L/Cpl. pilot
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.
