Antoni Glowacki
Encyclopedia
Antoni Glowacki DFC
, DFM
, was a Polish Second World War fighter pilot flying with Polish Squadrons attached to the RAF, who is notable for shooting down five German aircraft on 24 August 1940 during the Battle of Britain
, becoming one of only two pilots who gained "Ace-in-a-day" status during that battle, the other being New Zealand
er Brian Carbury
.
, attending a local primary school and graduating from the Radio Engineering School. He attended the Wawelberg and Rotwand Advanced Constructing and Electronics School, a technical school and between 1928 and 1930 he was the head of the laboratory in the Philips
plants in Poland.
After enrolling in basic military training, Glowacki entered air training at Lublinek airfield near Lodz. After 1935, he became an officer serving in 1 Air Wing in Warsaw. In 1938 Glowacki completed a specialist course at the Air Force Training Centre No.1 in Deblin
, and was retained there as a flying instructor, as the Polish Air Force was in great need of new recruits. He joined other instructors such as Jan Zumbach
and Janusz Żurakowski
.
was imminent, and was ordered to join the first 100 pilots selected to train as a bomber pilot in England. On arrival in England on 28 January 1940, they were transferred by the RAF to fighter squadrons which were rapidly being deployed in anticipation of an attack on Britain in 1940.
After initial training at 6 OTU in Sutton Bridge, he was posted to No. 501 RAF "County of Gloucester" Fighter Squadron
on 5 August 1940 as a sergeant pilot flying Hawker Hurricane
s.
dive-bombers. His first combat sorties in Hurricane I, SD-A (VZ124) resulted in a Ju 87 and later in the same day, a Dornier 215 destroyed. His squadron was deployed four times throughout the day, intercepting raiders over Dover.
Unlike other RAF pilots, Glowacki preferred to fly one aircraft exclusively, SD-A (VZ124), which he considered his "lucky Hurricane." During three sorties on 24 August 1940, flying SD-A, Glowacki shot down three Bf 109s and two Junkers Ju 88
bombers over Ramsgate, to become the first "One-day Ace" of the Battle of Britain.
On 28 August 1940 Glowacki shot down another Bf 109 when flying SD-O (VZ234). On 31 August 1940, during an attack on group of Dornier Do 17
bombers, he claimed a bomber that dived out of the formation (although the claim was later reverted to a probable), but he was shot down over Gravesend
and was injured when his Hurricane SD-P (P3208) crashed and was burnt out. After returning from hospital, he was again rotated into regular duty, but had a difficult time regaining his scoring touch. Glowacki was promoted to Pilot Officer and on 10 February 1941 was posted to 55 OTU at Usworth, where he was a flying instructor specialising in combat tactics.
where he eventually flew Supermarine Spitfire
s. On 27 April and 19 August 1942, Glowacki had two probables over Dieppe
, claiming Focke Wulf Fw 190s. He also shared in the downing of a Heinkel He 111
.
On 7 February 1943 Squadron Leader Glowacki was transferred to No. 308 "City of Kraków" Polish Fighter Squadron (Krakowski), serving as flight commander until 22 February 1944. After an exchange posting with the USAAF in May 1944, he was posted to 61 OTU. From 9 September 1944 till 16 July 1945 he was the commanding officer at No. 309 "Land of Czerwień" Polish Fighter-Reconnaissance Squadron (Ziemi Czerwieńskiej). The squadron was equipped with long-ranging North American Mustang Mk III
fighters. From 23 July 1945 he served in 60 OTU and between October and November 1945 he served in No. 307 "City of Lwów" Polish Fighter Squadron (Lwowskich Puchaczy).
. His last rank in the Royal Air Force was Squadron Leader. Glowacki's wartime victories involved a number of disputes but he is credited with eight victories, one shared, three probable and three damaged. After the war, he completed his memoirs which detailed his combat missions.
After demobilisation, Glowacki emigrated to New Zealand where he joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force
. As a Flight Lieutenant he was an instructor at OTU at Ohakea Air Base
, converting new pilots from piston-engined trainers to Vampire jets
. He retired from the RNZAF in 1960 and became an airfield inspector with the New Zealand Department of Civil Aviation where he was responsible for sport and executive aviation. Glowacki died on 27 April 1980 in Wellington, New Zealand.
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
, DFM
Distinguished Flying Medal
The Distinguished Flying Medal was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the Royal Air Force and the other services, and formerly also to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active...
, was a Polish Second World War fighter pilot flying with Polish Squadrons attached to the RAF, who is notable for shooting down five German aircraft on 24 August 1940 during the Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
, becoming one of only two pilots who gained "Ace-in-a-day" status during that battle, the other being New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
er Brian Carbury
Brian Carbury
Flight Lieutenant Brian John George Carbury DFC & Bar was a New Zealand fighter ace of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. He was credited with being one of two aces in a day in the Battle of Britain as he shot down five aircraft on 31 August 1940...
.
Early years
Glowacki was born on 10 February 1910 in WarsawWarsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
, attending a local primary school and graduating from the Radio Engineering School. He attended the Wawelberg and Rotwand Advanced Constructing and Electronics School, a technical school and between 1928 and 1930 he was the head of the laboratory in the Philips
Philips
Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. , more commonly known as Philips, is a multinational Dutch electronics company....
plants in Poland.
After enrolling in basic military training, Glowacki entered air training at Lublinek airfield near Lodz. After 1935, he became an officer serving in 1 Air Wing in Warsaw. In 1938 Glowacki completed a specialist course at the Air Force Training Centre No.1 in Deblin
Deblin
Dęblin is a town, population 19,500 , at the confluence of Vistula and Wieprz rivers, in Lublin Voivodeship, Poland. Dęblin is the part of the agglomeration with adjacent towns of Ryki and Puławy, which altogether has over 100 000 inhabitants....
, and was retained there as a flying instructor, as the Polish Air Force was in great need of new recruits. He joined other instructors such as Jan Zumbach
Jan Zumbach
Jan Eugeniusz Ludwig Zumbach was a Polish fighter pilot who became an ace during the Second World War.-Early years:...
and Janusz Żurakowski
Janusz Zurakowski
Janusz Żurakowski was a renowned Polish fighter and test pilot, who, at various times, lived and worked in Poland, the United Kingdom, and Canada.-Early life:...
.
Second World War
During "Black September", (September 1939), the Deblin unit was unable to mount a defence and Glowacki joined a reconnaissance platoon of the Warsaw Armoured-Motorised Brigade, commanded by Flight Lieutenant Julian Lagowski. At the collapse of the Polish resistance in late September, Glowacki fled to Romania where along with thousands of other Polish soldiers and airmen, he was interned. He made his way to France via the sea, as the Battle of FranceBattle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
was imminent, and was ordered to join the first 100 pilots selected to train as a bomber pilot in England. On arrival in England on 28 January 1940, they were transferred by the RAF to fighter squadrons which were rapidly being deployed in anticipation of an attack on Britain in 1940.
After initial training at 6 OTU in Sutton Bridge, he was posted to No. 501 RAF "County of Gloucester" Fighter Squadron
No. 501 Squadron RAF
No 501 Squadron was the fourteenth of the twenty-one flying units in the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, the volunteer reserve part of the British Royal Air Force. The squadron won seven battle honours, flying Hurricane, Spitfire and Tempest fighter aircraft during World War II, and was one of the most...
on 5 August 1940 as a sergeant pilot flying Hawker Hurricane
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
s.
Battle of Britain
Glowacki was immediately involved in uneventful daily sorties for 10 days (building up his total flying time on Hurricanes to 50 hours), until 15 July when the squadron intercepted Junkers Ju 87Junkers Ju 87
The Junkers Ju 87 or Stuka was a two-man German ground-attack aircraft...
dive-bombers. His first combat sorties in Hurricane I, SD-A (VZ124) resulted in a Ju 87 and later in the same day, a Dornier 215 destroyed. His squadron was deployed four times throughout the day, intercepting raiders over Dover.
Unlike other RAF pilots, Glowacki preferred to fly one aircraft exclusively, SD-A (VZ124), which he considered his "lucky Hurricane." During three sorties on 24 August 1940, flying SD-A, Glowacki shot down three Bf 109s and two Junkers Ju 88
Junkers Ju 88
The Junkers Ju 88 was a World War II German Luftwaffe twin-engine, multi-role aircraft. Designed by Hugo Junkers' company through the services of two American aviation engineers in the mid-1930s, it suffered from a number of technical problems during the later stages of its development and early...
bombers over Ramsgate, to become the first "One-day Ace" of the Battle of Britain.
On 28 August 1940 Glowacki shot down another Bf 109 when flying SD-O (VZ234). On 31 August 1940, during an attack on group of Dornier Do 17
Dornier Do 17
The Dornier Do 17, sometimes referred to as the Fliegender Bleistift , was a World War II German light bomber produced by Claudius Dornier's company, Dornier Flugzeugwerke...
bombers, he claimed a bomber that dived out of the formation (although the claim was later reverted to a probable), but he was shot down over Gravesend
Gravesend, Kent
Gravesend is a town in northwest Kent, England, on the south bank of the Thames, opposite Tilbury in Essex. It is the administrative town of the Borough of Gravesham and, because of its geographical position, has always had an important role to play in the history and communications of this part of...
and was injured when his Hurricane SD-P (P3208) crashed and was burnt out. After returning from hospital, he was again rotated into regular duty, but had a difficult time regaining his scoring touch. Glowacki was promoted to Pilot Officer and on 10 February 1941 was posted to 55 OTU at Usworth, where he was a flying instructor specialising in combat tactics.
European Theatre
On 7 November 1941, along with other Poles who had been attached to RAF squadrons, Glowacki was transferred to No. 303 Polish Fighter SquadronNo. 303 Polish Fighter Squadron
No. 303 Polish Fighter Squadron was one of 16 Polish squadrons in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. It was the highest scoring RAF squadron of the Battle of Britain....
where he eventually flew Supermarine Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
s. On 27 April and 19 August 1942, Glowacki had two probables over Dieppe
Dieppe, Seine-Maritime
Dieppe is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in France. In 1999, the population of the whole Dieppe urban area was 81,419.A port on the English Channel, famous for its scallops, and with a regular ferry service from the Gare Maritime to Newhaven in England, Dieppe also has a popular pebbled...
, claiming Focke Wulf Fw 190s. He also shared in the downing of a Heinkel He 111
Heinkel He 111
The Heinkel He 111 was a German aircraft designed by Siegfried and Walter Günter in the early 1930s in violation of the Treaty of Versailles. Often described as a "Wolf in sheep's clothing", it masqueraded as a transport aircraft, but its purpose was to provide the Luftwaffe with a fast medium...
.
On 7 February 1943 Squadron Leader Glowacki was transferred to No. 308 "City of Kraków" Polish Fighter Squadron (Krakowski), serving as flight commander until 22 February 1944. After an exchange posting with the USAAF in May 1944, he was posted to 61 OTU. From 9 September 1944 till 16 July 1945 he was the commanding officer at No. 309 "Land of Czerwień" Polish Fighter-Reconnaissance Squadron (Ziemi Czerwieńskiej). The squadron was equipped with long-ranging North American Mustang Mk III
P-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
fighters. From 23 July 1945 he served in 60 OTU and between October and November 1945 he served in No. 307 "City of Lwów" Polish Fighter Squadron (Lwowskich Puchaczy).
Postwar
From 1 December 1945 Glowacki was a liaison officer to 13 RAF Fighter Group. At the end of 1946, he was the commanding officer of No. 302 "City of Poznań" Polish Fighter Squadron (Poznański)No. 302 Polish Fighter Squadron
No. 302 Polish Fighter Squadron RAF was a Polish fighter squadron formed in Great Britain as part of an agreement between the Polish Government in Exile and the United Kingdom in 1940...
. His last rank in the Royal Air Force was Squadron Leader. Glowacki's wartime victories involved a number of disputes but he is credited with eight victories, one shared, three probable and three damaged. After the war, he completed his memoirs which detailed his combat missions.
After demobilisation, Glowacki emigrated to New Zealand where he joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force
Royal New Zealand Air Force
The Royal New Zealand Air Force is the air arm of the New Zealand Defence Force...
. As a Flight Lieutenant he was an instructor at OTU at Ohakea Air Base
RNZAF Base Ohakea
RNZAF Base Ohakea is an operational base of the Royal New Zealand Air Force. Opened in 1939, it is near Bulls, 25 km north west of Palmerston North in the Manawatu...
, converting new pilots from piston-engined trainers to Vampire jets
De Havilland Vampire
The de Havilland DH.100 Vampire was a British jet-engine fighter commissioned by the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. Following the Gloster Meteor, it was the second jet fighter to enter service with the RAF. Although it arrived too late to see combat during the war, the Vampire served...
. He retired from the RNZAF in 1960 and became an airfield inspector with the New Zealand Department of Civil Aviation where he was responsible for sport and executive aviation. Glowacki died on 27 April 1980 in Wellington, New Zealand.
Honours and tributes
In recognition of his service in the Battle of Britain and later campaigns, Glowacki received several awards:
Distinguished Flying MedalDistinguished Flying MedalThe Distinguished Flying Medal was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the Royal Air Force and the other services, and formerly also to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active...
Silver Cross of the Virtuti MilitariVirtuti MilitariThe Order Wojenny Virtuti Militari is Poland's highest military decoration for heroism and courage in the face of the enemy at war...
(War Order No. 08814, 23 December 1940)_4r_bar.png)
Cross of Valour (Poland) and three bars
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
(15 November 1942)
See also
- List of RAF aircrew in the Battle of Britain
- Non-British personnel in the RAF during the Battle of Britain