Posted on 09/23/2017 11:12:02 AM PDT by DFG
A Polish war veteran is leading a British poll for the greatest Second World War Spitfire pilot by hundreds of thousands of votes. Franciszek Kornicki, 100, the last surviving Second World War Polish squadron commander, leads the online survey by a whopping 300,000 votes following a viral social media campaign by the UK's Polish community. A member of the high-scoring 303 Squadron during World War II, the war hero famously escorted a group of British bombers over northern France, where he led a daring attack on Nazi warplanes.
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One of the greatest US fighter pilots of all time was Gabby Gabreski (born Franciszek Stanisław Gabryszewski). His parents was Polish immigrants. Gabreski was an ace in both WWII and Korea.
There was also a czeck guy who was very daring.
I believe he was in the same Squadron.
He had a special Arrangement where he was permitted to hunt over the English Channel, often alone.
I figure you guys might be interested since nothings up on FR about this....our Generals are using their “language” to speak to Fat Boy....
Earlier today, U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer bombers from Guam, along with U.S. Air Force F-15C Eagle fighter escorts from Okinawa, Japan, flew in international airspace over waters east of North Korea.
This ‘is the farthest north of the Demilitarized Zone’ (DMZ) any U.S. fighter or bomber aircraft have flown off North Koreas coast in the 21st century!.
I guess you could say that’s progress. In the world of warfare. In the animal world where aggression is answered by aggression. Excellent.
Interesting.
These warrior gentlemen are really something else.
I guess that’s sort of the essence of manhood — to be deadly and kind at the same time.
Fox just had N.Koreas speaker at the UN Live....unloading on Trump for turning the UN against them, ( he was sweating bullits too)..... Then with Iran firing their Missile today instead of Fat Boy...there’s a lot of “talking” by means other than voice today....not much if any interest on FR unfortunately...we’ve been a bit slack on getting what’s important up there.
Thank you for responding...agree! Sort of?
Josef Frantiek DFM & Bar (7 October 1914 8 October 1940) was a Czech fighter pilot and World War II flying ace.
I worked with a fellow who was in the Polish contingent of the RAF in WW2. He was a Spitfire pilot and one hell of a nice guy. His family settled in Maine; he was a mechanical engineer.
There is a good show on Netflix called “Foyle’s War”. Set in England during WWII about a cop/detective. Amazing historical cars (the buses are very cool) and has several episodes with restored Spitfires flying. In one episode it has a bunch of Polish fighters coming in. Every so often I would do a google search on something said in the show and often it was a reference to an actual event.
I was a sickly child during WWII and I had a tray with a Spitfire painted on it. It said HM Vickers Spitfire.
I ate from it and used it as a desk. Lots of memories.
I have no idea where my mother got it-—but she had been born in Canada so maybe someone sent it to her.
It was VERY important to me.
.
Gabreski also flew Spits as ‘lodger’ (exchange pilot) with an RAF Polish Squadron (forget which).
The 303rd flew Hurricanes during the Battle of Britain.
One of the greatest, almost untold stories of WWII is the number of German aces who scored over 100 kills.
It is sort of understandable as they were fighting on the wrong side. Despite than, many of those aces were fine men.
Also surprising to many is the Germans were the toughest ones in counting victories. That doesn’t sound right due to the incredible numbers some scored but it is true.
What criteria did the Germans use in counting an aerial victory. The Russians required a second pilot in another aircraft verify the kill and the downed aircraft had to crash in Soviet held territory. Kills over German held territory did not count in Soviet tallies.
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