Wacław Król
Wacław Król | |
|---|---|
Distinguished Flying Cross (UK) |
Wacław Król (1915–1991) was a Polish military pilot and an
wing commander. He also became one of the Polish fighter aces of the war (ranked 15th on Bajan's list). After the war he became a successful historian and author of numerous books.[1]
Life
Wacław Król graduated from the
Polish 121st Fighter Escadrille, he scored his first aerial victory on the very first day of World War II (a Henschel Hs 126, shared with Corporal Paweł Kowala). During the Nazi and Soviet invasion of Poland, he downed one additional Heinkel He 111 bomber. After September 17 he escaped with his unit to Romania. Interned there, he managed to escape and reach France, where he re-joined the Polish Air Forces. Temporarily attached to the French Groupe de Chasse II/7, he took part in the Battle of France. During the German invasion of that country he shot down two enemy bombers (Heinkel He 111 and Dornier Do 17
) and a probable kill of another Do 17.
Evacuated to North Africa and then to Great Britain, he joined the Polish units stationed there and took part in the
Macchi C.202
.
Upon his return to Europe in October 1943 he rejoined the 302 Polish Fighter Sqn as its commanding officer, eventually rising to the rank of CO of the entire
No. 1 Polish Wing
(July 1945). Altogether during the war Wacław Król flew 286 missions, is credited with 8.5 or 9 confirmed shootdowns of enemy planes with 3 additional probable kills.
After the war he returned to communist-controlled Poland and took a series of menial jobs. After the end of Stalinism he was allowed to join the Polish Army and eventually rose to the rank of Colonel. Retired, he became a successful author of over 30 books documenting the history of Polish World War II air units.[2]
References
- ^ "Wacław Król". Retrieved 6 April 2020.
- ^ "Wacław Król". Retrieved 6 April 2020.
Bibliography
- Tadeusz Jerzy Krzystek, Anna Krzystek: Polskie Siły Powietrzne w Wielkiej Brytanii w latach 1940-1947 łącznie z Pomocniczą Lotniczą Służbą Kobiet (PLSK-WAAF). Sandomierz: Stratus, 2012, s. 313. ISBN 9788361421597
- Jerzy Pawlak: Absolwenci Szkoły Orląt: 1925-1939. Warszawa: Retro-Art, 2009, s. 168. ISBN 8387992224
- Piotr Sikora: Asy polskiego lotnictwa. Warszawa: Oficyna Wydawnicza Alma-Press. 2014, s. 242–249. ISBN 9788370205607
- Gretzyngier, Robert; Matusiak, Wojtek; Zieliński, Józef (2012). Asy lotnictwa polskiego (in Polish). Warszawa: Dom Wydawniczy "Bellona". OCLC 828978115.
- Józef Zieliński: Lotnicy polscy w Bitwie o Wielką Brytanię. Warszawa: Oficyna Wydawnicza MH, 2005, s. 101–102. ISBN 8390662043
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