Franciszek Gruszka

Franciszek "Frank" Gruszka (21 January 1910 - 18 August 1940), Polish soldier, Flying Officer (F/O) of Royal Air Force during the Battle of Britain. He was the first Polish airman flying the Spitfire and the last pilot of the Battle buried at the Polish War Cemetery in Northolt.

He was the second oldest son of a wealthy farmer's family: His father was able to let three of his sons gain higher education: Józef Gruszka (he spent World War II as a Prisoner of war in German camp) was a lawyer, Piotr Gruszka filologist, and Franciszek a pilot.

After graduated from Polish Air Force Academy in Dęblin (8th honorary promotion of 15 August 1934) was commissioned as the aircraft pilotage instructor in 111/6 squadron near Lwów. As a lieutenant, along with his squadron, detached to the "Lodz Army" (pol. "Armia Łódź"), he fought Germans in September 1939, and after 17 September he passed through Romanian and Yugoslavian borders to France. In December 1939, as one of the first Polish fighter pilots, went to Great Britain, where, after the training at Supermarine Spitfire airplanes, and commissioned as Flying Officer (F/O), he was allocated to the 65 "East India" Squadron at RAF Hornchurch.

18 August 1940 he took off along with whole his squadron on his Spitfire no. R6713 to intercept a German bomb formation. He was seen dog fighting over Canterbury a Manston, and next chassing a fleeing German fighter plane. He never returned to the Hornchurch airfield. There was no report about Spitfire no. R6713, that was eventually shot down, so his fellow pilots were convinced that he passed the English Channel and was taken prisoner by the Germans after he was downed over France. According to RAF regulations he was recognized as missing in action.

Not earlier than in Spring of 1975, seekers of World War II souvenirs found the remnants of an airplane and its pilot in the marshes between Preston Village and Stodmarsh, East Sussex. Because of the nature of a swamp, even after 35 years the uniform, airman's emblem, and some other things remained in quite good condition (once in Polish Institute and Sikorski Museum in London). Immediate identification of the body was possible because of a golden fountain pen with an engraved dedication from his fellow pilots.

F/O Franciszek Gruszka was buried with full military honors at the Polish War Memorial on the outskirts of RAF Northolt, London (grave no. H202).

External links

* [http://www.bbm.org.uk/participants.htm Battle of Britain Memorial, London website] - participants
* [http://www.goniec.com/artykul/47_zaginiony.html?print=1 Article in Polish]
* [http://www.the-battle-of-britain.co.uk/pilots/Gr-pilots.htm List of Pilots of the Battle of Britain]
* [http://aces.safarikovi.org/victories/battle_of_britain-poland.html Men of the Battle of Britain]
* [http://www.rafhornchurch.thehumanjourney.net/squadrons.htm 65 "East India" Squadron]