A Polish friend sent me this and I will use his text without alteration. My friend is not an aviator.
Came across the enclosed exhibit today, in an army (not air force) museum that’s located in Białystok, a Polish city not far from the Belorussian border.
Before I get to the point, all the explanations next to the exhibits in this museum are written in Russian as well as Polish and English. I asked the museum staff, why in Russian. They replied that many Russians visit the museum (as well as the separate museum in Białystok that’s devoted to the hundreds of thousands of Poles forcibly exiled to Siberia or USSR gulags.)
Good to know that at least some Russians want more than their government’s habitual lies and propaganda.
The little pocket-booklet shown in the enclosed photo was typed-up by a Polish Flight Lieutenant taking part in the Battle of Britain.
It will be no surprise to you that few Polish airforce pilots arriving in Britain in 1940 (mainly via France) knew much, if any, English. To add to their difficulties, they were given little time to learn how to fly a Hurricane (an aircraft that was completely unfamiliar to them) because they were urgently needed to be fighting up in the air, not sitting in a classroom on the ground.
The pocket-book contains the Flight Lieutenant’s personal and unofficial typed notes as to how to get his Hurricane in the air. It’s written mainly in Polish but has a few English words that you’ll recognise. His three paragraph headings are:
> Testing / warming-up the engine
> Taxiing
> Before take-off
I can almost visualise this pilot getting his Hurricane into the air with his pocket book open on (strapped to) his knee, for fast reference.
This exhibit is a gift to the Białystok museum from the Polish Armed Forces museum in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. So the pilot’s little aide-memoir has travelled from the UK to Canada to Poland. Quite a journey.
A bit deaf but 100% with it and not even a walking stick.
How brilliant Ex-A! The last living recipient of a WW2 VC. His story has always inspired me. At 104 years of age he lives in a care home in his home town of Aberdeen. In July a Catalina passed this way - see the Youtube video - and in his honour flew past the care home - although it wasn't very low as the home is in the city.
The helicopter pilots' mantra: If it hasn't gone wrong then it's just about to...
https://www.glenbervie-weather.org
Again sitting next to a facinating old boy. Eavesdropping loads of great stories including some dirty ditties. Must be almost 100. Said he was ferrying a mosquito from Canada to Scotland. Low cloud approaching Greenland so dropped down over the sea to get below and skimmed past an iceberg. Also stories about flying Lysanders for the SOE.
Sitting by this amazing old boy in the club again. 104 in March. Not even a walking stick. Two years ago he abseiled down a 17 story building for charity. He said that people keep phoning him to see if he still alive. Said that the only people dying around him are his elected pallbeares.. 50 bombing sorties with the pathfinders. DFC. After one raid his ground crew gave him some shrapnel they had extracted from his parachute pack which he had been sitting on.
'Yes, Madam, I am drunk, but in the morning I shall be sober and you will still be ugly.' Sir Winston Churchill.
