| NDGraham |
02-05-2011 12:47 AM |
Thanks for this roll call of Polish BoB fighter pilots, Alpha.
I knew Zbigniew "Zbyshek" Kustrzynski. He never let on how he was the second highest scoring ace for Poles in the Battle of Britain at 14 registered kills until we were young adults and saw the book "Fly for your Life!" and began to pester him with questions for the rest of his life. He showed us his certified RAF log book and winked telling us the book keepers had missed a couple of his victories. . . He died peacefully at the age of 85. Five surviving Polish BoB pilots lined up in blue blazers with Polish RAF crests at his casket and saluted. He had been one of their senior pilots to survive the Battle of Britain. It was a most moving moment and a most fitting tribute to this great man. He had come to Montreal, Canada, via Cornwall, Ontario after the war with his new bride, Zosia, and was an executive with Dominion Textile until his retirement. He drove a powerful Pontiac Firebird in the mid 60s. He stayed in touch with Robert Sanford Tuck after the war. You can read all about their escape from Stalag Luft 3 in the book mentioned above. They were true heroes. He was the recipient of the Distiguished Flying Cross and the Polish equivalent. His remains were taken to Poland by his son, Mark, and he was buried there with full military honours in 1998.
|
