- Jan Zumbach
Infobox Military Person
name=Jan Zumbach
lived=14 April 1915 –3 January 1986
placeofbirth=Ursynów ,Congress Poland ,Russian Empire
placeofdeath=France
caption=Gen.Władysław Sikorski presenting Order ofVirtuti Militari to Jan Zumbach
allegiance=Poland
serviceyears=1934–1946
rank=Wing Commander
branch=Polish Air Force Royal Air Force
commands=303 Squadron (1942–1943)
battles=World War II
*Battle of Britain
awards=Virtuti Militari
Polish Cross of Valour (4 awards)
Distinguished Flying Cross & BarJan Eugeniusz Ludwig Zumbach (
14 April 1915 ,Ursynów ,Congress Poland ,Russian Empire –3 January 1986 ,France ) was a Polish fighter pilot who became an ace during the Second World War.Biography
Early years
The son of Polish-born
Swiss parents, Jan Zumbach was registered as a Swiss citizen and hid his nationality in order to join the Polish army in 1934. He served as an infantryman until 1936, when he transferred to thePolish Air Force . After graduating from flying training in 1938, he was posted to 111 Eskadra Mysliwska.econd World War
Zumbach did not fly during the German invasion of Poland due to a broken leg which he received in a flying accident during the summer of 1939. He returned to his unit only to be evacuated to
France , viaRumania . While in France he flew the Morane 406 and Curtiss Hawk 75 with GCII/55. In June 1940 he traveled toEngland by boat, and onAugust 2 , he received a posting to become one of the founding members of theNo. 303 Polish Fighter Squadron .During the
Battle of Britain , Zumbach scored eightconfirmed kill s and one probable, mostly againstMesserschmitt Bf 109 fighters. ALuftwaffe pilot flying a Bf 109 shot Zumbach down overDover onMay 9 1941 , when he was returning from a mission, but fortunately he bailed out unharmed.Zumbach became one of the first Allied pilots to experience combat with the German
Focke-Wulf Fw 190 when he damaged, and was damaged by, a "single radial-engined fighter" onOctober 13 , he had returned to 303 Sqn as a flight commander. In May he was promoted toSquadron Leader and took command of the squadron, a post he held fromMay 19 1942 , untilNovember 30 1943 .During this period, Zumbach flew three Spitfire VBs, carrying the serial numbers BM144, EP594 and EN951. All these aircraft carried the same code, RF-D, "RF" being the squadron code for 303 Sqn, and "D" being the individual aircraft code. All three aircraft carried a cartoon of
Donald Duck on the port side of the fuselage, slightly forward of the cockpit. Zumbach's victory tally was marked with German crosses under the cockpit on the port side; confirmed kills were outlined in white, probable kills in red, and damaged aircraft with no outline.After handing over command of 303 Sqn to Sqn Ldr Bieńkowski Zumbach spent a year in staff appointments, including at the Polish Air Force Staff College. He returned to flying duties as the commander of the 2nd Polish Air Wing, No 133 Wing. On
September 25 1944 , he scored his final victory of the war, a probable kill against an Fw 190 overArnhem .On
January 30 1945 , he was posted to a non-flying tour at HQ No. 84 Group. While flying an Auster that was used to visit units under the Group's command, Zumbach made a navigational error and ran out of fuel. He force-landed in enemy territory and spent the final month of the war as aprisoner of war . His final victory tally was 13 confirmed kills, five probables and one damaged.Post-Second World War
Zumbach was demobilised in October 1946 but continued to fly for a living. Under a Swiss passport, he flew
contraband aroundSouthern Europe and theMiddle East .In January 1962 he was contracted to organise and command the key segment of Katanga, commanding it until December 1962 (KAT
Fouga Magister s became operational during July 1961. By October 1961, the Avikat was reinforced with five West German Dornier Do.28As. He went on to deal in second-hand aircraft before again becoming amercenary as he organised and commanded the air force ofBiafra , flying theB-26 Invader , using the " nom de guerre" of John Brown.In 1975, he published his
autobiography , originally available in French under the title "Mister Brown: Aventures dans le ciel", it was subsequently published in German and English under the title "On Wings of War: My Life as a Pilot Adventurer".He died
3 January 1986 , inFrance and was buried atPowązki Cemetery inWarsaw , Poland.Decorations
For his endeavours Jan Zumbach was decorated with the Silver Cross of the
Virtuti Militari ; the Polish Cross of Valour (with 3 bars); and the Distinguished Flying Cross (with bar). Note that Virtuti Militari Crosses are the most prestigious Polish military awards.References
* Olson, Lynne and Stanley Cloud. "A Question of Honor: the Kościuszko Squadron in World War II". New York: Random House, 2003. ISBN 0-375-41197-6.
* Zumbach, Jan. "Ostatnia Walka (The Final Battle)". Warsaw: Echo, 2000. ISBN 83-87162-00-0.
* Zumbach, Jean (sic). "On Wings of War: My Life as a Pilot Adventurer". London: Corgi, 1977. ISBN 0-552-10521-X.External links
* [http://math.fce.vutbr.cz/safarik/ACES/aces2/pol/pol/zumbach.html Zumbach on Polish Aces site]
*Battle of Britain Memorial Flight 2007 Official Program. See [http://www.bbmf.co.uk BBMF official webpage] .Persondata
NAME= Zumbach, Jan
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Polish fighter pilot who became an ace while flying with the BritishRoyal Air Force during the Second World War.
DATE OF BIRTH=14 April 1915
PLACE OF BIRTH=Ursynów ,Congress Poland ,Russian Empire
DATE OF DEATH=3 January 1986
PLACE OF DEATH=France
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