Polish pilot: P/O Wladyslaw Drecki

[Ferreira]

Hi!

How many air victories P/O Wladyslaw Drecki had?

The Spitfire Vb, that he flow in the RAF No. 145 Sqd (ZX*A), in North Africa, used the Vokes filter?

When and how he died?

Franklin

* from Brazil

[Kari Lumppio]

Polish Fighting Team homepage:
http://www.geocities.com/skrzydla2/PFT/

Low down there is "Pilots", "Planes" etc.
PFT flew Spit Vs only for a week or so? No Vokes filter in their Spit IXCs.

The main page "Polish Squadrons remembered" at:
http://www.geocities.com/skrzydla/
There may be something about Drecki's death on the other unit histories.

HTH
Kari

[Andy Fletcher]

Hi Franklin,

He claimed 4 destroyed and 1 damaged.

He was killed 13-Sep-43. On takeoff his a/c (Spitfire Vc (ES112; UM-U)) burst a tyre and swerved off the runway hitting another Spitfire. He died in the insuing explosion.

At the time of his death he was 'B' Flt Cdr 152 Sqn.

Source - Those Other Eagles (Chris Shores)

Regards

Andy Fletcher

[Ferreira]

Hi, Andy e Kari,

Thank's for the valuable information!

The PFT did not use Spit's Vb? They look at this: http://www.meteorprod.com/cgi-bin/me...17_26.dat+6.99+

SPITFIRE VB ZF-H, 308 Sq RAF (Polish) flown by Sgt. Tadeusz Schiele - October 1941 ZX-A 145 Sq RAF, often flown by F/O M. Drecki - North Africa, July 1943 WX-T, 302 Sq RAF (Polish) - February 1943

I also found this: http://avstop.com/History/AroundTheW...nd/index2.html

"Polish Fighting Team was formed on February 5, 1943 in the Polish fighter base at Northolt, and after crossing the Mediterranean by ship and some further travel, arrived at Bu Gara airfield, 150 miles west of Tripoli, on March 13. The pilots were attached to No. 145 RAF Squadron as the 'C' flight, and equipped with six Spitfires Mk. V. The Team achieved operational readiness on March 17, but it wasn't till March 28 that Polish pilots for the first time engaged enemy planes over African soil. By then the Team had been re-equipped with the latest British fighters of the time, Spitfires Mk. IX."

Thank's again!

[Franek Grabowski]

Originally Posted by Ferreira

The PFT did not use Spit's Vb?

Please read carefully, they flew Mk Vs for a very short period, both B and C.

They look at this: http://www.meteorprod.com/cgi-bin/me...17_26.dat+6.99+

SPITFIRE VB ZF-H, 308 Sq RAF (Polish) flown by Sgt. Tadeusz Schiele - October 1941 ZX-A 145 Sq RAF, often flown by F/O M. Drecki - North Africa, July 1943 WX-T, 302 Sq RAF (Polish) - February 1943

Using decals as a reference seems pretty stupid. Anyway, ZX-A was an aircraft of 145 Sqn and not PFT, the latter using cyphers, not characters. She was flown three times by Drecki and it looks she had full span wings and Aboukir filter.

I also found this: http://avstop.com/History/AroundTheW...nd/index2.html

"Polish Fighting Team was formed on February 5, 1943 in the Polish fighter base at Northolt, and after crossing the Mediterranean by ship and some further travel, arrived at Bu Gara airfield, 150 miles west of Tripoli, on March 13. The pilots were attached to No. 145 RAF Squadron as the 'C' flight, and equipped with six Spitfires Mk. V. The Team achieved operational readiness on March 17, but it wasn't till March 28 that Polish pilots for the first time engaged enemy planes over African soil. By then the Team had been re-equipped with the latest British fighters of the time, Spitfires Mk. IX."

I would not use internet sources as a reference either. First engagement was a little bit earlier than 28 March, when the first kills were scored.

[Ferreira]

Originally Posted by Franek Grabowski

Using decals as a reference seems pretty stupid. Anyway, ZX-A was an aircraft of 145 Sqn and not PFT, the latter using cyphers, not characters. She was flown three times by Drecki and it looks she had full span wings and Aboukir filter.

I agree! I not know who pilots had served in the PTF had flown Spits V few times in North Africa. For this I put the question here.