Ludwik Witold Paszkiewicz
| Ludwik Paszkiewicz DFC | |
|---|---|
| Born |
21 October 1907 Wola Gałęzowska Russian Empire (present-day Poland) |
| Died |
27 September 1940 (aged 32) Borough Green |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom |
| Service/branch |
 Royal Air Force |
| Years of service | 1931–1940 |
| Rank | flying officer |
| Unit |
Polish 112th Fighter Escadrille No. 303 Polish Fighter Squadron |
| Commands held | Polish 112th Fighter Escadrille |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Virtuti Militari; Cross of Valour; Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom) |
Ludwik Paszkiewicz DFC (21 October 1907 – 27 September 1940) was a Polish fighter ace of the Polish Air Force in World War II with 6 confirmed kills.[1]
Biography
Ludwik Paszkiewicz was born in 1907, the son of Ludwik and Janina. He studied at the Warsaw University of Technology then at the Lviv Polytechnic. In 1931 after his graduation he began military service. After completing Cadet Reserve course in Mołodeczno, Paszkiewicz entered the Polish Air Force Academy.[2] On 4 August 1934 he became second lieutenant (podporucznik). Then he was assigned to the Polish 112th Fighter Escadrille. In 1937 he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant (porucznik), in the same year he married Maria Piwnicka, one later their daughter was born.[3]
In 1939 he became commander of his unit, in August he went to France with a military mission in order to buy aircraft, where the outbreak of the World War II found him. On 18 May 1940 Paszkiewicz became commander of the new formed section of the Groupe de Chasse II/8. In the Battle of Britain the section realized 33 flights but never met enemies.
On 21 June 1940 Paskiewicz arrived in the UK. On 2 August he was posted to the No. 303 Polish Fighter Squadron. On 30 August 1940 during a training flight he disobeyed orders and shot down a Me 110. He was officially reprimanded and unofficially congratulated by his superior officer. After S/L Kellet's personal recommendation, the squadron was declared operational next day by No. 11 Group RAF. His victory was portrayed in the movie Battle of Britain.
On 6 September he became the commander of Flight B, when Wacław Łapkowski, the previous commander was wounded. The next day Paszkiewicz scored two Do 17. On 11 September he shot down another Bf 110 and on 15 September he became an ace shooting down a Bf 109.
On 26 September, during the visit of King George VI, No. 303 Squadron was scrambled towards a large enemy raid over Hampshire, Paszkiewicz claimed a He 111.
On 27 September Paszkiewicz was hit by a Bf 109 and died in a crash-landing in Borough Green.
His only daughter died of diphtheria in 1941. His widow took part in Warsaw Uprising, in 1960 she entered the convent of the Immaculate Conception in Szymanów, where she was named Augustyna. She died in 1995.
Aerial victory credits
- Bf 110 – 30 August 1940 (during a training flight; Bf 110 flown by Oberfw. Georg Anthony, gunner Uffz. Heinrich Nordmeyer jumped with a parachute[4])
- 2 Do 17 – 7 September 1940
- Bf 110 - 11 September 1940
- Bf 109 - 15 September 1940
- He 111 – 26 September 1940
Awards
Virtuti Militari, Silver Cross
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Cross of Valour (Poland), two times
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
References
- ↑ "Lista Bajana". polishairforce.pl. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
- ↑ "Myśliwcy - polskie lotnictwo myśliwskie w II Wojnie Światowej". mysliwcy.pl. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
- ↑ "Aeroplane.". worldcat.org. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
- ↑ Paszkiewicz, aircrewremembrancesociety.com
Further reading
- King, Richard (2010). Red Kite, ed. 303 (Polish) squadron: Battle of Britain diary. Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, England. ISBN 978-1-906592-03-5.
- Olson, Lynne; Cloud, Stanley (2003). Knopf, ed. A question of honor: the Kościuszko Squadron: forgotten heroes of World War II. New York. ISBN 0-375-41197-6.
- Król, Wacław (1980). Ministerstwo Obrony Narodowej, ed. Myśliwcy. Warsaw. pp. 91–120. ISBN 83-11-06396-6.