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Archive Report: Allied Forces

Compiled from official National Archive and Service sources, contemporary press reports, personal logbooks, diaries and correspondence, reference books, other sources, and interviews.
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PAF Crest
121 Eskadra Mysliwska Kapitan Mieczyslaw Medwecki

Operation: Defence of Poland

Date: 1st September 1939 (Saturday)

Unit: No. 121 Eskadra Mysliwska

Type: PZL.P.11c

Base: Kraków, Poland

Location: Kraków, Poland.

Pilot: Kapitan Mieczyslaw Medwecki Polish Air Force Age 35. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

The German Luftwaffe started their attack on Poland at 04:30 hrs. when Ju87Bs of 3./St.GI crossed the Polish border to attack various points to prevent the Poles from blowing up various bridges over the Vistula river. At first light the Luftwaffe then attacked the Kraków air base, being bombed first by a number of He IIIs from KG 4, followed by Stukas from 1./St.G2, with another attack made very shortly afterwards by Do 17s of KG77.

A commemorative plaque, embedded in the wall of a passenger terminal in the John Paul II Airport in Kraków, Poland. (courtesy Robin)

The Ju 87s then attacked the Polish P11c fighters taking off from Kraków at 05:15 hrs. Kapitan Medwecki, being the commanding officer of 121 Squadron, led the attack into the Luftwaffe Stukas, but was shot down by Sgt. Frank Neubert and Franz Klinger from 1./St.G2 and his aircraft crashed approx. 2 - 3 KM. from the airfield.

Kapitan Mieczyslaw Medwecki became the first Allied airforce casualty of WW2. His grave pictured below, has been taken care of by soldiers of the 8th Air Base Kraków.

Burial Details:

Kapitan Mieczyslaw Medwecki. Parish Cemetery, Morawica, Krakow, Poland Born 7th June 1904 in Pasieczna, Poland.

Son of Antoni and Maria. Acknowledgments: Peter Sikora for passing on details of this loss and also to Robert Gretzyngier, Woitek Matusiak, Waldemar Wojcik and Jozef Zielinski - "Ku Czci Poleglych Lotnikow 1939-1945"

KTY 07.06.2015 Memorial plaque added

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Acknowledgements
Sources used by us in compiling Archive Reports include: Bill Chorley - 'Bomber Command Losses Vols. 1-9, plus ongoing revisions', Dr. Theo E.W. Boiten and Mr. Roderick J. Mackenzie - 'Nightfighter War Diaries Vols. 1 and 2', Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt - 'Bomber Command War Diaries', Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Tom Kracker - Kracker Luftwaffe Archives, Michel Beckers, Major Fred Paradie (RCAF) and MWO François Dutil (RCAF) - Paradie Archive (on this site), Jean Schadskaje, Major Jack O'Connor USAF (Retd.), Robert Gretzyngier, Wojtek Matusiak, Waldemar Wójcik and Józef Zieliński - 'Ku Czci Połeglyçh Lotnikow 1939-1945', Archiwum - Polish Air Force Archive (on this site), Anna Krzystek, Tadeusz Krzystek - 'Polskie Siły Powietrzne w Wielkiej Brytanii', Franek Grabowski, Norman L.R. Franks 'Fighter Command Losses', Stan D. Bishop, John A. Hey MBE, Gerrie Franken and Maco Cillessen - Losses of the US 8th and 9th Air Forces, Vols 1-6, Dr. Theo E.W. Boiton - Nachtjagd Combat Archives, Vols 1-13. Aircrew Remembered Databases and our own archives. We are grateful for the support and encouragement of CWGC, UK Imperial War Museum, Australian War Memorial, Australian National Archives, New Zealand National Archives, UK National Archives and Fold3 and countless dedicated friends and researchers across the world.
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