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https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/902/11141/PJeziorskiAFK1705.1.jpg
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https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/902/11141/AJeziorskiAFK170705.2.mp3
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Title
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Jeziorski, Andrzej
Andrzej Fragiszek Ksawery Jeziorski
A F K Jeziorski
Description
An account of the resource
25 items. An oral history interview with Colonel Andrzej Fragiszek Ksawery Jeziorski (1922 - 2018 P241 Polskie Siły Powietrzne), his log books and photographs. Originally in the Polish army, he arrived in England from France in 1940. He flew operations as a pilot with 301 Squadron and Coastal Command 1942 - 1946.
The collection has been loaned to the IBCC Digital Archive for digitisation by Andrzej Jeziorski and catalogued by Barry Hunter.
Publisher
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IBCC Digital Archive
Date
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2017-07-05
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This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Identifier
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Jeziorski, AFK
Transcribed audio recording
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Transcription
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CB: My name is Chris Brockbank and today is the 5th of July 2017 and it’s half past twelve and I am in Chiswick, Grove Park with Andrzej Jeziorski to talk about his time in the RAF and experiences of getting to Britain. So, what are the earliest recollections you have of life?
AJ: Well, I was, as I said, I was born in Warsaw and first few years I, we lived near Gdansk, in Sopot because my father was an officer in the Polish Navy. My father served during the First World War in the Navy but shortly after I was born, he transferred to the Air Force and he reached rank of Colonel eventually. We, initially we stayed in Sopot in Gdansk then we moved to Warsaw and shortly after that my father was sent to Paris for two years to Ecole Superior [unclear] for further technical studies, he was actually diploma engineer and he was sent there for further studies on airline engines and airframes. On return to Poland, we, my father was initially posted to Deblin, which is the Polish Air Force Academy and we stayed there for four years, that was my sort of first contact with the Air Force. We returned to Warsaw in, round about 1930-31 and I commenced schooling in Warsaw, in Poniatowski Gymnasium [laughs] but that’s not very important. And I, and we stayed in, lived in Warsaw until the outbreak of war, in fact I remember in 1939 I returned from the summer holiday on the 28th of August 1939 and I was getting ready to go back to school when in the morning of the 1st of September I was awakened by the gunfire and sirens. I ran into the garden and I saw the formation of German bombers surrounded by the puffs of explosion from the anti-aircraft guns and that was it, that was the beginning of the war. And my father was recalled back to [unclear], he was already retired and worked as engineer in the [unclear] aviation factory in Warsaw but he was recalled back to service and he was posted to South-Eastern Poland with a group of officers to receive the aircraft that was sent from Britain via Constanta, unfortunately the aircraft only reached Constanta harbour and they were never offloaded because of the advance of, very quick advance of the German forces. Aircraft were Fairey Battle, even that all, that useful to Poland because it was a light bomber, really, and we needed fighters but neither France or Britain could provide fighters, they were rather short themselves. Anyhow, we, my mother on the 5th of September, my mother decided that we follow our father to Lviv, to South-eastern Poland and we left Warsaw for Lviv and we stayed in Lviv for several days and on the 17th of September when Russia attacked Poland we travelled across the border to Romania where we re-joined my father in Romania, he was already across the border. We stayed in Romania for about a month I think and then we travelled via Yugoslavia, Italy [unclear] to Paris, to France. Initially I was a little bit too young to join the forces, so I went back to lycée, back to school. It was a Polish Lycée that existed in Paris for many years before the war. Anyway, I started my school again in Paris. In, one [unclear], I completed the first year of study, was actually lycée for last two years before matriculation. When offensive started, German offensive started, my father agreed that I would join the Army and I was, I passed my, all the tests in Paris and the interviews and I was posted to cadet officer’s school near Orange, I think the name was Bollene but I am not sure, don’t quote me that, I only managed to reach Bollene when France collapsed and school was evacuated via Saint-Jean-de-Luz and to Plymouth and from Plymouth up to Scotland to Crawford in Scotland. In Scotland we continued our training very quickly, it was amazing how quickly everything was organised, initially we were issued with infantry armament but shortly after that [unclear] carriers arrived and Valentine tanks and we trained, completed our training by November 1940, we completed our training and I was made the cadet officer, corporal cadet officer [laughs]. The, shortly after I completed my training, the Polish forces decided that, to be an officer, I must get my matriculation, in other words pass my what is the A level exam the Matura [laughs]. So, I was posted back to the same school that I was in France, that school was evacuated as well to England, to Scotland and it was in Dunalastair House near Pitlochry in Perthshire, very beautiful place [laughs]. Anyway, I was sort of released from the, for six months, from the forces to complete my study and pass my matriculation, well, I only had six months, it was difficult, but I managed and I managed to pass all the exams and I went back to the tank corps, it was 16 Tank Brigade number 2 Battalion of tank corp. Round about that time, I decided that I must try to transfer to the Air Force and I started to applying to be transferred to the Air Force, explaining that I have sort of family links with the Air Force [laughs] and I asked them to consider this and transfer me to the Air Force. Eventually, I managed [laughs] and in beginning of 1942 I commenced my training as a pilot. Training initially was four months of ground training in preparation for flying, then, after short leave, initial flying in Hucknall near Nottingham and from there another four months service flying school at Newton, also near Nottingham. I completed my training, I obtained my wings, and also I obtained my commission [laughs], which was organised [laughs] and I was posted to RAF Manby, which was the first Air Armament School, it’s half, about half way between Peterborough and Grimsby, a line between Peterborough and
CB: It’s in Lincolnshire, yes
AJ: RAF Manby
CB: Manby
AJ: First Air Armament School, pre-war station, the station commander was Group Captain Ivens, First World War pilot, rather severe but we [unclear] [laughs] and [unclear], he had certain sympathy towards us and he was a good station [unclear] and we spend many months flying there and I was flying as a staff pilot, flying Blenheims IV and Blenheim I on mainly bombing training. Well, after many months of that, I was suddenly posted to Squires Gate to a general reconnaissance course which meant that I will be posted to Coastal Command because it was mainly navigation training for flying over the sea. It was just over two months course, rather severe but that course helped me a lot in the future because I obtained second class navigation warrant and that helped me in obtaining my licence later on, civvy licence. Eventually, after completion of training in Squires Gate, I was posted to the squadron, which was based in Chivenor and I started flying as a second pilot. Initially, one had to do at least ten, sometimes more flights as a second pilot before being posted to Operational Training Unit to pick up his own crew. Well, I did my ten operations mainly flying over the Atlantic. The flying was consist of patrols, long ones lasted, patrols lasted for over ten hours, we had special additional fuel tanks in bomb bays, apart from depth charges, aircrafts was Wellington XIV, especially designed for operations in Coastal Command, it was equipped with ASV, Aircraft-to-Surface Vessel which was, although it was a primitive radar, it was a very good radar, we could pick up contacts distance over one hundred and twenty miles, that if contact was large enough [laughs], it was, flying was tiring but I found rather interesting it, weather was not in favour of us particularly when we were based up north in Benbecula the weather was our greatest enemy, flying sometimes in very terrible conditions over the Atlantic and several times we had to be diverted to different fields because weather was closing on, closing the fields on the west coast of Scotland so we had to be posted sometimes to Northern Ireland to Limavady. It was interesting and eventually I was posted to Operational Training Unit to Silloth, RAF Silloth that was 6 OTU Coastal Command to pick up my own crew. We completed our training there, we were posted back to squadron and just as we completed initial sort of training with the squadron, war ended and that was the end of my war, but the squadron was posted to Transport Command and I was posted to Crosby-on-Eden Transport Command Conversion Unit, it was a tough three months course for pilots, getting them ready for operation in Transport Command, it was tough course but again that course helped me in obtaining my civvy licences later on. In, on return from, unfortunately I was due to go to India with my crew, getting ready to be posted to India but unfortunately my navigator failed the last of overseas medical, they discovered that he suffering from anginal heart and I lost my navigator and because of that I was posted back to the squadron, 304 Squadron, which in the meantime, was operating as Transport Squadron from Chedburgh, and that was the squadron operated Warwicks, sort of large Wellington [laughs] transport plane, and operating mainly to Athens with [unclear], we operated via east, Pomigliano near Naples and then Athens and back again [laughs]. And I stayed with the squadron until the end of the existence of Polish Air Force and we were all transferred to Polish resettlement call but I decided to continue flying and I was posted to [unclear] Navigation School and I flew Wellingtons, Wellington X, from Royal Air Force Topcliffe in Yorkshire and I was there for about a year and a half until I was asked to relinquish my commission and I went back to civil life, civilian life, but, as I said, I managed to complete two very important courses in RAF and that helped me quite a bit in passing the exams for airline transport pilot licence. And I, in possibly 1948 when I commenced my flying in civil aviation. Initially, my first employment was in, up in Blackpool and I operated Rapid aircrafts, De Havilland Rapide over the Irish Sea from Blackpool to Ronaldsway and to Dublin and Belfast and Glasgow, for about, for a whole year I was operating over the Irish Sea for Lancashire Aircraft Corporation, that was the firm I was employed with, Lancashire Aircraft Corporation. Lancashire Aircraft Corporation later changed name to Skyways and I stayed with the firm and I was, after a year in Blackpool, I was moved to Bovingdon to join the crew of captain Raymond, very good pilot, to operate Haltons, a transport plane, Halton was a civil version of Halifax 8 C and we used to operate freighting services to, well, yes, we used to fly everywhere, to the Far East, to Singapore, to Island of Mauritius [laughs] on the Indian Ocean, to the, all around the Middle East and but in about, after about a year operating with, flying with Captain Raymond we had a rather, in fact very unpleasant incident. We were due to take eight tons of optical instruments, four tons from UK and then four tons from Hamburg and operate to Hong Kong. We took off early in the morning, must have been seven o’clock in the morning, beautiful day, we climbed to our cruising altitude which, as far as I remember, was nine thousand feet, and I just went down to my navigation cabin to start my navigation, I obtained first pinpoint I remember at [unclear], I’ve written it on my logbook, when fire bell rang. I rushed back to the cockpit and I saw the number one engine on fire, it was not only fire but black smoke, we turned back towards Bovingdon but just at that time, just looking at that engine when the whole engine separated, the engine cracked in second row of cylinders, just cracked, and propeller, reduction gear, cowlings and front part of the engine just separated and took fire [unclear], and propeller just sort of twisted right and hit the leading edge of the aircraft, between the engines and cut through the leading edge and through the oil tank of number one, number two engine and a few moments later engineer had to stop number two engine because of lack, he was losing oil. Anyway, we were still at about eight thousand feet and we flew towards Bovingdon, Bovingdon also of course helping us with QDMs etcetera, help passing all the weather information etcetera and weather, as I said, was absolutely perfect, I could see Bovingdon from great distance I could see the runway and captain Raymond decided that we would land crosswind on as long runway accept crosswind was about ten knots and land direct on a long runway and we made a superb approach, or actually captain Raymond did [laughs] and we landed safely in Bovingdon. The aircraft looked terrible. One engine gone, one engine feathered, the aircraft covered with oil and dirty smoke [laughs], remnants looked absolutely terrible but would you believe, the engineer managed to fix it in three days, they replaced the engine, replaced the tank, replaced the leading edge and three days later aircraft operated to Milan. It was almost unbelievable [laughs]. But anyway, great work on British engineers [laughs]. So that was a rather unpleasant beginning of my long service with civil aviation, would you like me to continue?
CB. We’ll stop just for a minute.
AJ: Sorry?
CB: We’ll stop just for a moment. So, we are talking about Skyways and the incident with captain Raymond,
AJ: Yes
CB: But after that you got, what happened to you, you got your own command?
AJ: After that I started flying as a captain, we converted from Haltons to Avro York. I don’t know if you know the aircraft
CB: I know
AJ: [unclear]
CB: The Lancaster
AJ: And we started to operate mainly to the Middle East
CB: Right
AJ: Mainly to a place called Fayid in Canal Zone, that was of course in military zone of Canal Zone and civilian planes were not allowed to land there because of agreement between Egypt and UK, that only military planes would be landing on Canal Zone so we were all given a complementary commission between Malta and Fayid we operated as RAF crews on RAF markings and everything, we were back in uniform for a little while. The operation to the, there was always something happening when we were there, I remember first sort of international problem was the Iran, the, Mr Mosaddegh trying to get Abadan
CB: The oil field
AJ: [unclear] Abadan
CB: Yes
AJ: So we were all put up in uniforms and transferred to Castle Benito in Libya, later Castle Idris, artillery was loaded on our aircraft and we were all ready to occupy Abadan [laughs] but fortunately nothing happened, Shah returned to Iran and don’t know what’s happened to Mr Mosaddegh, but anyway he disappeared. So that was the first sort of international incident that I have seen and the next one of course was Suez, that was during the premiership of Mr Eden when Nasser, President Nasser decided to nationalise Suez Canal and of course there was a war between Israel and Egypt and Israel occupied Sinai peninsula and we were also involved, immediately involved in transferring flying troops not only to Cyprus to reinforce the Polish British base, there but also to other parts where there was a danger to the British [unclear] in Bahrein, Aden we had to fly troops there, also we had to evacuate British personnel from Castle Benito because of the danger in revolt in Tripoli. There was of course a big row between United States on one part and France and UK on the other but anyway everything slowly settled down and we started to operate via Cyprus to the Far East, mainly on trooping contract again. Cyprus was very pleasant place initially after the war as far as I remember, but slowly EOKA started to operate and things started to get really nasty, well, in fact, we lost one aircraft, EOKA managed to plot to put bomb on, in the gallery of one of our aircraft departing from Nicosia to UK with RAF families. The captain on that flight was I remember captain Cole and they were travelling from the hotel in Kyrenia via through the Kyrenia Mountains they had a puncture and the wheel was damaged, anyway they were delayed about forty five, fifty minutes to arrive at the airport, they were of course in a hurry, immediately [unclear] ran to the aircraft to distribute pillows and get cabin ready for the families to join the aircraft and the engineer was on a wing and captain, captain Cole and his first officer were walking towards the aircraft from the control tower, they were about half way, when bomb exploded in the gallery. The aircraft was immediately on fire, but it was a Sunday, was it Sunday? No, it was, only day but lunchtime and everything was quiet on the airfield, just one aircraft getting ready to departure was our aircraft, well, I mean, firm aircraft not mine [laughs], and the fire tender and all the emergency equipment parked near control tower, they didn’t expect anything, it was a very hot day and the crew of fire tenders had sort of undone their buttons and they were sort of sunning themselves and they didn’t notice that bomb exploded, was just [mimics a detonation] was a very small, small bomb and of course the captain, first officer noticed that, there were explosions and they started to run towards control tower to tell, to call the fire and the controller didn’t know, he was looking at them and sort of, he went on the balcony, he said, what? Aircraft on fire. So he ran back, pressed the button alarm but by the time fire tender alarm, the aircraft was gone
CB: Completely
AJ: Lost an aircraft. No one was hurt, the engine, when bomb exploded this engineer was on a wing, he almost fell off the wing but he didn’t [laughs] fortunately, girls were distributing pills in the cabin so they ran out of the cabin, no one was hurt but aircraft was lost. If you visit Nicosia, visit the museum, there was, there is a place, commemorating EOKA activities and there is a photograph of that aircraft, EOKA sort of proud that they managed to destroy one aircraft but they nearly, the aircraft was, the bomb was so timed to explode at the top of climb, had it not been for the puncture of the car bringing the crew from Kyrenia, the aircraft would have been at top of climb and that would have been it, six, over sixty RAF families, women and children were due to fly back to UK, that was one of the things that
CB: Fascinating, yeah
AJ: I still remember. The, after that, we, after that incident we started to operate trooping contracts to Far East, mainly to Singapore. We changed aircraft from Hermes to Lockheed 749s Constellation and of course it was much beautiful aircraft, lovely aircraft to fly and we initially started operating with troops to the Far East, to Singapore but later this changed into the freighting contract for BOAC to the Far East, that’s operating freight from UK to Hong Kong and to Singapore and I was posted for two years to New Delhi to operate the sector between New Delhi and Hong Kong and Singapore. It was interesting posting, India is an interesting place and it was lovely flying, one week of flying, one flight to Singapore, one flight to Hong Kong in a week and then a week off [laughs], rather pleasant and it was, generally speaking, I remember that as a very pleasant, very pleasant stay in India. As [unclear], when I returned from India, the Skyways decided to finish the operation and all the aircraft and crew were transferred to Euravia and Euravia two years later on obtaining Britannia aircraft changed the name to Britannia Airways.
CB: Ah, right
AJ: So, initially we operated 749s on inclusive tours mainly but later we started to operate Britannias, not only on inclusive tours, we had occasional rather interesting charter flights to various parts of the world. One such, interesting but not very pleasant, was evacuation of British, Belgian population from Leopoldville in
CB: In Congo
AJ: Belgian Congo. The unpleasantness of that was that we had to night stop in Leopoldville and to get to town we had to go through several military checkpoints at night and military checkpoints were of course Congolese military and they all drunk and automatic pistols it was not very pleasant to be stopped by troops, whatever they are, when they are drunk and armed with automatic pistols [laughs]. I remember that I had to stop three times in Leopoldville and every time it was rather, if I may say so, frightening experience [laughs] but anyway we managed to transfer some of the Belgian civilians from Leopoldville and by then we were, as I said, we were operating Britannias and shortly after that with this development of inclusive tours and Britannia decided to buy Boeings and I was posted together with other pilots to Seattle to train on Boeing 737-200 series, very interesting two months, a technical course first in Seattle, then simulator flying and then eventual flying on 737. And that was beginning of operation Boeing 737 which lasted for several years and then there was break because company decided to start operating to the West Coast of United States and to do so they managed to obtain two lovely aircraft, was a Boeing 707-320 Intercontinental, that was the most lovely aircraft I ever flew and we were operating the 707s to the West Coast, mainly to San Francisco, to Los Angeles, to Canada, Vancouver, occasionally to Tokyo via Anchorage, polar route to Anchorage, so always very interesting and also I was, for six months I was transferred to British Caledonian because they ran out of, they were short of crew and I was posted to join them for a few months and rather unpleasant sort of posting because I was operating South American routes, operating to Santiago, to Chile. Now, Chile at that time was run by president Allende, communist, he was elected Communist president but the whole country was trying to get rid of him because the country was in chaos there was, shops were closed, there was shortage of food, in the hotels food was rationing, we had to take some food off the aircraft to reinforce our ration in the hotel and as you know eventually military took over. I was the last aircraft to leave before the revolution, so I remember how the aircraft, how the country looked during President Allende regime, and I was the first one to land after, with military already in command and all of a sudden the country changed completely, all shops were open, plenty of food, wine shops open, the lovely Chilean wine in hotel, everything was in perfect, so I know that British public and particularly British press very much in favour of President Allende and they hated the idea of military takeover but to us who operated [unclear] the difference between what it was like during the Allende regime and later was very noticeable and to be quite honest we were on the side of Mrs Thatcher [laughs], side of Mrs Thatcher. After these few months with British Caledonian, I was getting close to my retiring age and eventually I retired at the age of sixty. My last flight with Britannia was on 22nd of December in 1982. And I was immediately offered the position of ops manager with Air Europe in Gatwick. I started to work there and at the same time a friend of mine, Mike Russell, who was training [unclear] Britannia Airways, he informed me that he bought Rapide aircraft, that was an aircraft that [unclear] operated [unclear] and he asked me if I would like to occasionally fly for him out of Duxford, the Imperial War Museum in Duxford with the passengers to show them how the old airliners used to look and fly before, in 1930s and soon after the war and I agreed and every weekend practically I used to go to Duxford to fly the Rapide for him. So, as you can see, I commenced my civil flying on Rapide aircraft and I completed my last flight, civilian flight was also on a Rapide and that’s, that’s the end of the story.
CB: Amazing, yes. Thank you, we’ll stop for a bit.
AJ: We
CB: We are just taking a step back now to when you arrived in the UK, what happened?
AJ: As soon as we arrived in UK, the courses were arranged by the local authorities to teach us or to commence to teach us English and it was normally arranged but sometimes by military, sometimes by local authorities. In RAF of course it was standard procedure that we had to attend lectures in English practically every day, that’s in RAF, in the army it was sometimes arranged by the local authorities, as far as I remember, but somehow, somehow we managed [laughs] in spite of difficulties, it’s not easy to learn the language when one is over twenty, but we managed somehow
CB: Who were the people who did the training, the courses in English for you? What sort of people, were they schoolmasters or what?
AJ: The, in RAF they were mainly lecturers from Oxford and Cambridge [laughs], mainly young lecturers from Oxford and Cambridge and so, I didn’t pick up the accent but [laughs], but anyway they were very good. They were excellent lecturers. And lectures were all in English
CB: But
AJ: And we managed, but somehow we managed
CB: They were part of the RAF education department
AJ: Yes, commission
CB: Yeah
AJ: Commission area and they were teaching us [laughs]
CB: And
AJ: Mainly very young lecturers
CB: They were, yes. And how did they deal with that because you had two requirements, one was the basic understanding of English, wasn’t it? Then the other one would be technical English for flying, so how did that
AJ: That used to go together with lectures, during lectures of course we, we learned the technical language, how these things are called in English and that was fairly easy and also we had sort of general lectures to improve our ability to express ourselves [laughs]
CB: So, how many of you were on this course?
AJ: Sorry?
CB: How many people were being trained with you at the same time?
AJ: [unclear], about twenty, normally about twenty [unclear]
CB: Right. Were they all Polish or were some Hungarian and Czechoslovakian?
AJ: Only Polish
CB: Right
AJ: No, we, in those days there were no Hungarians, [unclear] only Polish. As I said, our relationship with lecturers were very, very good [laughs]
CB: So, off duty, cause you were all the same age so, off duty what did you do?
AJ: [laughs] So we, we managed somehow
CB: But you would go to the pub, would you, with them, off duty, or what would you do?
AJ: Oh yes, yes, always, nearest one [laughs]. My social life was always pleasant, particularly when I was based in Blackpool for a while, I remember, the social life there was very pleasant because Squires Gates was quite close to St Annes and there were very pleasant girls living in St Annes [laughs], it was, rather pleasant
CB: And were there lots of dances?
AJ: Oh yes, yes, we, dancing was a typical past time during the war [laughs]
CB: And cinema?
AJ: And cinema as well
CB: Did the
AJ: We, in, when we were based in Benbecula, we had a special sort of supply of new Hollywood productions, always first of all they used to arrive us to show us the film that appeared in London about a week later [laughs]
CB: [laughs]
AJ: That was just to try, trying to make our unpleasant life in Benbecula just a little bit more pleasant
CB: Yes
AJ: I assume Benbecula is a dreadful place for weather, sometimes the winds were size eighty miles an hour [laughs] and it was difficult to sleep because of the noise
CB: Oh, really?
AJ: And quite often unfortunately the airfield was closed by the weather
CB: Yeah
AJ: [unclear] divert
CB: This is on an island on the west coast of Scotland. What was the accommodation like?
AJ: Mainly Nissen huts
CB: Right
AJ: I think the only brick house on the station was a squash court [laughs], the rest was all Nissen huts [laughs]. But squash court was brick [laughs]
CB: Now you were used to a different type of food and catering in your youth so how did you adapt to the British diet?
AJ: Oh, there was no problem. Polish diet here, if Polish families was a little bit close to British because food was rather scarce and was difficult to arrange Polish menu [laughs]
CB: Yeah
AJ: Which was rather rich and
CB: Yeah. Now, this business of learning English, so you are learning English for a social conversation but when you came to learn RT, radio telephony, then was it more difficult to deal with English that way?
AJ: No. I think, no, we had no difficulties on the radio, we used standard procedure and standard language
CB: Yes
AJ: Limiting the conversation to absolute minimum, only necessary information absolutely necessary, we were not allowed to run long conversation, before operation of course there was a general arty silence, complete silence before operational flight, we were not allowed to use radio for to get permission for take-off, was all visual
CB: All done with [unclear]
AJ: All visual
CB: Yeah
AJ: Yeah, so not to, you’re doing everything possible to, not to tell the Germans where we were or what we were doing
CB: Yes. Thinking of how the process of training, so you did your initial training on what aeroplane?
AJ: On Tiger Moths
CB: Right. And after the Tiger Moth, what did you?
AJ: Oxford
CB. Onto the Oxford
AJ: Oxford
CB: For your twin engine flying.
AJ: Yes
CB: Then what?
AJ: Oxford and then I, when I was posted to First Air Armament School, it was Blenheim I and IV
CB: Right
AJ: Again we converted, on arrival there we had to pass conversion course, which was run by local training, training officer
CB: Now you said we, does that mean you were all Poles or was there a mixture of people on all these courses? Were you all Polish people on the training, or was there a mixture of nationalities?
AJ: No, mainly all Polish and sometimes some Czechs. But Czechs from different squadrons, we had our Polish squadrons, [unclear] few Czechs served with Polish Air Force. Among them was the highest scoring pilot in the Battle of Britain. He was, his, he was Polish by nationality but he was born Czech
CB: Ah
AJ: So his nationality was actually Czechoslovakian,
CB: Yeah
AJ: But he was Polish
CB: Polish born
AJ: Citizen
CB: Ah, right
AJ: It was flight sergeant Frantisek, he was the highest scoring pilot in the Battle of Britain but we never say he was Polish, he was Czech [laughs]. Unfortunately, he was killed during the battle
CB: So after you were on Blenheims, what did you move to next?
AJ: To Wellingtons
CB: Right
AJ: So, in the RAF, I flew Tiger Moths, Oxfords, Ansons, Blenheim I and IV, Wellington X and XIV, Warwicks and DC-3s. The DC-3 was mainly in Transport Command conversion unit
CB: Right
AJ: That was all. We were due to fly DC-3s in India but
CB: Ah, so you went to conversion unit
AJ: Didn’t happen [laughs]
CB: Now, you were all being trained together, in Bomber Command at the OTU, the various specialities were pilot, navigator and so on, were put in a room and they then made a self-selection of a crew, how was your crew put together as Polish people?
AJ: Mainly by sort of knowing each other and for first few months were lectures so it was easy to know the, to become aware of that particular, he must be a good navigator [laughs], so I used to ask him, would you join my crew [laughs]? As exactly my navigator was a lawyer from Krakow University [laughs] and I thought, oh, he’s a lawyer, he must be good navigator [laughs] and he was, he was, unfortunately he was not very healthy
CB: And the crew of the Wellington with six in Bomber Command, in Coastal Command what was the crew numbers? How many people in the crew in Coastal Command?
AJ: In the crew? Six
CB: Right. So, who ran the ASVE? Who ran the ASV Set?
AJ: Sorry, I didn’t
CB: Yeah, you had the airborne radar, the ASVE
AJ: Yes
CB: Who’s job was it to run that?
AJ: Who, radar?
CB: Yeah
AJ: Well, all three radio navigators were trained gunners, radio officers, and radar operators and during the operational flight, they changed every two hours
CB: Right
AJ: They changed rotation, one, two hours in the rear turret, two hours at the radar and two hours at radio station,
CB: And you said that when you went on ops, then they were long and you had extra tanks, what was the nature of the sortie? Would you drive, fly to a long, the farthest point and then do a square search or what did you do?
AJ: We managed to go to the patrol area and then we patrol, mainly box patrol in a certain area, sort of and there was one aircraft operating this sector, the next aircraft, several aircraft was sort of blocking say Western approaches
CB: Right. And what height would you be flying?
AJ: Fifteen hundred feet
CB: Right
AJ: We were flying at fifteen hundred feet mainly
CB: So, how often did you use your armament when you were on ops?
AJ: Well, [unclear] we didn’t have, we didn’t attack submarine [unclear] but what you’re trying to do is to try to keep submarines submerged and several times we picked up a good contact but as soon as we started flying towards it the contact disappeared because they could see us on their radar or could hear us
CB: Cause they had a radar detector didn’t they?
AJ: And they of course submerged very quickly and changed course. So it was very difficult to. In 1943 the Germans decided to not to dive but to accept and fight and they armed the submarines, it was a very heavy armament and it was extremely dangerous to attack submarine because of heavy anti-aircraft armament on the submarine and the attack was normally from between fifty and one hundred feet, we had electrical altimeter
CB: Ah, right
AJ: To get down to a very low altitude [unclear] and we had to illuminate the target with Leigh light, the aircraft was equipped with a very heavy reflector which used to be lowered hydraulically and the navigator, just about a mile from the target used to illuminate and he could control the reflector to pick up the target first standing above him were the [unclear] machine guns and of course as soon as he saw the target he used to open up to the front guns, a very high rate of fire, Browning machine guns, they were like automatic pistols, mainly anti-personnel guns
CB: Yeah
AJ: And very high rate of fire, very close to one thousand five hundred rounds a minute so and that was type, the radar operator was to sort of directing the aircraft towards the target until it was about a mile from the target, about a mile from the target the navigator used to illuminate the target
CB: Where was the Leigh light mounted in the aircraft?
AJ: Sorry?
CB: Whereabouts in the aircraft was the Leigh light?
AJ: It was in the middle of the fuselage
CB: Pardon?
AJ: Middle of the fuselage, underneath
CB: Ah, middle of, right
AJ: Used to be
CB: Ahead of the bomb bay, was it?
AJ: And that’s why ditching on Wellington XIV was never successful because the fuselage used to break just where the Leigh light was so there was never, not one Wellington XIV ditched successfully
CB: Really? Yes
AJ: Cause was the weak point
CB: Yeah
AJ: In the fuselage, so
CB: Now
AJ: General, general sort of method of attack which we trained of course all the time was to, as soon as the target was picked up by radar, to obey the instructions from radar operator to direct the aircraft towards the target [unclear] come down to about a hundred feet, sometimes even lower, and about a mile from the target illuminate the target [unclear] and attack six depth charges, it was a stick of six depth charges so if that was the target [unclear] six [unclear]
CB: Was the method of attack
AJ: That was the method of attack
CB: To the side of the submarine or head on?
AJ: No, we used to drop the depth charges trying to in front of it so that the submarine ran into them but it, as I said, it was not easy, you can imagine at night submarine firing back at you [laughs] and to aim six depth charges to drop in front of the submarine in the direction the submarine was heading, it’s, it required quite a lot of courage to
CB: I can imagine. What about the other members of the squadron? How many of those attacked submarines?
AJ: I can’t tell you exactly but aircraft, we had some success but not during the time when I was in the squadron because then German submarines were equipped with [unclear] and they could stay submerged for a very long time, in fact the only time, the only possibility of finding the submarine was to observe the sea and to see the smoke coming, providing wind was not too strong, it was possible to see the smoke just like smoke of the train going through the depression
CB: From the diesel engine
AJ: You could see the, you could see the puffs of smoke coming out from sea [unclear] that was the submarine and
CB: Because
AJ: It was to attack, but of course submarine dived before that [laughs] because they were on the periscope all the time and they could see the aircraft approaching so they would crash land, crash dive
CB: Yeah. So the period that you were with the squadron on these anti-submarine duties was quite short. Did you feel disappointed that you hadn’t had enough time?
AJ: Yes
CB: How did you feel?
AJ: Sorry?
CB: How did you feel?
AJ: I felt that the war avoided me [laughs]
CB: Yeah
AJ: That was my feeling. I wanted, you know, I thought that I’d do at least one tour in Coastal Command and then I would, that I would go back to Bomber Command, but it never happened,
CB: No
AJ: War ended
CB: So, as a Pole in England, in Britain, did you feel a particular sense of urgency to do something about Germans?
AJ: About?
CB: The Germans and submarines. Did you feel you really wanted to make a mark?
AJ: Sorry, I didn’t quite
CB: Well, as a Pole, in view of what the Germans did to Poland, did you feel, putting it a different way, that you really wanted to pay them back?
AJ: Well, that was a general thing that you wanted to, as you know the, towards the end of the war we realised that we in Poland is the only country had lost the war
CB: Because of Yalta
AJ: We knew that sooner or later Germans will be supported by United States not only because of the power of Russia but because of industrial power that it represented and what can we say, it was few rather unpleasant years, we were absolutely certain that there will be friction between the West and East but we also knew that it will not be a major war because of the danger of atomic power but you knew that there will be some small wars like Korea and others. Nowadays we are on reasonably good terms with the Germans but memories last for a long time
CB: Yes. And after the war, what was the general feeling of Polish people, that war had finished and how did the Polish people feel about it?
AJ: Well, we were all, as you know, we were all very disappointed, everyone was trying to organise himselves to get back to normal life, in spite of the fact that it will be away from Poland. We were all sort of rather disappointed but somehow we sticked together, we managed to stick together in our organisation and we knew that sooner or later something will happen but unfortunately it lasted for over fifty years
CB: Yes. But in the time after the war, in the fifties, there was the Hungarian and the Czechoslovak uprising, so how did the Polish people react to those?
AJ: You know, there was a very strong reaction in Poland although the Polish government was, then Polish government, Communist government was very much with the Russian policy, the general opinion of Poland, of Polish population was very much pro Czechoslovakia, later on pro Hungary and eventually problems, troubles started in Poland, we started [laughs], Solidarity, this, we knew that sooner or later something will happen, but we were not certain how long it would take
CB: Just finally going back to when you came to Britain
AJ: Mh?
CB: When you first came to Britain, what was the reaction of the population?
AJ: Initially, it was very friendly, very friendly indeed, particularly that was time of Battle of Britain and was well known fact that Polish fighters were fighting together with RAF, Polish Navy was still in action, together with Royal navy, Polish forces defended, together with Australians defended Tobruk, they distinguished themselves in Norway before that, in Narvik [laughs], so there as, Poland was popular initially, but towards the end of the war, change, everything changed completely
CB: Did it?
AJ: Russia was the great ally and we, we were the troublemakers, we tried to create trouble between the West and Russia, that was the general opinion
CB: Was it? Really?
AJ: But of course change, things have changed very slowly, changed again because Russia begin to show their power and there was of course Berlin airlift and all those difficulties created by Russia and we all knew about it, this is part of the Russian policy to establish Communist regime everywhere
CB: Right, we’ll stop there a mo. Now, after the war, then a lot of squadrons and the Air Forces created associations, so, the RAF had squadron associations and there was a Polish Air Force association
AJ: Yes, Polish association was established very soon after the war, initially as soon as war over it started to become but the year it was established actually in 1945, 1945 and initially it was created by Polish Air Force senior officers, junior officers and other ranks were sort of more interested in getting themselves organised initially but later on everyone sort of joined in and the Polish Air Force Association was one of the biggest organisations, Polish organisations in UK. We all, the Polish Air Force Association was helped by the Royal Air Force association and we established a very good contact with the RAF, Royal Air Force Association, several clubs were formed very quickly, clubs one in London and one in Blackpool, one in Nottingham, Derby and so on, and generally speaking it was
CB: Just a couple of minutes
AJ: Generally speaking, it was very sort of organisation, which was very active, very active socially
CB: Yes
AJ: And of course, initially was also helping the former members of Polish Air Force to establish themselves here or in other countries, United States, Canada, Argentina even [laughs]
CB: Yeah
AJ: So
CB: And then the memorial, so a memorial was established, built at Northolt
AJ: Yes, the Polish Air Force memorial was built rather early, soon after the war. It was unveiled by Lord Tedder and later on it was enlarged and now it just exists [unclear] we have ceremony there every year
CB: Yeah
AJ: Was a tradition to have one, wreath laying ceremony in September every year. And another memorial was built in Warsaw, giving the, with names of all the aircrew that had lost their lives during the war. If you are in Warsaw, you go and see that memorial, it is one of the nicest memorials in Warsaw.
CB: Now, after the war you were busy flying airliners so, to what extent did you get involved with the Polish Air Force association?
AJ: Well, initially when I was flying, it was rather difficult because I was busy all the time but towards the end, when I started working in Gatwick as ops manager, I started to work for the Polish Air Force association, initially as chairman of London branch, and then as honorary secretary, vice chairman [laughs], gradually I went up in a position in Polish Air Force Association, in a
CB: And you became the chairman
AJ: Sorry?
CB: And you became the chairman
AJ: Well, chairman of Polish Air Force Association charitable trust
CB: Right
AJ: That was at the end of existence of Polish Air Force Association. Polish Air Force Association organised trust from all the remaining [unclear] the organiser trust
CB: Yeah
AJ: Which was very active for several years and
CB: And that then lead to the Polish Airmen’s Association
AJ: [unclear] what [unclear] is now Polish Airmen’s Association
CB: Yeah
AJ: Mainly sort of consisting of families, families [laughs]
CB: Yeah
AJ; But there are still a few of us
CB: You’re active in that still, aren’t you?
AJ: Few of us remaining [laughs]
CB: Thank you
AJ: Thank you
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Interview with Andrzej Jeziorski
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Chris Brockbank
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2017-07-05
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Sound
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
AJeziorskiAFK170705
Conforms To
An established standard to which the described resource conforms.
Pending review
Pending revision of OH transcription
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
01:19:38 audio recording
Language
A language of the resource
eng
pol
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Royal Air Force. Coastal Command
Polskie Siły Powietrzne
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
France
Great Britain
Poland
Singapore
England--Lincolnshire
France--Paris
Poland--Warsaw
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1939-08-28
1939-09-01
1940
1942
1943
1945
Description
An account of the resource
Andrzej Jeziorski was born in Poland and, when war broke out, fled to Britain, where he flew as a pilot with 304 Squadron. Remembers the 1st of September 1939. Talks about his father, a Navy officer who served in the First World War. Mentions his first contact with the Air Force when he and his family moved to Deblin. Tells of his escape from Poland to France, his further education there and his evacuation to Britain. Initially, he was posted to Scotland and trained to join the 16th Tank Brigade. He then decided to transfer to the Air Force and in 1942 started training as a pilot. Was posted to 304 Squadron on various stations. Tells of his career in civilian aviation after the war: operating flights for Skyways and Britannia all over the world, until his retirement in 1982. Talks about his life in Britain during the war and mentions various episodes: being taught English by university lecturers and socialising with them. Tells of being assigned with going on patrols, locating and attacking enemy submarines. Expresses his views on Poland’s situation after the war. Talks about the Polish Air Force Association in Britain, his involvement in it and the memorials to Polish aircrews.
301 Squadron
304 Squadron
aircrew
Blenheim
memorial
pilot
radar
RAF Chivenor
RAF Manby
submarine
Wellington
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/902/27693/PJeziorskiAFK17010018.2.jpg
3aa1da352ffacab9f7fc14272b89ec5c
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/902/27693/PJeziorskiAFK17010019.2.jpg
d067a5c3d2000b28ea87d2ca1a159782
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Jeziorski, Andrzej
Andrzej Fragiszek Ksawery Jeziorski
A F K Jeziorski
Description
An account of the resource
25 items. An oral history interview with Colonel Andrzej Fragiszek Ksawery Jeziorski (1922 - 2018 P241 Polskie Siły Powietrzne), his log books and photographs. Originally in the Polish army, he arrived in England from France in 1940. He flew operations as a pilot with 301 Squadron and Coastal Command 1942 - 1946.
The collection has been loaned to the IBCC Digital Archive for digitisation by Andrzej Jeziorski and catalogued by Barry Hunter.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2017-07-05
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Jeziorski, AFK
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Andrezj Jeziorski and Crew
Description
An account of the resource
Five airmen standing beside their aircraft.
Information supplied with the collection states -
'RAF St. Eval, 304 squadron; my crew:-
From the left:
Air gunner/radio operator Sgt. Kucharek
First pilot - F/O - AFK JEZIORSKI
Navigator - F/O - T. BACZYNSKI
Air gunner/radio operator MASLANKA.
Air gunner/radio operator RUMAS
Photograph taken by second pilot - WITKOWSKI'
On the reverse is a post it note with 'Rok 1945 (Wiosna)' [Year 1945 (spring)] and the Polish original of the English text.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1945
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
One b/w photograph
Language
A language of the resource
pol
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Photograph
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
PJeziorskiAFK17010018, PJeziorskiAFK17010019
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Coastal Command
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1945
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Great Britain
England--Cornwall (County)
304 Squadron
air gunner
aircrew
navigator
pilot
RAF St Eval
wireless operator
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/902/27790/LJeziorskiAFK2411Pv2.1.pdf
0818dc62757efefb48cef3dcd2f28eab
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Jeziorski, Andrzej
Andrzej Fragiszek Ksawery Jeziorski
A F K Jeziorski
Description
An account of the resource
25 items. An oral history interview with Colonel Andrzej Fragiszek Ksawery Jeziorski (1922 - 2018 P241 Polskie Siły Powietrzne), his log books and photographs. Originally in the Polish army, he arrived in England from France in 1940. He flew operations as a pilot with 301 Squadron and Coastal Command 1942 - 1946.
The collection has been loaned to the IBCC Digital Archive for digitisation by Andrzej Jeziorski and catalogued by Barry Hunter.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2017-07-05
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Jeziorski, AFK
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Andrezj Jeziorski's Royal Air Force Pilot’s Flying Log Book. Two
Description
An account of the resource
A F K Jeziorski’s pilot’s flying log book covering the period from 1 April 1944 to 30 Sep 1948. Detailing his flying training and operations flown as pilot. He was stationed at RAF Manby (1 AAS), RAF Watchfield (1 Beam Approach School), RAF Squires Gate (3 School of General Reconnaissance), RAF Benbecula (304 Squadron), RAF Silloth (6 (Coastal) OTU), RAF Crosby-on-Eden (1383 (Transport) CU), RAF Chedburgh (304 Squadron) and RAF Topcliffe (1 ANS). Aircraft flown in were Blenheim, Wellington, Oxford, Anson, Dakota, Warwick and Halifax. He flew eight North Atlantic anti-submarine sweeps with 304 Squadron. His pilots on operations were Flight Sergeant Micel and Squadron Leader Krzepisi/Kazepisi.
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
LJeziorskiAFK2411Pv2
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Great Britain. Royal Air Force
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1944
1945
1946
1947
1948
1944-10-10
1944-10-11
1944-10-15
1944-10-16
1944-10-25
1944-11-25
1944-12-03
1945-01-10
1945-01-11
1945-01-13
1945-01-17
1945-01-31
1945-03-10
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Great Britain
Atlantic Ocean
England--Cumbria
England--Suffolk
England--Yorkshire
Scotland--Hebrides
Scotland--Benbecula
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Coastal Command
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Log book and record book
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
One booklet
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Terry Hancock
304 Squadron
aircrew
Anson
Blenheim
C-47
Halifax
navigator
Operational Training Unit
Oxford
pilot
RAF Chedburgh
RAF Manby
RAF Silloth
RAF Topcliffe
RAF Watchfield
training
Wellington
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/2090/34780/SRAFIngham19410620v010004.2.jpg
6876ea79afc07b00e10a7f4f4cd2acd3
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/2090/34780/SRAFIngham19410620v010001-Audio.1.mp3
863d4820f91339ff0c46c7bb1aa17ee2
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
RAF Ingham Heritage Group. Andrzej Jerziorski
Description
An account of the resource
Five items. An interview with Andrzej Jerziorski, pilot's notes and photographs.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2016-11-14
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
RAF Ingham
Transcribed audio recording
A resource consisting primarily of recorded human voice.
Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
GB: Okay, we’re recording now, so. What would you like me to call you by the way?
AJ: Andre.
Andre.
AJ: Andjay is the correct pronunciation, but, I don’t know why, in RAF and in Britannia they always called me Andre. [Laugh]
GB: Andre right, Andre it is then, lovely. Can we start, first of all, could you tell me, please, what year you were born and where you were born in Poland, please?
AJ: I was born in, on 23rd of December 1922, in Warsaw.
In Warsaw itself.
AJ: And I lived in Warsaw most of the time, well, say important [emphasis] part of my youth I lived in Warsaw. Part of the time I lived in, when my father was serving officer Polish Air Force, so I spent four years in Polish Air Force Academy in Deblin. Before that we were in Paris for a little while while my father was studying at the Ecole d’Aeronautique in Paris.
GB: And how old were you when you were in Paris then?
AJ: Oh, I was four years old.
GB: Oh, four, so very young, probably didn’t realise Paris, what Paris was.
AJ: I still remember a little bit, not much.
GB: And as it came towards the beginning of the Second World War, was your father involved in defending Poland?
AJ: He was already retired, but working as an engineer in aeronautical, in engine manufacturing, aero engines factory in, but he was still reserve officer and he was called back to, to the service just before the war.
GB: So it was natural for you to want to join the Polish Air Force.
AJ: Yes, but unfortunately it didn’t start with that, [chuckle] it was, took me a long time before I managed to get to the Air Force. I joined the Army first.
GB: Right, okay. Can you tell me a little bit about that, and your journey?
AJ: Yes. I managed to get to France after the campaign in Poland, with my father. We travelled via Romania, Yugoslavia, Italy, Italy to France, where I went back to school, for a year, and in 1940, the German offensive already started, I joined the Polish Army, in France, and I was posted to Officers Training School in southern France near Orange, place called Boulin; it was the Tank Corps Officer’s Training School. Of course I didn’t stay very long because France collapsed, we were evacuated to the harbour, very close to Portuguese, to Spanish border, Saint Jean de Luz, it’s a small fishing village to the south of Bayonne. And Polish ships and British ships picked us up from there and we sailed from Saint Jean de Luz, well actually, we had to first of all row to get to the ships because they were moored about a mile or two from the shore.
GB: You had to row!
AJ: [Laugh] Yes. This is just fishing village. Anyway, it took us about four days and four nights to get to Plymouth, part of that we were escort by Sunderlands, and then we were transferred from Plymouth to Scotland when, where the Polish Army started to re-establish again. [Laugh]
GB: How did you get from Plymouth up to Scotland?
AJ: By train.
GB: Oh, by train, not by lorries or anything, no.
AJ: No, by train.
GB: Quite comfortable though.
AJ: Very comfortable, by comparison to France it was great camp. Everything was, I must say, very well organised. We landed at [indecipherable], we had to wait for everything to be arranged for us, when we left the ship everything was prepared for us, a big buffet, tea [laugh] typical NAAFI tea, sweet, and we were sort of given some food to take with us for the journey to Scotland.
[Other]: Shall I put it on the table?
GB: Please, if you’d like to yes, thank you, yes. Sorry, do you want me to help at all? Would you like me to, shall I move that for you just while you do that? Is easy? Is that all right there?
[Other]: It’s fine. [indecipherable]
GB: Oh lovely, thank you very much. [clinking china]
AJ: So we, it was amazing how quickly we managed to get organised. First of all we were given the infantry equipment, but soon afterwards [door noise] bren gun carriers started to arrive, then small tanks, Crusader and Valentines and eventually Churchills.
GB: And this was all up in Scotland.
AJ: Up in Scotland. Initially in a place called Crawford, I think that’s where we trained, and then we were moved to Blairgowrie, near, in Perthshire, and we were based there for about just over a year trying all the time to get to the Air Force, eventually I managed, in beginning of 1942.
GB: How did that come about, that you, you say you managed to get into the Air Force, did you have to keep asking and applying, or were they after volunteers?
AJ: I have to, well I was trying to tell them, this is, you know, my father served in the Air Force, why shouldn’t I serve in the Air Force!
GB: Better than the Army.
AJ: I volunteered anyway, to join the Army from, eventually they considered my application and immediately I joined the Air Force I started training. First of all in Brighton, I did have initial training in Brighton, then initial flying in Hucknall, near Nottingham, and service flying in Newton, also near Nottingham. All the training, Polish Air Force training, was concentrated round Nottingham.
GB: I know, I’ve just finished thirty years in the RAF myself, and I did some of my training at Newton. Oh thank you very much. Yes, so I do know Newton, unfortunately, this last, whoops, excuse me, [crashing sound] I tell you, I’m all fingers and thumbs, let me just, excuse me.
AJ: Use my spoon, I’m not going to use it.
GB: Are you sure? Thank you. Yes, they have started to pull Newton down now unfortunately, it’s no longer an RAF camp, which is very sad. They’ve knocked a lot of the old blocks down there, but it happens all over.
AJ: Pity. Pre war station wasn’t it.
GB: I think they’re possibly going to put a memorial up to the Poles, on the station which is very, very good. So you did your training at Brighton, Hucknall and Newton then, yes.
AJ: Then I was posted to first bombing school as a staff pilot to fly with the bombing leaders [dropping sound] [laugh] on the various exercises, bombing exercises. The, Manby was the, well pre-war station was first armament school, very nice station, maintaining all the pre-war traditions including dining in nights every Thursday. [Laugh].
GB: Did you like those? You found them very?
AJ: Yes. I must say it was very nice, your guys always [drinking] parade every, every Wednesday morning. [Laugh] Station Commander Parade. But there used to be quite a lot of flying, mainly on Blenheims, Blenheims I and IV.
GB: Right.
AJ: Quite interesting.
GB: Did they try and persuade you to do a different job other than pilot, or it was straight away you want to be a pilot?
AJ: No, after initial training in Brighton, there was, that’s where we could sort of either choose to go as navigators or as pilots, or sometimes they simply they told you you are very good for navigation, you are going to navigate! [Laugh] Anyway I went for pilot’s training.
GB: Do you think, yourself, do you think you were a very good pilot at the beginning? Or did, did you take to it naturally?
AJ: Er, no, I wouldn’t say it was all very easy, it was, I was an average pilot, not bad.
GB: Some bumpy landings then!
AJ: [Laugh] Well, had no trouble with landings, more with, initially we were flying on instruments there but it all came back, working. Eventually, I can’t imagine now without, flying without good instrumentations.
GB: Obviously after the war when you flew civil aircraft it was all much better instruments, probably, than through the war. So when you’d finished your flying training then, and your staff position at Manby.
AJ: I was posted to General Reconnaissance Course, that was in Squires Gate, near Blackpool. It was a two months course for aircrew detailed to go to Coastal Command, mainly navigation training. Very, very tough course, but very good one. But, and after that I joined the squadron.
GB: Was, was the actual navigation course that you did there, the air reconnaissance course, was that all based in the classroom or was there a lot of work out and about?
AJ: There was quite a lot of flying as well, on Anson, Avro Anson, over the Irish Sea.
GB: Anson. Not the best [indecipherable].
AJ: Not many flying hours as pilot but quite a few, as navigators, with day and night, various exercises, including astral navigation and everything. So it was very interesting, very interesting indeed. I joined the squadron when the squadron was at Chivenor, it was.
GB: Down in Cornwall, isn’t it.
AJ: In 1944, Autumn 1944. The squadron was based at Chivenor, equipped then with Wellingtons 14s. Specially adapted Wellingtons for work, as an anti submarine work, equipped with very good, for those days, radar, ASV - Aircraft Surface Vessel. That went with seven, later eight machine guns, and six depth charges in the main bomb.
GB: Yeah, the bomb bay
AJ: Bomb bay, the aircraft was of course prepared for very long patrols, so the additional tanks in a bomb bay, so we could stay on patrols for over ten hours. So it was, we had sufficient fuel for just over eleven hours.
GB: Was that mainly daytime or was that night time flying as well?
AJ: Mainly night.
GB: Night.
AJ: Some day, but mainly night. Aircraft was, apart from radar, was equipped with a Leigh Light, the huge hydraulically operated reflector in the middle of the fuselage which was operated by the navigator during the attack, and the usual stuff, I’m detailing you with?
GB: No, no this is very good, the details are very important so as many details as you like!
AJ: Providing you stayed safe, radar operator picked up contact, could have been anything, could have been submarine, could have been fishing vessel, or small coastal vessel, French. We were, of course, told never to attack either the fishing or the coastal vessels because we were on anti-submarine work and we had to stick to that, but we of course didn’t know what the contact was.
GB: Until you got very, very close.
AJ: Until we were right on top of it. So the radar operator used to guide pilot towards the target, of course pilot used to decrease the height to minimum. We were equipped with, the only Wellingtons equipped, with the, it was a sort of a radar altimeter, we called it electrical altimeter. It was a very accurate machine and could estimate our height above the sea level. We could go actually, with a little bit of risk, we could go down to fifty feet on, using that altimeter. Although it was bit of a risk, but anyway during the attack it was quite [beep] altimeter, very, very good instrument. Now the idea was that the radar operator used to guide the pilot toward the target, the aircraft was all prepared for the attack. The navigator was forward operating the Leigh Light, he used to operate like two handlebars, up and down, left and right.
GB: And it was a million candle watts or something like that, that kind of power was it? Must have been quite, er.
AJ: That’s right. The first officer, or actually the second pilot, was standing above him, operating machine guns, and the idea was to get to the target to within one mile and then navigator used to count to ten then switch on the light, of course becoming a magnificent target for the submarine to open fire. [Laugh]
GB: And I presume the submarines were always on the surface at night time because they considered there was less chance to be seen.
AJ: Contrary to opinion, submarines tried to stay on the surface all the time, if possible, and submerge only when either there was a danger of air attack or, or say they picked up a convoy and they wanted to attack the convoy. They were trying to have batteries in best condition possible for this kind of work. So, most of the time, time, submarines were actually on the surface, so it was possible to pick them up with radar. But of course they were not asleep, as soon as they heard us they used to crash dive or change course and become a disappearing contact.
GB: It was a case of picking them up on nights where it was a bit. So was it a case you had to try and catch them on nights where weather wasn’t so good so they couldn’t hear, lookouts couldn’t actually see you.
AJ: In 1943, that was before I, before I joined the squadron, the Germans were actually ordered to stay on the ground, on the surface and fire back. They were equipped with very good anti aircraft guns and they were very dangerous indeed, particularly at night, because of Leigh Light. One of our aircraft attacked submarine, they damaged it, but aircraft was also very badly damaged. It was, I remember, Flight Lieutenant Jan Sobraski, they survived, but only just. They managed to get to base but with huge holes in the wing and in the tail.
GB: That’s probably testament that they got back to the -
AJ: So that was only proof.
GB: The geodetic design of the Wellington.
AJ: Oh yes, Wellington could withstand considerable contact.
GB: Could stand that: burn all the skin off and still stay in the air couldn’t it, yes. So during your time with 304 down at Chivenor, can you tell me a little bit about what life was like on the ground during those days when you weren’t actually flying?
AJ: Chivenor of course was always a very nice station, beautifully situated. When I joined the squadron, squadron was very, very happy. [Laugh] Social life was very, very lively at Chivenor. Of course crews, only, when one arrived as a pilot to join the squadron, first ten flights was always as a second pilot, just to get experience because of waves, navigation and weather and also the difficulty in picking up the targets, it was necessary actually to gain some experience. First ten flights was always as a second pilot, so I was flying there as a second pilot. Life on the station as well, I remember at Chivenor was, we didn’t stay, we didn’t stay, I didn’t stay perhaps long enough to know it better but it was, I know quite a few parties organised at the officers mess and so the social life was very pleasant, overall, particularly during the summer when plenty of tourists about.
GB: The beach is a lovely place to be, and Chivenor, is that Devon or Cornwall?
AJ: It’s Devon, still Devon. Later on, after Benbecula, we were stationed at St Eval and that was in Cornwall.
GB: Yes, I’ve heard of that. So when you were at Chivenor then, were you in, was your accommodation in nissen huts or was it proper brick built?
AJ: It was not nissen huts, it was sort of a barracks. We shared rooms, normally two officers to one room. Sometimes it was bigger accommodation for four officers in one room, and that was quite a big room, so it was reasonably comfortable. But I say, I didn’t stay very long because, Admiral Donitz started his offensive with submarines equipped with snorkels, you probably heard about that. We heard for a long time that they were moving such a possibly to operating diesel under the sea and to work sort of exhaust pipe sticking out, but it was a matter who actually invent, was quicker in inventing it. The Germans were a little bit quicker and there was a danger that Admiral Donitz would start new submarine offensive going around Scotland, entering the Atlantic from the north, so the squadron was moved from Chivenor to Benbecula, to Outer Hebrides, and that was quite a considerable change from the comfort of Devonshire to the Outer Hebrides.
GB: And the weather as well I would think!
AJ: The weather was absolutely, and that was winter 1944 45. After several, actually, the biggest enemies there were a, weather, b cruel seagull. But, so, still ten hours patrol in continuous sort of westerly strong winds and very frequent wintry showers, with visibility dropping to zero; it was quite tiring, tiring patrol.
GB: What kind of, obviously I know you wear wearing flying clothing with the big fur jackets, the leather jackets but did you have any other form of keeping you warm in the aeroplane?
AJ: Wellington was heated a little bit, the worst place was tail of the aircraft, but up to position of navigator it was not necessary to wear any specially hot clothing, just ordinary flying suit.
GB: Just your flying boots. And the big fur boots.
AJ: Sometimes some pilots used to wear those fur, Scottish aero jackets but I used just ordinary flying suit and I was quite comfortable, I was not cold at all.
GB: On a normal, average, ten hour flight that you did, the operational flight, how much of it was actually action and how much of it was just, not mundane, but just looking and everything is quiet?
AJ: Well during the ten hour patrol, sometimes we had to go down perhaps three, four times to investigate what the target. Most of the time it was a fishing vessel, we used to scare them! [Laughter]
GB: Suddenly putting the light on, yes.
AJ: Sometimes it was just a coastal, coastal one, little one, ship, same as coast to French, crossing Bay of Biscay, plenty of fishing vessels and our patrols from Benbecula used to go the almost to the, almost to the coast of Iceland but not quite. We could see Iceland on the radar.
GB: I’ve read, I’ve looked into a lot of the operational records of 300 and 305 Squadron, and they’ve flown Wellingtons Mark III, IVs and Xs, and they seem to have an awful lot of problem with hydraulics was one problem, oxygen supply seemed to fail to the back gun turret a lot. and there was another one, I think was it oil pressure, oil pressure on the engines, and they seemed to be the things that, they’d fly out on an operation they’d have to turn back and in the column at the end, the, is it the 541 or 540 that the Station Ops would write afterwards.
AJ: When they were operating Bomber Command they had different engines. They had I remember the big [indecipherable]. We used to have already Hercules 100, much better engines.
GB: The Bristol Hercules.
AJ: And we didn’t have much trouble with, in fact great admiration for our engineers who maintained our aircraft on Benbecula in atrocious conditions. We didn’t lose one [emphasis] aircraft throughout the winter. It was amazing to think that they, every time the aircraft was prepared up to the best, was the best possible condition.
GB: Were you the only squadron up there or was there any other squadrons?
AJ: No, initially when we arrived there there was our squadron and four Fleet Air Arm squadrons, they operated Swordfishes on patrols closing shores, and we used to go into the Atlantic.
GB: Further afield.
AJ: Initially we sort of looked at each other, but not becoming too friendly! But the Station Commander said now this must end, so he asked us to organise a huge party. So we arrange huge party and entertain four, four squadrons of Fleet Air Arm and after that we were great friends. They stayed, in think, on Benbecula for, with us, for about two to three months around then and then they left. I think they, I don’t know where they were posted back to [indecipherable] somewhere.
GB: And what was roughly the date, or the month and year when you left Benbecula can you remember? Can you remember when you left Benbecula?
AJ: Ah, we left Benbecula in spring 1945. I was due to go to OTU to pick up a new crew, already, and as a captain but it was, for some reason, the course was delayed and the squadron was posted back from Benbecula to St Eval, in Cornwall, and started to operate over the English Channel again.
GB: Just in time for the summer!
AJ: Yes, that’s right. Anyway, and I did one operation, last operational flight as second pilot from St Eval and then after that I was supposed to pick up a new crew in number six OTU at Silloth, near Carlisle. And that’s where the war ended, [laugh] when I was, when we had just completed our course, due to be posted back to the squadron as a unit. And after that the squadron was, shortly after, was posted to Transport Command and I, with part of my crew, I was posted to Transport Command TCU at Crosby on Eden to train to go to India but unfortunately my navigator failed the last medical, for overseas medical. They discovered anginal heart, and so I was posted back to squadron again with only radio officer so I, instead of flying Dakotas in India, I was flying Warwicks with 304 Squadron again after the war, mainly operating to Athens, to Naples and east in south of France.
GB: All difficult destinations then, after the war! [Laugh] Naples and South of France.
AJ: Well, South of France was all right. But even in winter, the weather sometimes over the, over the Masif Central of France could be quite nasty and the Warwick was not particularly good in the bad weather, so.
GB: No. So how did you end your time in the Polish Air Force, you became part of the RAF didn’t we in 1947?
AJ: Well actually towards the end we [bleep] part of the RAF, and then the authorities decided to form what was called the Polish Resettlement Corps, and to, but then I was already determined to join civil aviation. Because I completed the course for Transport Command, and because I completed the navigation course with general reconnaissance, I managed to get civil licences very easily because they considered those courses up to standard [laugh] so I managed to get civvie licences, and very quickly after leaving the Air Force I was employed by Lancashire Aircraft Corporation, first. Initially at Blackpool but then they operated from Birmingham and all over the world.
GB: Yes. Well, you’re obviously, you were the right person at the right place and the right time really, to get that because I’ve spoken with many veterans, who after the war, struggled to find a job because obviously there were only limited occupations that the then British government would allow the Polish, the ex Polish veterans, to go into. You were, well not lucky perhaps, right place, right time.
AJ: I was. I must say that from the moment I joined the civil aviation I was sort of walking from one job to the next. My firm, I was changing the firms but it was simply because the firm decided to change the name! So from Lancashire Aircraft Corporation it was Skyways, from Skyways it became Britannia eventually. So I stayed with the same, more or less, same pilot same firm, for my flying career.
GB: If you could, if now, if you, if I said to you you can fly any aircraft you like, that you’ve never flown, past or present, what, if you could have a wish, to fly one aircraft now, if you were capable and able to fly, what would be the one aircraft, past or present?
AJ: Most favourite aircraft was, for me, was Boeing 707 320 Intercontinental. It was a most magnificent plane and I used to fly, well we used to fly, to Los Angeles, direct from Los Angeles back to Luton, used to fly to South America, to Far East, to Tokyo, everywhere. Beautiful aircraft.
GB: Beautiful aircraft.
AJ: Absolutely superb aeroplane; that was absolutely my most favourite aircraft ever.
GB: Compared to the Wellington.
AJ: Well, the Wellington also, from, well perhaps from military.
GB: From that era.
AJ: I would say Wellington was nicest planes to fly.
GB: They were very nice. Do you have any particular memories from the time that you were in 304 Squadron? Any funny stories that happened on the ground or in the air, anything?
AJ: No, I was, I must say, I am one of those lucky ones. My worst incident was in the beginning of my career in civil aviation when flying Haltons, that’s Halifaxes actually, we, well that was on one, that was very close one because we caught fire on number one engine after take off, we were actually at top of climb, flying to, was the beginning flight to Hong Kong and we were due to pick up some freight from Hamburg, we were flying from Birmingham to Hamburg and we just reached the top of climb and I just reached down to start navigation and all of a sudden bells started to ring and we caught fire number one. Few moments later, the whole engine separated and the propeller sort of twisted and hit the leading edge of the port wing, where oil tank was for the inboard engine, so we lost all the oil from the inboard; we lost two engines. One engine was completely gone, separated, and one we had to stop. But it was very difficult to fly because of this huge, flat surface where engine was, and that was not aerodynamic, so the huge drag, to fly straight you had to drop on one wing and anyway, we managed to, the weather was superb, we could see Birmingham for miles and miles and we flew slowly back to Birmingham and landed Birmingham without any incident; that was an experience!
GB: Oh, you go through the whole of the war years and afterwards.
AJ: Surprisingly enough, this aircraft was serviceable within two days!
GB: Really.
AJ: They changed the leading edge and changed the tank, they changed the engine aircraft was fully serviceable and flew to Milan as far as I remember.
GB: That just shows you. I’m sure these days it would be in the workshops for weeks and weeks wouldn’t it – that’s the difference. [Pause for tea!] During your time up at Benbecula, was the accommodation a bit more sparse up there?
AJ: Benbecula we stayed in nissen huts, and we shared nissen huts, well as far as, four officers to a nissen hut. We had a batman too who kept sort of fire going all throughout the night.
GB: You had a stove in there.
AJ: Right in the middle and sometimes it was too hot! [Laugh] [Cough] But kept it running. And of course it was reasonably comfortable, but what was amazing really, because of these very harsh conditions, very hard conditions in Benbecula, the squadron kept together and we had much more pleasant memories from Benbecula than we had from many other stations, for some reason. Was difficult to explain, but because of the harsh conditions, and difficulties, difficulties everywhere.
GB: It brings you together I think.
AJ: It brings the whole squadron together.
GB: I’ve experienced that in my time in the RAF, that when you’re away deployed to a location which is very sparse and you’ve perhaps just got a couple of tents and some camp beds, it’s better because people do bond closer together, whereas if you’re in a nice posh barracks or things, or there’s a town just down the way, people disperse and go everywhere, don’t they.
AJ: You know, for many many years during the conversation when we used to meet, we always used to remember Benbecula as the place, not St Eval and Chivenor, but this difficult station, where we are not even allowed to use the public transport which was, there was a communication between Benbecula and mainland was maintained by Rapides, de Havilland Rapides, and this was only for civilian populations, we were not allowed to use it unless there was an aircraft of ours going somewhere, that was different. But we had to go by boat from Lochboisdale to Oban or to Mallaig; that’s sixteen hours sailing, you know, atrocious weather, you know, waves appear to be higher than the mast.
GB: The boat disappears and comes back up.
AJ: And screw come, can sometimes coming out of the water, vibrating, it was most unpleasant. Sixteen hours of suffering!
GB: It was one of those places. I mean the furthest north I ever got posted was Lossiemouth, in the Moray Firth, and that was, that could be good weather and it could be bad weather a lot, lot further north, my goodness me.
AJ: Well I remember on Benbecula gusts to eighty, eighty miles an hour every few days and quite often we were unable to land back from the patrols on Benbecula, we had to divert. Divert to Tiree which was most, probably nearest, but also to Limavady and Ballykelly in Ireland, sometimes had to stay in Ireland for a day or two too.
GB: Ah, that was difficult for you, yes, I’m sure!
AJ: Usual practice was that we had to bring one bottle of Irish whiskey back [laugh]!
GB: I was going to say, I knew where that was going!
AJ: That was a duty!
GB: And some nice Irish food in boxes and see what you could bring back.
AJ: That was duty to bring one bottle of whiskey for the Officers Mess.
GB: Do you know, sixty or seventy years later, when an RAF aircraft has to stop over somewhere unusual, they’ll normally have a box of something in the back they’re bringing back for the groundcrew normally, as well as the aircrew, back at the home base, so that still goes on even though it’s not so much wartime. Nothing changes, does it. [Laugh] Goodness me. When you, with um, with your squadron being Coastal Command, when you didn’t have the second pilot was it still just a five man crew for the Wellingtons, or was more was it?
AJ: Normal crew for Coastal Command was always six.
GB: Six.
AJ: Six.
GB: Six, and then you had the extra second pilot.
AJ: Two pilots.
GB: Oh, two pilots
AJ: Two pilots, navigator and three radio officers, air gunners, they all, radar operators, gunners and radio were trained, they changed every two hours.
GB: So even the second pilot, if he wasn’t training, you still had a second pilot, automatic.
AJ: Automatic, yes. That was necessary because we, to change.
GB: The amount of time that you’re in the air.
AJ: We used to change very two hours.
GB: Yes. To give them a break.
AJ: Every two hours we used to change.
GB: I imagine, and you’ll probably be able to tell me, but even when you’re flying the Wellington I imagine there’s a lot of vibration through the yoke is there? Or not?
AJ: No, in smooth, when weather was smooth, aircraft was very nice to fly and it could go through quite rough weather, very nicely, so it was very strongly built however. We trusted it!
GB: Have you had a chance to look at the Wellington that was at the Museum, the RAF Museum, at Hendon?
AJ: Yes.
GB: I know it’s at Cosford at the moment, they’re taking it apart, rebuilding it, yes.
AJ: But that one was Mark 10 I think, not Mark 14.
GB: Yes. Was it 304 Squadron that had the Wellington with the big metal loop at the front? That was a kind of a protype radar. Was that an anti submarine radar? It was a huge big -
AJ: No, no. The 14 had the sort of, underneath the nose, antenna in a sort of covered compartment.
GB: And that was the radar was it?
AJ: Just underneath the front, where the front um –
GB: The bomb aimer?
AJ: Front gunner used to.
GB: Okay. When I go back I’ll have to research now and have a little look at them, because obviously we -
AJ: 14 was quite nice really, was quite an open, good visibility prospects.
GB: Would need to be.
AJ: One would sit and have a very good view.
GB: Did it have upper gunner on the 14 or not?
AJ: No. Just one gun forward, later two, they were very high, had a high rate of fire with very automatic pistols, anti personnel.
GB: Yeah. What was that, was that Browning 303s was it?
AJ: I can’t remember the rate of fire, but it was close to two thousand rounds per minute.
[Phew]
AJ: The normal Browning had one thousand three hundred something, but the, two Brownings for Wellingtons 14 had very, very high rate of fire.
GB: Very short bursts too, otherwise you’d have no ammunition left.
AJ: Towards the end of the war we had two, so that was very, very high. The fore gunners in the back and two guns on side.
GB: Guns on either side, right, okay.
AJ: Operated by radar operator.
GB: Well, that’s, it’s quite interesting to hear it from your perspective because obviously, a lot of the veterans I’ve spoken to so far, over this last year, have been on either 300 or 305 Squadron, very much bomber Wellingtons and members of the aircrew and even, we’ve spoken to a rear gunner Jan from, Jan Black, I can’t remember his, er, oh crikey, he lives here in London. He crashed and suffered a lot with burns and he was in the early Guinea Pig Club. What was his name? Let me have a quick look, but we spoke to him quite a bit. Um, Jan Stanichki? That’s him there, I don’t know if you perhaps see him or not. Obviously he married a lady called Black so he changed his name. It’s the one in brackets at the very top there.
AJ: Stangryciuk. I don’t know. [bleep]
GB: He lives in London, but he was an air, a rear gunner for 300 Squadron. But he, although he got badly burnt, he managed to get enough treatment and well again and so he carried on then, on to Lancasters, as well. So, he’s obviously got other stories to tell, and some are not so nice, but lots, that’s to do with the crashes and things. And then one or two others, a couple of gentlemen I’m going to go and see on Monday over in Birmingham, and I think one of them is a navigator actually, let me have a little look, oh crikey, I’m just wondering if that was somebody from 304 Squadron as well? Stanislaw Jusefac?
AJ: Jusefac. He was in 304 Squadron initially as an air gunner, then they crashed and then he was trained as a pilot.
GB: As a pilot on Spitfires
AJ: And flew as a fighter pilot.
GB: Yes. Two hundred and sixty six missions all together in total.
AJ: Something like that, yes.
GB: That’s crazy isn’t it, when you think of the whole year, the whole war time, the amount of flying, but the other gentleman was, I can’t see it now. There’s another one from 304 Squadron. But I can’t see it, I wrote it down on one of the pieces of paper. Never mind. But it’s just very interesting, listening to different, different stories and accounts of how their war kind of panned out, what they did and things. So thank you very much for chatting. Is there anything that else you think, because what we’d like to do is, once the Heritage Centre, which is the old airmens’ mess, it’s a brick built airmens’ mess, at RAF Ingham but it was only, it’s one of the war years ones so it’s just a single story with a kind of corrugated roof, and we’re renovating it to turn it into a museum, a heritage centre. Originally it was just going to be for the three squadrons that were at RAF Ingham which was 300, 305 Polish and 199, but Richard, and the Polish Memorial, asked us, because we’re the only people in Lincolnshire looking after and telling the story of the Polish bomber squadrons, because Northolt looks after the fighter squadrons, he asked us if we would accept the honour to become the home of the Polish Bomber Squadron so, and we’ve included 304 in that because flying Wellingtons you kind of fit in with that, so the intention is, when we open hopefully later next year, that part of the Heritage Centre will just purely be given over to the four squadrons to tell their whole, the whole story, but not just the squadrons, but individuals, like yourself, just to tell a little bit of your story, so it’ll be like wartime pictures and then hopefully a little bit of you, because we have a technical gentleman who does all the, he’ll cut short little bits out where you’ve been talking today, perhaps thirty seconds to a minute where you’re talking about maybe Benbecula, and then future Polish, and British, generations can come along to the centre and hear what you have to say. I don’t know, have you got a family here in Britain at all? Have you got sons and daughters at all, or not?
AJ: Yes. My son is in Germany, although he was born here, then he’s, one daughter is working in London and one in Birmingham.
GB: It would be lovely to invite you and your wife, and your family down, at some point once we’re open, for you to look around and hopefully we have done justice to the men and women of the Polish Air Force, cause we’ve, we’re covering everybody, not just the aircrew. We’re looking for, there was a lady, Zosya, not Kulinski, she was actually a cook, but she has some funny stories to tell, working in the cook, so that’s good. We had suppliers, we had a female who was doing instrument checking, so she had a workshop, she would do the instruments then go on board the aircraft, fit new instruments into, I presume your cockpit, test them and things, so that was her war and we found one or two this morning, I spoke to the, another gentleman who was an armourer so he concentrated on the bombs and bullets side of things. But it’s telling everybody’s story, and it’s, hopefully it’ll be there for future generations, Polish and British, to be able to say: never forget this; this is what happened and these are the people that it happened with. We don’t have, the group of local community volunteers that work on the project, none of us have a Polish connection, we just were so [emphasis] interested. The more we researched our little airfield above our villages we realised what had happened there, and the Poles, and then we started to do the research into the Polish Air Force and found out a lot more, and then obviously we had the connection with Richard down here in London and also the Polish Consulate General in Manchester: Lukash Lutastanski, and he’s very much on board and he’s provided some funding from Warsaw, to help with our project, so it’s exciting. I never fail to kind of be amazed when I come to visit veterans like yourself, you tell me your story which is everyday story, this is how your years went, and it’s really, really nice so thank you very much.
AJ: So we’ll probably see you at the memorial next September.
GB: Well, yes, but we are hoping, we haven’t officially announced it yet, on the 26th of May we are hoping to open our memorial garden with the memorials at Ingham because that will be done before the building is, because we’ve received some funding from different locations. So there’ll be a huge big memorial stone for the three squadrons at RAF Ingham, but there’s another big, huge big memorial stone for the four Polish squadrons, including 304, and we’ve got two nice granite name plates, because although RAF Ingham was only operational from 1942 to the beginning of ’44, a hundred and forty two aircrew lost their lives flying from Ingham, of which two thirds were Polish. So the name boards, a bit like you have at Northolt, will have everybody’s name on them, in the memorial garden. So once we know, once it’s been confirmed with the Embassy and various other VIPs, that everybody’s good to go, then we’ll send out a letter, so obviously we’ll send yourselves a letter as well, invite to come down for the day, and hopefully, well up, down, I’m used to being in Lincolnshire, up to Lincolnshire for the day, and it would be lovely to welcome you and show you what we’ve got. It’s not Chivenor, and it’s not Benbecula but it, we’re hoping that it will be embraced as the home of Polish bomber squadrons, including 304. Do you have any photographs from your time in?
AJ: Do you know, I was looking at photographs the other day, all my photographs practically evaporated, because all the, [cough] every time I was interviewed they used to borrow them and never returned.
GB: Nobody’s brought them back! [Sigh]
AJ: Sorry, but er.
GB: No, no. That’s okay. We were going to do differently. What we do is we put the photographs on the table and we photograph them, we’ve got a high resolution camera, and then take, so you always keep the photographs because several had people said that to us, that they, you know, they’ve given them out, which is really bad of people not to then return them.
AJ: But you know when, during the war, no one really bothered to take photographs somehow, although it was, there could have been some [indecipherable].
GB: I’ll have a look through my collection, they’re all electronic on the computer, but I’ll have a look through my collection, see if I can find anything with you in them, and if I do I’ll print a copy off and send it in the post to you, just so you get, it’s almost like me returning a couple of photographs to you. I’ll see what I can find.
AJ: There is one photograph of my crew in Cynk’s Memorial, Book on Polish Air Force.
GB: Yes, I’ve seen that, the two volumes.
AJ: That, yes.
GB: Oh right.
AJ: That photograph my crew in that, that photograph was taken, I think it was taken at St Eval.
GB: I’ll have a look now you’ve mentioned that, when I get home tonight I’ll have a look.
AJ: Whole crew except first officer. He took that photograph [laugh]so he is not on, but the rest of us are on.
GB: Lovely. Well thank you very, very much, I’ll just er.
Dublin Core
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Title
A name given to the resource
Interview with Andrezej Jerziorski
Description
An account of the resource
Andrezej Jerziorski's wartime memories. Andrezej Jerziorski was born in Poland but after he and his father were evacuated from France, he managed to join the RAF and flew in Coastal Command during the war, stationed as far apart as Scotland and Cornwall. Andre explains about submarine hunting and conditions on the stations where he served. He became a civil pilot after the war flying all over the world.
This item was provided, in digital form, by a third-party organisation which used technical specifications and operational protocols that may differ from those used by the IBCC Digital Archive.
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Coastal Command
Polskie Siły Powietrzne
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Sound
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
SRAFIngham19410620v010001-Audio, RAFIngham19410620v010004
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
00:59:29 audio recording
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Geoff Burton
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1942
1943
1944
1945
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
France
Great Britain
Poland
England--Devon
Scotland--Benbecula
England--Cornwall (County)
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Anne-Marie Watson
Conforms To
An established standard to which the described resource conforms.
Pending revision of OH transcription
Pending OH summary
304 Squadron
aircrew
Anson
Blenheim
pilot
RAF Chivenor
RAF St Eval
submarine
Wellington
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1878/35045/PSoltysiakB17010050.2.jpg
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https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1878/35045/PSoltysiakB17010051.2.jpg
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https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1878/35045/PSoltysiakB17060096.1.jpg
0c2bdd968d4a4ad5b7d8c800ef48762c
Dublin Core
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Title
A name given to the resource
Soltysiak, Bronislaw
B Soltysiak
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2017-06-22
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Soltysiak, B
Description
An account of the resource
230 items. The collection concerns Sergeant Bronislaw Soltysiak (1916 - 1987, 781032 Royal Air Force) and contains his log book documents, brevet, button and photographs. He flew operations as a pilot with 305 Squadron.
The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by Malcom Soltysiak and catalogued by Nigel Huckins.
Dublin Core
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Title
A name given to the resource
The church at the parade
Description
An account of the resource
In the centre an open front tent with several clergy wearing white surpluses. Either side are two Wellingtons, one with 304 Squadron code letters, and a large group of people gather in front of the one on the right. On the reverse 'The church at the parade'. Two versions of the same image, the second submitted with caption 'The Church at the Parade'.
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Polskie Siły Powietrzne
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Photograph
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Two b/w photographs
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
PSoltysiakB17010050, PSoltysiakB17010051, PSoltysiakB17060096
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1942-04-25
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1942-04-25
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Great Britain
England--Yorkshire
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Oscar Verhoeven
304 Squadron
faith
RAF Lindholme
Wellington
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1878/35296/MSoltysiakB781032-170622-44.2.jpg
fc6519be3762fd01dd10258d9cb85a23
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Soltysiak, Bronislaw
B Soltysiak
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2017-06-22
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Soltysiak, B
Description
An account of the resource
230 items. The collection concerns Sergeant Bronislaw Soltysiak (1916 - 1987, 781032 Royal Air Force) and contains his log book documents, brevet, button and photographs. He flew operations as a pilot with 305 Squadron.
The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by Malcom Soltysiak and catalogued by Nigel Huckins.
Dublin Core
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Title
A name given to the resource
Notes
Description
An account of the resource
Handwritten notes on Eric, Emil and father.
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1931
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
One page handwritten document
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
MSoltysiakB781032-170622-44
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
304 Squadron
305 Squadron
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1560/35630/BMillingtonRWestonFv1.2.pdf
8f0a70969cd59c55fef62f5a0d5a383d
Dublin Core
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Title
A name given to the resource
Weston, Fred
F Weston
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2016-11-13
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Weston, F
Description
An account of the resource
20 items. The collection concerns Fred Weston DFC (1916 - 2012, 126909 Royal Air Force) and contains documents and photographs. He flew operations as an air gunner with 101 and 620 Squadrons.
The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by Catherine Millington and catalogued by Barry Hunter.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Air Gunner
Based around the WWII service of Fred Weston DFC RAFVR
Description
An account of the resource
A biography of Fred. In addition it includes histories of aircraft and squadrons he served in, Details are included of airfields he served at. Additionally there are biographies of various servicemen associated with Fred's squadrons and service.
At the end there is a biography of the officer in charge of Arnhem, Lt-Gen Sir Frederick Browning and his wife Daphne du Maurier.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Roger Millington
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2005-01
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Great Britain
England--Cambridge
England--Letchworth
Wales--Bridgend
Wales--Penrhos
Egypt--Heliopolis (Extinct city)
Singapore
France--Cherbourg
Netherlands--Eindhoven
France--Brest
France--Boulogne-sur-Mer
France--Dunkerque
Germany--Wilhelmshaven
France--Brest
Netherlands--Rotterdam
Germany--Cologne
Germany--Hamburg
Germany--Berlin
Italy--Turin
Germany--Düsseldorf
Germany--Frankfurt am Main
France--L'Isle-Adam
France--Quiberon
France--Boulogne-Billancourt
Germany--Essen
France--Le Creusot
Germany--Leverkusen
France--Caen
Netherlands--Arnhem
Norway
Germany--Wesel (North Rhine-Westphalia)
Belgium--Brussels
England--Rochester (Kent)
Northern Ireland--Belfast
England--Longbridge
France--Arras
England--Darlington
Italy--Genoa
England--Longbridge
Yemen (Republic)--Aden
Europe--Frisian Islands
Germany--Peenemünde
Germany--Nuremberg
Italy--Sicily
France--Normandy
Netherlands--Arnhem
Netherlands--Eindhoven
Netherlands--Nijmegen
Wales--Pwllheli
England--Yorkshire
England--Leicester
England--Sunderland (Tyne and Wear)
Scotland--Edinburgh
England--Rochford
England--London
England--Cornwall (County)
Scotland--Ayr
England--Friston (East Sussex)
England--Gravesend (Kent)
England--West Malling
England--Hailsham
England--Yelverton (Devon)
England--Bentwaters NATO Air Base
England--Great Dunmow
England--Heacham
England--Weybridge
Wales--Hawarden
England--Blackpool
England--Old Sarum (Extinct city)
England--Kent
England--Folkestone
England--Hambleton (North Yorkshire)
England--York
Scotland--Scottish Borders
England--Cambridge
England--Thurleigh
England--Darlington
England--Hitchin
England--Lancashire
Italy
France
Egypt
Germany
Belgium
Netherlands
Great Britain
Yemen (Republic)
Germany--Ruhr (Region)
England--Bedfordshire
England--Cambridgeshire
England--Devon
England--Durham (County)
England--Sussex
England--Essex
England--Herefordshire
England--Norfolk
England--Suffolk
England--Surrey
England--Wiltshire
England--Worcestershire
England--Leicestershire
England--Swindon (Wiltshire)
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Royal Air Force. Coastal Command
Royal Air Force. Fighter Command
British Army
Wehrmacht. Luftwaffe
Royal Canadian Air Force
Royal New Zealand Air Force
Free French Air Force
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Personal research
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
85 sheets
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
BMillingtonRWestonFv1
1 Group
100 Group
101 Squadron
103 Squadron
105 Squadron
114 Squadron
139 Squadron
141 Squadron
148 Squadron
149 Squadron
162 Squadron
1657 HCU
1665 HCU
18 Squadron
180 Squadron
2 Group
208 Squadron
214 Squadron
239 Squadron
3 Group
301 Squadron
304 Squadron
342 Squadron
6 Group
6 Squadron
620 Squadron
7 Squadron
75 Squadron
8 Group
9 Squadron
90 Squadron
97 Squadron
99 Squadron
Advanced Flying Unit
air gunner
aircrew
B-17
B-24
B-25
bale out
Beaufighter
Blenheim
bombing
Bombing and Gunnery School
Boston
Caterpillar Club
Churchill, Winston (1874-1965)
crash
Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Medal
ditching
evading
final resting place
Gee
Gneisenau
H2S
Halifax
Harris, Arthur Travers (1892-1984)
Harvard
Heavy Conversion Unit
Hitler, Adolf (1889-1945)
Horsa
Hurricane
Ju 87
killed in action
Lancaster
Lysander
Manchester
Me 109
Meteor
mid-air collision
mine laying
Mosquito
navigator
Oboe
Operational Training Unit
P-51
Pathfinders
prisoner of war
propaganda
radar
RAF Bicester
RAF Biggin Hill
RAF Boscombe Down
RAF Bottesford
RAF Bourn
RAF Bradwell Bay
RAF Bramcote
RAF Chedburgh
RAF Chipping Warden
RAF Coltishall
RAF Drem
RAF Driffield
RAF Duxford
RAF Elsham Wolds
RAF Evanton
RAF Fairford
RAF Finningley
RAF Great Massingham
RAF Halfpenny Green
RAF Harwell
RAF Hendon
RAF Holme-on-Spalding Moor
RAF Honington
RAF Hornchurch
RAF Horsham St Faith
RAF Kenley
RAF Lakenheath
RAF Leconfield
RAF Leuchars
RAF Linton on Ouse
RAF Little Snoring
RAF Ludford Magna
RAF Manston
RAF Marham
RAF Martlesham Heath
RAF Mildenhall
RAF Newmarket
RAF Newton
RAF North Luffenham
RAF Oakington
RAF Penrhos
RAF Pershore
RAF Ridgewell
RAF Shepherds Grove
RAF Sleap
RAF Stradishall
RAF Tangmere
RAF Tempsford
RAF Tilstock
RAF Tuddenham
RAF Waterbeach
RAF West Raynham
RAF Woodbridge
RAF Wratting Common
RAF Wyton
Resistance
Scharnhorst
Special Operations Executive
Spitfire
Stirling
target indicator
Tiger force
training
Typhoon
V-1
V-2
V-weapon
Wellington
-
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Dublin Core
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Title
A name given to the resource
Perry, Pete
W R P Perry
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2017-07-19
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Perry, WRP
Description
An account of the resource
Sixty-nine items and an album sub collection with twenty-four pages of photographs.
The collection concerns Flight Lieutenant WR Pete Perry DFC (1923 - 2006, 1317696, 146323 Royal Air Force) and contains his log books, photographs, correspondence, memoirs and documents. He flew operations as a pilot with 106 Squadron.
The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by Helen Verity and catalogued by Nigel Huckins.
Transcribed document
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading.
Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
HISTORY OF RAF SYERSTON
[picture]
[underlined] HISTORY OF RAF SYERSTON [/underlined]
The Royal Air Force station at Syerston was opened in December 1940, and the first occupants were two Polish heavy bomber squadrons, Nos. 304 and 305, equipped with Vickers Wellington medium bombers.
Their Majesties King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (now Queen Mother) visited the station in January 1941, and during that year the two Polish squadrons were joined by a Royal Canadian Air Force squadron, No 408, equipped with Handley Page Hampden medium bombers. The three squadrons carried out many bombing attacks on German targets including shipping during this time.
In 1942, No 408 RCAF Squadron moved to the satellite airfield at Balderton (Newark) and from there made repeated attacks on German Battle cruisers. 1942 saw the arrival of Nos. 106 and 61 Squadrons RAF equipped with Avro Lancaster heavy bombers, targets included Genoa, Milan and Turin attacked during daylight.
Early 1943 brought attacks from the station on the Krupps munitions works at Essen and on Berlin. In June the first shuttle bombing raid by Bomber Command took place when Lancasters bombed Friedrichshaven and landed in North Africa, and Syerston was concerned in most of the major raids including Hamburg and the Peenemunde Air Research and Development Station where the notorious German VI flying bomb and V2 rockets were being developed. 1943, however, saw a temporary cessation of operations from the station, and the establishment of No 5 Lancaster Finishing School, while in 1944 the Headquarters of No 56 Base of Bomber Command was established.
[page break]
In 1945 the station again became a Lancaster bombing station with the arrival of No 49 Squadron, and the last bombing operations from the station took place in April when Berchtesgarten was attacked.
The station was then transferred to Transport Command until 1948 when No 22 Flying Training School took over to train pilots for the Royal Navy, and remained until 1957 when No 2 Flying Training School took over to train RAF student pilots in Piston Provost aircraft.
In 1958 the change to Jet Provosts began, and by early 1960 Syerston had the distinction of being the first station in the world to train pupils on jet training aircraft.
The gradual addition of the more powerful MK IV Jet Provost permitted a wider range of exercises to be carried out, and in January 1963 “Wings” were presented to the first course ever to complete training to this stage solely on jet aircraft.
At a special meeting of the Borough of Newark on Trent in 1964 a resolution was passed to bestow the Freedom of Entry into the Borough to the Royal Air Force station of Syerston, with the right privilege and distinction of marching on ceremonial occasions with bayonets fixed, drums beating, bands playing and colours flying. A parade was duly held to mark the occasion.
The station continued to train pilots until 1970 when it was closed and left on a care and maintenance basis.
In 1975 part of the station was re-opened when the Air Cadets Central Gliding School moved from RAF Spitalgate to Syerston. The school operates conventional gliders and motor gliders and on occasions gliders are aero towed by Chipmunk aircraft. The purpose of ACCGS is to train and standardise the weekend volunteer instructors who man the 28 air cadet gliding schools. Courses are also provided for air cadet students and for Combined Cadet Force Officers who are trained to operate Open Primary Grasshopper gliders at their own squadron sites.
– 2 –
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
History of RAF Syerston
Description
An account of the resource
History of the station from December 1940 including resident squadrons and aircraft , royal visit and other points of interest after the war up to the current day.
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1940-12
1941-01
1942
1943
1945
1958
1963
1975
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Great Britain
England--Nottinghamshire
Italy
Italy--Genoa
Italy--Milan
Germany
Germany--Essen
Germany--Berlin
Germany--Friedrichshafen
Germany--Hamburg
Germany--Peenemünde
Germany--Berchtesgaden
Germany--Ruhr (Region)
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Royal Air Force. Transport Command
Royal Air Force. Training Command
Royal Canadian Air Force
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Two page typewritten document
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
SPerryWRP1317696v60005
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Steve Baldwin
106 Squadron
304 Squadron
305 Squadron
408 Squadron
49 Squadron
61 Squadron
Hampden
Lancaster
Lancaster Finishing School
RAF Syerston
training
V-1
V-2
V-weapon
Wellington
-
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0148186901c1a90dedc273be86d6f21d
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Nogal, Jozef
J Nogal
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2017-11-29
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Nogal, J
Description
An account of the resource
58 items. The collection concerns Flight Lieutenant Jozef Nogal (b. 1911, Polskie Siły Powietrzne) and contains his prisoner of war log, documents, objects and photographs. He flew operations as a pilot with 305 Squadron and became a prisoner of war.
The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by Wanda Elizabeth Atkey and catalogued by Barry Hunter.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
304 Polish Bomber Squadron
Description
An account of the resource
A postcard of the 304 Squadron badge. On the reverse is a brief detail of their past.
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Polskie Siły Powietrzne
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
One printed card
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
MNogalJ19110317-171129-020013,
MNogalJ19110317-171129-020014
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Is Part Of
A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
Nogal, Jozef. Postcards
304 Squadron
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/2290/41505/PJasinskiT21010005.1.jpg
11b61f3bbf99b91bc40680a842735936
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/2290/41505/PJasinskiT21010006.1.jpg
6a9b96530f867c53569616018e4a5811
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Jasinski, Tadeusz
Description
An account of the resource
Seven items. The collection concerns Flight Lieutenant Tadeusz Jasinski (1918 - 2003, 780866 Royal Air Force) and contains his log book, photographs and medals. He flew operations as a wireless operator with 304 Squadron.
The collection has been loaned to the IBCC Digital Archive for digitisation by Nicholas Jasinski and catalogued by Barry Hunter.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2021-06-24
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Jasinski, T
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Rostock
Description
An account of the resource
A vertical aerial photograph of the docks at Rostock, taken during an operation. The centre of the image is obscured by flashes of light.
The image is captioned 'I.V.Y. 304 NT 26/27.4.42 f8" --> T.X.X.'
On the reverse is handwritten 'Rostock'.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1942-04-26
1942-04-27
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1942-04-26
1942-04-27
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Germany
Germany--Rostock
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Photograph
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
One b/w photograph
Conforms To
An established standard to which the described resource conforms.
Geolocated
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
PJasinskiT21010005, PJasinskiT21010006
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
304 Squadron
aerial photograph
bombing
target photograph
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/2290/41508/LJasinskiT780866v1.2.pdf
ef1421141c0652fa67b0a234e9bea737
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Jasinski, Tadeusz
Description
An account of the resource
Seven items. The collection concerns Flight Lieutenant Tadeusz Jasinski (1918 - 2003, 780866 Royal Air Force) and contains his log book, photographs and medals. He flew operations as a wireless operator with 304 Squadron.
The collection has been loaned to the IBCC Digital Archive for digitisation by Nicholas Jasinski and catalogued by Barry Hunter.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2021-06-24
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Jasinski, T
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Tadeusz Jasinski’s Observer’s and Air Gunner’s Flying Log Book
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
LJasinskiT780866v1
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Log book and record book
Description
An account of the resource
Tadeusz Jasinski’s Flying Log Book as a wireless operator from 9 May 1941 to 14 October 1945. Carried out training at No. 2 Signal School, 4 Air Observer School (air gunner training) and 18 OTU, Posted to 304 (Polish) squadron for operations in January 1942. Undertook bombing operations and then anti-submarine sweeps when squadron was transferred to Coastal Command. In February 1944 posted to 216 Squadron (Transport Command) based in the Middle East. From November 1944, posted to 167 Squadron. His final posting was to 301 Squadron in July 1945.
Served at RAF Yatesbury, RAF West Freugh, RAF Bramcote, RAF Bitteswell, RAF Lindholme, RAF Tiree, RAF Dale, RAF Cairo West (LG224), RAF Holmsley South, RAF Blackbushe, RAF North Weald. Aircraft flown were Dominie, Proctor, Battle, Wellington, Tiger Moth, C47, B24, Warwick,
Flew on 14 bombing operations (1 day and 13 night) and 39 day anti-submarine sweeps with 304 Squadron. The bombing targets were Boulogne, Emden, Dunkerque, Cologne, Hamburg, Essen, Dortmund, Hamburg, Rostock, Bordeaux, Bremen. The anti-submarine sweeps were over the Atlantic Ocean and the Bay of Biscay.
His pilots on operations were Flying Officer Kucharski (35 operations), Sergeant Janski (1 operation), Flying Officer Zurek (16 operations), Sergeant Gotebiowski (1 operation).
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Great Britain. Royal Air Force
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1942-01-28
1942-01-29
1942-03-12
1942-03-13
1942-04-05
1942-04-06
1942-04-08
1942-04-09
1942-04-10
1942-04-11
1942-04-12
1942-04-13
1942-04-14
1942-04-15
1942-04-17
1942-04-18
1942-04-23
1942-04-24
1942-04-25
1942-04-26
1942-04-27
1942-05-18
1942-05-20
1942-05-23
1942-05-26
1942-05-27
1942-05-31
1942-06-05
1942-06-07
1942-06-25
1942-06-26
1942-07-18
1942-07-22
1942-07-29
1942-07-30
1942-08-01
1942-08-09
1942-08-11
1942-08-13
1942-08-17
1942-08-19
1942-09-02
1942-09-06
1942-09-10
1942-09-14
1942-09-17
1942-09-18
1942-09-24
1942-09-26
1942-09-30
1942-10-16
1942-10-21
1942-10-25
1942-10-29
1942-11-12
1942-11-14
1942-11-18
1942-11-20
1942-11-22
1942-11-26
1942-11-28
1942-12-02
1942-12-22
1942-12-30
1943
1944
1945
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Great Britain
England--Essex
England--Hampshire
England--Leicestershire
England--Lincolnshire
England--Warwickshire
England--Wiltshire
England--Yorkshire
Scotland--Argyll and Bute
Scotland--Dumfries and Galloway
Wales--Pembrokeshire
North Africa
Egypt
Egypt--Cairo
Germany
Germany--Ruhr (Region)
Germany--Bremen
Germany--Cologne
Germany--Dortmund
Germany--Emden (Lower Saxony)
Germany--Essen
Germany--Hamburg
Germany--Rostock
France
France--Bordeaux (Nouvelle-Aquitaine)
France--Boulogne-sur-Mer
France--Dunkerque
Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean--Bay of Biscay
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Royal Air Force. Coastal Command
Royal Air Force. Transport Command
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
One booklet
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Nick Cornwell-Smith
167 Squadron
18 OTU
216 Squadron
3 Group
301 Squadron
304 Squadron
aircrew
B-24
Battle
C-47
Dominie
Operational Training Unit
Proctor
RAF Bitteswell
RAF Bramcote
RAF Dale
RAF Hartford Bridge
RAF Holmsley South
RAF Lindholme
RAF North Weald
RAF Tiree
RAF West Freugh
RAF Yatesbury
Tiger Moth
training
Wellington
wireless operator