Malczewski Jan

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.