PAFMC Trustee and other opportunities 1/1 23 June PAFMC Trustee and other opportunities The registered charity Polish Air Force Memorial Committee (PAFMC) is always interested to hear of people who might be willing to serve as Trustees or in other capacities. We would be delighted to hear from anyone with the relevant interests, skills and experience who would like to discuss the possible opportunities. While Trustees and others involved would be expected to have a strong interest in the Polish Air Force in the west during the war years – either through descent or otherwise – we would be particularly glad to hear from people with any of the following skills or experience: Investment / finance Administration /law Social media / digital engagement Project management Retail (principally on-line) Community involvement / engagement Trustee meetings take place three or four times a year at the Battle of Britain Bunker, Uxbridge, by courtesy of the London Borough of Hillingdon, currently on Friday afternoons, with other business conducted by e-mail or smaller groupings. Trustees do not receive any remuneration and incidental day to day expenses (such as travel) are not reimbursed. Expressions of interest should set out the nature of your connection to the Polish Air Force, the particular skills you could offer, and be accompanied by a CV. An informal discussion will then be arranged to explore the contribution that could be made and the best way of fitting that into the structure of the Committee, whether as Trustee or by support in a different capacity. Please send any expressions of interest to the Chairman: richardkornicki@gmail.com Previous Article Next Article

44dddb52-6729-4eb0-a8bb-1dd14e49baa3 Date change for annual Northolt ceremony. 1/1 23 January 2024 Date change for annual Northolt ceremony. The date of this year’s annual ceremony of homage, at the Polish Air Force Memorial at South Ruislip to commemorate fallen Polish airmen during the Second World War, has been changed. It is now scheduled for Saturday 31 August starting at 12.00 and NOT 7 September, as indicated on the last page of last year’s official programme. The change is due to operational requirements at RAF Northolt where the lunch is held after the ceremony for invited guests in the historic Officers’ Mess. Please make a note in your diaries and advise family and friends. Previous Next

< Back Polish 307 Squadron remembered in Exeter A wreath was placed on behalf of the Polish Air Force Memorial Committee by PAFMC historical advisor Wojtek Matusiak. A wreath was placed on behalf of the Polish Air Force Memorial Committee by PAFMC historical advisor Wojtek Matusiak. 1/1 21 Nov 2022 Polish 307 Squadron remembered in Exeter The Polish flag has been flown above Exeter’s historic Guildhall in honour of the Polish 307 Squadron who defended the city during the Second World War. A free exhibition at the Guildhall throughout the day on 15 November highlighted the achievements of the Squadron, which was based at Exeter Airport during the war. The Lwów Eagle Owls airmen of 307 Squadron defended the South West during the conflict and helped prevent Exeter from being totally destroyed during the blitz on the city in 1942. To mark the occasion the Polish flag was raised over the Guildhall. Standard Bearers of the Regimental Association of the Devonshire and Dorset Regiment together with Polish standard bearers formed up in the High Street. A parade by RAF Brize Norton marched from Queen Street to the historic Guildhall, where guests and dignitaries gathered. Speeches were made by Andrzej Michalski and Michael Parrott as well as the Lord Mayor of Exeter Cllr Yolonda Henson and the Polish Consul General, Mateusz Stasiek. A blessing of the flag was made by the Dean of Exeter Cathedral the Very Reverend Jonathan Greener before the flag was raised while the Polish National Anthem was performed by an orchestra. In the afternoon there was a wreath laying ceremony at the 307 Squadron memorial at Exeter Cathedral. A wreath was placed on behalf of the Polish Air Force Memorial Committee by PAFMC historical advisor Wojtek Matusiak. Council Leader Phil Bialyk said: “We are marking the day 80 years ago when the Polish flag was given to Exeter, one of the few places in the country it has been awarded to. The Squadron gave two years of service defending our city and we are really appreciative of what they did, and I am so proud that Exeter can continue that relationship with the 307 Squadron.” Previous Next

f54a6a25-b96f-4dc3-98b6-ef9917975c32 Polish fighter pilots remembered < Back 1/1 28 March 2023 Polish fighter pilots remembered. The New Romney Branch of the Royal British Legion is holding a service for two 303 Squadron pilots P/O Bogusław Mierzwa and P/O Mieczyslaw Waszkiewicz, who were both shot down over Dungeness in the early evening of 16 April 1941. They were attacked by German fighters when returning from escorting Blenheim bombers on a raid to Berck-sur Mer airfield near Boulogne. P/O Bogusław Mierzwa, flying Spitfire P7819 RF-S, went down into the sea. His body was recovered and is buried in Northwood Cemetery grave H290. But P/O Mieczyslaw Waszkiewicz, flying Spitfire P8039 RF-R, also went into the sea, but his body was never found. The memorial plaque to both pilots is on Dungeness beach close to where P/O Bogusław Mierzwa was killed. The service will be at St Peter’s Church, Baldwin Road, Greatstone, TN28 8RG, on Sunday 16 April, starting at 15.00. Refreshments will be available after the service in the hall next to the church. For those attending please contact David Harris nr.drh1@yahoo.co.uk to ensure sufficient refreshments. Later in the afternoon wreaths will be laid at the memorial on the Dungeness estate. Previous Next

Northolt Commemoration Ceremony 1/22 27 September Northolt Commemoration Ceremony The annual and 60th Ceremony of Homage to Fallen Polish Airmen during World War II was held at the Polish Air Force Memorial at South Ruislip on Saturday 4 September. The ceremony opened with a trumpeter sounding the assembly and a fly past of a Spitfire from the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. Then followed a parade of the replica Polish Air Force Standard and Standards of the Polish Scouts and Guides. Polish Air Force Memorial Committee Chairman Richard Kornicki CBE DL, followed with his opening address, outlining the difficulties posed over the previous year and a half, which provided a taste of what it must have felt like to be alive in 1940. The full address can be viewed by clicking the appropriate icon below. His address was followed by the Polish Roll-Call of the Fallen, this year carried out by Polish scouts and guides on behalf of the Officer Cadets of the Polish Air Force Academy, Dęblin, who were unable to attend due to Covid travel restrictions. Prayers followed led by Ks Stefan Wylężek, Rector of the Polish Catholic Mission in England and Wales. Invited dignitaries, representing national and local government, Polish and Royal Air Forces and various organisations and associations laid wreaths on the Memorial. They were followed by veterans and descendants of the Polish Squadrons and Units commemorated on the Memorial that flew alongside the RAF from 1940 to 1945. Concluding Prayers were led by Rev Sq Ldr Neil Galloway followed by the Last Post and a minute’s silence ending with Reveille. The hour-long ceremony ended with the Polish and UK national anthems and withdrawal of the Standards followed by the trumpeter playing ‘White Roses’. Personal wreaths were laid after the ceremony ended. Music was provided by the RAF Central Band with the kind permission of the Air Force Board of the Defence Council. Guests then transferred to RAF Northolt for a reception and buffet lunch in the Station’s Sword and Wheel Club, while being entertained by Polish dancers. PAFMC Commendations were awarded to people and organisations who, with no personal connections with Poland, have made an exceptional contribution to preserving the memory of the Polish Air Force. Geoff Burton, founder and Trustee of the RAF Ingham Heritage Centre, Lincolnshire, outlined the considerable progress the voluntary organisation has made since its formation in 2010. It aims to create a centre to remember and celebrate the remarkable story of the Polish men and women of the Polish Air Force Bomber Squadrons, flying alongside the RAF during WW2. The next phase is to install a new roof and windows to an existing building to create the Main Exhibition Centre. Geoff Burton used the occasion to launch an appeal to raise funds for this project, which will cost approximately £96,000. Donations can be made at this link https://www.goldengiving.com/wall/raf-ingham-heritage-centre. The full address can be viewed by clicking the appropriate icon below. Details of the RAF Ingham Heritage Centre can be found at this link. https://www.rafingham.co.uk RAF Northolt Station Commander Gp Capt Toria McPhaden concluded proceedings by inviting guests to take tours of the Officers’ Mess and the recently restored Hut 27, the Station’s Operations Room during the war. The Memorial programme, speeches and commendations can be viewed by clicking the relevant icons below. Photos in the slide show can be viewed and enlarged by double clicking the image then the arrows. All photos are either Crown copyright or courtesy of Marek Borzęcki. A short video of the ceremony is available at this link https://youtu.be/IxoJc5jI28A. Next year’s Commemoration will take place on Saturday 3 September at 12.00. Programme .pdf Download PDF Opening speech .pdf Download PDF Kornicki Speech Burton PAFMC Address - 04 Sep 21 .pdf Download PDF Burton Speech PAFMC Commendations (2021) .pdf Download PDF Commendations Previous Article Next Article

f06fd4de-8132-4f3c-b02b-5d579511b0b9 Katyń Commemoration Ceremony < Back A large congregation gathered at the Katyń Memorial in Gunnersbury Cemetery to commemorate the victims of the Katyń genocide in April 1940. Photo courtesy Marek Borzęcki The Polish Air Force Memorial Committee was represented by Trustee Rodney Byles who laid a wreath on its behalf. Photo courtesy Marek Borzęcki The Katyń Memorial in Gunnersbury Cemetery following the wreath laying. Photo courtesy Marek Borzęcki A large congregation gathered at the Katyń Memorial in Gunnersbury Cemetery to commemorate the victims of the Katyń genocide in April 1940. Photo courtesy Marek Borzęcki 1/4 3 May 2023 Katyń Commemoration Ceremony The annual Ceremony to commemorate the victims of the Katyń genocide in April 1940 was held on 30 April at the Katyń Memorial in Gunnersbury Cemetery, West London. The ceremony, organised by The Polish Ex-Combatants Association in Great Britain Trust Fund and assisted by the Polish Scouts, was attended by around 200 people and followed Holy Mass at Saint Andrew Bobola’s church. The Polish Air Force Memorial Committee was represented by Trustee Rodney Byles who laid a wreath on its behalf. On 1st September 1939, Germany attacked Poland, the Polish army fought valiantly but then on 17th September, Germany’s ally, the Soviet Union, attacked from the East. The Polish Army had no chance of defending attacks from two fronts and Poland was divided effectively in half between Germany and the Soviet Union. The Soviets immediately started a programme of Sovietisation, through organised ethnic cleansing and social genocide. Hundreds of thousands of Polish citizens were forcibly deported to the depths of the Soviet Empire, many to their deaths in appalling conditions. Thousands of Polish Officer Prisoners of War, Border Guards, Police, professors, teachers, priests, rabbis, community leaders etc were sent to special camps in Kozielsk, Starobielsk and Ostaszkow and Miednoje plus many other places. In April 1940 at the request of the Head of Stalin’s secret polic e Beria, Stalin ordered the NKVD to carry out mass executions of these prisoners. 4,500 corpses were later found in mass graves in the Katyń forest, others being executed at other sites. All together approximately 22,000 people were executed. What came to be known as the Katyń Massacre was commemorated by the Polish Community living in exile immediately after the end of World War II. The Polish Community wanted to create a lasting memorial to their murdered brothers, but as a result of Soviet pressure, the British authorities firstly refused permission. The victims of the Katyń genocide had to wait until the 1970s when permission was finally granted to erect the Katyń Memorial in Gunnersbury Cemetery, which was unveiled on 18 September 1976. Krzysztof de Berg Previous Next

Tribute to Polish 303 Squadron in US Museum 1/2 23 February Tribute to Polish 303 Squadron in US Museum A group of Poles and Americans in the US state of Connecticut have teamed up to organize an exhibition in the New England Air Museum, one of the largest aviation museums in the US, to create a permanent display and multi-media exhibition paying tribute to the Polish 303 Kościuszko Squadron. The New England Air Museum and the Polish Studies Program at the Central Connecticut State University, have jointly launched a campaign to raise $125,000 to design and install the exhibition in the Museum, which will present the story of 303 Kościuszko Squadron in a modern, multi-media educational format. The project is scheduled to open in 2021. The organizing committee, led by historian Professor Mieczysław Biskupski, is collecting memorabilia for the exhibition and needs photographs and memoirs to portray the history of 303 Kościuszko Squadron to a wider American public. More details are available at this link: https://www.neam.org/shell.php?page=exhibit_kosciuszko Previous Article Next Article

Lecture - Polish Airmen in the Battle of Britain 1/1 27 August Lecture - Polish Airmen in the Battle of Britain The Petwood Hotel in Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire will host a talk ‘Polish Airmen in the Battle of Britain’ at 19.00 on Thursday 16 September. All proceeds will go towards RAF Ingham Heritage Centre, the home of Polish Bomber Squadrons https://www.rafingham.co.uk . The Polish Air Force Lecture is an annual fundraising event at the Petwood and this year’s talk will be given by Michael Czajkowski. His father served in 309Sqn. Tickets are £5 and will need to be generated online, but paid in cash on the door on the night. Previous Article Next Article

Inaugural Roman Catholic Mass at St Clement Danes Church 1/4 27 October Inaugural Roman Catholic Mass at St Clement Danes Church For the first time, Holy Mass was celebrated on 21 October at the Central Church of the Royal Air Force, St Clement Danes, by the Roman Catholic Bishop of the Forces. This Mass in St Clement Danes was an opportunity for the RAF Roman Catholic community to gather with the Bishop of the Forces, the Rt Rev Paul Mason, the Principal Roman Catholic Chaplain, Rev (Sqn Ldr) Dave Skillen, and the RAF RC Chaplains to celebrate the Eucharist at the perpetual shrine of remembrance to all those who have died in service in the RAF. It was a solemn and memorable occasion with the intention of this becoming an annual event. St Clement Danes, located on The Strand, London, WC2R 1DH, is a magnificent church displaying unique RAF artefacts from its 100-year plus history. At the end of the Mass a wreath was laid at the Memorial to the Polish Air Force by the Chairman of the Polish Air Force Memorial Committee Richard Kornicki CBE DL. All photos are courtesy of Marek Borzęcki. Previous Article Next Article

PAF Standard History of the PAF Standard The idea for a Standard for Lotnictwo (Aviation), the military air arm of the Polish Army, was conceived in France sometime in late 1939 by pilot F/Lt Jan Hryniewicz. This was at the Polish training base in Lyon-Bron, following his evacuation from Poland with other Aviation personnel. In France Aviation operated as separate Jednostki Polskiego Lotnictwa (Polish Aviation Units). However, in early 1940 Prime Minister of the Polish Government in Exile and Commander-in-Chief of the Polish Armed Forces , Gen Władysław Sikorski, made the historic decision to make the Aviation division a completely independent member of the Polish Armed Forces. Thus on 1 March 1940 Aviation became the independent Polskie Siły Powietrzne (PSP) the Polish Air Force (PAF) under the overall command of General Józef Zając. F/Lt Hryniewicz came from Wilno, (now Vilnius, Lithuania) and before the war was the instructor and Commander of the Observers Training Unit at the Training Centre of Aviation No. 1, in Dęblin, Poland. At the Lyon-Bron base he engaged two Cadet officers, Zbigniew Wojda and Kazimierz Karaszewski, to each produce design sketches for each side of the Standard that would provide a symbol of unity between Polish airmen and their occupied homeland. The overall design followed the traditional colours and pattern of the Polish Armed Forces with a red cross on a white background on both sides. In the centre of the main side, designed by Zbigniew Wojda, is an image of Our Lady of Ostra Brama, the patron saint of Wilno, surrounded by a wreath. In the central upper part of the cross is the image of the White Eagle in the crown, a symbol of the Polish state, and at the bottom the inscription BÓG, HONOR I OJCZYZNA (God, Honour and Homeland). F/Lt Hryniewicz, assuming Polish airmen would continue their fight for freedom in France, requested that this side of the flag also carry a French Fleur-de-lis symbol in each of the four white corners. The reverse of the Standard, composed by Kazimierz Karaszewski, has a central image of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux supported on a sword and a cross. Above and central to this is the inscription WILNO 1940 and below it MIŁOŚĆ ŻĄDA OFIARY (Love Demands Sacrifice). In the upper left corner there is a Polish pilot’s wings, or Gapa, and in the upper right a white and red chequerboard, the national marking of Polish military aircraft. At the lower left is a badge of the cadet officer school of Aviation and on the right a Polish air observer’s or navigator’s Gapa. To ensure approval for the design F/Lt Hryniewicz sent copies of the proposed pattern to his long time commander W/Cdr Wacław Iwaszkiewicz and to retired Gen Lucjan Żeligowski. He asked Aleksandra Zasuszanka-Dobrowolska to write letters for him to his sister Katarzyna Sienkiewiczowa and the friends of his mother, Zofia Wasilewska-Świdowa and Józef Górski, enquiring if this request would be possible. Aleksandra Zasuszanka-Dobrowolska was the author of the lyrics of the Polish ‘Airmen’s March’ - the official march of Aviation (PAF) since before the Second World War. Zofia Wasilewska-Świdowa sought the advice of the priest Józef Kucharski and a committee ‘Towarzystwo Pomocy Obywatelskiej’ (Society for Citizens Assistance) was formed to oversee the project. Led by Jadwiga Oskierczyna, the committee estimated the cost of producing the Standard at around 3000 Lithuanian litas, (approximately £9,800 in 2024) which, with the incredible generosity of Wilno’s inhabitants, was reached on the first day of fundraising. The necessary damask material and gold and silver embroidery threads, needed to make the Standard, were not available in Wilno. However, the city’s Roman Catholic Archbishop, Romuald Jałbrzykowski, used his connections to secretly source all the materials from the German capital Berlin. The main embroidery was done by the Sisters of Mercy in the Church of St. Casimir in Wilno and then finished off by the Benedictine Sisters in the City’s church of St. Michael the Archangel. The Standard was completed in June 1940 and consecration followed in secrecy in the Ostra Brama Chapel by priest Kazimierz Kucharski. This was under the cover of darkness and in the presence of some members of the church. It was decided to use a single courier to deliver the Standard to the new independent PAF in France. Sadly her name has not been recorded, but the Standard was wrapped round her body during her lone journey through the Soviet Union, Poland and Germany. On her arrival in Belgium she learned that France had capitulated so she returned to Wilno, tracing the same route home. After the fall of France Polish airmen were evacuated to Great Britain and arrangements were then made to send the Standard to ‘wyspa ostatniej nadziei’, The Island of Last Hope. The Standard was initially taken from Wilno about 65 miles west to Kaunas by a local Polish community activist Eugenia Stankunowiczówna. It was then transferred by Polish intelligence officer Lt Stanisław Daszkiewicz to the Japanese attaché's office in Kaunas under the close supervision of the sympathetic Japanese Consul Chiune Sugihara. From there it was despatched in diplomatic luggage to the Japanese Embassy in Berlin. Here Polish intelligence officers F/Lt Jerzy Jakubianiec and courier Mjr Michał Rybikowski took over arrangements for its onward travel. In October 1940, Mjr Rybikowski, accompanied by a Japanese diplomatic courier, delivered the Standard to the Polish Diplomatic mission in Stockholm, Sweden. From Stockholm it was subsequently sent to Great Britain and arrived in London on 4 March 1941. Before the Standard could be handed to the PAF it was attached with dome-headed nails to a wooden staff, which was sponsored by F/Lt Krzysztof Dobrowolski. He was the husband of Aleksandra Zasuszanka-Dobrowolska, who wrote the three letters for F/Lt Hryniewicz. A gold and silver eagle, perched on a silver box inscribed with the initials P.S.P., was mounted on the top of the staff. This was designed by the treasurer of the Inspectorate of the PAF Zofia Wisznicka-Kleczyńska, a painter, artist and graduate of the Academy of Arts, Warsaw. The eagle was cast by the London goldsmith and collectables company Spink & Son from gold and silver jewellery donated by Polish airmen. Spink had already been producing PAF brevets and other insignia. The Standard was taken to RAF Swinderby for the official handover ceremony on 16 July 1941. Small silver shield shaped plaques, engraved with the names of Polish and British dignitaries and individual squadrons, were ceremonially pinned to the staff in six rows just below the Standard. These are clearly visible in photographs and film taken at the time. There is no apparent record of the original list and some plaques are missing. Those remaining are listed below. W imię Trójcy Przenajświętszej (In the name of the Holy Trinity), Prezydent R.P. W. Raczkiewicz (The President of Republic of Poland W. Raczkiewicz), Naczelny Wódz Gen. Broni W. Sikorski (Commander-in-Chief General W. Sikorski), The Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Winston Churchill, Rt. Hon. Sir Archibald Sinclair, Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Portal, Air Marshal Richard Peirse, Air Marshal Sir Sholto Douglas, Air Marshal Sir Arthur Barratt. Gen. Broni (General) K. Sosnkowski, Prezes Rady Narodowej (The Chairman of National Council) S. Mikołajczyk, Gen. Broni (General) L. Żeligowski, Gen. Dyw. (Lieutenant General) M. Kukiel, Gen. Bryg. (Major General) T. Klimecki, Minister Prof. S. Kot, DCA. 300 Dyonu Bombowego (Commander of 300 Bomber Squadron), DCA. 301 Dyonu Bombowego (Commander of 301 Bomber Squadron), DCA. 302 Dyonu Myśliwskiego (Commander of 302 Fighter Squadron), Gen. Bryg. (Major General) J. Modelski, A. Dobrowolska, DCA. 303 Dyonu Myśliwskiego (Commander of 303 Fighter Squadron), DCA. 304 Dyonu Bombowego (Commander of 304 Bomber Squadron), DCA. 305 Dyonu Bombowego (Commander of 305 Bomber Squadron), DCA. 306 Dyonu Myśliwskiego (Commander of 306 Fighter Squadron), DCA. 307 Dyonu Myśliwskiego (Commander of 307 Fighter Squadron), DCA. 308 Dyonu Myśliwskiego (Commander of 308 Fighter Squadron), DCA. 309 Dyonu Współpracy (Commander of 309 Cooperation Squadron), DCA. 315 Dyonu Myśliwskiego (Commander of 315 Fighter Squadron), DCA. 316 Dyonu Myśliwskiego (Commander of 316 Fighter Squadron), DCA. 317 Dyonu Myśliwskiego (Commander of 317 Fighter Squadron), Kpt (F/Lt) J. Hryniewicz *The Polish Air Force historian and author Jerzy Cynk in his book ‘The Polish Air Force At War The Official History’ indicates a plaque was included for Air Marshal Walsh. There is no plaque for Air Marshal Walsh or a gap where it may have been and no one of that name and rank can be indentified in the RAF at that time. In the presence of the President of the Republic of Poland Władysław Raczkiewicz and other Polish and British dignitaries, the honour of initially delivering the Standard was given to its creator F/Lt Hryniewicz. He handed it to retired Gen Żeligowski for passing to Prime Minister of the Polish Government in Exile and Commander-in-Chief of the Polish Armed Forces Gen Władysław Sikorski. Following a short speech Gen Sikorski formally presented the Standard to the Commander-in-Chief of the PAF Brig.Gen Stanisław Ujejski, so finally completing its journey from Wilno to the PAF. He then handed it to the commander of 300 (Polish) Land of Masovia bomber squadron W/Cdr Wacław Makowski, who in turn presented it to a 300 Squadron Standard bearer for parading at the ceremony. The Standard was initially held by 300 Squadron and then successively passed in turn to the majority of the Polish squadrons that served alongside the RAF until the end of the war. It is believed that the plaques for all the squadrons that existed in 1941 were added at that time. There is no plaque for 318 Squadron, which was formed in 1943, and as far as can be ascertained the Standard was never transferred and held by either 317 or 318 Squadrons. There was no freedom for Poland at the end of the war, only the exchange of German occupation for an imposed Soviet communist regime, and Wilno had become part of the Soviet Union. Some Polish airmen returned home, only to find themselves tried and imprisoned as traitors. Most stayed in the West. The Standard was initially placed in the Polish Church of Our Lady of Częstochowa and St Casimir in Devonia Road, London. On the 10 July 1947 it was transferred to the General Sikorski Historical Institute, London, renamed in 1965 the Polish Institute and Sikorski Museum, until such time as Poland should be free again. In 1992, after the fall of communism in Poland and the first free elections, the Standard was at last returned to Poland. On 4 September, during the first world reunion of Polish Airmen on Polish soil, the Standard was handed back in a ceremony in Piłsudski Square, in front of the tomb of the Unknown Soldier, in the heart of Warsaw. This transfer was performed by a colour guard and delegation from the UK’s Polish Air Force Association of its Chairman AVM Aleksander Maisner and members Sq/Ldr Tadeusz Andersz, F/Lt Andrzej Jeziorski, F/Lt Mieczysław Sawicki and W/O Tadeusz Ruman. AVM Maisner handed the Standard to Commander of the PAF and Air Defence Gen Jerzy Gotowała in the presence of the first legally elected President of the Republic of Poland after the war Lech Wałęsa. According to the wishes of F/Lt Hryniewicz, (who died in July 1989) the Standard was then taken and placed in the Hall of Traditions at the PAF Academy, Dęblin. After the sixth world reunion of Polish Airmen in 2012 the Standard was transferred from the Hall of Traditions to the PAF Museum in Dęblin. From January 2016 to May 2017 the conservation studio, in the Polish Army Museum, Warsaw, carried out a major and complex restoration of the Standard. The fabric and embroidery conservation was completed by Jadwiga Kozłowska and Justyna Miecznik; the leatherwork by Aleksandra Surmak and the metal restoration by Piotr Kołaciński. Following the restoration the Standard was returned to the PAF Museum, Dęblin, where it is on display, being too fragile for future parading. In 1985 a replica was made for the Polish Army Museum by Maria Cedrowicz in Warsaw, using colour photographs provided by the Polish Institute and Sikorski Museum in London. In January 2012 the Polish Air Force Memorial Committee (PAFMC) approached the Commander of the PAF, Lt/Gen Lech Majewski, with a request for a replica to be commissioned to maintain the links between Poland and the PAF community in Britain. The proposal was warmly endorsed, and three replicas were produced: one was to be kept in the Polish Army Museum, Warsaw, one in the Airmen’s Chapel of the church of Pope St Pius V in Dęblin, and one entrusted to the PAFMC in the UK. On the 27 August 2012, twenty years after the original Standard was returned to Poland, the replica, destined for the UK, was handed over by Lt/Gen Majewski to PAFMC chairman Richard Kornicki at a ceremony in Warsaw. It was marched off the parade ground by a colour party of the Queen’s Colour Squadron and taken to the UK. This replica Standard is kept in the PAF Exhibition at the Battle of Britain Bunker Visitor Centre, Uxbridge. It is paraded at the annual commemoration of fallen Polish airmen at the PAF Memorial at South Ruislip, and at other commemorative events. Photos in the slide show can be viewed by double clicking the image then the arrows. There is also a short video extract from 'Diary of a Polish Airmen' by clicking on the Play button and then to full screen. Photos courtesy of Wojtek Matusiak and Jacek Zagożdżon. This post has been compiled from reference to the book ‘The Polish Air Force at War The Official History’ by Jerzy Cynk. The PAFMC also acknowledges with thanks the considerable help of Jacek Zagożdżon, Executive of Education, Exhibition Organization and Facilitating Department, PAF Museum, Dęblin, Poland, Paweł Żurkowski, director, Polish Army Museum, Warsaw, Richard Kornicki and PAF historian Wojtek Matusiak. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, but if anyone identifies any errors please advise the PAFMC via the email on the Contacts page. Rodney Byles In the centre of the main side is an image of Our Lady of Ostra Brama, the patron saint of Wilno. The reverse of the Standard has a central image of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. The replica PAF Standard is kept on display in the Polish Air Force Exhibition at the Battle of Britain Bunker Visitor Centre, Uxbridge. In the centre of the main side is an image of Our Lady of Ostra Brama, the patron saint of Wilno. 1/33

The Polish Air Force Memorial Committee was formed to commemorate for the public benefit the achievements of the Polish Air Force in the Second World War; to honour fallen Polish Airmen by the creation and maintenance of public memorials. LATEST NEWS Mission Statement The Polish Air Force Memorial Committee was formed to commemorate for the public benefit the achievements of the Polish Air Force in the Second World War; to honour fallen Polish Airmen by the creation and maintenance of public memorials; and to educate and inform the public about the Polish Air Force and its history, including the operation of Polish Air Force Museums . The Polish Air Force Memorial Committee Komitet Pamięci Lotników Polskich

< Back Sgt Josef František Memorial Unveiling Ceremony The Memorial to Sgt Josef František is in the Surrey Wildlife Trust's Priest Hill Nature Reserve close to where he lost his life. Stonemason Francis Sancisi used a thin rubber computer generated stencil to transfer the inscription to the memorial stone which he also designed and installed. The Memorial to Sgt Josef František is in the Surrey Wildlife Trust's Priest Hill Nature Reserve close to where he lost his life. 1/37 29 Sept 2022 Memorial to Sgt Josef František VM KW & 3 Bars ČVK DFM & Bar. The Czechoslovak ace, Sergeant Josef František, who flew with 303 Polish Squadron during the Battle of Britain, has been honoured with a Memorial organised by the Polish Air Force Memorial Committee (PAFMC). It was unveiled on 4 September on the Priest Hill Nature Reserve, Epsom, Surrey, close to where he lost his life on the 8 October 1940. Sgt František was one of the most successful allied pilots in the Battle of Britain credited with destroying 17 enemy aircraft and another probably destroyed. He was decorated with the Polish Virtuti Militari and Krzyż Walecznych (Cross of Valour) and three bars, posthumously the Československý válečný kříž 1939 (Czechoslovak War Cross 1939) and the British Distinguished Flying Medal and bar. The ceremony opened with a trumpeter from the Central Band of the RAF sounding the assembly in front of representatives of the Polish, Czech and Slovak Embassies, Air Vice Marshal Richard Maddison (representing the Chief of the Air Staff), Rector Commandant of the Polish Air Force University, Dęblin Brigadier General Krzysztof Cur and other dignitaries and guests. The replica of the war-time Polish Air Force Standard and the Standard of the Czech Legionaries were escorted in by Major Grzegorz Buśko and Officer Cadets of the Polish Air Force University, Dęblin, popularly known as "The School of the Eaglets." PAFMC Chairman Richard Kornicki CBE DL, welcomed dignitaries and guests and then invited aviation enthusiast and researcher Lewis Shelley to relay Sgt František’s story, which is available by clicking the link below. This was followed by the unveiling of the Memorial and the information panel by Sgt František’s great nephew Igor Fryč. Prayers and blessing of the Memorial and information panel then followed by Father Stephen O’Brien from St Joseph’s Catholic Church, Epsom. Invited dignitaries, representing local government, Polish, Czech and Slovak Embassies and Polish and Royal Air Forces, the PAFMC and the daughter and son of 303 Squadron’s British commander Sqn/Ldr Ronald Kellett, who was leading the patrol the day Sgt František was killed, laid wreaths on the Memorial. This was followed by the Last Post and a minute’s silence ending with Reveille. Brigadier General Cur paid tribute to Sgt Josef František in a moving speech. He followed with a presentation to PAFMC Trustee Rodney Byles of a Commemorative Plaque of the Polish Air Force University for organising the Memorial and the unveiling ceremony. This followed with his presentation, on behalf of the PAFMC, of a Commendation to Leigh Thornton from the Surrey Wildlife Trust who, with no personal connections with Poland, played a crucial role in enabling the Memorial to be placed on the Priest Hill Nature Reserve. The ceremony ended with the Polish Air Force March accompanied by the Officer Cadets of the Polish Air Force University. Invited guests then transferred to the nearby Cuddington Golf Club for a reception and afternoon tea. The Memorial to Sgt Josef František has been made possible by the many years of extensive investigations and research by aviation enthusiast Lewis Shelley and latterly by Polish Air Force historian and author Peter Sikora. The cost of the Memorial has been met solely by PAFMC who, working closely with Lewis Shelley, initiated the project in consultation with the Polish, Czech and Slovak Embassies. Chairman of the PAFMC Richard Kornicki commented: “It is a privilege for us to be able to create a lasting Memorial to Sgt František close to where he lost his life. As a Czechoslovak pilot, flying in a Polish Squadron, under a British commander he is a powerful reminder of the international make-up of The Few. We hope that for generations to come, those who walk past the Memorial will pause and remember those to whom they owe their freedom.” Photos in the slide show are courtesy of Marek Borzęcki, Marek Iczkiewicz, Tony Burd and PAFMC. An archival video of the Ceremony, by Marek Borzęcki can be viewed on YouTube at this link https://youtu.be/EYD556fhG9I A video and photos are also available on the ‘What’s On in Surrey’ website https://surrey.woimtg.com/?p=6414 with a direct link to the video on YouTube at this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xfpb76e6_Uk The Memorial is located at Grid reference TQ229613 or What3Words scar.hurls.hurry. This is in a remote part of Priest Hill Nature Reserve with no direct vehicle access. There are no car parks in the area, but there are man made pathways around the reserve for easy access. Lewis Shelley's speech .pdf Download PDF • 45KB Frantisek Programme .pdf Download PDF • 288KB Previous Next