Lech Stanisław Laszkiewicz
Laszkiewicz as a RAF Flight lieutenant
Born(1921-05-23)May 23, 1921
Poznań, Poland
DiedJanuary 29, 2021(2021-01-29) (aged 99)
Crawley, United Kingdom
Allegiance Poland (1939-1945)
 United Kingdom (1940-1958)
Service/branchRoyal Air Force
RankFlight Lieutenant
UnitNo. 306 Polish Fighter Squadron
Battles/warsPolish Defensive War, World War II
AwardsAir Crew Europe Star, The War Medal 1939–1945, France and Germany Star, The Polish Air Force Active Service Medal
Spouse(s)Elizabeth Laszkiewicz
Other workCivilian pilot
Engineer

Lech Stanisław Laszkiewicz (May 23, 1921 – January 29, 2021) was a polish fighter pilot during World War II, flying as a Flight Lieutenant of No. 306 Polish Fighter Squadron in the RAF in a number of key battles until surviving being shot down[1] during the air campaign for the Normandy Landings, on 7 June 1944 in his P-51 Mustang no. III FB139 I-R.[2][3]

Early life

Lech attended Air Cadets, until the invasion of Poland in 1939, where he was enrolled in the Polish Air Force, at the age of 17.[1]

World War II

During the September Campaign Lech was an Air Cadet and was automatically put into the Polish Airforce as a telephone exchanger. After the Soviet invasion of Poland he crossed the border with Hungary, where he was held. He escaped to France via Yugoslavia and Italy, in November 1939 he arrived in Paris.[1]

He took a boat from St-Jean-de-Luz to Liverpool, and in June 1940 began training at RAF Kirkham in Blackpool, then subsequently Officers school, where he flew in No. 306 Polish Fighter Squadron (No. 133 Wing RAF, No. 84 Group RAF, 2nd Tactical Air Force).[1][2]

Lech sat in the cockpit of a mustang
Lech sat in the cockpit of a mustang

He flew in both Spitfire and P-51 Mustang, where he was based in Scotland and London, where the squadron claimed 68 confirmed kills, 16 possible kills, 26 damaged and downed 59 enemy V1 flying bombs.[4]

He went on to fly Spitfires and then ground attack Mustangs where they were deployed to attack V1 launch sites. When based in Coolham, he was volunteered to take a Mustang III (with a modified oxygen mask to allow the integration of an American microphone to adapt to its British radio system) as high as it would go to test its oxygen deliverance system worked. Lech was able to bring the aircraft to a possible world record of a reported 43,200 feet, before testing its guns. The modification was deemed a success, and so Coolham was ready for operations.[2] He was brought down in France a day after D-Day when he picked up damage to the oil system of his aircraft following the unsafe release of a bomb by a fellow pilot from his squadron, and spent the end of the war in Stalug Luft 1.[5][6]

Civilian life

Lech as a civilian pilot

Lech spent the first half of his civilian life as a pilot for British Caledonian, retiring as a Captain in 1981, where he lived in West Sussex.[2][7]

Later life

Lech was an avid model airplane hobbyist, having an sizeable collection of both planes and helicopters, along with owning a long range radio mast in his garden.[8] He later died of natural causes in his home in Crawley, Sussex.[2][9]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Laszkiewicz, Lech Stanisław (Oral history)". Imperial War Museums. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Hamlin, P; Davies, A (1996). Coolham Airfield Remembered - Memories and anecdotes of a Sussex D-Day Fighter Station and village. Woolnough Bookbinding Ltd. pp. 36–39. ISBN 0-9527968-0-5.
  3. ↑ "No. 306 Squadron RAF : 300-399. Squadron RAF". Armedconflicts.com. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  4. ↑ fhlpen admin. "Laszkiewicz Lech Stanisław - Krzystek's List - Polish Air Force in Great Britain 1940-1947". Krzystek's List - Polish Air Force in Great Britain 1940-1947. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  5. ↑ "Lech Laszkiewicz, G3KAU, 29 January 2021 - Radio Society of Great Britain - Main Site : Radio Society of Great Britain – Main Site". rsgb.org. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  6. ↑ Hamlin,P and Davies,A (1996) "Coolham Airfield Remembered - Memories and anecdotes of a Sussex D-Day Fighter Station and village" Page 36-39. Woolnough Bookbinding Ltd ISBN 0-9527968-0-5
  7. ↑ "Lech Laszkiewicz". british-caledonian.com. Archived from the original on 17 Aug 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  8. ↑ https://rsgb.org/main/blog/news/silent-keys/2021/02/26/lech-laszkiewicz-g3kau/
  9. ↑ "Lech S Laszkiewicz - Crawley RH11 - full address - 192.com". 192.com. Retrieved 29 October 2023.

Further reading

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