Documentary of Polish pilot on YouTube
22 January 2024
Documentary of Polish pilot on YouTube.
A documentary ‘First one cannot be forgotten’, about the life of Polish fighter pilot Władysław Gnyś, is now available on YouTube. Monika Żmuda director of the Polish Air Force Museum, Dęblin, introduces the film, which lasts about 36 minutes.
This is followed by some archive footage and information about his son Stefan Gnyś’s book Pierwsze Zwycięstwa, which contains his father’s interception and shooting down of two German aircraft on 1 September 1939, the day Nazi Germany invaded Poland.
There is aerial footage of his village Sarnów, post war activities and interviews with his two sons and nephew and a conclusion by Jakub Mitek deputy director of the Polish Air Force Museum, Dęblin.
The documentary is available on YouTube in Polish and a version with English subtitles respectively at these two links:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_K_HCdHeZCU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IS4hT_pP3Ns&t=315s
Pre war photo showing Władysław Gnyś in flying gear by a PWS trainer, presumably a PWS-16 or PWS-26.
F/Lt Władysław Gnyś with Spitfire IX EN179 SZ-J of 316Sqn at Northolt in the spring of 1943. Gnyś commanded 'A' Flight of 316Sqn from mid-March until mid-August 1943. EN179 SZ-J was his personal Spitfire between March and May 1943. EN179, with the revised code SZ-C, was shot down on 19 August 1943 while flown by F/O Andrzej Próchnicki, who was killed. The wreckage was recovered in France and is currently undergoing restoration in the UK back to flying condition and registered as G-TCHO.
Pre war photo showing Władysław Gnyś in flying gear by a PWS trainer, presumably a PWS-16 or PWS-26.