Escort Pilot by Philip Kaplan

Author:Philip Kaplan
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing
Published: 2017-03-30T04:00:00+00:00

FOREIGN FIGHTERS

Pilots of many nations fought with the RAF and the Americans against the German Air Force in the Second World War. The pilot of this Spitfire comes from New Zealand.

Such indomitable courage and determination cannot go unrewarded, and when this war is won we must see that Poland is again restored to her former liberty and freedom, which her sons fought so valiantly to maintain.

—Flight Lieutenant D. M. Crook

“THEY KNEW WHY THEY WERE HERE,” remarked a senior RAF officer of foreign fighter pilots in the World War II Royal Air Force. His comment was a tribute to the exceptional determination of those non-British airmen who formed an important element of Fighter Command. Airmen from at least thirteen nations took part in the Battle of Britain and this tally increased as the war progressed. Czechs, Poles, Belgians, Dutch, Free French, Norwegians, and at least one Icelander took part, in addition to other English-speaking nationalities including Canadians, Americans, South Africans, Australians, and New Zealanders. But it was mainly the non-English speaking nationals of whom it was said that “they knew why they were here.” Almost without exception they had escaped Nazi occupation, had left behind families and loved ones, had endured dreadful hardships in their efforts to reach England … and none knew if or when they would be going home. Half a century later Kazimierz Budzik still had the keen eyes and quick reflexes of a fighter pilot. It was easy to imagine him in the role.

Commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Polish Air Force the day war broke out, Budzik had a depressingly short career as a fighter pilot in his native country before fleeing the Nazis to continue the fight from France. There he flew Potez and Dewoitine fighters from Pol air base near the Pyrenees until France fell. The French helped to get him and other Poles to Casablanca via ferry and then to Gibraltar, from where he was finally able to sail for England by convoy.

At Liverpool, Budzik was sent for training and posted to No 308 (Polish) Squadron, flying Spitfires. He joined an air force that was just going on the offensive, a course perfectly suited to his temperament. Born in Lekawica, a district of Kraków, it was appropriate that Budzik should have been posted to 308, the City of Kraków Squadron. It was based at Northolt near London and was primarily engaged in bomber-escort missions and offensive sweeps over France.

Modest to a fault, Budzik dismisses any suggestion of heroism. “Heroes? I don’t know what they are. There were brave deeds done, of course. Mostly, though, heroes were born out of spur-of-the-moment actions. Most of the time I was concerned with self-preservation, like everyone else.” But his logbook tells its own story. Two operational tours of duty … tally upon tally of ops flown … dogfights … night-fighter patrols … strafing attacks … dive-bombing missions … bomber-escort missions … being shot down twice … and a score of kills or probables to which this exceptional man reluctantly admits.

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