Destination England -
1at Air Force Unit
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3. 1st Air Force Unit 11th Bomber Squadron
I was posted to the 1st Air Force Unit 11th Bomber Squadron which was
located at Okecie just on the outskirts of Warsaw. In this
squadron I was working as an electro and radio mechanic and was
responsible for nine twin engined bombers. During the first
winter, aside from hangar duties, I was given 26 young men into my
care, all of them from Warsaw. My task was to convert them from
civilians into to good and obedient soldiers, which was a rather
difficult task since, coming from Warsaw, they were convinced they
already knew everything! After basic military schooling, they
were sent on specialist courses, but the rest of their free time was
spent under my supervision.
Not long afterwards I was promoted to the rank of corporal and became
the acting welfare officer for two squadrons, (the 11th and 12th -about
100 men) and my main task was to look after their entertainment.
Quite often, mostly on Saturday afternoons, we marched to Warsaw to
visit cinemas, theaters or circuses. I had to make the
arrangements beforehand, seeing the appropriate managers and obtaining
free entry tickets. Like I said, most of my men were
'Warsowians', and since we had a few hours to spare after each
performance, I let those whose homes were nearby go and see their
families. I set them one condition, and that was that they were
to report back at a specified hour and at a prearranged place so we
could return to base together before midnight.
As often happens, we had a 'black sheep in our family', who ignored
this condition, and so we returned back to our unit without him
(he arrived four hours later). In order to save my neck I had to
report him, especially after he was seen climbing across the airport
fence, for which he earned 5 days in the 'cooler' on only bread and
water. He resented this for a long time.
In March 1939, squadron commanders were asking technical personnel to
submit projects which would enable pilots to release bombs whilst
diving. I came up with an idea which was accepted and I was asked
to put it into use both on the ground and in the air. I had to
fly and set up the bombing apparatus while the pilot did the dive,
where he pressed a switch on the steering stick to release the
bombs. In doing this I was the first person in Poland who flew in
a dive-bomber!
My second flight in a dive bomber happened at the time Reichsmarshal
Goering landed (not for the first time) at our aerodrome on the way to
Bialowieza where he went to shoot bison and another game. Of
course each time he visited, our authorities were trying to impress him
by showing off and the dive bombing was one of the displays.
However, while the pilot was trying to do his best to impress, he
nearly forgot to pull the aircraft out of the dive. It might have
amused the Reichsmarshal, but did not amuse me! Anyway I am still
here! One month later, I submitted a booklet to my Squadron
Leader,
which contained 10,000 completed calculations which could help
navigation in those days. However, thanks to a friend, I found
out three months later that the booklet was still in the Wing
Commander's office and so with his help, I took it back. A few
year's previous, this Wing Commander had made a South Atlantic crossing
in a single aircraft between Africa and South America. This was a
big achievement at the time, but by doing that he didn't like anybody,
especially not airmen of lower rank, meddling in navigation.
Later on I tried to get posted to a unit (at the same aerodrome) where
they were experimenting with new prototypes and modern
inventions. However, once you are useful to squadron they won't
let you go. Still that didn't deter me. I decided to go and
see the Chief of the Polish Air Force himself, not to the Ministry of
War Office. I could have been arrested for going over the heads
of my superiors, so I went to his private home. After a minute's
conversation with his wife, she went to ask her husband if he would see
me. One minute later I was invited in, and I stood there before
all of his 6 feet in height. While I was shaking his hand, my
knees were shaking slightly too.
He remembered me from my last school since it was he who gave me the
prize and visited the exhibition of our Technical Circle's achievements
which I had organised a few years before. I spent about an hour
with him, discussing many possible technical improvements which could
be made, providing the right place and help was given. Among
others, I submitted plans of my version of the turbo propelled jet
engine in which he became very interested. He promised to help me
if it was in his power.
However, four weeks later, general mobilization was declared in Poland
and the whole bomber group from Okecie airfield, my squadron
included, were moved to a newly built aerodrome at Terespol near the
town called Brzesc Litewski. Thanks to our 'friends and allies'
during the war, this town today belongs to Russia. (At the time
of writing to `Belorussia').
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© Nick Bailey & Krys Bailey (nee Stendera) & Jozef Stendera
2013-2020