Operation Jubilee Aircrew list

[Steve49]

Please find attached an updated list of RAF Fighter Command/Bomber Command aircrew who took part in Operation Jubilee.

Any updates/corrections to names or subsequent gratefully received.

Regards

Steve

[John Beaman]

Good work Steve!

and thanks

[Mikkel Plannthin]

Steve,
Excellent.

You have noted 1/2 Bf 109 for Kaj Birksted. I have transcribed the combat reports for this and other victories of Kaj Birksted
http://www.danishww2pilots.dk/victories.php?id=3
http://www.danishww2pilots.dk/victories.php?id=4

The combat report suggests that they were both Fw 190.

On the other hand the 331 Sqn ORB suggests as you have noted one Fw 190 and one Bf 109.
http://www.danishww2pilots.dk/sorties.php?id=149

I have to admit, that I have not given this much thought myself before, but one could ask if one source is more reliable than the other.

Regards
Mikkel

[Andy_Ingham]

Hello Steve
You have PO John Burton Shillitoe as a Canadian.
I have him in my records as British.
He was born in Kirk Hammerton, Yorkshire in July 1921.
Regards
Andy

[Steve49]

Andy,

Thanks for that I'll amend my list.

Mikkel,

Good question and probably one that you could never answer. Like you say I've taken my claims from the ORB. During my research I've come across several cases were the aircraft type was changed from an initail report for the entry in the ORB, possibly after looking at camera fotage. What was correct in this case will probably be never known.

Regards

Steve

[VoyTech]

A couple of points regarding the Poles:

S/L Czerwinski - what is the meaning of the letters 'KN'?

S/L Stanislaw Skalski didn't use a middile initial (very few Poles did). Some authors quote him with a middle name beginning with 'F' but that is incorrect.

S/L Zumbach - you added 'KW' for 'Krzyz Walecznych' (Cross of Valour) after his name. This was a fairly common decoration in the Polish Armed Forces and many (perhaps most) Polish pilots in your list should have it (in some cases with up to 3 bars).

F/L Wienczyslaw Baranski - at the time of 'Jubilee' he was not "(Ops Officer No2 Polish Wing- Attached 306 Sqn)". He was A Flight Commander in No. 302 Sqn

F/O Ebenrytter was indeed taken a PoW on 14/10/44, but escaped and rejoined the Polish AF within a month

F/O Jan Jakubowski died 19/4/43, not "16/8/43"

"PO Jerry Malec -(Polish)-(302 Sqn)-????????????????????" is a wrong entry. There was only one Polish fighter pilot by the name of Malec, but he was an NCO, never served with No. 302 Sqn and did not participate in 'Jubilee'

P/O Urbanski's first name was Jerzy, not "Jerry"

F/Sgt Giermer - his victory was claimed with F/Sgt Sztramko, not "Stramko"

F/Sgt Machowiak - he was never commissionned, and thus it's not true that he "Died as F/Lt"

Sgt Chojnacki (303 Sqn): his first name was Wlodzimierz, not "Wladyslaw", and he was not killed during WWII. It was F/Lt Waclaw Chojnacki, a different person, who "Died as a F/Lt with 308 Sqn 1/1/45"

Sgt M. A. Liskutin was either Czech or Slovak, but not Polish.

And a question to our Czech/Slovak colleagues: were there really no Slovak pilots in the Czechoslovak units involved? Or is it just the frequent clerical error of labelling all Czechoslovak personnel as "Czechs"?

[Franek Grabowski]

Originally Posted by VoyTech

S/L Stanislaw Skalski didn't use a middile initial (very few Poles did). Some authors quote him with a middle name beginning with 'F' but that is incorrect.

After checking several of his personal documents, I may add, that the second name does not appear anywhere. Therefore I may exclude the possibility, he had the second name.

[Fairlop]

Sgt M. A. Liskutin was either Czech or Slovak, but not Polish

Miroslav A. Liskutin is still alive and Czech native. Later officer and DFC recipient, after second emigration back to RAF and AFC recipient.

And a question to our Czech/Slovak colleagues: were there really no Slovak pilots in the Czechoslovak units involved? Or is it just the frequent clerical error of labelling all Czechoslovak personnel as "Czechs"?

There were realy only a minor of Slovak pilots / airmen in the Czechoslovak units in RAF. One of best known was young Otto Smik DFC, a most successful Czechoslovak fighter in 1943 & 44. There were political reasons to labelling airmen as Czechoslovakian however the truth was different. A number of Slovak airmen served on Easter front against Soviets including one Staffel in JG 52.

Michal

[Franek Grabowski]

Originally Posted by Fairlop

There were realy only a minor of Slovak pilots / airmen in the Czechoslovak units in RAF. One of best known was young Otto Smik DFC, a most successful Czechoslovak fighter in 1943 & 44. There were political reasons to labelling airmen as Czechoslovakian however the truth was different. A number of Slovak airmen served on Easter front against Soviets including one Staffel in JG 52.

And how about Czechs in Slovak Air Force? I am curious if airmen had to declare their nationality, when being enlisted.

[Steve49]

Franek,

Just back from four days away, thanks for the corrections, I'll amend my list accordingly.

Reference PO Malec; he didn't appear in any Squadron ORB Appendix, but I was assured by another correspondant that he had flown, which is why I had listed him in red as a faint possibility. I'll remove the name.

Regards,

Steve