Stanisław Skalski
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| Stanisław Skalski | |
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| Life |  Generał brygady |
| Born | November 27, 1915 Kodyma near Odessa, Russia |
| Died | November 12, 2004 Warsaw, Poland |
| Career | |
| In service since: | 1938 |
| Notable assignments: | W/C in 316 PAF, CO of 317 PAF, PFT, 601 RAF, 131st Fighter Wing, 133rd Fighter Wing |
| Major wars and battles: | Polish Defensive War, World War II |
| Medals | |
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Stanisław Skalski (November 27, 1915 – November 12, 2004) was a Polish fighter ace of the Polish Air Force in World War II and general.
Stanisław Skalski was born on 27 October 1915 in Kodyma near Odessa, Russian Empire. After completing Pilot Training School in 1938, Skalski was ordered to the 142nd Fighter Squadron in Torun. On 1 September 1939 he attacked a German Henschel Hs 126 reconnaissance aircraft, eventually shot down by Marian Pisarek, and then landed next to it and helped to bandage a crew. By 16 September Skalski reached "ace" status, by claiming a total of 6 German aircraft: 1 Ju 86, 2 Do 17, 1 Ju 87, 2 Hs 126 and 1 Hs 126 shared (official list credits him with 4 aircraft: 2 Dornier Do 17, 1 Hs 126, 1 Ju 87 and 1 Hs 126 shared). Soon after he fled the country with other Polish pilots to Rumania, and from there via Beirut to France , and after went on to fight with the Royal Air Force in the Battle of Britain.
In August 1940, P/O Skalski joined No. 501 Squadron RAF. From 30 August to 2 September 1940 he shot down a He 111 bomber and 3 Bf 109s. On 5 September 1940 Skalski himself was shot down[1]. Skalski bailed out with severe burns that hospitalised him for six weeks. He returned to his unit in late October 1940. During the Battle of Britain, Skalski was credited with four planes shot down and 1 shared.
In January 1941 he was assigned to the Polish No. 306 Polish Fighter Squadron, flying in Circuss missions over France. On 1 March 1942 he became a flight commander in No. 316 Polish Fighter Squadron. On 29 April 1942 F/Lt. Skalski was made CO of the No. 317 Polish Fighter Squadron for five months. From November 1942 he was an instructor in No. 58 OTU.
In October 1943 he was given command of the Polish Fighting Team, or so called "Cyrk Skalskiego" (Skalski's Circus) - a Squadron consisting of best Polish fighter pilots selected from volunteers. The Poles arrived at Bu Grara airfield ,west of Tripoli in March 1943. They at first were attached to 145 Squadron. PFT took part in actions in Tripolitania and in Sicily.
On 6 May 1943, the "Skalski Circus" fought its last combat. During its two months on operations, the Polish pilots had claimed a total of 26 German and Italian aircraft shot down. F/L Skalski scored 4 aircraft, and P/O Eugeniusz Horbaczewski claimed 5 confirmed victories.
Skalski then became commander of 601 Squadron, taking part in the invasions of Sicily and Italy. From December 1943 to April 1944, W/C Skalski commanded 131 Fighter Wing (Polish). On 4 April 1944 he was appointed commander of the another Polish Fighter Wing; No. 133. On 24 June 1944 Skalski scored two air victories over Rouen.
Stanisław Skalski was the top Polish fighter ace of WW II, credited, according to official list, with 18 11/12 victories and 2 probable. Some sources give also a number of 22 victories. After the war he returned to Poland in 1947 and joined the Polish aviation. In 1948 however he was arrested by the communist regime under the false charge of espionage. Sentenced to death, he spent 3 years awaiting the execution, after which his sentence was changed to life imprisonment. After the end of stalinism in Poland, in 1956 he was released, rehabilitated, and allowed to join the military. He served at various posts in the Headquarters of the Polish Air Forces. He wrote memoires of the 1939 campaign Czarne krzyże nad Polską ("Black crosses over Poland", 1957). On May 20, 1968 he was nominated the secretary general of the Aeroklub Polski and on April 10, 1972 he retired. On September 15, 1988, he was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General. In 1990 he met with the German pilot he had rescued on the first day of war. Stanisław Skalski died in Warsaw on November 12, 2004.
[edit] Awards
- Virtuti Militari, two times (Golden and Silver Cross)
- Krzyż Walecznych, four times
- Distinguished Flying Cross, three times
- Distinguished Service Order
[edit] Bibliography
- Stanisław Skalski: Czarne krzyże nad Polską (1957) (in Polish)
- Franciszek Grabowski: Gen. bryg. pil. Stanisław Skalski in: "Militaria i Fakty" 2/2005 (in Polish)
- ^ According to some sources, he shot down a He 111 bomber and two Bf 109s in that flight, but there are no firm evidence, these victories were not acknowledged officially, and several pilots claimed these Bf 1092
