A message from our President, General Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank
'I am delighted to be associated with the work of the Polish Heritage Society and very honoured to serve as its President. The Society's work highlights the enormous contribution which generations of Poles have made to their adopted country. Preserving and celebrating that heritage will only further strengthen the ties between Poland and the United Kingdom.
I worked closely with the Society on the project to build a memorial to the Polish Forces at the National Memorial Arboretum and saw at first hand the energy and dedication of those involved.
I encourage you to explore this website and learn about the many other projects the Society has sponsored. Do please contact us if you would like to be involved in any way'.
General The Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank GCB LVO OBE
A Debt of Dishonour is a unique documentary film dedicated Major General Sosabowski and all ranks who served in the 1st Polish Independent Parachute Brigade Group and to their Comrades-in-Arms of the 1st British Airborne Division that fought in the ill-fated “Operation Market Garden” at Arnhem and Driel during September 1944.
The Polish Air Force flew a total of 102,486 sorties for the RAF (Sep 1940 – May 1945), shooting down 745 enemy aircraft with another 175 unconfirmed. In addition, they shot down 190 flying bombs (V1) over London. They won 342 British gallantry awards, including 19 DSOs and 191 DFCs.
DB = Dywizjon Bombowy | 300 (Mazovian), 301 (Ziemia Pomorska), 304 (Ziemia Śląska), 305 (Ziemia Wielkopolska) |
DM = Dywizjon Mysliwski | 302 (Poznań), 303 (Kosciuszko), 306 (Toruń ), 308 (Kraków), 315 (Dęblin), 316 (Warszawa), 317 (Wilno) |
DMN = Dywizjon Mysliwski Nocny | 307 (Lwów) |
DMR = Dywizjon Mysliwski Rozpoznawczy | 309 (Ziemia Czerwińska), 318 (Gdańsk) |
Polish Artillery Observation Squadron | 663 |
Name | Post War RAF Honour | Year | * Post War RAF Rank | Polish WW2 Squadron | Official UK Military Reference | London Gazette | |
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1 | Abczynski, Andrew Emil |
AFC | 1966 | Flight Lieutenant | 304 | 205364 | 44004 |
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2 | Andrusikiewicz DFC Roman Wojciech |
AFC | 1966 | Flight Lieutenant | 500664 | 43635 | |
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3 | Andrzejewski VM Stanislaw Jan |
AFC | 1951 | Flight Lieutenant | 307 | 500160 | 39243 |
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4 | Antoniak, Tadeusz Peter |
QCVS | 1959 | Pilot Officer | 316 | 706548 | 41727 |
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5 | Artymiuk DFC DFM VM Kazimierz |
KCVS | 1950 | Master Pilot | 301, 305 | 783224 | 38929 |
AFC | 1954 | Master Pilot | 301, 305 | 783224 | 40188 | ||
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6 | Badeni, Jan |
QCVS | 1962 | Squadron Leader | 301 | 500303 | 42552 |
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7 | Bar, Zygmunt |
BEM | 1965 | Flight Sergeant | Cranwell | 709007 | 43667 |
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8 | Bazarnik MB, Ch.B Konrad |
AFC | 1953 | Wing Commander | 309 | 501410 | 39863 |
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9 | Belza, Mieczyslaw |
BEM | 1960 | Sergeant | 307 | 792358 | 41909 |
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10 | Binek, Wieslaw Stanislaw |
BEM | 1952 | Junior Technician | Cranwell | 709017 | 39555 |
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11 | Chmielowiec, Andrzej Boguslaw |
MBE | 1952 | Squadron Leader | 500266 | 39555 | |
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12 | Czarnecki, Zibgniew Henryk |
QCVS | 1955 | Master Pilot | 302 | 780829 | 40366 |
QCVS | 1958 | Flying Officer | 302 | 780829 | 41268 | ||
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13 | Florczak VM Franciszek |
MBE | 1972 | Squadron Leader | 301 | 500045 | 45554 |
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14 | Gierzod, Kazimierz |
MBE | 1951 | Flight Lieutenant | Cranwell | 500357 | 39243 |
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15 | Gorny, Kazimierz |
AFM | 1953 | Flight Sergeant | 794418 | 39863 | |
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16 | Grobelny, Wladyslaw |
QCVS | 1966 | Flight Lieutenant | 316 | 780566 | 44004 |
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17 | Grzybowski VM Leszek Kazimierz |
KCVS | 1952 | Flight Lieutenant | 306 | 500414 | 39421 |
AFC | 1953 | Flight Lieutenant | 306 | 500414 | 39732 | ||
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18 | Hemsley (Horoszko), Tadeusz |
QCVS | 1956 | Flight Lieutenant | 304 | 501627 | 40787 |
AFC | 1957 | Flight Lieutenant | 304 | 501627 | 41089 | ||
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19 | Hrycak, Roman |
QCVS | 1960 | Captain | 306, 317 | Pakistan AF | 42051 |
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20 | Ignatowski DFM VM Kajetan |
AFC | 1952 | Flight Lieutenant | 301 | 500665 | 39421 |
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21 | Jankiewicz, Marian |
QCVS | 1964 | Flight Lieutenant | 315 | 704305 | 43200 |
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22 | Jankowski, Stefan |
QCVS | 1955 | Flight Sergeant | 705558 | 40497 | |
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23 | Kmiecik, Jerzy |
AFM | 1952 | Flight Sergeant | 303 | 704441 | 39555 |
QCVS | 1981 | Flight Lieutenant | 303 | 704441 | 48639 | ||
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24 | Kozlowski, Leon |
QCVS | 1952 | Flight Lieutenant | 301 | 500034 | 39555 |
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25 | Kudrewicz, Brunon Jerzy |
QCVS | 1954 | Flight Lieutenant | 303 | 501903 | 40188 |
AFC | 1957 | Flight Lieutenant | 303 | 501903 | 41089 | ||
QCVS | 1959 | Flight Lieutenant | 303 | 501903 | 41727 | ||
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26 | Ladro DFC VM Andrzej |
QCVS | 1956 | Flight Lieutenant | 304 | 500233 | 40787 |
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27 | Maisner, Aleksander |
AFC | 1956 | Squadron Leader | 500062 | 40669 | |
CBE | 1969 | Group Captain | 500062 | 44863 | |||
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28 | Malenczuk, Julian Antoni |
AFC | 1952 | Master Pilot | 309 | 793842 | 39421 |
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29 | Miedzybrodzki VM Leslaw Roman |
KCVS | 1951 | Flight Lieutenant | 304 | 500038 | 39104 |
AFC | 1952 | Flight Lieutenant | 304 | 500038 | 39421 | ||
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30 | Mikolajewski, Jerzy |
MBE | 1994 | Warrant Officer | G1946205 | 53893 | |
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31 | Mondschein Jan Wincenty |
MBE | 1955 | Flight Lieutenant | 301 | 500259 | 40366 |
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32 | Mudry, Wlodimierz |
QCVS | 1955 | Flying Officer | 780416 | 40366 | |
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33 | Naworynsky, Michael Peter |
OBE | 2004 | Wing Commander | 8024026H | 57315 | |
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34 | Niezrecki DFM VM Waclaw Tadeusz |
AFC | 1952 | Master Pilot | 300 | 782373 | 39555 |
QCVS | 1967 | Flight Lieutenant | 300 | 782373 | 44210 | ||
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35 | Penczek, Leopold |
AFC | 1956 | Master Pilot | 780123 | 40725 | |
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36 | Pieniazek, Adam |
QCVS | 1954 | Master Pilot | 304 | 780699 | 40188 |
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37 | Ploszek, Henryk Rudolf |
AFC | 1967 | Flight Lieutenant | 4160525 | 44210 | |
QCVS | 1978 | Squadron Leader | 4160525 | 47549 | |||
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38 | Potocki VM Wladyslaw Jan |
QCVS | 1953 | Flight Lieutenant | 315 | 500066 | 39863 |
QCVS | 1955 | Squadron Leader | 315 | 500066 | 40366 | ||
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39 | Skibinski, Bronislaw Jerzy |
MBE | 1953 | Flight Lieutenant | 309 | 500021 | 39732 |
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40 | Staszewski, Michal |
BEM | 1962 | Chief Technician | 784891 | 42552 | |
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41 | Stepniewski, Tadeusz |
BEM | 1960 | Flight Sergeant | 307 | 704963 | 41909 |
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42 | Szota, Bronislaw |
QCVS | 1952 | Sergeant | 300 | 705758 | 39555 |
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43 | Tarwid, Aleksander |
MBE | 1976 | Squadron Leader | 794978 | 46777 | |
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44 | Wandzilak DFC VM Stanislaw |
AFC | 1956 | Squadron Leader | 303, 308 | 500039 | 40669 |
OBE | 1958 | Squadron Leader | 303, 308 | 500039 | 41268 | ||
QCVS | 1966 | Group Captain | 303, 308 | 500039 | 44004 | ||
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45 | Wardzinski VM Erazm |
QCVS | 1956 | Flight Lieutenant | 302, 308 | 500070 | 40787 |
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46 | Wieczorek, Sylwester |
QCVS | 1957 | Master Pilot | 307 | 781163 | 40960 |
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47 | Wier (Wierzbowski), Tadeusz |
AFC | 1955 | Flight Lieutenant | 300 | 500238 | 40366 |
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48 | Zajaczkowski, Waclaw |
MBE | 1962 | Flight Lieutenant | 301 | 500392 | 42552 |
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• Post-War Rank is NOT the final rank (ie, Air Vice-Marshall Maisner) but the rank at the time of the Honour Award (ie, 1969 CBE, Group Captain Maisner)
VM = | Virtuti Militari |
DFC = | Distinguished Flying Cross |
DFM = | Distinguished Flying Medal |
AFC = | Air Force Cross |
AFM = | Air Force Medal |
CBE = | Ordinary Commander of the British Empire |
OBE = | Ordinary Officer of the British Empire |
MBE = | Ordinary Member of the British Empire |
BEM = | British Empire Medal |
KCVS = | King's Commendation for Valuable Service |
QCVS = | Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service |
Dataset compiled by Christopher Marek Rencki FRAI