1942 Jan 25 Rodeo
(uneventful) over Le Touquet. Mar 17 During training flight a tragic accident occurred. F/Sgt Krieger (BM140 PK-H), KAS was flying with two fresh pilots: P/O Semmerling and Sgt Jankowski. Right after the takeoff, while making low left turn around the airfield, three other low flying Spitfires (from British squadron stationed in Heston) converged with 315's flight. A/c piloted by F/O Lloyd collided with F/Sgt Krieger's. Both pilots died instantly. The other four avoided collision by mere inches. Mar 27 Ramrod 18 over Ostende. Combat report. See photos Apr 1 Squadron moved to Woodvale (9 Group), Lancashire, to rest from the operational flying. Its main duty was to patrol over the coastal convoys and the area around Liverpool. See photos. May 3 From a section in readiness, on the signal to scramble, only F/O Stembrowicz took off and was guided by ops toward the marauding e/a. Pole found and engaged Ju-88, which he damaged, before his guns jammed. Junkers reached France on one engine and German radio portrayed its crew as heroes. May 6 Squadron's new commander: S/Ldr Wiorkiewicz Jul 16 While a/c-testing, Sgt Nawrocki crashed (bad weather) his Spitfire VB (W3628, PK-W) 10 miles S of Lancaster. Pilot survived the crash. Wounded, he left a totally smashed cockpit and managed to start a fire. He was found dead, KAS two days later, about 900 meters from a crash site in a direction of a small village. Read more in the article by LAIT. Aug 3 Ten operational sorties were flown in fruitless patrols around Manchester and Blackwell. Some German aircraft were reported but throughout the day visibility was very poor with intermittent rain, and pilots have problems in heavy clouds. In the unit's ORB a clerk wrote"... the boys were chasing around like like in the long grass..." ORB. Aug 14 First official Squadron
Day. Observances of an anniversary of the big victory from a year before were
held; a blending of military and religious. Aug 15 P/O Fiedorczuk (BL751), KAS killed in a low-flying accident. Aug 23 From Valley two a/c section was scrambled to intercept marauding Ju88. (For some time the 315 detached a section to man this airstrip at Anglesey Island, where its duty was to patrol over Irish coasts). F/O Sawiak (BL959, PK-T) took off alone. 'Black 2", Sgt Lisowski damaged his Spitfire during take off and proceeded few minutes later on another a/c. Sawiak was guided by the controller toward a bandit. He damaged the e/a, which landed in Ireland with wounded crew members. Polish a/c was shot-up as well. Wounded, after landing near Dublin, F/O Sawiak (KIA) died in a hospital. Sep 5 Squadron moved back to Northolt (11 Group), Middlesex, and became part of the First Polish Fighter Wing; squadrons: 302, 306, 308 and 315, which flew mostly Circus, Rodeo and Ramrod. Occasionally, single sections flew air sea rescue. See photo. Sep 8 Circus 222; 6 Bostons escorted over Le Havre. Pilots of 315 Squadron took part in a small skirmish with Fw-190s. There were no definitive results. F/Lt Kornicki's Spitfire had few holes in fuselage and a tank. Sep 25 New commander: S/Ldr Sawicz. Although this was significant change in the life of the squadron, its ORB does not mention this change. ORB. Oct 7 Sweep (Three Wings) over Dunkirk/Gent/Oostende. Objective was to goad the Luftwaffe fighters into the air, just before over one hundred B-17s would bomb Lille. There were several fights with e/a, but 315 participated in none of them. Nov 28 Squadron received new a/c: Spitfire F.IXC. They were ferried from Tangmere by the pilots themselves. See photo. Dec 31 Sweep (together with 306 Squadron) over Le Treport/Abbeville/Dunkirk. 306 clashed with several FW190s and in this fight, F/O Pietrzak (later in 315th) shot down 500th e/a for PAF in Britain.
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