A hero to remember – F/O Bogdan Grzeszczak, one of Churchill’s Few

Bogdan Grzeszczak was born on 10th August 1908 in Poland.

He served in the General Staff of Dyon III / 1 of the Polish Air Force at the start of the Second World War. In August 1939, he was sent to France to test the MS406s which the Polish Air Force were considering acquiring.

He was still there when Poland collapsed and flew the MS406 in action. He is recorded as serving with the Airfield Defence Flight at Aulnat near Clermont Ferrand on 20th May 1940.

A group of pilots of No. 303 Polish Fighter Squadron RAF with one of their Hawker Hurricanes, October 1940. They are (left to right): Pilot Officer Mirosław Ferić, Flight-Lieutenant John Kent, **Flying Officer Bogdan Grzeszczak**, Pilot Officer Jerzy Radomski, Pilot Officer Jan Zumbach (wearing helmet and goggles), Pilot Officer Witold Łukuciewski, Pilot Officer Bogusław Mierzwa (obscured by Łokuciewski), Flying Lieutenant Zdzisław Henneberg, Flight Sergeant Jan Aleksander Rogowski, Flight-Lieutenant Eugeniusz Szaposznikow

The account of his journey to England is currently undocumented, he is recorded as Joining 303 Squadron from 3 (Polish) Wing, 3 School of Technical Training at Blackpool on 21st August 1940.

Grzeszczak claimed a He111 probably destroyed on 26th September and a probable Me109 on the 27th.

Bogdan Grzeszczyk is remembered at the Battle of Britain Memorial in London

He was awarded the KW (gazetted 1st February 1941).

Grzeszczak was posted to 58 OTU Grangemouth on 21st April 1941 as an instructor. On 28th August he was killed when conducting a practice dogfight, his Master T8581 spun out of control and crashed at Polmont, near Grangemouth.

Bogdan Grzeszczak is also commemorated on the Polish War Memorial at Northolt

Grzeszczak is buried in Northwood Cemetery and commemorated on the Polish War Memorial at Northolt.

Bogdan Grzeszczak is buried in Northwood Cemetery in London

Source: bbm.org.uk

Pictures: bbm.org.uk, British Poles

Cover picture coloured by Mikołaj Kaczmarek. Bogdan Grzeszczak is the second from the left

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