Polish Fighter Pilots

The inscription is:
Karp. Pulk Ulanów
Cairo – Polish Forces M.E.
Sikorski Jerzy (29)

Karpacki Pulk Ulanów (or, more correctly, Pulk Ulanów Karpackich) was Carpathian Mounted Rifles Regiment, part of the Polish Carpathian Brigade that defended Tobruk during late months of 1941. I presume that’s where he earned his Star. I think March 1942 might be rather too early for anyone ex-USSR captivity to earn this decoration.

Hi Wojtek.

Firstly, thanks for all the extra information, much appreciated. The family are serious and becoming more so. I rang the number and there is indeed a file which the family are now going to request. They’re just gathering the relevant certificates for the purpose of proving his death and their kinship. The lady I spoke to was most helpful. In the meantime here are a few photos. There is, I believe, one line written in Polish on the back of the photo of him in Cairo. Another document (undated) states that the qualifying period for the 39-45 Star was completed in March 1942. Would this tie in with General Anders first wave of exiles arriving in Iran from Tashkent?

Archivist.

neither I nor the family are anywhere near London but a visit to the Sikorski Institute is a possibility as some of the family wish to visit Kew.

Regards,

kev35

Hello Kev,

If you are a blithering anorak living anywhere near London – try the Sikorski Institute – a personal visit provides instant results, if they have anything. Written requests take months but they often have far more material available than you would get from the RAF resources anyway, and you don’t have to be family. They are very nice people, but they are volunteers and mostly elderly so they cannot realistically go much faster!

Kev, would it be possible to have a look at the “unknown inscriptions in Polish”?

I know of another member of 304 Sqn who was posted to No. 17 Aircrew Holding Unit (ACHU) at RAF Snaith in July 1945. He then went to No. 1333 Transport Support Conversion Unit at RAF Syerston. So, the Snaith/Transport Command link is plausible.

Some Polish flying crew members joined the RAF on disbandment of the exiled Polish Air Force. I know of Polish WW2 pilots who then flew heavy bombers with the RAF after the war. Therefore the link with Lancasters and/or 83 Sqn is not unlikely for a flyer of another air crew trade.

Finally (or perhaps I should have started with the question): is Jerzy Sikorski’s next-of-kin interested in this research? Closest relatives can ask for his service details at the Ministry of Defence, APC Polish Enquiries (0044 20 8833 8603). With a bit of luck there might be a thick file for him.

I know it is generally frowned upon to bring back so called ‘zombie’ threads but a little more has come to light regarding the Service om the Airman in my original enquiry. All Jerzy Sikorski’s personal effects were presumed by the family to have been lost when his house was burned down following his death, but last night a small wallet was found in the loft of the family home which proves that the information provided by VoyTech was correct. There are a few photographs, medal ribbons, rank badges and some documentation which will hopefully put together more details of his career. So here is a list of details which I can confirm with some supposition regarding other areas.

Service number confirmed as 705755.

Documentation confirms rank as Warrant Officer.

Aircrew Half Brevet denoting service as a Signaller. (What’s the difference between a Signaller and Wireless Operator and would the trade of Signaller have any bearing on his service in Coastal Command?)

Living out pass (undated) showing service as a Warrant Officer with Station Head Quarters, 5 Reception Centre, RAF West Kirby.

Another document lists his medal entitlement as 1939 – 45 Star, Atlantic Star, Africa Star, Defence Medal and War Medal. The wallet contains ribbons for all of these plus the Polish Medals for both Army and Air Force Service between 1939 and 1945. The document also states service as a Warrant Officer with Coastal Command.

Two photographs of Jerzy in Air Force uniform, one as Flight Sergeant and the other as Warrant Officer.

One photograph of Jerzy in Army uniform and inscribed Cairo, Egypt, including his name and what I presume is his age (29) which ties in nicely with information provided previously by VoyTech. There is also an unknown inscription in Polish.

Two references (undated) to being at Snaith, one of which describes his unit as Transport Command. I have found an online reference to 51 Squadron at Snaith being transferred to Transport Command on 7th May 1945 so perhaps he served with them post war?

Jerzy’s son still insists he flew Lancasters but there is no evidence so far to prove this. Another mystery is the inclusion in the wallet of an enamel pin badge to 83 Squadron.

And there the mystery rests unless anyone else can help fill in the blanks? I’m sure I started a later thread than this one on Jerzy but have been unable to locate it.

Regards,

kev35

Use Google Translation Tool…

…to read about the Polish Historic Aviation Group. Their website, here:

http://lotnictwopolskie.org.pl/index.html

has many useful links to Polish historic aviation sources. They appear NOT to be only a re-enactment uniform society. There is a good photo archive and you can email them.

I met a rep at Leuchars who had a fascinating well presented tent displaying information on Polish forces, focussing on airmen, in WWII.

Voytech.

The family I am dealing with are incredibly slow in getting back to me. However, I can confirm that this Jerzy Sikorski is indeed the wireless operator with 304 Squadron. A distant relative has provided details of memories of this chap flying over the sea whilst looking for shipping and being attacked by fighters.

You mentioned also about Siberia and the Middle East? Apparently this chap served somewhere in the Middle East with an Army unit and suffered partial deafness because of the night of the ‘thousand guns’? I can only assume that to be a reference to El Alamein. Anything else you might have or advice on how to track down a service record would be most appreciated.

Regards,

kev35

Sorry, Jon, that doesn’t seem to ring a bell. I know of only one Pole to fly Hurricanes on ops in the Med, and to my knowledge he was not shot down. Anyway, his first name was not Stan and his last name was nothing like “Wilks”. Also, I know of only one Polish fighter pilot who spent any significant time with Italian partisans, but he was a Spitfire guy shot down over France, who went to Italy after he escaped from a PoW camp. His name, too, was nowhere near resembling the name you mentioned.

Perhpas it should be Czeched out.

Mark

I’m trying to find out about a guy whose only name I know is his anglicised name – Stan Wilks – so I assume his first name was Stanislaw. Seemed to spend a lot of his time getting shot down in the Med. according to him, liked Hurricanes best and said he spent some time with partisans in Italy after one shoot down. Eventually married an english lass and emigrated to New Zealand. He died about 10 years ago. He was an interesting chap to talk to – wish I’d written some it down……

Sorry, Jon, that doesn’t seem to ring a bell. I know of only one Pole to fly Hurricanes on ops in the Med, and to my knowledge he was not shot down. Anyway, his first name was not Stan and his last name was nothing like “Wilks”. Also, I know of only one Polish fighter pilot who spent any significant time with Italian partisans, but he was a Spitfire guy shot down over France, who went to Italy after he escaped from a PoW camp. His name, too, was nowhere near resembling the name you mentioned.

I’m trying to find out about a guy whose only name I know is his anglicised name – Stan Wilks – so I assume his first name was Stanislaw. Seemed to spend a lot of his time getting shot down in the Med. according to him, liked Hurricanes best and said he spent some time with partisans in Italy after one shoot down. Eventually married an english lass and emigrated to New Zealand. He died about 10 years ago. He was an interesting chap to talk to – wish I’d written some it down……

The only Siwicki I was able to find in the Polish Air Force listings was
LAC Leon Siwicki, 705280, born 20.12.1916, ground crew member with No. 302 Sqn.

The Christian name that you mentioned is spelled Bronislaw (not “Broneslaw”) in Polish.

If you are positive that Bronislaw Siwicki was a pilot, one possibility is that he had served with the army (or the navy) and volunteered for flying training towards the end of the war or shortly after it ended. In that case he would technically remain a soldier (or a sailor) until he completed his service flying training, and his name may have been lost in PAF paperwork as it disbanded in 1946.

I would start with the The Polish Institute and Sikorski Museum, 20 Princes Gate, London SW7 1P

http://www.sikorskimuseum.co.uk/

Clicking on Family Research with take you here:

http://www.pism.co.uk/archive/Family-Research.html

where you will find instructions and addresses to write to.

Looking for Polish Fighter Pilot Broneslaw (Bronisław) Siwicki

Hello,
I am looking for information regarding Pilot Broneslaw (Bronisław) Siwicki. He is a relative by marriage and we are trying to find more information regarding his service. The Polish Squadrons Remembered did not show his name, but not all squadrons had pilot lists. Information regarding where to search further would be appreciated.