Stanislaw Skalski leader of the famous Polish Fighting Team known as “Skalski’s Circus”, died yesterday.
The unit was sent to Africa in March 1943, and assigned to No. 244 Wing led by Wg Cdr Ian Gleed. The PFT included other famous Poles such as Eugeniusz “Horby” Horbaczewski. In 40 days the PFT scored a total of 25 enemy a/c shot down, 3 probables, and 9 damaged.
Here’s a good biography http://www.elknet.pl/acestory/skalski/skalski.htm
Rest in peace.
By: Snapper - 13th November 2004 at 23:49
Remembrance Sunday becomes more full each year. Stanislaw Skalski joins Janusz Zurakowski in the list of those who leave a memory to be honoured.
If you are able
Save for them a place inside of you
And save one backward glance
When you are leaving
For the places they can
No longer go
Be not ashamed to say
You loved them,
Though you may or may not have always.
Take what they have left
And taught you
With their dying;
And keep it with your own.
And in time when you decide
And feel safe to call the war insane,
Take one moment to embrace
Those gentle heroes
You left behind…
Major Michael O’Donnell
1st January 1970
Dak To, Vietnam
By: Mark12 - 13th November 2004 at 23:26
I met him once, at a function in Czechoslovakia.
I asked him something that had always puzzled me – why did he paint his name on the front of his flying helmet.
He told me that when all the pilot’s flying gear was lined up on hooks it all looked the same. When there was he scramble, he did not want to loose one vital second getting airborne to fight the enemy.
One of the truly great fighter pilots of WWII.
RIP.
Mark
By: EN830 - 13th November 2004 at 23:11
And Great Gone, sad news indeed.
Skalski was the most succesful Polish ace, finishing the war with 21 or more kills. 6 of these he scored with the Polish Air Force. His total with the RAF was 15 plus 3 unconfimed. After he returned home after the war, he was thrown in jail for 8 years by the communists, though he later served in the air force there, retiring as a general.
Sign In
November 13, 2004 at 10:21 pm