Baranowski Franciszek

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.