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Introducing
The Institute
of Polish
Military History

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 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.

Sto Lat-Albert Hall

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The Polish Heritage Society

British Post-WW2 Military Honours List for 48 Polish RAF Servicemen (January 1946 To June 2019)

 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

PHS_logo_subheadBritish Military Honours awarded to Polish RAF Servicemen

  Name Post War RAF Honour Year * Post War RAF Rank Polish WW2 Squadron Official UK Military Reference London Gazette 
1 Abczynski,
Andrew Emil		 AFC 1966 Flight Lieutenant  304 205364 44004
2 Andrusikiewicz DFC
Roman Wojciech		 AFC 1966 Flight Lieutenant    500664 43635
3 Andrzejewski VM
Stanislaw Jan		 AFC 1951 Flight Lieutenant  307 500160 39243
4 Antoniak,
Tadeusz Peter		 QCVS 1959 Pilot Officer  316 706548 41727
5 Artymiuk DFC DFM VM
Kazimierz		 KCVS  1950 Master Pilot  301, 305 783224 38929
AFC 1954 Master Pilot  301, 305 783224 40188
6 Badeni,
Jan		 QCVS 1962 Squadron Leader  301 500303 42552
7 Bar,
Zygmunt		 BEM 1965 Flight Sergeant Cranwell 709007 43667
8 Bazarnik MB, Ch.B
Konrad		 AFC 1953 Wing Commander  309 501410 39863
9 Belza,
Mieczyslaw		 BEM 1960 Sergeant  307 792358 41909
10 Binek,
Wieslaw Stanislaw		 BEM 1952 Junior Technician Cranwell 709017 39555
11 Chmielowiec,
Andrzej Boguslaw		 MBE 1952 Squadron Leader    500266 39555
12 Czarnecki,
Zbygniews Henryk		 QCVS 1955 Master Pilot  302 780829 40366
QCVS 1958 Flying Officer  302 780829 41268
13 Florczak VM
Franciszek		 MBE 1972 Squadron Leader  301 500045 45554
14 Gierzod,
Kazimierz		 MBE 1951 Flight Lieutenant Cranwell 500357 39243
15 Gorny,
Kazimierz		 AFM 1953 Flight Sergeant    794418 39863
16 Grobelny,
Wladyslaw		 QCVS 1966 Flight Lieutenant  316 780566 44004
17 Grzybowski VM
Leszek Kazimierz		 KCVS  1952 Flight Lieutenant  306 500414 39421
AFC 1953 Flight Lieutenant  306 500414 39732
18 Hemsley (Horoszko),
Tadeusz		 QCVS 1956 Flight Lieutenant  304 501627 40787
AFC 1957 Flight Lieutenant  304 501627 41089
19 Hrycak,
Roman		 QCVS 1960 Captain  306, 317  Pakistan AF 42051
20 Ignatowski DFM VM
Kajetan		 AFC  1952 Flight Lieutenant  301 500665  39421
21 Jankiewicz,
Marian		 QCVS 1964 Flight Lieutenant  315 704305 43200
22 Jankowski,
Stefan		 QCVS 1955 Flight Sergeant    705558 40497
23 Kmiecik,
Jerzy		 AFM 1952 Flight Sergeant 303 704441 39555
QCVS 1981 Flight Lieutenant 303 704441 48639
24 Kozlowski,
Leon		 QCVS 1952 Flight Lieutenant 301 500034 39555
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
26 Ladro DFC VM
Andrzej		 QCVS  1956 Flight Lieutenant  304 500233  40787
27 Maisner,
Aleksander		 AFC 1956 Squadron Leader    500062 40669
CBE 1969 Group Captain    500062 44863
28 Malenczuk,
Julian Antoni		 AFC 1952 Master Pilot  309 793842 39421
29 Miedzybrodzki VM
Leslaw Roman		 KCVS  1951 Flight Lieutenant  304 500038 39104
AFC 1952 Flight Lieutenant  304 500038 39421
30 Mikolajewski,
Jerzy		 MBE 1994 Warrant Officer   G1946205 53893
31 Mondschein
Jan Wincenty		 MBE 1955 Flight Lieutenant  301 500259 40366
32 Mudry,
Wlodimierz		 QCVS 1955 Flying Officer    780416 40366
33 Naworynsky,
Michael Peter		 OBE 2004 Wing Commander    8024026H 57315
34 Niezrecki DFM VM
Waclaw Tadeusz		 AFC 1952 Master Pilot  300 782373 39555
QCVS 1967 Flight Lieutenant  300 782373 44210
35 Penczek,
Leopold		 AFC 1956 Master Pilot    780123 40725
36 Pieniazek,
Adam		 QCVS 1954 Master Pilot  304 780699 40188
37 Ploszek,
Henryk Rudolf		 AFC 1967 Flight Lieutenant   4160525 44210
QCVS 1978 Squadron Leader    4160525 47549
38 Potocki VM
Wladyslaw Jan		 QCVS 1953 Flight Lieutenant  315 500066 39863
QCVS 1955 Squadron Leader  315 500066 40366
39 Skibinski,
Bronislaw Jerzy		 MBE 1953 Flight Lieutenant  309 500021 39732
40 Staszewski,
Michal		 BEM 1962 Chief Technician    784891 42552
41 Stepniewski,
Tadeusz		 BEM 1960 Flight Sergeant  307 704963 41909
42 Szota,
Bronislaw		 QCVS 1952 Sergeant  300 705758 39555
43 Tarwid,
Aleksander		 MBE 1976 Squadron Leader    794978 46777
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
45 Wardzinski VM
Erazm		 QCVS 1956 Flight Lieutenant  302, 308 500070 40787
46 Wieczorek,
Sylwester		 QCVS 1957 Master Pilot  307 781163 40960
47 Wier (Wierzbowski),
Tadeusz		 AFC 1955 Flight Lieutenant 300 500238 40366
48 Zajaczkowski,
Waclaw		 MBE 1962 Flight Lieutenant  301 500392 42552

 • 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)

 

PHS_logo_subheadKey to Awards, Orders and Decorations

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

© 2011 - 2021 The Polish Heritage Society UK Ltd. Registerd Charity No. 1143791. Contact: info@polishheritage.co.uk
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