A Special Duty Read Online Free PDF

Sobkowiak, Maria Klichowska, Bolesław Kierczyński, Bernard Drozd, Witold Wiktor Łaszczyński and Michalina Gorczycowa, who were all beheaded on 15 December 1942. The two young offenders: Klara Dolniak and Zbigniew Klichowski were sent to a concentration camp.
    I bow my head in respect of the brave pilots and crews of 334 Special Duty Wing, whilst recognizing that the names of Polish underground and people who just helped them, will never be fully known and cannot be thanked.
    Stanisław Maria Jankowski
Note
    1 ELAS (the Greek People’s Liberation Army)

APPENDIX 1
    Transcript of message sent 21 st June 1944 from British Military Mission Moscow to Mediterranean Allied Air Force Headquarters
    To:        H.Q.
    M.A.A.F.
    From:    30 Mission
    AIR.531
    21 June 1944
    Further my following report Flight Engineer Halifax JP 224. Begins
    “At approx. 23.30 B on 23 April whilst on an operational flight and descending from 13,000 feet over the CARPATHIAN MOUNTAINS the oil temperature on the P.I. engine began to rise quickly and the pressure dropped 10 lbs. When the temperature reached 80 degrees the captain feathered the engine. Six minutes later the captain reported the S.I. engine had suddenly cut, just after having changed fuel tanks from 2 & 4 to 1 & 3. The fuel warning light did not show. I immediately changed back to tank No. 2 and efforts were made to re-start the P.I. engine but it refused the start. There was no warning that the engine was about to stop, such as spluttering, swing or fluctuating boost, but it cut dead. My gauges for this engine also gave no indication of an impending stoppage. There were still 1500 gallons of fuel left which could not be jettisoned and the aircraft would not keep height on 2 engines.
    (Sgd) J. Keen, Sgt Flight Engineer”.
    Letter signed by Flight Lieutenant ….Win………..(unreadable)
    Author’s Note:
    The accounts of that final flight vary from one crewmember to another and the issue of which engines failed is the most significant. Tom Storey, during debriefing, stated that the port inner engine overheated and was shut down and then the port outer engine stopped dead. Charlie Keen, in his own debrief, stated that the second engine to cut was the starboard inner. Some of the crew also stated that a third engine began to fail. Because of these discrepancies, I have stuck to the account given by the pilot, Tom Storey, who would have been acutely aware of an engine failure because of the handling properties that it imposed on him. A 100% accurate account is probably not possible now.

APPENDIX 2
    Letter written by Tom Storey to Alojzego Pajaka 1945
    Dear Alojzy,
    I got your address from the Polish Red Cross. I am sorry to hear that after I left Poland you were taken into captivity. Still, you should consider yourself lucky that you survived, as you know they used to hang partisans. I obviously just got out with my life as the Germans shot at the Russian plane.
    Remember Urech (or George as we used to call him) singing ‘Moja Malgorzato’ and how much he was longing for his wife at that time. I often sing the partisan songs which you guys taught me. I have not forgotten any of them. After I got back, I didn’t rejoin the war against the enemy. As you know, I was fighting for a long time and because of my experience I got a job as a test pilot.
    I have met Mr. Mycholichnik (sorry I can’t write his name properly) your Prime Minister of the Polish Government in London – I know he is in Poland now.
    Three members of my crew, who were captured by Germans, fortunately made it back here. They were treated very badly by the Germans. A lot of my friends from the Squadron were killed delivering supplies to Warsaw. We did everything possible for your country but unfortunately the obstacles were too great. Whatever you think of politicians, positive or negative, remember one thing Ali, those English boys gave their lives to help their friends. We are also very grateful to you and