son of Mikołaj and Aniela née Chodnikiewicz. He graduated from the Stefan Żeromski State Grammar School for Boys in Kielce, where he passed his school-leaving examination in 1934. He then completed a general course at the Infantry Officer Cadet School in Różan, after which in 1935 he entered the Aviation Officer Cadet School in Dęblin, graduating on 15 October 1937 with a commission as second lieutenant. During this period he changed his surname from Chłopek to Karwowski. After completing training he was assigned to the 133rd Fighter Squadron of the 3rd Aviation Regiment in Poznań. He was also affiliated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. Following the disbandment of the squadron in 1937 he served as an instructor at the Aviation Officer Cadet School in Dęblin. After the outbreak of World War II he evacuated through Romania, Yugoslavia and Greece to France, where he trained on MS.406 aircraft. In March 1940 he joined French Fighter Group II/6, claiming two aerial victories over German aircraft. After the fall of France he made his way to Great Britain, where on 23 July 1940 he was assigned to No. 302 “Poznań” Polish Fighter Squadron. He took part in the Battle of Britain, shooting down a German Ju 88 bomber on 18 September 1940. In 1941 he assumed command of “B” Flight in No. 302 Squadron, then served in No. 316 “Warsaw” Polish Fighter Squadron, and from 1943 commanded No. 306 “Toruń” Polish Fighter Squadron. After the war he served as an instructor in RAF units, including the 61 Operational Training Unit and the Central Gunnery School. In 1947 he left the service with the rank of major (Polish Air Force) and Flight Lieutenant RAF. He settled in New Zealand, where he ran a farm. He died on 29 May 1978 in Auckland and was buried at Purewa Cemetery.

Tomasz Kasprzyk (?–?). First lieutenant observer of the Polish Army, aviation officer, soldier of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain. He served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków as an observer. During World War II he continued service in the Polish Air Force in Great Britain, where he was assigned to No. 305 “Wielkopolska” Polish Bomber Squadron. On the night of 2–3 May 1941 he was shot down by a night fighter. His aircraft crashed in the Budel area, and the crew was taken prisoner by the Germans.

Tadeusz Kaszycki (1910–1988). Reserve first lieutenant pilot of the Polish Army, officer of the 23rd Auxiliary Squadron, participant in the 1939 Polish Campaign. He served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. During the 1939 Polish Campaign he was a member of the 23rd Auxiliary Squadron, carrying out flying duties in combat operations. After the war he lived in exile. He died on 19 April 1988 in London.

Tadeusz Wilhelm Kawalecki (1915–1971). Captain pilot of the Polish Army, officer of No. 151 Squadron RAF, participant in the Battle of Britain. He served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. In March 1939 he belonged to the 121st Fighter Squadron. During World War II he fought in the Polish Air Force in Great Britain as a member of No. 151 Squadron RAF.

He was buried at Avondale Cemetery in Stratford, Canada.

Erwin Stanisław Kawnik (1913–1941). Second lieutenant pilot of the Polish Army, officer of No. 308 Fighter Squadron, last commander of the 123rd Fighter Squadron during the 1939 Polish Campaign. He served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. During the 1939 Polish Campaign he served as the last commander of the 123rd Fighter Squadron. During World War II he served in No. 308 “Kraków” Polish Fighter Squadron of the Polish Air Force. He died on 2 July 1941.

Antoni Kępczyński (1917–1989). Corporal pilot of the Polish Army, mechanic electrician, soldier of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain. He served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków as a corporal pilot and electrician. During World War II he was associated with No. 303 and No. 308 Fighter Squadrons. He died on 25 August 1989 in Warsaw.

Jan Klimek (?–1939). Officer cadet observer of the Polish Army, officer of the 22nd Bomber Squadron, participant in the 1939 Polish Campaign. He served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków as a member of the 22nd Bomber Squadron. He was killed on 3 September 1939. He was buried at the Transfiguration Parish Cemetery in Częstochowa.

Antoni Kłosiński (1904–1943). Captain observer of the Polish Army, officer of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain, commander of the 22nd Bomber Squadron, World War II participant. In 1925 he was sent to the Aviation Officer School in Grudziądz, which he completed in 1927 as an observer (1st class, 37th in ranking) in the rank of sergeant officer cadet observer. He was assigned to the 21st Line Squadron of the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. In 1928 he was promoted to second lieutenant, in 1931 to first lieutenant, and in 1937 to captain. From September 1934 he served as commandant of the Military-Aviation Pre-Training at the Kraków Aero Club. From 1935 to 1937 he commanded Platoon I/26. From 23 October 1937 to 31 December 1938 he was commander of the 22nd Bomber Squadron of the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. From 1938 to 1939 he attended the 3rd Course at the Higher Aviation School in Warsaw. After the September Campaign of 1939 he made his way through Romania and France to Great Britain, where he joined the RAF. Initially he served in ground duties, then underwent training as an air gunner (18 OTU) and was assigned to No. 301 Squadron. From 1942 to 1943 he also trained as a navigator at No. 5 Air Observers School and again at 18 OTU.

On 22 May 1943 he took off from RAF Finningley in a Wellington BJ656 on a training flight. The aircraft broke up in mid-air over Swanbourne; the entire crew was killed. He was buried at Halton cemetery.

Roman Kloss (?–?). First lieutenant pilot of the Polish Army, aviation officer, transferred from the artillery corps to aviation service. Between 1924 and 1939 he was transferred from the artillery officers corps to permanent aviation service. He served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków.

Karol Kłyszcz (1914–1941) – corporal pilot of the Polish Army, airman of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain. He served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków as a military pilot. After the outbreak of World War II he made his way to Great Britain and continued service in the Polish Air Force. He was associated with the 3rd Operational Training Unit, where he participated in flying training. He died on 28 March 1941. He was buried in Devon, Great Britain.

Ryszard Koczor (1916–1940) – officer cadet pilot of the Polish Army, officer of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain, pilot of No. 308 Fighter Squadron. He served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. After the defeat of Poland in 1939 he made his way to Great Britain, where he continued service in the Polish Air Force. During World War II he was a pilot of No. 308 Fighter Squadron. He was killed on 2 December 1940 during a training flight. His aircraft collided with barrage balloon cables in fog and crashed near Ryton-on-Dunsmore in Warwickshire, England.

Mieczysław Konarski (1896–1982) – captain pilot of the Polish Army, technical officer of military aviation. He served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, where he performed duties as a technical officer. He was also associated with the Officer Cadet Schools Command, participating in the training and organisation of military cadres. After completing his service he lived in exile in Great Britain. He died on 24 August 1982. He was buried at St. Pancras Cemetery in London.

Jan Konikowski (?–?) – first lieutenant observer of the Polish Army, officer of the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. In May 1939 he was a member of the 29th Auxiliary Squadron. During the 1939 Polish Campaign he served in the 26th Auxiliary Squadron, carrying out observation and reconnaissance duties. During combat operations his aircraft was shot down by German anti-aircraft defences. After being shot down he was taken prisoner. His further fate remains unknown, and in sources he is listed as missing.

Kazimierz Konopka (1899–1953) – sergeant pilot of the Polish Army, soldier of the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków as a military pilot. During his service he performed flying duties within the unit. He died on 23 August 1953. He was buried at a cemetery in Kraków.

Walenty Kopa (1915–1942). Corporal pilot of the Polish Army, pilot of No. 316 “Warsaw” Polish Fighter Squadron, participant in the 1939 Polish Campaign and the Polish Air Force in the West. He served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, where he was a member of the 23rd Auxiliary Squadron, serving as a pilot. During the 1939 Polish Campaign he took part in the squadron’s combat operations. After the defeat of Poland he made his way to France, and subsequently to Great Britain, where he served in No. 316 “Warsaw” Polish Fighter Squadron.

He was killed on 20 February 1942 after being shot down; he ditched in the sea near Fécamp, France. Despite using a rescue dinghy he drowned.

Jan Kopciuch (1901–1931). Sergeant pilot of the Polish Army, airman of the 2nd Aviation Regiment. He served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment, where he performed duties as a military pilot. He was killed in a flying accident on 18 September 1931. He was buried at the parish cemetery on Miechowska Street in Wolbrom.

Jan Korepta (1916–1942). Senior private pilot of the Polish Army, Sergeant of the Royal Air Force, airman of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain.

In 1937 he joined the 23rd Auxiliary Squadron of the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, which during the September Campaign of 1939 performed reconnaissance and observation duties. The squadron carried out reconnaissance missions over the Gródek Jagielloński area and the Janów Forests, among others. After the defeat of Poland he made his way through Romania and France to Great Britain, where he underwent RAF training. He was then assigned to No. 305 Polish Bomber Squadron of the Polish Air Force. He was killed on 28 August 1942 during a raid on Saarbrücken. His aircraft was shot down by a night fighter over Belgium; the machine exploded in mid-air and fell in the Wihogne area near Liège. He was buried at Heverlee War Cemetery in Belgium.

Antoni Kosturkiewicz (1914–1942) – corporal pilot of the Polish Army, Flight Sergeant of the Royal Air Force, soldier of the Polish Air Force, pilot of No. 304 Bomber Squadron. He served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, where during the 1939 Polish Campaign he was a member of the 22nd Bomber Squadron. He took part in the combat operations of the Polish Army’s bomber aviation. After evacuation to Great Britain he joined the Polish Air Force and served in No. 304 Squadron. He died on 11 July 1942 as a result of a flying accident during a training flight. After taking off from RAF Bramcote there was an engine failure and a forced landing, during which he was killed. He was buried at Newark-on-Trent cemetery in Great Britain.

Paweł Kowala (1913–2004) – senior private pilot of the Polish Army, non-commissioned officer of aviation, soldier of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain, pilot of No. 308 “Kraków” Polish Fighter Squadron. On 5 November 1935 he was called up to active military service and assigned to the 2nd Aviation Regiment at Kraków-Rakowice. After recruit training he completed an aircraft maintenance course, then served as an assistant mechanic in the 122nd Fighter Squadron. In the following years he underwent further NCO and instructor training in the Training Squadron of the 2nd Aviation Regiment and as an instructor on NCO courses. In 1937 he began pilot training, which he completed in 1938. He then attended a course at the Piloting School in Grudziądz, where he trained on PZL P.7 aircraft in aerobatics and air combat. After returning to the 122nd Squadron he served as a pilot, advancing to the rank of professional NCO. After the outbreak of World War II he took part in the September Campaign of 1939. After the defeat he made his way through Romania and France to Great Britain, where he joined the Polish Air Force. He served in No. 308 “Kraków” Polish Fighter Squadron, taking part in the defence of Birmingham and Coventry, as well as patrols over southern England and convoy escorts. After the war he remained in Great Britain, where he was demobilised and stayed in exile. He worked as a civilian watchmaker. He died in December 2004 in London. He was decorated with, among others, the Cross of Valour, the Air Medal (twice), and the Pilot’s Field Badge (No. 564).

Eugeniusz Kowalczyk (1903–1949) – major pilot of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain, officer of No. 300 Bomber Squadron, instructor and training squadron commander, World War II participant. He completed a commercial school in Radom, after which in 1925 he entered the Aviation Officer School in Grudziądz. He graduated with 54th placing (1st class) in the rank of sergeant officer cadet observer and was assigned to the 21st Line Squadron of the 2nd Aviation Regiment. In 1930 he underwent pilot training, and from 1931 to 1933 served as sports officer of the 2nd Aviation Regiment. In 1935 he was transferred to the Military-Aviation Pre-Training Centre in Sadków, where he commanded the training piloting squadron. In 1938 he was promoted to captain. In March 1939 he served at the Reserve Aviation Officer Cadet School in Sadków as a training squadron commander. After the outbreak of World War II he was evacuated eastward and fell into Soviet captivity. He was held in labour camps in Siberia, after which he joined Anders’ Army. He followed the evacuation route through Totskoye, Kuybyshev, Koltubanka and Kermine, then through Persia and Palestine reached Great Britain. In 1942 he assumed command of the “Liaison Squadron attached to Gen. Anders’ Army in the USSR”. He joined the Polish Air Force in the RAF (service number P-2042) and flew combat missions with No. 300 Bomber Squadron. After the war he was demobilised and repatriated to Poland. He died on 7 November 1949 in Gliwice. He was buried in the family grave at the Roman Catholic cemetery on Limanowskiego Street in Radom.

Tadeusz Kowalecki (1915–1971) – second lieutenant pilot of the Polish Army, officer of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain, pilot of No. 151 Squadron RAF, instructor and staff officer, Battle of Britain veteran. He graduated from Lwów Polytechnic in 1932, followed by the Aviation Officer Cadet School in Dęblin. From 1938 he served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment, and in 1939 in the 121st Fighter Squadron. After the September Campaign he made his way through Romania to France, and then to Great Britain in 1940. During the Battle of Britain he flew with No. 151 Squadron RAF on Hurricane aircraft. He then served as an instructor at piloting schools and on the staff of No. 84 Group RAF. In April 1945 he was taken prisoner by the Germans during a flight over the Netherlands, and was liberated on 6 May 1945. After the war he was discharged from service in 1946 with the rank of Squadron Leader and emigrated to Canada. He died on 19 April 1971 in Stratford, Ontario, and was buried at Avondale Cemetery.

Konstanty Koziełło (1895–1926) – major observer of the Polish Army, aviation officer, Knight of the War Order of Virtuti Militari, participant in the Polish-Bolshevik War. He completed the Cadet Corps in Polotsk and artillery school, obtaining the rank of ensign. In 1917 he was promoted to second lieutenant. After the end of hostilities in 1918 he returned to Poland and on 31 December 1918 was accepted into the Polish Army. He served in the 8th Field Artillery Regiment, where he held battery command positions. In 1919 he was transferred to the 7th Field Artillery Regiment, and then to the Aerial Observer Officer School in Warsaw. In 1920 he completed the observer course and was assigned to the 14th, and subsequently the 10th Reconnaissance Squadron. He took part in the Polish-Bolshevik War, for which he was awarded the Silver Cross of the War Order of Virtuti Militari. He then served as an observer in the 12th Reconnaissance Squadron. In the post-war years he served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, and in 1922 was verified at the rank of captain. He was then transferred to the 1st Aviation Regiment in Warsaw, where he served as a tactical officer. In 1923 he completed an advanced course at the Infantry Officer Cadet School, after which he assumed the post of NCO school commandant. In 1924 he became commander of the 12th Reconnaissance Squadron, and in 1925 again served as the regiment’s tactical officer. On 3 May 1926 he was promoted to major. He was killed on 15 May 1926 during the May Coup while carrying out a reconnaissance flight – his aircraft was shot down. He was buried at the Powązki Cemetery in Warsaw.

Franciszek Kozłowski (1917–1943) – second lieutenant pilot of the Polish Army, officer of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain, pilot of No. 501 Squadron RAF and No. 316 “Warsaw” Polish Fighter Squadron. In 1936 he passed his school-leaving examination at the State Teacher Training Seminary in Jędrzejów. From 1 September 1936 he served at the Infantry Officer Cadet School in Różan, and from 3 January 1937 at the Aviation Officer Cadet School in Dęblin. On 15 June 1939 he was assigned to the 122nd Squadron in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. During the 1939 Polish Campaign his unit operated within the “Kraków” Army. On 1 September 1939 he flew three combat sorties, and on 2 and 3 September took part in air combats resulting in the downing of enemy aircraft. After the Soviet invasion on 17 September 1939 he evacuated to Romania, and then through the Middle East and France reached Great Britain. He joined the Polish Air Force in the RAF. He underwent training at No. 5 Operational Training Unit at Aston Down on Hurricane aircraft. On 5 August 1940 he was assigned to No. 501 Fighter Squadron RAF. During the Battle of Britain he was shot down on 18 August 1940 and underwent a lengthy convalescence. After returning to duty on 25 February 1941 he was assigned to No. 316 “Warsaw” Polish Fighter Squadron. He went missing on 13 March 1943 during an escort combat flight over France. He was buried at the war cemetery in Hautot-sur-Mer near Dieppe.

Jan Kremski (1914–1941) – corporal pilot of the Polish Army, officer cadet and officer of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain (Flying Officer RAF), fighter ace, participant in the 1939 Polish Campaign, the 1940 French Campaign and the Battle of Britain. He served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. In 1937, together with Lt. Władysław Nowak and 2nd Lt. Antoni Ostowicz, he won the Central Fighter Aviation Competition, claiming the Col. Pilot Stanisław Jasiński Cup. During the 1939 Polish Campaign he fought in the 121st Fighter Squadron. On 1 September he scored a victory over a He 111 near Skoczów, and on 3 September took part in the downing of another He 111. He also participated in air combats over Trzyniec and Kłaj, as well as in damaging Hs 126 and Do 17 aircraft. During the fighting in France in 1940 he operated with the 5th “Kos” V Section, where he took part in the destruction of several He 111 bombers. After evacuation to Great Britain he was given service number P-1531 and served in No. 145 Squadron RAF, followed by No. 308 Fighter Squadron. On 7 July 1941 he scored a victory over a Me 109 during Operation Circus 38. He was killed on 14 August 1941 during combat over France near Saint-Omer, flying Spitfire IIA (P8310, ZF-E). He was buried at the war cemetery in Dunkirk.

Chrystian Kretowicz (1896–1975) – major observer of the Polish Army. He was born on 13 August 1896 in Lwów and died on 3 June 1975 in San Diego. During World War I he served in the Polish Legions in the ranks of the 1st Brigade of the Polish Legions, and subsequently took part in the Polish-Bolshevik War. After Poland regained independence he served in the Polish Army, including the 39th Infantry Regiment (1922). In 1923, 1924 and 1934 he was an officer of the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, associated with aviation as an observer. During World War II he served in the Polish Army in the East. After the war he remained in exile in the United States, where he died in San Diego.

Tadeusz Krieger (?–?) – senior private pilot of the Polish Army, soldier of the 122nd Fighter Squadron of the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, in the 122nd Fighter Squadron. In records he is listed as a pilot in the rank of senior private. No further data regarding his subsequent fate, course of service or dates of life are available.

Antoni Krok (1900–1921) – sergeant pilot of the Polish Army, soldier of the 14th Aviation Squadron in Kraków. He served in the 14th Aviation Squadron in Kraków as a military pilot. During his service he carried out flying duties within the unit. He was killed in a flying accident on 21 November 1921. He was buried at the Rakowicki Cemetery in Kraków.

Aleksander Król (1890–1971). Architect and engineer, monument conservator, officer of the Polish Army in the rank of lieutenant colonel of administration. He began military service in 1918 as an artillery lieutenant. In 1919 he was transferred to aviation, where he served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków as an observer. From 1921 to 1923 he participated in conservation work at the Royal Castle in Warsaw. After completing his studies at the Lwów Polytechnic in 1928 he was transferred to the Construction Department of the Ministry of Military Affairs, where he served for eight years. In 1939 he held the position of head of the Inspection Section. After the end of World War II he settled in Warsaw, where he continued working as an architect and monument conservator. He was also an active social activist and member of the Warsaw Chapter of the Association of Polish Architects (SARP).

Stanisław Król (1916–1944). First lieutenant observer of the Polish Army, pilot of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain, officer of No. 74 Squadron RAF, World War II participant, victim of the so-called “Great Escape”. He was born on 22 March 1916 in Zagorzyce near Kielce. He obtained his school-leaving certificate at Cadet Corps No. 3 in Chełmno. In 1937 he completed glider training at Ustianowa, and then began a divisional reserve officer cadet course attached to the 4th Legions Infantry Regiment in Kielce. In January 1938 he was admitted to the Aviation Officer Cadet School in Dęblin, where he trained as a fighter pilot. He served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. On 1 September 1939 he was commissioned as a second lieutenant. After the outbreak of war he made his way through Romania and the Middle East to France, where he joined the Polish Air Force. After evacuation to Great Britain he trained on Supermarine Spitfire aircraft and was assigned to No. 74 Squadron RAF. He flew escort missions over the English Channel and occupied France. On 2 July 1941 he was shot down during a combat flight and taken prisoner by the Germans. He was interned at Stalag Luft III in Żagań, where he made escape attempts, including those connected with preparations for the so-called “Great Escape”. After one of the escapes he was captured by the Gestapo and murdered on 12 April 1944 in Wrocław.

Tadeusz Król (1913–1939). Second lieutenant observer of the Polish Army, aviation officer, participant in the 1939 Polish Campaign. He was affiliated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, member of the 1st Bomber Squadron of Aviation. During the 1939 Polish Campaign he carried out combat missions as part of the bomber aviation. He was shot down on 3 September 1939 in the Kozów area near Dąbrowa Wielka. He was buried at the Red Army cemetery in Sieradz.

Wacław Król (1915–1991). Colonel pilot of the Polish Army, fighter ace of the Polish Air Force in the West, aviation historian and journalist. In 1934 he passed his school-leaving examination and completed a glider course at Ustianowa. He then entered the Infantry Officer Cadet School in Różan, and later the Aviation Officer Cadet School in Dęblin. After graduating in 1937 he was commissioned as a second lieutenant and assigned to the 123rd Fighter Squadron in Kraków. During the 1939 Polish Campaign he took part in combat operations, shooting down two German aircraft. After the September defeat he made his way through Romania to France, and then to Great Britain. He served in No. 302 Squadron, where he scored further aerial victories, downing a Messerschmitt Bf 109 and a Junkers Ju 88, among others. He then fought in North Africa as part of “Skalski’s Circus”. He commanded the 131st Fighter Wing. After the war he returned to Poland, where he worked as an air traffic controller and pursued journalism and historical writing, documenting the history of Polish aviation. He died on 15 June 1991 in Warsaw.

Stanisław Krzystyniak (1906–1962) – staff-qualified lieutenant colonel pilot of the Polish Army. He was born on 19 September 1906 in Wojtkowa and spent part of his childhood with his grandparents in Nowy Targ. In 1929 he graduated from the Aviation Officer Cadet School and was assigned to the 2nd Aviation Regiment. In March 1939 he completed a course at the Infantry Training Centre before his planned admission to the Higher Aviation School. After the defeat of Poland in 1939 he evacuated to Romania, and then through France reached Great Britain, where he joined the RAF (No. 76639). After training he was assigned to No. 301 Bomber Squadron. He took part in combat flights over Germany, including a raid on Berlin (14 April 1941), during which his Wellington was severely damaged, though he managed to bail out of the burning aircraft. From 1 April 1942 he served as squadron commander. On the night of 26/27 June 1942 he participated in the “Thousand Bomber Raid” on Bremen. His aircraft was damaged and he ditched in the North Sea; the crew was rescued by the Germans and sent to Stalag Luft III in Żagań, where he remained until the end of the war. After the war he remained in the RAF and did not return to Poland. He died on 18 July 1962 and was buried in England.

Kazimierz Kubala (1893–1976) – major observer of the Polish Army, Master of Pharmacy, World War I veteran and participant in the wars of independence, aviation officer of the Second Polish Republic, Knight of the Silver Cross of the War Order of Virtuti Militari. He studied at the Jan Kazimierz University in Lwów, but his studies were interrupted by the outbreak of World War I. On 1 August 1914 he was conscripted into the Austro-Hungarian army, where he completed the One-Year Volunteer School in Freiburg. He served in the 13th and 58th Infantry Regiments, and in 1916 was sent to the Observer School in Wiener Neustadt. As an aerial observer he fought on the Italian and Albanian fronts in balloon and aviation units. After 1918 he transferred to the Polish Army, participating in the organisation of aviation at the Rakowice airfield. During the Polish-Ukrainian and Polish-Bolshevik Wars he served as a tactical officer in the 3rd Aviation Group, flying 158 combat sorties over enemy territory. After the war he was demobilised, completed pharmaceutical studies and obtained a Master of Pharmacy degree. In 1922 he returned to active service, taking up positions at the Central Aviation Workshops in Warsaw. From 1924 to 1925 he completed pilot training in Bydgoszcz and Grudziądz, and then served in the Polish Military Procurement Mission in Paris. He was navigator to Maj. Pilot Ludwik Idzikowski during two attempts to fly across the Atlantic in an Amiot 123 “Marshal Piłsudski” aircraft (1928–1929). After returning to Poland he took up a position in the 6th Aviation Regiment in Lwów and worked at the Aviation Technical Research Institute. In the 1930s he came into conflict with the leadership of the Aeronautics Department, criticising the state’s aviation policy. As a result he was charged with defamation, sentenced to imprisonment and dismissed from service. After serving his sentence he emigrated to Brazil in 1933. He died on 13 April 1976 in São Paulo.

Leon Kubarski (?–?) – corporal pilot of the Polish Army, soldier of the 26th Auxiliary Squadron. He served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, in the 26th Auxiliary Squadron. During the 1939 Polish Campaign he took part in the squadron’s combat operations. During one of the combat flights he was severely wounded – he sustained injuries to both legs and his left lung. His further fate and date of death remain unknown.

Władysław Kułakowski (born 19 June 1900 – died 4 September 1939) was a Captain and pilot of the Polish Army and an officer of the 2nd Air Regiment in Kraków. He took part in the Polish–Soviet War of 1920, serving in reconnaissance escadrilles. In the interwar period he served as an air force officer in the 2nd Air Regiment in Kraków, and from 1937 he was commandant of the Civil Pilots’ School at Aleksandrowice near Bielsko-Biała and commandant of Aviation Military Training (PWL). On 4 September 1939 he took off in an RWD-8 aircraft from Aleksandrowice airfield, intending to fly to Dęblin. Over Opatów he was mistakenly shot down by friendly anti-aircraft artillery and killed. He was buried in the cemetery on Lipowa Street in Lublin (airmen’s section).

Tadeusz Leon Kumięga (1916–1995) – second lieutenant pilot of the Polish Army, officer of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain and the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, pilot of No. 17 Squadron RAF and No. 317 “Wilno” Polish Fighter Squadron. In 1938 he graduated from the Aviation Officer Cadet School in Dęblin. He was associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment. In January 1940 he was admitted to the RAFVR at RAF Eastchurch. He then underwent training at the Polish Wing of the 3rd School of Technical Training in Blackpool and at No. 15 EFTS in Carlisle, followed by No. 6 OTU at Sutton Bridge, where he trained on Hawker Hurricane aircraft. On 1 September 1940 he was assigned to No. 17 Squadron RAF at Tangmere. On 29 October 1940 he took part in an air combat in which he participated in the downing of a Messerschmitt Bf 109. On 22 February 1941 he transferred to No. 317 “Wilno” Polish Fighter Squadron, where on 18 December 1941 he scored another combat victory over a Bf 109. For his combat service he was decorated with the Cross of Valour and its Bar. In subsequent years he held liaison and staff positions in the RAF, including at RAF Matlask and at Air Defence of Great Britain (ADGB) as acting Squadron Leader. After the war he remained in RAF service, where he held administrative positions and flew on duty. In 1966 he retired with the rank of Flight Lieutenant and settled in Great Britain. He died on 28 October 1995 and was buried at Queensgate Cemetery in Beverley, Yorkshire.

Marian Kuna (?–?) – second lieutenant observer of the Polish Army, officer of the 21st Light Bomber Squadron. He served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, in the 21st Light Bomber Squadron as an observer. No further data regarding his subsequent fate, course of service or dates of life are available.

Jan Kuroś (1897–1923). First lieutenant pilot of the Polish Army, officer of the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, participant in aviation service during the early development of Polish military aviation. He served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków and was a member of the 14th Reconnaissance Squadron. During his service he carried out reconnaissance duties in military aviation. He died on 1 November 1923. He was buried at the Garrison Cemetery in Poznań.

Adam Kurowski (born 30 November 1897 – died 9 October 1979 in Warsaw) was a Captain and observer of the Polish Army, an officer of the 2nd Air Regiment in Kraków, chief of staff of the air component of the Poznań Army, and an aviation historian and writer. During the First World War he served in the Russian Army with the 21st Artillery Brigade. After returning home in 1918 he joined the Polish Army, serving first in the artillery and then in aviation. In 1923 he graduated from the School of Aerial Observers and Gunners in Toruń and was transferred to the Aeronautical Officers’ Corps, receiving a posting to the 2nd Air Regiment in Kraków. In the following years he served as an observer, escadrille commander and wing commander. From 1931 to 1933 he studied at the Higher War School in Warsaw, after which he held senior staff and teaching posts in military aviation, including at the Air Command of the Ministry of Military Affairs and at the Higher Aviation School, where he was a lecturer and head of department. During the September Campaign of 1939 he was chief of staff of the Poznań Army’s air component. Wounded in the Battle of the Bzura, he had a leg amputated and was held as a prisoner of war until released as an invalid. During the occupation he was active in the Home Army (Bureau of Information and Propaganda; Aviation Section of Home Army Headquarters). After the war he worked as an editor and was active in the aviation community, co-creating and writing on the history of Polish military aviation. In 1979 he received the “Blue Wings” award.

Kazimierz Kuzian (1899–1988) – colonel pilot of the Polish Army, officer of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain, commander of the 113th and 112th Fighter Squadrons and No. 300 Bomber Squadron, Knight of the Order of Virtuti Militari. After passing his school-leaving examination in 1917 he was called up to the Austro-Hungarian army. After officer training he served in the 11th Uhlan Regiment, then completed the Reserve Artillery Officer School in Olomouc. After World War I he joined the Polish Army and took part in the defence of Lwów, where he was taken prisoner by the Ukrainians. After his release in 1919 he fought in the Polish-Bolshevik War in the 5th Heavy Artillery Regiment, and subsequently in the 7th Heavy Artillery Regiment and the 2nd Mountain Artillery Regiment. In 1922 he completed a balloon observer course, and from 1923 to 1924 underwent pilot training in Bydgoszcz and Grudziądz. In 1926 he was transferred to the 11th Fighter Regiment, where he held instructor and command positions. From 1931 he commanded the 112th Fighter Squadron, and was also previously associated with the 113th Fighter Squadron, for which he designed the unit emblem. In 1933 he participated in international fighter aviation competitions in Bucharest, where the Polish team took first place. In 1935 he ended active service, returning in 1939 as commander of the reserve squadron of the 5th Aviation Regiment. After the September Campaign he evacuated to Romania, France and subsequently Great Britain. In the Polish Air Force in the RAF (service number P-0794) he served as an instructor at aviation schools (25 EFTS, 16 SFTS, 18 OTU). In 1943 he assumed the position of squadron commander, and subsequently commander of No. 300 Bomber Squadron, which he led until January 1944. After the war he remained in exile in Great Britain. Demobilised with the rank of lieutenant colonel, in 1964 he was promoted to colonel. He died on 11 July 1988 in Dartford. He was buried at Gunnersbury Cemetery in London.

Józef Łachwa (1901–1970) – first lieutenant observer of the Polish Army. He was born on 6 April 1901 in Ryglice and died on 8 October 1970. He was an aviation officer of the Polish Army, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. During World War II he served in the Polish Air Force in Great Britain, where he also held the rank of Flight Lieutenant in the RAF. He was associated with the Polish Air Force Headquarters in Great Britain. After the end of the war he returned to Poland. He was buried at a cemetery in Kraków.

Aleksander Łagiewski (1900–1936) – captain pilot of the Polish Army. He was born in Warsaw to the family of Teofil and Maria Antonina Łagiewski. He completed secondary school in Warsaw. After Poland regained independence he volunteered for the Polish Army. From 10 March to 1 October 1919 he was a student at the Officer Cadet School in Warsaw. On 6 November 1919 he was commissioned as a second lieutenant of infantry and assigned to the 21st Infantry Regiment, in whose ranks he took part in the Polish-Bolshevik War, where he was wounded. He was promoted to first lieutenant of infantry with seniority from 1 December 1920. From 1923 to 1924 he served in the 21st Infantry Regiment. In the first half of 1926 he transferred to aviation and was verified at the rank of aviation first lieutenant. He served successively in the 3rd Aviation Regiment in Poznań, the 11th Fighter Regiment in Lida, the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków and the 1st Aviation Regiment in Warsaw, where he served as commander of the training squadron. In 1934 he was promoted to captain. He was considered a very good fighter pilot. On 16 July 1936 he was killed in an air crash in the Bay of Gdańsk near Gdynia-Orłowo, while flying an RWD-9 aircraft (No. “263 SP–DRC”) together with Gen. Gustaw Orlicz-Dreszer and Lt. Col. Stefan Loth. All passengers were killed. He was buried on 21 July 1936 at the Powązki Cemetery in Warsaw.

Aleksander Łaguna (1894–1934) – major pilot of the Polish Army, decorated with the Silver Cross of the Order of Virtuti Militari. He was born on 19 September 1894 in Częstochowa. In 1913 he completed secondary school in Warsaw and began studies at the Institute of Commerce in Moscow. During World War I (1915) he enlisted in the army of the Russian Empire, where he served in the balloon troops. He completed the engineering school in St Petersburg and worked as an instructor at the observer school in Odessa. After returning to Poland in 1918 he joined the Polish Army and took part in the seizure of the Mokotów airfield. He served in the 3rd Reconnaissance Squadron, participating in the Polish-Ukrainian and Polish-Bolshevik Wars, flying numerous reconnaissance and combat sorties. During the operations he was wounded near Kyiv. After the war he was promoted to command positions in aviation, serving as deputy squadron commander, and then as group commander. He was associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He died on 8 October 1934.

Mieczysław Łapa (1907–1981) – reserve second lieutenant observer of the Polish Army. He was born on 30 March 1907 in Wieliczka and died on 23 December 1981 in Leeds, England. He was a reserve aviation officer of the Polish Army, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. In 1932 he was commissioned as a reserve second lieutenant of aviation. During the September Campaign of 1939 he served as an observer in the 26th Observation Squadron of the “Kraków” Army. During one of his flights his aircraft was fired upon by friendly forces, which led to its damage and fire, though the crew managed to land. After evacuation to Great Britain he served in No. 301 “Pomerania” Bomber Squadron as a navigator, taking part in combat missions during World War II. After the war he remained in Great Britain and settled in Leeds, where he was active in the Polish airmen’s community in exile. He was buried there.

Edward Laska (?–?) – officer cadet observer of the Polish Army. He graduated from the Aviation Officer Cadet School in Dęblin in 1939 (12th class) as an observer. After completing training he was assigned to the 21st Bomber Squadron of the 2nd Aviation Regiment. No further data regarding his dates of birth and death or the full course of his service, including his fate after the outbreak of World War II, are available.

Florjan Laskowski (born 1901 – died 2 September 1939) was a Captain and pilot of the Polish Army, a fighter wing commander and officer of the 2nd Air Regiment in Kraków, posthumously promoted to colonel. From his youth he was involved in volunteer formations: in 1918 he joined the 4th Legions Infantry Regiment, and in 1920 he fought with the 1st Krechowce Uhlan Regiment in the Polish–Soviet War. After the war he completed his education and began studies in Poznań while training in civil and military aviation. In 1925 he graduated from the Civil Pilots’ School in Poznań, then completed further military courses, including in Dęblin and Grudziądz. He served in several escadrilles and air regiments, including the 2nd Air Regiment in Kraków, where he became a pilot in the 122nd Fighter Escadrille. In 1931 he completed a course at the Aviation Gunnery and Bombing School in Grudziądz. From 1934 to 1936 he held instructor and staff posts, and in 1936 he took command of the 121st Fighter Escadrille. Promoted to captain in 1937, he then completed a course at the Higher Aviation School and took command of the III/4 Fighter Wing in Toruń. During the September Campaign of 1939 he commanded the wing attached to the Pomorze Army. On 2 September he led an attack on German armoured units near Toruń. During the sortie he was mistakenly shot down by friendly anti-aircraft fire near the village of Gruta. He was killed instantly or died of his wounds. He was buried in the parish cemetery in Gruta, where the local school was later named after him.

Stefan Łaszkiewicz (1905–2002) – first lieutenant pilot of the Polish Army, officer of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain. He was born on 16 November 1905 in Stadniki to the family of Władysław and Maria Łaszkiewicz. He studied in Ostróg, then at Cadet Corps No. 1 in Lwów, where he passed his school-leaving examination in 1925. He initially planned a career in the Navy, but ultimately chose aviation and graduated from the Aviation Officer School in Dęblin (1928). He served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków and the 121st Fighter Squadron, flying aircraft including the SPAD 61, Avia BH-33 and PZL P.7. Together with other pilots he formed an aerobatic team. In parallel he studied at the Jagiellonian University. Over time he moved to staff work, and in 1936 graduated from the Higher War School in Warsaw as a staff-qualified officer. After the outbreak of World War II he served in the Polish Air Force in Great Britain, including No. 315 “Dęblin” Polish Fighter Squadron, where he held ground and controller duties in the interception system. He also served in the structures of the 2nd Fighter Wing RAF and collaborated in training with American forces. After the war he was demobilised in 1948 with the rank of staff-qualified major (Squadron Leader RAF). He emigrated to Canada, where he adopted the surname Mallory and settled in Ontario. He died in 2002 in Ottawa.

Jan Latawiec (1898–1924) – first lieutenant pilot of the Polish Army. He was born on 16 May 1898. In 1921 he served in the 10th Aviation Squadron, which was part of the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He was killed on 3 July 1924 (the circumstances of his death are described as a flying accident). He was buried at the military cemetery on Prandoty Street in Kraków.

Stanisław Lechowicz (1890–1940) – major observer of the Polish Army, officer of the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, victim of the Katyn massacre. He was born to the family of Franciszek and Zofia née Rut. In 1909 he passed his school-leaving examination in Przemyśl, after which he served during World War I in the Austro-Hungarian army in the 10th Infantry Regiment, reaching the rank of reserve lieutenant. In 1919 he was accepted into the Polish Army and assigned to aviation service, where he completed training at the Military Aviation School in Warsaw and the Advanced Piloting School. In 1921 he served in the Air Navigation Department of the Ministry of Military Affairs, and his home unit was the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. In 1922 he was verified at the rank of major. In the 1920s he held technical and staff positions in aviation, including at the Military Aviation Research Centre and as commandant of the Main Airport. He was then transferred to the infantry corps and served in line units and military administration until his retirement in 1932. In 1939, following the Soviet invasion, he was arrested by the NKVD and interned at the camp in Starobilsk. In the spring of 1940 he was murdered in Kharkiv and buried in Pyatikhatki as part of the Katyn massacre. His name appears on the so-called NKVD Starobilsk List.

Edward Lewandowski (1900–1960) – colonel pilot of the Polish Army, officer of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain, deputy aviation commander at the Ministry of Military Affairs, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. Son of Franciszek and Helena née Nawrot. From 1903 he attended the Grammar School in Pułtusk, from which he was expelled in 1905 for participating in a school strike. He then continued his education at the Gen. Paweł Chrzanowski Philological Grammar School in Warsaw. In 1911 he passed his school-leaving examination and began studying mechanical engineering at the Technische Universität Graz (four semesters). In 1914 he joined the Riflemen’s Association “Strzelec”. From 1916 he was active in the Polish Military Organisation, and in 1917 he served in the Polish Legions. In July 1917 he was interned at Szczypiorno, from where he returned to Warsaw in November of the same year. After 1918 he co-created the foundations of Polish Army aviation, serving as an instructor and aviation mechanic. In 1919 he graduated from the French Pilot School in Warsaw (3rd in ranking), followed by a course at the Advanced Piloting School at Ławica. From 1920 he participated in the Polish-Bolshevik War in the 4th Wielkopolska Squadron, where he flew combat and ground-attack sorties, including during the defence of Lwów. In 1921 he was confirmed at the rank of lieutenant. From 1921 to 1923 he served as technical officer of the 3rd Aviation Regiment, and then as commander of the 15th Fighter Squadron. In subsequent years he worked in technical commissions and aviation supply structures. In 1930 he completed a course at the Higher War School and was promoted to lieutenant colonel. In 1931 he assumed command of the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, which he held until 1935, after which he was promoted to colonel. In 1939 he served as deputy aviation commander at the Ministry of Military Affairs. In September 1939 he was evacuated through Lwów and Zaleszczyki to Romania, then through France to Greece and the Middle East. From 1941 he served in the Polish Air Force in the Middle East, and subsequently in RAF and PAF structures in Great Britain (RAF P-7730), where he held training and staff positions. After the war he served on PAF commissions and RAF liaison structures. He was demobilised in 1949. He remained in exile in Great Britain. He died on 4 February 1960 and was buried at Fulham New Cemetery in London.

Mieczysław Marian Lewandowski (1911–1997) – sergeant pilot of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain (RAF P-793754). He was born on 4 January 1911 in Wola Duchacka near Kraków, to the family of Emil and Agata née Rożak. He completed primary school and grammar school in Jarosław (1926). In 1930 he volunteered for the 6th Aviation Regiment in Lwów, where he served until 1932. From 1935 to 1937 he completed reserve exercises at the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. In parallel he developed a career as a glider instructor – he completed courses at Ustianowa, Aleksandrowice and Katowice, obtaining Grade IV instructor qualifications and Category D glider pilot’s licence. He worked as an instructor and head of glider schools in Tęgoborze and Goleszów. In 1938 he took part in the 6th National Gliding Competition in Masłów. By 1939 he had logged approximately 230 hours on gliders. In September 1939 he fought in the defence of Warsaw, then made his way through Slovakia, Hungary and France to Great Britain (1940). In the RAF he underwent training at 58 OTU and 54 OTU, after which in 1942 he was assigned to No. 307 “Lwów Eagle Owls” Polish Night Fighter Squadron. In subsequent years he served in training units and aircraft delivery units (including 2 Delivery Flight, Target Training Flight, 11 Air Gunnery School). From 1944 he underwent training on the Mosquito at 60 OTU and was assigned to No. 305 Bomber Squadron. After the war he remained in Great Britain. He logged a total of 4,154 hours on aircraft including the Bristol Blenheim, Bristol Beaufighter and de Havilland Mosquito. He died on 24 November 1997 in Blackpool and was buried at the cemetery in Carleton.

Tadeusz Lewkowicz (1917–1947) – first lieutenant observer of the Polish Army and the Polish Air Force in Great Britain. He was born in the village of Zimna Woda near Lwów into a large family. In 1914 he completed the Konarski Primary School in Lwów and began an apprenticeship in railway workshops. In 1915 he attended the State Teacher Training Seminary in Lwów, which was interrupted by his call-up. On 10 March 1917 he was conscripted into the 24th Infantry Regiment of the Austro-Hungarian army. After demobilisation he worked as a teacher. In 1922 he re-enlisted and graduated from the NCO Officer Cadet School in Bydgoszcz (1924), obtaining the rank of second lieutenant. He served in the 53rd Infantry Regiment in Stryj. In 1926 he began flying training, but after an accident he transferred to the observer course in Grudziądz, which he completed in July 1927. He then served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków as an observer of the 22nd Squadron. In subsequent years he held positions in line and training aviation, including in the 5th Aviation Regiment, where he was involved in communications and aerial photography. From 1930 to 1933 he was commander of the training squadron of the 5th Regiment and tactical officer of line and auxiliary squadrons. From 1936 to 1937 he completed the Higher Aviation School in Warsaw, after which he became its lecturer. In 1939 he was operations officer on the aviation staff of the “Prusy” Army. After the defeat of the September Campaign he made his way through Hungary and Italy to France, and then to Great Britain. In No. 301 Bomber Squadron RAF he served as a navigator, flying combat missions until March 1942, when he was wounded. From 1943 he held staff positions at the Inspectorate of the Polish Air Force in London, including head of the personnel and supply departments. After the war he served as head of PAF demobilisation. He remained in exile in Great Britain, where he was active in veterans’ circles. He died in London and was buried at Highgate Cemetery.

Marjan Loedl (1898–1976) – captain pilot of the Polish Army. He was born on 13 July 1898 in Lwów and died in August 1976 in Cieszyn. During World War I he served in the Polish Legions, including the 1st Brigade of the Legions, participating in the seizure of the Rakowice airfield at the end of October 1918. After Poland regained independence he continued military service, initially in the infantry and then in aviation. He was promoted to captain pilot on 1 July 1925. He was associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. After 17 September 1939 he evacuated to Romania, and then through France reached Great Britain. There he served as a piloting and navigation instructor and adjutant of RAF Bramcote, participating in the organisation of training for Polish airmen in exile.

Stanisław Macek (1907–1938) – corporal pilot of the Polish Army, soldier of line aviation in the interwar period. He served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, and was subsequently associated with the Independent Experimental Division. During his service he worked as a pilot in training and experimental units of the military aviation of the Second Polish Republic. He died in 1938. He was buried at the Powązki Military Cemetery in Warsaw.

Władysław Majchrzyk (1914–2001) – pilot of the Polish Army, Knight of the Silver Cross of the War Order of Virtuti Militari. He graduated from the Aviation Officer Cadet School in Dęblin, after which he was assigned to the 122nd Fighter Squadron of the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. In 1939 he took part in the September Campaign with his unit. After the defeat of Poland he made his way to Great Britain, where he joined the Polish Air Force and served within the Royal Air Force (RAF). He took part in combat operations over Western Europe, including the Battle of Britain and later Allied offensive operations against German targets. After 1945 he remained in exile in Great Britain, actively participating in veterans’ and Polish émigré circles.

Jan Malczewski (1889–1951) – colonel pilot of the Polish Army, aviation officer with very long service, associated with the formation of Polish military aviation structures after 1918. He completed Cadet Corps No. 2, and then the Nikolaev Military Engineering School in St Petersburg, after which he began service in the army of the Russian Empire as a sapper officer. From 1912 to 1913 he completed pilot training at the Pilot School in Gatchina and was assigned to aviation units. During World War I he served in Russian military aviation, carrying out reconnaissance and combat missions, for which he was decorated, including with the Cross of St George. In 1918 he joined the Polish Army. In January 1919 he assumed the position of commandant of the Military Aviation School in Warsaw, and subsequently held senior positions in the military aviation structures, including the Inspectorate of Air Forces and the Air Navigation Department of the Ministry of Military Affairs. In 1926 he assumed command of the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, playing an important role in the organisation of the unit. After completing his military service in 1930 he was active in the aviation community, including the Poznań Aero Club. He died in 1951.

Karol Malik (1897–1982) – lieutenant colonel pilot of the Polish Army, officer of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain, Wing Commander Royal Air Force (RAF). He was associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. From 1937 to 1938 he attended the 2nd Course of the Higher Aviation School in Warsaw, preparing for staff and operational service in the military aviation of the Second Polish Republic. After the outbreak of World War II he made his way to Great Britain, where he joined the Polish Air Force within the RAF structures. During his service he held command and staff positions, reaching the rank of Wing Commander. After the end of the war he remained in exile in Great Britain. He died in 1982 and was buried in London.

Wacław Malinowski (?–?) – second lieutenant observer of the Polish Army, regular service officer of the Polish Air Force before World War II. He was associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. Before 1939 he participated in organising paratrooper structures in the Polish Army, engaging in the development of airborne troop deployment concepts. After the outbreak of World War II he continued service in military structures. He held the position of liaison officer at the Military Parachute Centre in Bydgoszcz, where he participated in the training and preparation of soldiers for special operations. After the war he remained in military service, but his further fate is not precisely known.

Antoni Markiewicz (1915–2005) – corporal fighter pilot of the Polish Army, Warrant Officer RAF. He was born on 13 January 1915 in Sandomierz to the family of Zygmunt and Maria Markiewicz. In 1934 he graduated from the Aviation NCO School for Minors in Bydgoszcz, and then underwent piloting and fighter training, receiving assignment to the 122nd Fighter Squadron of the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. In September 1939 he fought with the III/2 Fighter Group, participating in numerous air combats over southern and central Poland. After the Soviet invasion he made his way through Romania and France to Great Britain. During the French campaign and the Battle of Britain he served in the Polish Air Force, flying combat sorties with No. 302 “Poznań” Fighter Squadron, where he scored aerial victories, including one confirmed probable downing of a Messerschmitt Bf 109. After an accident in 1941 he was removed from combat flying and served in instructor and transport duties in the RAF. After the war he remained in exile in Great Britain, where he served in RAF training structures and the Polish Resettlement Corps. In 1950 he adopted British citizenship and changed his name to Anthony Martin. He died on 30 April 2005 in Rustington.

Władysław Matula (1890–?) – major pilot of the Polish Army, officer of line and training aviation in the interwar period. During the Polish-Bolshevik War he served in the 2nd Reconnaissance Squadron, carrying out reconnaissance duties for the land forces. In subsequent years he remained in the military aviation structures of the Second Polish Republic, holding line and training positions. In the second half of 1928 he assumed command of the Training Group within the 6th Aviation Regiment. He was also associated with service in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. His further fate and date of death are not known.

Mieczysław Mazur (1915–1939) – reserve officer cadet observer of the Polish Air Force, rear gunner of the Bomber Brigade. He was born on 17 April 1915. He served in the bomber aviation of the Polish Army as a crew member of PZL.23 “Karaś” reconnaissance-bomber aircraft, used in the 21st and 22nd Bomber Squadrons of the Bomber Brigade of the Polish Army Aviation. In September 1939 he took part in combat operations of the Polish defensive campaign. On 2 September 1939 one of the “Karaś” crews carried out a combat flight over the territory of the Third Reich, attacking a target near the town of Ohlau (now Oława, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, Poland). During the mission a total of 8 bombs weighing 400 kg were dropped on an industrial facility. On 3 September 1939 the PZL.23 “Karaś” aircraft in which Mieczysław Mazur was flying was shot down near the Radomsko–Pławno road during Luftwaffe combat operations. As a result of the crash Mieczysław Mazur was killed. The crew commander, Capt. Observer Stefan Karol Alberti, survived, as did the pilot, Cpl. Pilot Wacław Buczyłko, who managed to land the damaged aircraft. Mieczysław Mazur was buried in the village of Karsy.

Mieczysław Adolf Medwecki (1904–1939) – pilot of the Polish Army, commander of the 121st Fighter Squadron of the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. The first Polish and Allied airman killed in combat during World War II. He graduated from the Aviation Officer Cadet School in Dęblin, after which he was assigned to the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. In 1939 he assumed command of the 121st Fighter Squadron, operating PZL P.11c aircraft. On 1 September 1939, at dawn, during the German attack on the field airstrip at Balice, he scrambled and was attacked by a German aircraft piloted by Leutnant Frank Neumann. He could not gain altitude, and his machine was hit by a burst of fire. He was killed near the village of Morawica, becoming the first Polish and Allied airman killed in combat during World War II. His wingman, Lt. Władysław Gnyś, who took off seconds later, managed to shoot down two German Dornier Do 17 bombers, which is considered the first Allied aerial victory of the war. Medwecki was posthumously decorated with the Silver Cross of the War Order of Virtuti Militari and the Cross of Valour.

Janusz Meissner (1899–1978) – captain pilot of the Polish Army, fighter pilot, instructor, writer, officer of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain. He was born in Warsaw to the family of Jan Wiktor Meissner and Anna née Braun. In his youth he studied at the H. Wawelberg and S. Rotwand School of Machine Building and Electrical Engineering in Warsaw. From 1917 he was active in the Polish Military Organisation, for which he was imprisoned by the occupation authorities. From 1918 he served in the Polish Army as an aviation mechanic, and subsequently as a pilot. He completed piloting courses at the Lower Pilot School in Kraków and the Advanced Pilot School in Poznań. During the Polish-Bolshevik War he served as a pilot in the Toruń Reconnaissance Squadron, for which he was decorated with the Cross of Valour. After the war he took part in the preparations and operations of the Third Silesian Uprising in the “Wawelberg” sabotage group, participating in the “Bridges” operation, for which he was decorated with the Order of Virtuti Militari and the Cross of Independence with Swords. In the interwar period he served in military aviation as a pilot-instructor, staff officer and squadron commander at the Aviation Officer Training Centre in Dęblin and in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He was one of the most experienced training pilots of the Second Polish Republic. After the outbreak of World War II he was mobilised and assigned to the Aviation Officer Training Centre in Dęblin. After evacuation through Romania and France he reached Great Britain, where he was given RAF service number P-1007. He held organisational and propaganda functions in the Polish Air Force, including as editor and head of the Military Radio Station attached to the Commander-in-Chief’s Propaganda Bureau and as an aviation war correspondent. After the war, in 1946, he returned to Poland and settled in Zakopane, and subsequently in Kraków. He was active as a writer and journalist, one of the best-known authors of aviation literature in Poland. He died on 28 February 1978 in Kraków and was buried at the Salwator Cemetery.

Ludwik Mołata (1918–1967) – captain pilot of the Polish Army, officer of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain, bomber pilot of No. 305 “Wielkopolska and Lidz” Bomber Squadron. He was associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. After completing his pre-war flying training he was assigned to the 24th Reconnaissance Squadron of the “Kraków” Army, where he flew combat and reconnaissance sorties in September 1939. After the Soviet invasion of Poland on 17 September 1939 he evacuated to Romania, from where he made his way through the Balkans and France to Great Britain. He joined the Polish Air Force and was assigned to No. 305 Bomber Squadron, where he flew Wellington aircraft on combat missions over Germany. He took part in many combat missions, including over Hamburg and Hanover, during which his crew repeatedly returned in damaged aircraft. After his combat tour he also served as an instructor at RAF operational training units. In subsequent years he served in transport and special RAF units flying various intercontinental routes. After the end of the war he settled permanently in Canada, where he died in 1967.

Lucjan Moszczeński (1893–1929) – captain pilot of the Polish Army, officer of reconnaissance aviation of the Second Polish Republic. He served in the 16th Reconnaissance Squadron, carrying out reconnaissance and liaison duties within the military aviation structures in the interwar years. He was also associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, within whose structures he held line and training duties. He died in 1929. He was buried at the cemetery on Artyleryjska Street in Bydgoszcz.

Wacław Motz (1907–1996) – first lieutenant pilot of the Polish Army, officer of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain, later major pilot RAF. He was associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. Before the outbreak of World War II he served as a pilot in the aviation of the Polish Army. After the 1939 campaign he made his way to Great Britain, where he joined the Polish Air Force within the Royal Air Force structures. During his service in Great Britain he reached the rank of major, performing duties as a pilot in combat and training RAF units. After the end of the war he remained in exile in Great Britain. He died in 1996 and was buried in Gillingham.

Oskar Müller (1900–?) – second lieutenant observer of the Polish Army, officer of the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He also served in the 5th Aviation Squadron, holding observer positions in line aviation. No precise data regarding his further fate or date and place of death are available.

Sergjusz Nahnybida (16 September 1898 – 21 January 1987) – contract first lieutenant of the Polish Army and First Lieutenant of the Army of the Ukrainian People’s Republic. In the 1920s–1930s he served as a contract officer in the Polish Air Force, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment. His final rank in the Polish Army was captain, in the position of logistics officer at Air Base No. 3. In September 1939 he was interned in the Kingdom of Romania. From 1951 he lived in exile in the United States. He was buried in Bound Brook.

Bolesław Narkowicz (?–?) – major pilot of the Polish Army, last commander of the 9th Reconnaissance Squadron, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment. He served as commander of the 9th Reconnaissance Squadron, which was disbanded on 18 January 1921. During his military service he was organisationally associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment. His dates of life are not known.

Stanisław Nazarkiewicz (1896–1994) – lieutenant colonel pilot of the Polish Army, commander of the 2nd Aviation Regiment and of aviation of the Independent Operational Group “Narew”, distinguished officer of Polish military aviation. Nazarkiewicz began his military career during World War I, gaining experience in military aviation. After Poland regained independence he joined the Polish Army, actively participating in the shaping of the Polish air force. In the interwar period he served as commander of the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, one of the key centres of Polish military aviation. He was a valued organiser and instructor, contributing to the modernisation and development of Polish aviation units. During the September Campaign of 1939 he commanded the aviation of the Independent Operational Group “Narew”, responsible for supporting Polish land forces on the north-eastern sector of the front. After the September defeat he made his way to the West, where he joined the Polish Air Force in Great Britain, operating within the RAF. He took part in the organisation of Polish aviation units in exile. After the war he remained in exile in Great Britain, settling in Bournemouth. He died in 1994.

Władysław Netter (1904–1991) – first lieutenant observer, captain pilot of the Polish Army, officer of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain (Flight Lieutenant RAF), associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment. During the September Campaign of 1939 he took part as an officer of the Polish Army. After the defeat of Poland he made his way to France, and then in 1940 to Great Britain, where he joined the Polish Air Force within the RAF structures. He served in transport units, holding positions in the Polish Transport Detachment serving, among others, the Takoradi–Cairo route. During his service in the RAF he attained the rank of Flight Lieutenant. After the end of the war he remained in exile in Great Britain. He died in 1991.

Jan Neumann (?–?) – first lieutenant pilot of the Polish Army, officer of the Naval Aviation Division, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment. He served in naval aviation of the Second Polish Republic within the Naval Aviation Division. In his military career he was also organisationally associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment. His further fate and dates of life are not known.

Tadeusz Neumann (?–?) – first lieutenant observer of the Polish Army, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment. He is recorded in the personnel rosters of the 2nd Aviation Regiment in the 1930s. No further biographical data or dates of life are known.

Kazimierz Niedźwiedzki (1898–1940) – captain pilot of the Polish Army, officer of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment. He initially served in the cavalry, including the 13th Uhlan Regiment in Nowa Wilejka. In 1926 he began flying training, transferring to aviation service, and in 1927 was transferred to the aviation officers corps. In 1928 he was assigned to the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. In 1931 he assumed command of the 121st Fighter Squadron. In subsequent years he held command positions, including commander of the 3rd Fighter Group and the Independent Experimental Group in Warsaw. In 1939 he served as commander of the experimental unit. After the outbreak of war he made his way to Great Britain, where he served in the Polish Air Force within the RAF structures. He was killed in a flying accident in 1940.

Piotr Niżewski (?–?) – major pilot of the Polish Army, first commander of the 11th Reconnaissance Squadron, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment. In 1919 he served as the first commander of the 11th Reconnaissance Squadron. From 1 April 1925 to 31 January 1927 he was deputy commander of the 6th Aviation Regiment, after which he retired. His dates of life are not known.

Ryszard Nossek (1899–1926) – first lieutenant pilot of the Polish Army, commander of the training squadron of the 2nd Aviation Regiment. He served as a pilot and instructor within the structures of the 2nd Aviation Regiment, where he held the position of training squadron commander. He was killed on 12 or 15 May 1926 during the events of the May Coup. He was buried at the Powązki Cemetery in Warsaw.

Wacław Nowacki (1905–1928) – second lieutenant observer of the Polish Army, officer of the 5th Aviation Regiment, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment. He served as an observer in the aviation of the Polish Army in the interwar period, holding duties within the structures of the 5th Aviation Regiment and units associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment. He died on 11 September 1928. He was buried at the Powązki Cemetery in Warsaw.

Tadeusz Nowak (1914–1941) – first lieutenant pilot of the Polish Army, officer of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment. He was a graduate of the Aviation Officer Cadet School in Dęblin (11th class, 12th in ranking). He was assigned to the 121st Fighter Squadron and took part in the September Campaign of 1939. After the defeat of Poland he made his way through Romania, the Middle East and France to Great Britain, where he joined the RAF. He served successively in No. 253 Squadron, then No. 303 Fighter Squadron and No. 315 Fighter Squadron. He was killed on 21 September 1941 over the English Channel, shot down during a combat flight.

Eugeniusz Jan Adam Nowakiewicz (1920–1998) – captain pilot of the Polish Army, captain (Flight Lieutenant) of the Royal Air Force. He graduated from the Aviation Officer Cadet School in Dęblin, after which he was assigned to the 2nd Aviation Regiment. In 1939, after the outbreak of World War II, he made his way to the West and joined the Polish Air Force in Great Britain. He served in the RAF, where he took part in combat operations of Polish bomber squadrons. He flew numerous missions over Western Europe, participating in bombing and escort operations. After the end of the war he remained in exile in Great Britain, settling in Manchester and engaging in veterans’ activities.

Tadeusz Nowierski (1907–1983) – lieutenant colonel pilot of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain, participant in the September Campaign and the Battle of Britain, Knight of the Silver Cross of the War Order of Virtuti Militari. In 1928 he entered the Aviation Officer Cadet School in Dęblin, after which he began service in the aviation of the Polish Army. Before the outbreak of war he served in the 24th Line Squadron. In September 1939 he took part in the September Campaign. After the defeat of Poland he made his way to Great Britain, where he joined the Polish Air Force. In 1940 he took part in the Battle of Britain, fighting within the Polish fighter squadrons of the RAF. He took part in air combats over Great Britain, gaining combat experience and recognition from his superiors. After the war he returned to Poland and settled in Warsaw. He died in 1983.

Mahomet Obuchowski (1898–1934) – first lieutenant observer of the Polish Army, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment. In 1917 he completed grammar school in Ryazan and passed his school-leaving examination. In 1920 he joined the Polish Army, initially completing the Infantry Officer Cadet School. Subsequently, at his own request, he was assigned to the Aerial Observer School in Toruń, which he completed in 1923. After obtaining qualifications as an aerial observer he served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, and then in the 1st Aviation Regiment in Warsaw. In 1932 he was transferred to the Aviation Officer Training Centre in Dęblin, where he served as a lecturer in the weapons and bombing department, participating in the training of aviation personnel. He was killed in 1934 during a service flight at the Dęblin airfield, when his Potez XV aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff. He was buried at the Powązki Military Cemetery in Warsaw.

Mieczysław Leonard Olszewski (1906–1939) – captain pilot of the Polish Army, Knight of the Silver Cross of the War Order of Virtuti Militari. He graduated from the Aviation Officer Cadet School in Dęblin, after which he began service in military aviation. In the interwar period he was associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, and subsequently served in the 9th Aviation Regiment in Lwów. He was among the highly regarded line pilots, taking part in numerous exercises and flying training. During the 1939 Polish Campaign he took part in combat operations against German aviation. He was killed on 1 September 1939 during air combat near Stanisławów Pierwszy, becoming one of the first Polish airmen killed in the defensive war. For his service and heroism he was posthumously awarded the Silver Cross of the War Order of Virtuti Militari. His name holds a lasting place in the history of Polish military aviation as one of the pilots who gave their lives on the first day of World War II.

Adam Paleolog (1896–1956) – major observer of the Polish Army, Knight of the War Order of Virtuti Militari, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. After Poland regained independence he joined the Polish Army and participated in the Polish-Bolshevik War. From 1923 to 1924 he served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment. He subsequently served at the Central Aviation Works in Warsaw, where he was involved in organisational and technical aviation work. In 1926 he was promoted to major. In subsequent years he worked at the Central Aviation Depot, and in 1931 assumed the position of deputy commander of the 6th Aviation Regiment in Lwów. In 1931 he suffered a serious air accident near Chodorów, after which he remained in limited service. During the September Campaign of 1939 he served as commander of the Port Detachment of Air Base No. 6. After the end of the war he settled in Great Britain, where he died on 27 May 1956 in Nottingham.

Leopold Pamuła (1898–1940) – lieutenant colonel pilot of the Polish Army, officer of the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. After completing secondary school in 1916 in Kraków he joined the Austro-Hungarian army, where he underwent officer training and served in infantry units before being assigned to the Italian front. After Poland regained independence he joined the Polish Army, initially serving in the railway troops and taking part in the Polish-Bolshevik War. In 1923 he completed a piloting course and was assigned to the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. In subsequent years he held command positions in fighter units, including as commander of the 113th Fighter Squadron, gaining experience in operational aviation. In the 1930s he held command positions in the fighter aviation structures of the Polish Army, and in 1937 was transferred to Warsaw, where he served as commander of a fighter group. During the September Campaign of 1939 he was among the key commanders of fighter aviation. He was killed on 9 August 1940 in Nocton, Great Britain.

Jan Panowski (1902–1929) – second lieutenant observer of the Polish Army, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He served as an aerial observer in the Polish Army during the interwar period. He served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment as a member of the flying personnel specialising in reconnaissance and cooperation with pilots in operational and training flights. He died on 12 September 1929. He was buried at the International War Cemetery 1915–1939 in Dęblin.

Mieczysław Parafiński (1914–1941) – sergeant pilot of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. After the outbreak of World War II he made his way to France, where he served in Groupe de Chasse I/145, and subsequently in GC I/1. After evacuation in June 1940 he reached Great Britain and joined the Polish Air Force within the RAF structures. He served in No. 308 “Kraków” Fighter Squadron. On 24 November 1940 he scored an aerial victory, shooting down a German Junkers Ju 88 bomber, which was one of the squadron’s first successes. He was killed on 26 February 1941 during a training flight in a Hawker Hurricane near Cottesbrooke in Northamptonshire. He was buried at the cemetery in Baginton near the RAF base.

Leon Paszkiewicz (1899–1925) – first lieutenant observer of the Polish Army, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He served as an aerial observer in the Polish Army during the interwar period. He belonged to the 2nd Aviation Regiment, where he performed duties related to reconnaissance and cooperation with aircraft crews in training and operational flights. He died on 13 August 1925. He was buried at the Military Cemetery on Prandoty Street in Kraków.

Stefan Pawlikowski (1896–1943) – captain pilot of the Polish Army, officer of the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, participant in World War I and World War II. During World War I he was called up to the Russian army, where he served in aviation. He graduated from the Pilot School in Moscow, followed by training at the French aviation school in Pau. After the October Revolution he remained in France, where from 1918 he served in the 96th SPAD Squadron, participating in operations against German observation balloons. In November 1918 he joined the Polish Army of Gen. Józef Haller. During the Polish-Bolshevik War he served in the 19th Fighter Squadron, flying combat sorties including against observation balloons. In the interwar period he was a military and civilian pilot, flying the Warsaw–Paris route among others. He served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, and was subsequently transferred to the 3rd Aviation Regiment in Poznań. In 1939 he commanded the Pursuit Brigade during the September Campaign. After the defeat of Poland he made his way to France, where he organised Polish aviation units, and then to Great Britain, where he held training and staff positions in the RAF, including at Blackpool and Fighter Command. He took part in combat flights, including providing air cover for the Dieppe raid. He was killed on 15 May 1943 during a combat flight with No. 315 Fighter Squadron RAF, when his Spitfire Mk IX was shot down over the Atlantic coast. The cause of the downing remains inconclusive.

Julian Pawłowski (1892–?) – captain observer of the Polish Army, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He is recorded in the personnel lists of the 2nd Aviation Regiment as an observer officer of the aviation of the Polish Army in the interwar period. He served within the regimental structures, carrying out duties related to reconnaissance and cooperation with aircraft crews. His further fate and date of death are not known.

Camillo Perini (1887–1942) – colonel pilot of the Polish Army, aviator of Italian nationality, Knight of the Silver Cross of the War Order of Virtuti Militari, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He completed officer school in Vienna in 1908 and began service in the Austro-Hungarian army in the 8th Field Artillery Regiment. In 1912 he completed flying training in Wiener Neustadt, obtaining pilot qualifications. Before World War I he gained experience in aviation, setting an aviation record on a 106 km route as a passenger of a Nieuport aircraft. During World War I he served on the Russian, Serbian and Italian fronts, commanding aviation units. After the war, in 1918, he arrived in Poland and joined the Polish Army, where he participated in the Polish-Ukrainian and Polish-Bolshevik Wars, commanding the 3rd Aviation Group and taking part in the defence of Lwów. After the end of hostilities he held senior positions in Polish military aviation, including as chief of aviation at the Supreme Command and commander of several aviation regiments, including the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He became known as a charismatic commander and organiser of aviation. After leaving service he remained in Poland, engaging in assistance to soldiers making their way to the West in the early period of World War II. He died in 1942.

Franciszek Peter (1896–1968) – major pilot-engineer of the Polish Army, World War I veteran, Knight of the Silver Cross of the War Order of Virtuti Militari, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. After completing secondary school he began engineering studies at the École Supérieure d’Aéronautique in Paris, which were interrupted by the outbreak of World War I. From 1914 he served in the Austro-Hungarian army, completing observer training and serving on the Italian and Russian fronts. In 1918 he completed a piloting course and as a fighter pilot scored aerial victories in Austro-Hungarian aviation. In 1919 he joined the Polish Army, where he served in the 6th and 7th Aviation Squadrons, taking part in the Polish-Ukrainian War. He was also involved in training young pilots, utilising the experience gained in front-line aviation. In the 1920s he held command and organisational positions in the aviation structures, including in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, where in 1921 he was its commandant. He subsequently worked in the aviation industry and research institutions, including the Plage and Laśkiewicz Mechanical Works and the Aviation Technical Research Institute. In 1928 he was promoted to major. In 1933 he retired. He died in 1968 in Warsaw.

Michał Pielechowski (1899–1925) – first lieutenant pilot of the Polish Army, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. During World War I he was called up to the Austro-Hungarian army. After Poland regained independence, on 2 November 1918 he volunteered for the Polish Army. He graduated from the Infantry Officer Cadet School in Warsaw, obtaining the rank of second lieutenant. In 1923 he was promoted to first lieutenant and began flying training. He completed courses at the Pilot School in Bydgoszcz and in Grudziądz, obtaining military pilot qualifications. He then remained in aviation training, gaining experience as a pilot-instructor. In 1924 he was transferred to the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He was killed on 1 June 1925 at the Rakowice airfield while on duty.

Adolf Pietrasiak (1916–1943) – second lieutenant pilot of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain, fighter ace, Knight of the Silver Cross of the War Order of Virtuti Militari, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. Before the outbreak of World War II he graduated from the Aviation Officer Cadet School in Dęblin, obtaining the rank of second lieutenant pilot. After completing training he was assigned to the 2nd Aviation Regiment. After the 1939 Polish Campaign he made his way through France to Great Britain, where he joined the Polish Air Force within the RAF structures. He served in fighter units, taking part in numerous combat flights over Western Europe. He distinguished himself as an effective fighter pilot, scoring aerial victories over Luftwaffe aircraft and attaining fighter ace status. On 29 November 1943 he was killed during a combat operation over the English Channel, when his aircraft was shot down. His body was never found. For his bravery and combat achievements he was decorated with the Silver Cross of the War Order of Virtuti Militari, the Cross of Valour and British decorations. His name is commemorated on the Polish Airmen Memorial at Northolt.

Mieczysław Pietrzyk (1914–1980) – captain pilot of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He was born in the Podgórze district of Kraków. From an early age he was interested in aviation. He completed a piloting course at Lwów-Skniłów, and subsequently obtained a pilot’s licence at the Kraków Aero Club. In 1935 he entered the Reserve Pilot Officer Cadet School in Dęblin, which he completed with very good results and was assigned to the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. During the September Campaign of 1939 he took part in combat operations and was decorated with the Cross of Valour. After evacuation to France he served at the Lyon-Bron centre, where his candidature for the Virtuti Militari cross was being considered. He then made his way to Great Britain, where he received an RAF service number and served successively in No. 271 Squadron RAF, 60 OTU and No. 307 Fighter Squadron. He flew aircraft including the Boulton Paul Defiant and Bristol Beaufighter, carrying out night operational flights against the Luftwaffe. After the war he returned to Poland, where he completed medical studies and worked as a doctor. He died in 1980 and was buried at the Rakowicki Cemetery in Kraków.

Edward Roman Pilch (1916–1941) – first lieutenant pilot of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He graduated from the Aviation Officer Cadet School in Dęblin, after which he was assigned to the 122nd Squadron of the 2nd Aviation Regiment. He served as a fighter pilot in the aviation of the Polish Army. After the outbreak of World War II, as a result of the 1939 campaign, he made his way through France to Great Britain, where he joined the Polish Air Force within the RAF structures. He took part in combat operations against the Luftwaffe during the defence of Great Britain, flying fighter sorties within RAF units. He was killed on 20 February 1941 in Great Britain, probably as a result of an air crash or during operational activities. He was decorated with, among others, the Cross of Valour and Allied decorations.

Ksawery Piniński (1896–1959) – lieutenant colonel pilot-observer of the Polish Army, officer of the Polish Air Force in exile, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment. During World War I he served in the Austro-Hungarian army. In 1918 he reported to the Polish Army, and in 1919 was assigned to aviation, where he served in the 6th Reconnaissance Squadron. He took part in the Polish-Bolshevik War as an aerial observer. In the interwar period he underwent pilot training and served in successive reconnaissance squadrons, including the 14th Reconnaissance Squadron. In 1925 he assumed command of the 23rd Squadron within the structures of the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. In 1939 he was assigned to diplomatic-military service in France. After the fall of France he held liaison functions on the staff of the French Army, and subsequently in Allied structures in the RAF from 1942 to 1945. After the war he remained in exile in Canada. He died in 1959 in Montreal.

Piotr Pióro (1900–1969) – sergeant pilot of the Polish Army, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment, piloting instructor and training officer. He began service in the Polish Army after World War I. In 1922 he was assigned to the NCO Pilot School in Bydgoszcz, and then completed an advanced piloting course in Grudziądz. After training he began line service in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. From 1928 he served as a piloting instructor in the training squadron, and from 1930 was an instructor at the Aviation Officer Training Centre in Dęblin. In the 1930s he returned to training duties in the 2nd Aviation Regiment. In 1938 he retired, but in August 1939 he was mobilised. After 17 September 1939 he was taken prisoner by the Germans, from which he managed to escape. During the occupation he was active in the underground resistance. He died in 1969.

Tadeusz Piotrowicz (1896–1975) – captain pilot of the Polish Army, officer of the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He served in the aviation of the Polish Army during the interwar period, including in the 16th Aviation Squadron. From 1937 to 1938 he attended the 2nd Course of the Higher Aviation School in Warsaw, improving his qualifications in command and staff work. He was professionally associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, where he held duties within squadron and training structures. After World War II he remained in exile. He died on 7 March 1975 and was buried at Holy Cross Cemetery & Mortuary in Culver City, United States.

Zygmunt Pistl (1897–1981) – staff-qualified colonel pilot of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain, experienced aviation officer of the Polish Army, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He began military service during World War I, and after Poland regained independence he participated in organising and developing Polish military aviation. In the interwar period he served in aviation units of the Polish Army, including the 2nd Aviation Regiment, gaining experience in command and staff work. During World War II he made his way to Great Britain, where he joined the Polish Air Force within the RAF structures. He took part in the organisation of Polish aviation units in exile and supported Allied aviation operations, holding command and staff positions. After the end of the war he remained in exile in Great Britain, where he was active in the Polish airmen’s and veterans’ community in London. He died on 20 November 1981 in London.

Andrzej Płachta (1892–1974) – lieutenant colonel observer of the Polish Army, veteran of World War I and World War II, Knight of the Silver Cross of the War Order of Virtuti Militari, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. In 1909 he went to work in a mine in Westphalia. In 1912 he began service in the German army, where he fought on the Western Front of World War I, including at Verdun and on the Somme. In 1917 he was assigned to aviation and completed observer and bombardier courses, serving in German aviation units as an observer. After the end of the war he returned to Poland and in 1919 took part in seizing the Ławica airfield and organising aviation in Wielkopolska. He then participated in the Polish-Ukrainian and Polish-Bolshevik Wars, flying numerous combat and reconnaissance sorties. In the interwar period he held senior command positions in the aviation of the Polish Army, including in the 16th and 10th Reconnaissance Squadrons, the 3rd and 1st Aviation Regiments, and as commandant of the air base in Kraków. In 1938 he was promoted to lieutenant colonel. After the outbreak of World War II he made his way to Great Britain, where he served in the RAF in transport units in the Middle East, also serving as navigator to Gen. Władysław Anders. After the war he remained in exile, actively participating in the Polish airmen’s community. He died on 28 November 1974 in London.

Karol Pniak (1910–1980) – major pilot of the Polish Army, fighter ace, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment. He began service as a volunteer in 1928, joining the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He underwent training at the Aviation NCO School in Bydgoszcz and a course in Grudziądz, after which he was assigned to the 122nd Fighter Squadron. In the interwar period he was one of the distinguished pilots of the 2nd Aviation Regiment and a participant in “Bajan’s Trio” during air shows in Warsaw in 1933. In September 1939 he served in the 142nd Fighter Squadron, flying numerous combat sorties and scoring his first aerial victories in the opening days of the campaign. After evacuation through France he reached Great Britain, where he continued service in the Polish Air Force in the RAF. In 1940 he fought in the Battle of Britain, attaining fighter ace status. In subsequent years he commanded flights in Nos. 306 and 308 Squadrons and served in “Skalski’s Circus”. After the war he returned to Poland, where despite his wartime service he was for a time subjected to repression. In later years he worked in civilian roles in Kraków and maintained contacts with the aviation community. He died in 1980.

Władysław Pokorny (1899–1934) – captain observer of the Polish Army, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment. He began military service in the Austro-Hungarian army during World War I. In 1918 he joined the Polish Army, where he initially held line positions in the infantry. In 1923 he began training at the Observer and Air Gunner Officer School in Toruń, after which he was assigned to the 2nd Aviation Regiment. In subsequent years he served in reconnaissance and training aviation, and in 1933 was transferred to the Aviation Shooting and Bombing School in Grudziądz, where he was involved in personnel training. He was killed in 1934 in an air crash during a water landing on the Vistula. His body was found several weeks later, and the funeral took place in Grudziądz.

Władysław Polesiński (1906–1939?) – captain pilot of the Polish Army, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment. He was educated at Cadet Corps No. 2 in Modlin, and subsequently graduated from the Aviation Officer School in Dęblin. In 1928 he received the rank of first lieutenant and was assigned to serve in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. In 1930 he was involved in a flying accident during a training flight on the Lwów–Kraków route; despite the aircraft crashing, the crew survived. This event had a significant impact on his subsequent involvement in the religious and social activities of military circles. In the 1930s he continued service in aviation, and in 1939 was promoted to captain and transferred to the 1st Aviation Regiment in Warsaw. After the outbreak of war he was assigned to the Aviation and Anti-Aircraft Defence Command of the “Modlin” Army. In September 1939 he participated in a liaison mission to Brześć nad Bugiem. After his aircraft was hit by German anti-aircraft fire he was wounded and taken prisoner, where he probably died at the end of September 1939.

Władysław Popiel-Sulima (1891–1958) – major observer of the Polish Army, engineer, Knight of the Silver Cross of the War Order of Virtuti Militari, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He completed studies at the Faculty of Agriculture of the Jagiellonian University. In 1915 he began service in the Austro-Hungarian army, participating in operations on the Eastern and Italian fronts. After Poland regained independence he joined the Polish Army, where he served as an aerial observer in the 1st Kraków Squadron. During the Polish-Bolshevik War in 1920 he distinguished himself in reconnaissance operations, cooperating with the 6th Army and supporting the retreat operations of Polish forces. After the war he continued service in aviation, remaining in the structures of the 2nd Aviation Regiment and the 11th Line Squadron, where he served as an observer and staff officer. After World War II he settled in exile in Great Britain, where he died in 1958 in London.

Jan Poteć [Potecz] (1892–1924) – first lieutenant pilot of the Polish Army, pioneer of Polish military aviation, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. After completing grammar school in Dębica he studied at the Polytechnic in Vienna. In 1914 he was called up to the Austro-Hungarian army, where he served in a telegraph regiment as a radio telegraphist and radio technician. After the end of World War I, in 1919, he joined the Polish Army in France, where he underwent pilot training. After returning to Poland he served in aviation squadrons of the Polish Army, taking part in the Polish-Bolshevik War and operations against Central Lithuania. In 1921 he was promoted to second lieutenant, and in 1923 to first lieutenant. He served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, and subsequently served as a test pilot at the Central Aviation Works in Warsaw. He was killed on 8 November 1924 during a flight in an Ansaldo A.300 aircraft during a transfer from Dęblin to Warsaw, when his aircraft crashed over Wilanów.

Tadeusz Feliks Prauss (1896–1940) – captain pilot of the Polish Army, officer of the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, murdered in Kharkiv, Knight of the Silver Cross of the War Order of Virtuti Militari. He completed secondary school in Kraków and in 1914 passed his school-leaving examination. In 1915 he was called up to the Austro-Hungarian army, where he initially served in the infantry, and subsequently completed the observer course in Wiener Neustadt and served in aviation on the Italian front. In 1918 he completed a piloting course in Kraków and Neumarkt, after which he joined the Polish Army. During the Polish-Ukrainian and Polish-Bolshevik Wars he served in the 3rd Aviation Squadron, flying combat sorties on the Eastern front, during which he was wounded but continued service. From 1921 he commanded the 16th Reconnaissance Squadron. In subsequent years he held senior command positions in aviation, including in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków and as commander of the 6th Aviation Regiment in Lwów from 1934 to 1939. In August 1939 he assumed command of the aviation of the “Modlin” Army. After the Soviet invasion he was arrested by the NKVD and interned at Starobilsk, and subsequently murdered in the spring of 1940 in Kharkiv. He was posthumously promoted to colonel in 2007.

Józef Rączka (1897–1932) – senior sergeant pilot of the Polish Army, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. During World War I he served in the Austro-Hungarian navy as a seaplane pilot. After Poland regained independence he joined the Polish Army. In 1920 he was assigned to the 6th Reconnaissance Squadron, in which he participated in the Polish-Bolshevik War. He flew numerous combat sorties, including reconnaissance and ground-attack missions against Red Army units, including Budyonny’s Cavalry Army. After the end of the war he remained in aviation service, serving in the 21st Line Squadron in Kraków, within the structures of the 2nd Aviation Regiment. He died in 1932 in Kraków.

Ludwik Wacław Raczyński (1913–2000) – captain radio observer of the Polish Army, officer of the Polish Air Force, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He began his service in the aviation of the Second Polish Republic, where he held the functions of observer and radio operator. He was associated with the 23rd Auxiliary Squadron, in which he carried out communications and reconnaissance duties. After the outbreak of World War II he made his way to the Polish Air Force in Great Britain, where he served in No. 307 “Lwów Eagle Owls” Night Fighter Squadron, specialising in RAF night fighter operations. After the end of the war he remained in exile, and subsequently returned to Poland. He died in 2000.

Zenon Romanowski (1891–?) – major pilot of the Polish Army, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment. He was a participant in the Polish-Bolshevik War, in which he fought as a member of the 16th Reconnaissance Squadron. He took part in aerial operations during the Battle of Warsaw and the Battle of the Niemen, flying reconnaissance sorties and supporting land forces operations. After the end of hostilities he served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, continuing work in reconnaissance aviation. His further fate after the interwar period is not known.

Franciszek Rudnicki (1894–1952) – colonel engineer-pilot of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain, Knight of the Order of Virtuti Militari, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment. He began military service in the Russian army, and subsequently in the Polish Army in France, where he underwent flying training and in 1919 was assigned to the 16th Reconnaissance Squadron. He took part in the Polish-Bolshevik War, serving as a pilot and temporary squadron commander. In the interwar period he served in the military aviation of the Second Polish Republic, commanding squadrons and directing aviation training. He was, among others, commandant of the Mechanics School in Bydgoszcz and the Central Aviation Mechanics School. He supplemented his education in France, obtaining an aviation engineering diploma. In the 1930s and before 1939 he held senior positions in aviation training and technical structures, including at the Aviation Technical Institute in Warsaw. After the outbreak of World War II he evacuated to the West and served in the Polish Air Force within the RAF structures, including as commandant of Polish technical schools in Great Britain. After the war he remained in exile in Great Britain. He died on 2 May 1952 in Edgware.

Oskar Sablik (1912–1941) – first lieutenant observer/navigator of the Polish Army, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He served as an aviation officer, holding the functions of observer and navigator. During World War II he was in the structures of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain, where he was associated with No. 18 Operational Training Unit RAF, preparing crews for combat operations. He died on 23 April 1941. He was buried at the cemetery on Oaston Road in Nuneaton, Great Britain.

Bolesław Sadowski (1904–1941) – captain pilot of the Polish Army, officer of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain (Flying Officer RAF), associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He was born on 26 November 1904 in Bakhmach (Russia). In the interwar period he served in the aviation of the Polish Army. After the outbreak of World War II he made his way to Great Britain, where he joined the Polish Air Force within the RAF structures and attained the rank of Flying Officer. He died on 2 January 1941. He was buried at the cemetery in Newark-on-Trent, Great Britain.

Włodzimierz Samoliński (1916–1940) – first lieutenant pilot of the Polish Army and the Polish Air Force in Great Britain, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, participant in the Battle of Britain, Knight of the War Order of Virtuti Militari. In 1936 he began studies at the Aviation Officer Cadet School in Dęblin, graduating in 1938. He was then assigned to the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. In September 1939 he carried out reconnaissance duties and served in the interception system. After the Soviet invasion of Poland he made his way through Romania and France to Great Britain, where he joined the Polish Air Force within the RAF structures (service number 76709). He served in No. 253 Fighter Squadron RAF. During the Battle of Britain he scored several aerial victories over the Luftwaffe. He was killed on 28 September 1940 in an air combat, when his Hurricane was shot down and crashed into the sea. His body was never found. He was posthumously awarded the Silver Cross of the War Order of Virtuti Militari.

Stanisław Sarnowski (?–?) – major pilot of the Polish Army, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. In 1921 he took charge of the Scientific-Technical Department in the Air Navigation Section of the Ministry of Military Affairs, operating within the structures of the Aviation Institute. He was one of the officers involved in organising and developing the scientific and technical infrastructure of Polish military aviation in the early Second Polish Republic. In subsequent years he served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. Further details of his service and fate are not known.

Gerard Schmidt (?–?) – corporal pilot of the Polish Army, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He served as a fighter pilot, and during World War II was associated with No. 302 “Poznań” Fighter Squadron. In April 1945, during a reconnaissance flight, he was forced to land in the Netherlands due to engine failure and was taken prisoner by the Germans on the same day. His further fate after the end of the war is not known.

Franciszek Schneider (?–1928) – lieutenant colonel observer of the Polish Army, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. During World War I he served in the balloon section of the Przemyśl fortress during its siege. In March 1915 he left the fortress by balloon, but was blown by the wind over territory held by Russian forces and taken prisoner. After regaining freedom he continued service in the aviation of the Polish Army. In the interwar period he held positions in aviation units, lastly as head of workshops in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He died on 31 May 1928.

Jan Schram (1894–1968) – captain observer of the Polish Army, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He began service in 1914 as a volunteer in the Polish Legions, where he fought in the infantry, and in 1915 was taken prisoner by the Russians. After regaining freedom he took part in the Polish-Ukrainian War and the Polish-Bolshevik War. In 1922 he was verified at the rank of first lieutenant and transferred to aviation. He served in the 4th Aviation Regiment in Toruń and the 6th Aviation Regiment in Lwów, where he held command positions in observation squadrons. In subsequent years he was associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. In 1935 he was retired. After the outbreak of World War II he was persecuted by the Germans and later by the Soviet authorities. After the war he returned to Poland in 1947, remaining under the surveillance of the security apparatus. He died in 1968.

Tadeusz Józef Franciszek Sędzielowski (1906–1939) – captain pilot of the Polish Army, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, commander of the 121st Fighter Squadron. In 1930 he graduated from the Aviation Officer Cadet School in Dęblin. He then served in the 3rd Aviation Regiment in Poznań. From 1937 he served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. In 1938 he assumed command of the 121st Fighter Squadron. In September 1939 he fought within the “Kraków” Army. He was killed on 7 September 1939 over Nowy Zamość during a combat flight in a PZL P.11c aircraft. He was buried at the cemetery in Wólka Łagowska.

Jan Sendorek (1889–1932) – colonel pilot of the Polish Army, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, veteran of the Polish Legions and participant in the struggle for independence. In August 1914 he joined the Polish Legions, serving in the 2nd Brigade. In 1916 he was severely wounded on the Volhynian front, sustaining serious facial injuries. After treatment and return to service he continued his military career, and after Poland regained independence he remained in the Polish Army. After the Polish-Bolshevik War he transferred to aviation, where he completed the Lower and Advanced Pilot Schools and subsequently held instructor and command positions. He was commandant of the Advanced Pilot School and commander of the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, as well as the 1st Aviation Regiment in Warsaw. In 1929 he took up a position at the Ministry of Military Affairs as deputy head of Department IV. He died tragically on 20 March 1932 in Warsaw as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning. He was buried with military honours at the military cemetery in Kraków.

Józef Sieczkowski (1899–1923) – first lieutenant observer of the Polish Army, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. In 1915 he joined the Polish Military Organisation in St Petersburg, and in 1916 was mobilised into the Russian army. From 1919 he served in the Polish Army, including the 4th Rifles Division. In 1920 he graduated from the Aerial Observer Officer School and from July of that year fought with the 3rd Reconnaissance Squadron. In 1922 he was assigned to the 2nd Aviation Regiment, where he served as an observer in the 8th and 14th Squadrons. In 1923 he began studies at the Advanced Pilot School. During a training flight he suffered an accident in a SPAD aircraft and was severely burned. He died on 3 August 1923 in Grudziądz from complications. He was buried at the Powązki Cemetery.

Ignacy Skorobohaty (1898–1942) – major pilot and observer of the Polish Army, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, officer of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain. After joining the Polish Army he was assigned to the 1st Reconnaissance Squadron, in which he participated in the Polish-Bolshevik War, flying reconnaissance and ground-attack sorties against Red Army forces. In 1922 he was assigned to the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, and subsequently served in the 1st Aviation Regiment in Warsaw and the 3rd Aviation Regiment in Poznań. In the 1930s he frequently changed assignments, holding command and training positions. From 1937 to 1938 he attended the 2nd Course of the Higher Aviation School in Warsaw. After the outbreak of World War II he made his way to Great Britain, where he joined the RAF (service number P-1455). He served in No. 304 Bomber Squadron, and subsequently in RAF Coastal Command, flying patrol missions over the Atlantic. He went missing on 1 November 1942 during a mission over the Bay of Biscay in a Vickers Wellington R1716, together with the entire crew. His body was never found.

Stanisław Ślusarczyk (1900–1932) – sergeant pilot of the Polish Army, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, member of the 22nd Bomber Squadron. He served as a military pilot in the bomber aviation of the Second Polish Republic. In the interwar period he was associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków and the 22nd Bomber Squadron. He was killed on 27 July 1932 in a flying accident during the central aviation competitions, when his crew made a forced night landing near the village of Młodejewo in the Płock district. He was buried at the military cemetery on Prandoty Street in Kraków.

Roman Smok (1907–1942) – captain pilot of the Polish Army, Squadron Leader Royal Air Force, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He began service in the aviation of the Polish Army, where he served as a fighter pilot. In the interwar period he was associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment. After the outbreak of World War II he made his way to France, and then to Great Britain, where he joined the Polish Air Force within the RAF structures. He served in No. 307 Night Fighter Squadron. During his service in the RAF he was promoted to Squadron Leader and held command positions. He was killed on the night of 12–13 April 1942 over the English Channel, shot down during a combat flight.

Józef Sroka (?–1933) – first lieutenant observer of the Polish Army, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He served as an observer officer in the military aviation structures of the Second Polish Republic, holding duties in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He died in 1933. Further details of his service and life circumstances are not known.

Bolesław Stachoń (1897–1941) – captain pilot of the Polish Army and officer of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. In 1915 he was conscripted into the Austro-Hungarian army, where he served in the 17th Home Defence Infantry Regiment. After Poland regained independence he fought in the Polish-Bolshevik War as an infantry officer. In 1921 he transferred to aviation, completing training in Bydgoszcz and Grudziądz. He then served in various aviation units of the Polish Army, including briefly in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. After 1939 he made his way through Romania to France and then to Great Britain, where he joined the RAF (service number 76608). Initially he held training and staff positions, later volunteering for line service. He was assigned to No. 301 Bomber Squadron RAF, where he flew as second pilot on Vickers Wellington aircraft. He was killed on 4 July 1941 during a raid on Bremen, when his aircraft was shot down over the Absen area in the Netherlands. Part of the crew survived and was taken prisoner by the Germans. His remains were interred in 1962 at the war cemetery in Breda, Netherlands.

Marian Staffa (1896–1981) – major pilot of the Polish Army, Squadron Leader Royal Air Force, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He began military service in the aviation of the Second Polish Republic, where he served as a fighter pilot. He was associated with the 5th Aviation Squadron and the structures of the 2nd Aviation Regiment. After the outbreak of World War II he made his way to France, and then to Great Britain, where he joined the Polish Air Force in the RAF. He served in No. 302 Fighter Squadron, taking part in combat operations over Western Europe. During his service he attained the rank of Squadron Leader. After the war he returned to Poland. He died in 1981 and was buried at the Powązki Cemetery in Warsaw.

Romuald Stelmach (1902–1939) – captain observer of the Polish Army, aviation officer associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment. He was a graduate of the Infantry Officer Cadet School in Ostrów Mazowiecka. After line service in the infantry he transferred to aviation, completing the observer course at the Aviation Officer Training Centre in Dęblin. He was then transferred to the aviation officers corps and began service as an instructor and subsequently as training squadron commander. In the 1930s he served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, and in 1938 was assigned to the Higher Aviation School in Warsaw. During the September Campaign of 1939 he served on the aviation staff of the “Pomerania” Army. He was killed on 8 September 1939. He was buried at the war cemetery in Kiernozia.

Felicjan Sterba (1896–1948) – staff-qualified lieutenant colonel observer of the Polish Army, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. From 1927 he lectured at the Aviation Officer School, participating in the training of aviation cadres of the Second Polish Republic. In 1934 he was transferred to the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, where he served in training and operational structures. After the September Campaign of 1939 he made his way to Great Britain, where he joined the Polish Air Force within the RAF structures (service number P-0890). After the end of World War II he remained in exile in Great Britain. He died on 30 July 1948 in London.

Kazimierz Stoy (1890–1980) – major observer of the Polish Army, officer of the Polish Air Force, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment. He began military service after World War I in 1919. During the Polish-Bolshevik War he served in the 2nd Mobile Aviation Park, and in 1921 was promoted to first lieutenant. In the interwar years he served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków and held staff positions at the Aviation Command of the Ministry of Military Affairs. After the outbreak of World War II he made his way to Great Britain, where he served in the Polish Air Force within the RAF structures, reaching the rank of major (Squadron Leader). After the war he remained in exile in Great Britain, engaging in veterans’ organisation activities. He died in 1980 in Port Talbot.

Ferdynand Stutzmann (1918–1994) – captain pilot of the Polish Army, Flight Lieutenant Royal Air Force, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment. After his school-leaving examination in 1936 he began military service, and in 1939 as an officer cadet he joined the 21st Squadron of the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He flew several combat sorties during the September Campaign, after which – following the Soviet invasion – he was interned in Romania. He escaped from internment and made his way through France to Great Britain, where he joined the Polish Air Force in the RAF. He served in Nos. 315 and 318 Squadrons, flying fighter and ground-attack aircraft including the Spitfire and Hurricane. During his service he was decorated with the Cross of Valour (three times). After the war he remained in exile, and subsequently returned to Poland, where he attempted to continue working in civil aviation. He died in 1994 and was buried in Katowice.

Stefan Sudek (1900–1985) – captain observer/pilot of the Polish Army, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. From 1937 to 1939 he served in the 29th Auxiliary Squadron, carrying out duties related to communications, cooperation with land forces and training. He was an aviation officer of the Second Polish Republic with experience in line and training service. After the outbreak of World War II he joined the Polish Air Force in Great Britain, where he held the rank of Flight Lieutenant. He served at No. 25 Elementary Flying Training School, holding the position of instructor (including in training and flight simulation). After the war he remained in exile in Great Britain. He died in 1985 and was buried in Newark-on-Trent.

Franciszek Surma (1916–1941) – first lieutenant pilot of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain, World War II fighter ace, Knight of the War Order of Virtuti Militari, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. In 1936 he graduated from the Aviation Officer Cadet School in Dęblin, obtaining the rank of sergeant officer cadet pilot. During the September Campaign of 1939 he fought in the 121st Squadron of the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. After the Soviet invasion of Poland he made his way through Romania to France, and then to Great Britain, where he served in the Polish Air Force within the RAF structures. He was a pilot of Nos. 151, 607, 257 and 308 “Kraków” Fighter Squadrons. During the Battle of Britain he scored at least five aerial victories, attaining fighter ace status. He was decorated with, among others, the Silver Cross of the War Order of Virtuti Militari, the Cross of Valour (three times) and the Air Medal. On 8 November 1941 he went missing during a combat flight over the Dunkirk area. His fate and place of burial remain unknown.

Aleksander Świeykowski (1898–1928) – captain pilot of the Polish Army, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, where he held duties including that of unit adjutant. He was killed on 2 August 1928 during a training flight near the Rakowice airfield in Kraków. He was buried at the military cemetery on Prandoty Street in Kraków.

Ludwik Szul (?–?) – first lieutenant pilot of the Polish Army, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He served as an instructor and lecturer at the Central NCO Pilot Aviation School (1926–1929), where he was involved in the training of aviation personnel. During this period he was also associated with the 11th Line Squadron. In the interwar period he served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, participating in the training and organisational activities of military aviation. His further fate after completing his service is not known.

Władysław Szymik (1913–1939) – first lieutenant observer of the Polish Army, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He served in the 26th Observation Squadron, where he held the functions of aerial observer in reconnaissance and liaison operations. He was an aviation officer cooperating with line units within the structures of the 2nd Aviation Regiment. During the September Campaign of 1939 he carried out reconnaissance duties for the land forces. He was killed on 2 September 1939 near Chorzenice.

Józef Talaga (?–?) – corporal pilot of the Polish Army, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, where he was assigned to the 26th Auxiliary Squadron from 1934 to 1939. His further fate is not known.

Stefan Tarasiewicz (1895–?) – first lieutenant observer of the Polish Army, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He served as an observer in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. In 1921 he was assigned to the 6th Aviation Squadron, where he carried out reconnaissance duties and cooperated with the crews of reconnaissance aircraft. His further fate is not known.

Zygmunt Tebinka (2 May 1892 – 15 December 1944) – held the rank of major observer of the Polish Army. In the British air force he held the rank of Squadron Leader. He served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment. He was a member of the 6th Aviation Regiment in Lwów. He was buried in New York, United States.

Paweł Tobolski (1906–1944) – first lieutenant observer of the Polish Army and Flying Officer RAF, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He served as an observer in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. After the outbreak of World War II he made his way to Great Britain, where he was assigned to No. 301 Bomber Squadron RAF. On the night of 25/26 June 1942 he was shot down and taken prisoner by the Germans. He was interned at the prisoner-of-war camp Stalag Luft III, where he was killed on 2 April 1944 during an escape attempt. His body was never found or was buried at the original site.

Stanisław Tofin (1905–1941) – senior sergeant pilot of the Polish Army and the Polish Air Force in Great Britain, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He served as a pilot in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. After the outbreak of World War II he made his way to Great Britain, where he joined No. 304 “Silesia” Bomber Squadron. He was killed on 6 February 1941 in a flying accident in Bleasby, Nottinghamshire. He was buried at the cemetery in Newark-on-Trent, Great Britain.

Antoni Tomiczek (1915–2013) – major pilot of the Polish Army, World War II veteran, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. In 1936 he began flying training at the Aviation NCO School in Kraków and Grudziądz. He then served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, and in 1938 was assigned to the 122nd Fighter Squadron. In September 1939 he took part in wartime operations. After the defeat of the September Campaign he was taken prisoner by the Soviets, from which he was released after the Sikorski–Maisky Agreement. He then served in the Polish Air Force in the West – he flew, among other missions, in support of fighting Warsaw. After the war he remained in Great Britain, and later returned to Poland, where he worked in civil aviation. He died on 19 November 2013 in Pstrążna.

Władysław Toruń (1889–1924) – lieutenant colonel observer of the Polish Army, engineer, pioneer of Polish military aviation, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. In 1911 he began service in the Austro-Hungarian navy, where he trained on the cruiser “Sankt Georg”. During World War I he served in naval aviation, completing an aerial observer course in 1916. In October 1918 he participated in the seizure of the airfield at Lewandówka in Lwów, which was significant for the beginnings of Polish military aviation. After Poland regained independence he co-created the structures of military aviation. He served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, and from 1922 to 1923 was head of the Central Aviation Workshops in Warsaw, contributing to the technical development of aviation. He was killed on 9 August 1924 in an air crash in Warsaw. He was buried at the Cemetery of the Defenders of Lwów.

Jan Mieczysław Truczka (1892–?) – first lieutenant pilot of the Polish Army, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He served as a pilot in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. In the interwar period he was assigned to the 6th Aviation Squadron, where he served in line and reconnaissance aviation. His further fate is not known.

Olgierd Tuskiewicz (1896–1969) – staff-qualified colonel pilot of the Polish Army, Knight of the War Order of Virtuti Militari, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He was a participant in the Polish-Bolshevik War and the September Campaign of 1939, during which he held command positions in the aviation of the “Karpaty” Army. After crossing the Romanian border he was interned and served as camp commandant at Comișani. In subsequent years he served in the Polish Armed Forces in the East, where he was involved in the organisation and training of aviation cadres. He was also the author of the publication “Air War in the West” (1942), issued as part of an educational series for PAF soldiers. After the war he settled in exile in the United States, where he died in 1969 in Washington.

Gerard Twardoch (1916–1942) – corporal pilot of the Polish Army and RAF sergeant, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He served as a pilot in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. After the outbreak of World War II he made his way to Great Britain, where he joined No. 304 “Silesia” Bomber Squadron. He flew patrol missions within RAF Coastal Command operations, combating submarines and German U-boats. He was killed on 16 October 1942 during a patrol mission over the Atlantic, when his aircraft was shot down into the sea by a German Ju 88C-6 of KG 40. His body was never found.

Edward Uchto (1920–1940) – corporal pilot of the Polish Army, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He served as a pilot in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. After the outbreak of World War II he made his way to France, where he was assigned to the 1/145 Fighter Squadron of the Polish Air Force. He was killed on 9 June 1940 during the French campaign. He was buried at the Polish military cemetery in Auberive, France.

Stanisław Ujejski (1891–1981) – brigadier general of the Polish Army, aerial observer, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He began military service in the Austro-Hungarian army, where he served in the cavalry and infantry. After 1918 he joined the Polish Army and became an aerial observer, developing his career in military aviation. He held numerous staff and command positions in the aviation structures of the Second Polish Republic, including positions related to the leadership and organisation of the air force. In 1939 he attained a senior general’s rank. During World War II he held positions in the Polish Air Force in France and Great Britain, including as deputy commander of the PAF and aviation inspector. After the war he settled in Canada, where he died in 1981 in Toronto.

Jan Unger (1898–after 1939) – first lieutenant observer of the Polish Army, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. During World War I he served in the Polish Legions in the 1st Infantry Regiment. In 1918 he took part in the defence of Lwów, fighting in volunteer detachments, including the 1st Lwów Cavalry Squadron “Wolves”. In 1919 he was verified as an aviation officer and assigned to serve in the Polish Army as an observer. From 1923 to 1924 he served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. In 1925 he was promoted to captain of aviation, and in 1928 served in the 5th Aviation Regiment. Before 1932 he was retired. In the 1930s he lived in Mszana Górna. His further fate after 1939 is unknown.

Marian Urbański (1901–1979) – captain pilot of the Polish Army, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He served as a pilot in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. Further details of his service and fate are not known.

Wojciech Uryzaj (1905–1939) – corporal pilot of the Polish Army, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He was killed on 2 September 1939 during the September Campaign. He was buried at the Roman Catholic cemetery in Radomsko.

Jan Teofil Waciński (1912–1975) – captain observer of the Polish Army and the Polish Armed Forces, Knight of the War Order of Virtuti Militari, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He was born on 10 March 1912 in Bodzentyn. Before the war he served as an aerial observer in the 23rd Observation Squadron, where he held duties in aerial reconnaissance. After 1939 he made his way to the Polish Armed Forces in the West and continued service in the Polish Air Force within the RAF structures. He took part in combat operations over Western Europe, flying reconnaissance and operational support missions. For his combat service he was decorated with the Silver Cross of the War Order of Virtuti Militari. After the war he remained in exile, and subsequently settled in Sulejówek. He died on 9 March 1975.

Jan Wajda (1908–1972) – first lieutenant observer of the Polish Army, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. After completing secondary school he began military service in 1928, then completed the aerial observer course in Dęblin. He served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, and in 1934 was transferred to the 3rd Aviation Regiment in Poznań. In 1939 he held the position of platoon commander in the 36th Auxiliary Squadron. During the September Campaign he carried out observation and reconnaissance duties. On 20 September 1939 he was taken prisoner by the Germans. After the war he returned to Poland in 1945 and volunteered for service in the aviation of the People’s Polish Army. He served as an instructor at the Aviation Officer School in Dęblin. After completing military service he settled in Zgorzelec, where he engaged in civilian activities.

Edward Walania (1899–1940) – first lieutenant observer of the Polish Army, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. After completing secondary school he served in the 81st Grodno Rifles Regiment named after King Stefan Batory. He then transferred to aviation and completed the aerial observer course in Toruń. He served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. During the September Campaign of 1939 he served at the Air Base in Dęblin. After the Soviet invasion of Poland he was taken prisoner and interned at the camp in Starobilsk. In the spring of 1940 he was murdered by the NKVD in Kharkiv. He is one of the victims of the Katyn massacre.

Radomir Walczak (1914–1945) – first lieutenant observer and navigator of the Polish Army, Flight Lieutenant RAF, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He served as an observer and navigator in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. After the outbreak of World War II he joined the Polish Air Force in Great Britain. He served in No. 301 Bomber Squadron, No. 138 Squadron and at No. 16 School of Air Service Training RAF. He died on 18 February 1945. He was buried at the Polish Airmen’s Cemetery in Newark-on-Trent, Great Britain.

Stanisław Walkow (1914–1939) – first lieutenant observer of the Polish Army, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. After completing the observer course at CWL-1 in Dęblin he was transferred to the aviation officers corps and assigned to the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He served as an observer in the 22nd Bomber Squadron, operating within the Bomber Brigade. During the September Campaign of 1939 he flew combat sorties on PZL P.23 “Karaś” aircraft. On 3 September 1939 he took off from the Kamień airfield near Radom with a crew consisting of Capt. Pilot K. Słowiński and Cpl. Gunner S. Korytowski, with the mission of bombing German armoured columns on the Radomsko–Gorzkowice road. After completing the mission the aircraft was shot down by German anti-aircraft fire near Zagórze. The entire crew was killed. They were buried in a collective grave at the cemetery in Gidle near Radomsko.

Antoni Wczelik (1906–1942) – major pilot of the Polish Army, officer of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain and Squadron Leader Royal Air Force, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He graduated from the Aviation Officer Cadet School in Dęblin and was assigned to the fighter aviation of the Polish Army. He served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment, where he held duties in fighter aviation. During the September Campaign of 1939 he took part in combat against the Luftwaffe. After the defeat of Poland he made his way through Romania and France to Great Britain, where he joined the Polish Air Force within the RAF structures. He served as a pilot and fighter squadron commander, participating in numerous combat operations over Europe. On 14 April 1942 he was shot down over the English Channel; his aircraft fell into the sea and his body was never found.

Tadeusz Kajetan Wereszczyński (1894–1977) – major pilot-observer of the Polish Army, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He was born on 7 August 1894 in Krymidów in the Stanisławów region. He studied surveying engineering at the Lwów Polytechnic. In 1913 he was called up to the Austro-Hungarian army, where during World War I he served at the front and subsequently completed aerial observer training in Wiener Neustadt. In 1917 he was taken prisoner by the Romanians, returning in 1918. After Poland regained independence he joined the Polish Army. He served as an observer and aviation officer, including in reconnaissance squadrons in Lwów. In 1920 he held the position of squadron commander. In the interwar period he held a number of staff and command positions in aviation, including in the 3rd Mobile Aviation Park and the 6th Aviation Regiment in Lwów. From 1929 to 1931 he was commander of the 2nd Aviation Regiment.

Franciszek Wiedeń (1891–1944) – colonel pilot of the Polish Army, engineer, one of the pioneers of Polish military aviation. After his school-leaving examination in Lwów in 1910 he began studies at the Lwów Polytechnic. In 1914 he was called up to the Austro-Hungarian army, where he served in the infantry and subsequently transferred to aviation, completing the observer course in Wiener Neustadt. After Poland regained independence he joined the Polish Army and underwent successive stages of aviation training. During the Polish-Bolshevik War he held command positions, including in the 21st Fighter Squadron and subsequent squadrons and aviation groups. He served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. In the interwar period he held senior command positions, including commandant of the Aviation Officer Training Centre in Dęblin. After the September Campaign of 1939 he made his way through Romania and France to Great Britain, where he died on 30 September 1944 in Blackpool.

Stanisław Wielgus (1912–1941) – first lieutenant pilot of the Polish Army and Flying Officer RAF, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He served as a pilot in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. After the outbreak of World War II he joined the Polish Air Force in Great Britain. During the war he served in No. 308 Fighter Squadron RAF. He was killed on 12 July 1941. He was buried at Northwood Cemetery on Chestnut Avenue in London.

Adolf Wiesiołowski (1896–1953) – major pilot of the Polish Army, Knight of the War Order of Virtuti Militari, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. During World War I he served in the Austro-Hungarian army, initially in the artillery, and subsequently underwent observer and pilot training. After the end of the war he joined the Polish Army and in 1918 was assigned to the 2nd Combat Squadron in Lwów, participating in the fighting for the city. During the Polish-Bolshevik War he held command positions in the 6th Reconnaissance Squadron, flying combat sorties against Red Army forces. He then served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków and held successive training and staff positions in aviation. In the interwar period he served as a lecturer and commander of squadrons and training groups, as well as in management positions in aviation training. In 1933 he became commandant of an air base. After the September Campaign of 1939 he made his way to Great Britain, where he served in the Polish Air Force (service number P-0263). He was temporarily interned at the Officers’ Assembly Station in Rothesay, and subsequently served in No. 300 Bomber Squadron as an observer. After the war he remained in exile. He died on 26 November 1953 in Los Angeles.

Rudolf Wilczak (1917–1939) – second lieutenant observer of the Polish Army, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He was a graduate of the Aviation Officer Cadet School in Dęblin. On 31 August 1939 he was commissioned as second lieutenant and assigned to a practical placement at the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. At the outbreak of war he was attached to the 21st Bomber Squadron. During the September Campaign of 1939 he flew combat sorties on PZL.23 “Karaś” aircraft. On 2 September 1939 his aircraft was shot down by German anti-aircraft fire over Wygoda. The entire crew was killed and buried in a collective grave.

Mieczysław Wiórkiewicz (1907–1987) – staff-qualified major pilot of the Polish Army and the Polish Air Force in Great Britain, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, participant in the September Campaign and World War II aviation operations. He graduated from the Aviation Officer Cadet School in Dęblin and was assigned to service in the aviation of the Second Polish Republic, including the 2nd Aviation Regiment. In 1939 he fought in the September Campaign against the Luftwaffe. After the defeat he made his way to France, and then to Great Britain, where he served in the Polish Air Force within the RAF structures as a fighter or bomber pilot, taking part in Allied operations. After the war he returned to Poland and settled in Warsaw. He died in 1987.

Bolesław Andrzej Własnowolski (1916–1940) – second lieutenant pilot of the Polish Army, later first lieutenant (Flying Officer) Royal Air Force, fighter ace of the Polish Air Force, Knight of the Silver Cross of the War Order of Virtuti Militari, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He was born on 29 November 1916 in Kraków. He graduated from the Aviation Officer Cadet School in Dęblin in 1938 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant pilot. During the September Campaign of 1939 he fought in the defence of Poland within the aviation of the Polish Army, including units derived from the 2nd Aviation Regiment. After the defeat he made his way through France to Great Britain, where he joined the Polish Air Force in the RAF. He served in No. 307 “Lwów” Fighter Squadron RAF and took part in the Battle of Britain, scoring aerial victories over the Luftwaffe. He was killed on 1 November 1940 during a combat mission over the Liphook area (Hampshire).

Mariusz Wodzicki (1915–1942) – second lieutenant observer of the Polish Army, officer of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He attended the Romuald Traugutt Grammar School in Częstochowa (1929–1935). He then underwent training in Dęblin, where he prepared for service as a light bomber observer. He served in successive training units, and from 1939 was on a practical placement in the 22nd Line Squadron of the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, where he was commissioned as second lieutenant. In September 1939 he flew combat sorties within the Bomber Brigade on PZL.23 “Karaś” aircraft. After the Soviet invasion he made his way through Romania and France to Great Britain. In the Polish Air Force he served in No. 301 Bomber Squadron, and subsequently in No. 138 Special Duties Squadron RAF as a navigator. He took part in bombing raids over Germany and in special missions flown from Tempsford airfield. He was killed on 29 October 1942 during a special flight over occupied Europe. His aircraft crashed in Norway and the entire crew perished.

Józef Wojciechowski (1898–1943) – captain pilot of the Polish Army, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. In January 1916 he was called up to the Austro-Hungarian army, in which he served until the end of World War I. After Poland regained independence he joined the Polish Army and from 1920 served in the 6th Reconnaissance Squadron, taking part in the Polish-Bolshevik War, including operations against the 1st Cavalry Army. He was distinguished by his intensive combat service, flying numerous ground-attack and reconnaissance sorties. After the war he remained in aviation, and his unit was incorporated into the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, where he assumed a command position. After the September Campaign of 1939 he made his way to Great Britain and subsequently into Allied structures. He was killed on 30 June 1943 in Khartoum during a flight in a Lockheed Hudson aircraft. He was buried at the local cemetery.

Adam Wojtyga (1896–1956) – Polish military pilot, officer associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków, journalist, writer and LOPP activist. He served as an officer in the 2nd Aviation Regiment and was engaged in activities promoting aviation and aviation propaganda in the interwar period. During World War II he served in the Polish Air Force in Great Britain within the RAF structures. From 20 March 1943 he was commander of No. 318 Fighter Squadron. After the war he returned to Poland and continued his journalistic activities. He died on 3 February 1956 in Warsaw.

Adam Zaleski – titular lieutenant colonel of the Polish Army, aviation officer associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. In the interwar period he served in the aviation structures of the Polish Army, where until January 1925 he held the position of deputy commander of the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. After completing this function his further fate is not widely known. He died in 1933.

Michał Zarębowicz (1917–1943) – corporal pilot of the Polish Air Force, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He served in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. During World War II he joined the Polish Air Force in Great Britain. He trained at the 18th Operational Training Unit, and subsequently served in the 26th Observation Squadron, carrying out training and operational duties within the RAF.

He died on the night of 29–30 March 1943 while on flying duty. He was buried at the Polish Airmen’s Cemetery in Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire, Great Britain.

Stanisław Żarski (1897–1943) – major observer of the Polish Army, Knight of the Order of Virtuti Militari, officer associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. In January 1917 he was called up to the Russian army, where he completed an officer course and served in the 35th Siberian Rifles Regiment. After the Russian Revolution in 1918 he joined the Polish Army. He underwent training at the Machine Gun School in Lublin, and then served as a crew member of the armoured train “Groźny” on the Volhynian front. In 1920 he completed the course at the Aerial Observer Officer School in Toruń and participated in the Polish-Bolshevik War as an observer in reconnaissance squadrons, distinguishing himself in combat flights. After the war he served successively in the 14th Reconnaissance Squadron and in the 3rd and 2nd Aviation Regiments in Kraków. In the interwar period he held command positions in squadrons and aviation groups. In 1932 he transferred to the reserve. During World War II he joined the Polish Armed Forces in the West and served within the RAF structures. He was killed on 29 March 1943 during an aviation mission over Morpeth.

Władysław Żupnik (1909–1939) – first lieutenant observer of the Polish Army, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He served in the 22nd Bomber Squadron, operating within the aviation structures of the Polish Army in the interwar period. During the September Campaign of 1939 he flew combat sorties on PZL.23 “Karaś” aircraft as an observer. On 3 September 1939 he took part in a combat flight over the Radomsko–Pławno area, with the mission of bombing German armoured columns. The aircraft was shot down by German anti-aircraft fire near the village of Wojciechów. The entire crew was killed. He was buried in a collective grave at the cemetery in Olesno.

Leopold Żurawski (1900–1928) – first lieutenant pilot of the Polish Army, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He served as a pilot in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He was killed on 8 March 1928 while on flying duty. He was buried at the parish cemetery in Goniembice.

Mikołaj Zykow (1908–1942) – sergeant pilot of the Polish Army and the Polish Air Force in Great Britain, associated with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. He served as a pilot in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Kraków. After the outbreak of World War II he joined the Polish Air Force in Great Britain. During the war he served in No. 304 “Silesia” Bomber Squadron. He took part in combat flights over occupied Europe, including raids on targets in Germany. He was killed during a combat flight after his aircraft was damaged by German anti-aircraft fire. After an engine failure he ditched in the North Sea between Heligoland and the English coast. He was buried at Sage War Cemetery in Great Britain.