The Polish Pilots in the R.A.F.
Many thanks to Molemot for that extensive contribution to the thread. I have never been able to dig up anything on the gent. who taught my late father in his crucial, formative flying hours, up to solo (June 11 - 21 1942) at No. 3 E.F.T.S. Shellingford (Oxon or Berks.whatever? The county bounds have changed since WW2). The instructor (Polish?) was a F/O Meretinsky in D.H. 82A T6564 ( which I believe still exists in New Zealand). After 12 hours 10 mins here he was sent to Florida and No. 5 B.F.T.S. to gain his Pilots Brevet.
It must have been great to to have had the one instructor up to solo - I flew with four different instructors up to solo in the civvy world of flight instruction in 1971 in the UK - not sure still if the differences I was exposed to made me better, or worse, on the memorable solo day.
Ian BB
Last edited by Ian Burgess-Barber; 16th Oct 2015 at 20:09.
Reason: duplication