Tadeusz Kotz
Encyclopedia
Tadeusz Kotz - was a Polish pilot and fighter ace
of World War II. He was awarded several decorations, including Poland's Virtuti Militari
, four times Cross of Valour and the British Distinguished Flying Cross
. After war he published his memoir
s.
as Tadeusz Koc. After school he entered the cadet flying school in Dęblin
. Later, he served in the Polish Air Force
as a fighter pilot. During the Invasion of Poland
in 1939, Kotz fought with the Polish 161st Fighter Escadrille
air unit of Łódź Army. He shot down his first enemy Messerschmitt
on 2 September 1939, while piloting a PZL P.11
airplane. In 16 September he shot down a Soviet reconnaissance bomber Polikarpov R-5
.
After Poland was defeated, Kotz was ordered to evacuate to Romania along with other pilots. He escaped via Yugoslavia
and Greece to France, and then to the IK to serve with the Royal Air Force
in the Battle of Britain
. He was one of the pilots in No. 303 Squadron, flying a Spitfire
. Later, he became a Squadron Leader
of 303 Squadron. In 1943, Kotz was shot down in Northern France, but evaded capture and returned to England via German occupied France, Spain and Gibraltar to continue to fight until the end of war. He was demobilized in 1948.
He married and settled to Swaziland
in Africa and then moved to Collingwood
in Canada where he spent the remainder of his life. He passed away on 3 June 2008 at at a Nursing Home in Collingwood, aged 95.
While in Canada, he published a book of memoirs Błękitne niebo i prawdziwe kule ("Blue sky and real bullets") in 2005.
Virtuti Militari
Silver Cross
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Cross of Valour four times
Distinguished Flying Cross
Fighter Ace
Fighter Ace was a massively multiplayer online computer game in which one flies World War II fighter and bomber planes in combat against other players and virtual pilots...
of World War II. He was awarded several decorations, including Poland's Virtuti Militari
Virtuti Militari
The Order Wojenny Virtuti Militari is Poland's highest military decoration for heroism and courage in the face of the enemy at war...
, four times Cross of Valour and the British Distinguished Flying Cross
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...
. After war he published his memoir
Memoir
A memoir , is a literary genre, forming a subclass of autobiography – although the terms 'memoir' and 'autobiography' are almost interchangeable. Memoir is autobiographical writing, but not all autobiographical writing follows the criteria for memoir set out below...
s.
Biography
Tadeusz Kotz was born in GrabanówGrabanów
Grabanów is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Biała Podlaska, within Biała Podlaska County, Lublin Voivodeship, in eastern Poland. It lies approximately north-east of Biała Podlaska and north-east of the regional capital Lublin....
as Tadeusz Koc. After school he entered the cadet flying school in Dęblin
Polish Air Force Academy
The Polish Air Force Academy is located in Deblin, eastern Poland. The Air Force Academy is an accredited university for the undergraduate education of officers for the Polish Air Force...
. Later, he served in the Polish Air Force
Polish Air Force
The Polish Air Force is the military Air Force wing of the Polish Armed Forces. Until July 2004 it was officially known as Wojska Lotnicze i Obrony Powietrznej...
as a fighter pilot. During the Invasion of Poland
Invasion of Poland (1939)
The Invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign or 1939 Defensive War in Poland and the Poland Campaign in Germany, was an invasion of Poland by Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small Slovak contingent that marked the start of World War II in Europe...
in 1939, Kotz fought with the Polish 161st Fighter Escadrille
Polish 161st Fighter Escadrille
161. Fighter Escadrille was a unit of the Polish Air Force at the start of the second world war. The unit was attached to the Łódź Army.-Air crew:commander of the unit: kpt. pil...
air unit of Łódź Army. He shot down his first enemy Messerschmitt
Messerschmitt Bf 110
The Messerschmitt Bf 110, often called Me 110, was a twin-engine heavy fighter in the service of the Luftwaffe during World War II. Hermann Göring was a proponent of the Bf 110, and nicknamed it his Eisenseiten...
on 2 September 1939, while piloting a PZL P.11
PZL P.11
The PZL P.11 was a Polish fighter aircraft, designed in the early 1930s by PZL in Warsaw. It was briefly considered to be the most advanced fighter aircraft design in the world...
airplane. In 16 September he shot down a Soviet reconnaissance bomber Polikarpov R-5
Polikarpov R-5
The Polikarpov R-5 was a Soviet reconnaissance bomber aircraft of the 1930s. It was the standard light bomber and reconnaissance aircraft with the Soviet Air Force for much of the 1930s, while also being used heavily as a civilian light transport, in the order of 7,000 being built in...
.
After Poland was defeated, Kotz was ordered to evacuate to Romania along with other pilots. He escaped via Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
and Greece to France, and then to the IK to serve with the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
in 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...
. He was one of the pilots in No. 303 Squadron, flying a 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...
. Later, he became a Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these...
of 303 Squadron. In 1943, Kotz was shot down in Northern France, but evaded capture and returned to England via German occupied France, Spain and Gibraltar to continue to fight until the end of war. He was demobilized in 1948.
He married and settled to Swaziland
Swaziland
Swaziland, officially the Kingdom of Swaziland , and sometimes called Ngwane or Swatini, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, bordered to the north, south and west by South Africa, and to the east by Mozambique...
in Africa and then moved to Collingwood
Collingwood, Ontario
Collingwood is a town in Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it is situated on Nottawasaga Bay at the southern point of Georgian Bay.-History:...
in Canada where he spent the remainder of his life. He passed away on 3 June 2008 at at a Nursing Home in Collingwood, aged 95.
While in Canada, he published a book of memoirs Błękitne niebo i prawdziwe kule ("Blue sky and real bullets") in 2005.
Awards
Virtuti MilitariVirtuti Militari
The Order Wojenny Virtuti Militari is Poland's highest military decoration for heroism and courage in the face of the enemy at war...
Silver Cross
Cross of Valour four times Distinguished Flying CrossDistinguished 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...