On 27 June 1941, Acting Wing Commander Piotr Łaguna stepped into the dispatch room beaming with joy. He had just received news that his wife and children—lost to the chaos of war—were alive, discovered in a refugee camp in India. For the first time in years, he allowed himself to hope. The darkness of war briefly lifted. But fate had other plans. That very day, Łaguna was killed in action.
A veteran of the September 1939 Defensive War, Łaguna served as Deputy Commander—and later Commander—of the I/145 Polish Fighter Squadron during the Battle of France. In June 1940, he achieved his only confirmed air victory, downing a German Bf-109. During the Battle of Britain, he joined the Polish 302 Squadron and took command in December 1940.
Known for his strict discipline and strong leadership, Łaguna was respected by both peers and subordinates. “Although he liked to joke, he never allowed any loose discipline or misconduct,” reads his biography on the Laguna’s Spitfire Legacy website. “He was one of the best pilots of 302 Squadron.”
In March 1941, he was promoted to Major and appointed commander of the newly established Polish 1st (131) Fighter Wing based at RAF Northolt. This elite formation included the 303 “Tadeusz Kościuszko” Squadron, the 306 “City of Toruń” Squadron, and later the 308 “City of Cracow” Squadron.
While he led from the skies, his thoughts remained with his family. Before the war, he had married Wanda, the daughter of a pharmacist from Kalisz. They had two children: Ewa and Jan. At the outbreak of WWII, Wanda and the children were evacuated eastwards, but after the Soviet invasion, they were deported to Siberia, sharing the fate of thousands of Poles.
After nearly two years in brutal conditions, they were released and eventually reached India, and then Australia. Piotr, searching tirelessly through the International Red Cross, finally located them. Knowing they were safe gave him a renewed sense of purpose, and he began efforts to bring them to England. But on the very day his hope was restored, tragedy struck.
On 27 June 1941, the Polish Wing was ordered to escort Blenheim bombers attacking a steelworks in Lille. Due to worsening weather, the mission was redirected to sweep the Le Touquet and Gravelines area. Łaguna, flying Spitfire Mk IIB P8331 “Sumatra,” led the operation. The squadron attacked a Luftwaffe airfield near Coquelles, destroying three enemy fighters on the ground and damaging two more.
Then disaster struck. Łaguna’s aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire. Witnesses saw “Sumatra” in flames, diving sharply and crashing southwest of Calais. He was killed instantly. Wing Commander Piotr Łaguna was laid to rest in Pihen-le-Guines Cemetery in France, grave no. 9, row A, military plot.
Today, Łaguna’s story lives on through Laguna’s Spitfire Legacy, a UK-based project devoted to honouring him and all Polish airmen who served during the war. The initiative includes recovered parts of Spitfire P8331, historical research, and educational outreach. It commemorates the more than 18,000 Polish airmen and ground crews who served in Britain during the Second World War.
In April 2023, Scott Booth, founder of Laguna’s Spitfire Legacy, spoke at the Institute of National Remembrance’s (IPN) Congress of National Remembrance in Warsaw. He participated in a panel on using digital platforms and new technologies to engage young people with history.
Łaguna’s story is also featured in the IPN’s flagship project, Trails of Hope. The Odyssey of Freedom, which documents the experiences of the Polish Armed Forces and civilians deported to the Soviet Union and later evacuated with General Anders’ Army in 1942. The project honours both the military struggle and the suffering of civilians—ensuring their stories are remembered.
Source: IPN – Trails of Hope
Laguna’s Spitfire Legacy
Photo: IPN, bbm.org, British Poles
Daria Więcek
