Do you know the story of the injured airman who was decorated by General Sikorski while lying on a stretcher? In 1941, Polish Air Force officer Zygmunt Popławski was flying as second pilot on a 301 Polish Squadron Vickers Wellington on the night of 22/23 June 1941. The plane was returning from a bombing raid on Bremen when it was hit by flak or a Luftwaffe night fighter. A fire broke out in the starboard engine and the propeller flew off… the aircraft crash landed on a farm in Nottinghamshire around 3:20 in the morning.

Of the six-man crew, the first pilot and air gunner were tragically killed. The other four survived with injuries, including Sergeant Popławski, who was thrown clear of the flaming wreck and badly injured. He and his comrades were rescued and tended to by a local British couple, Harry and Amelia Broadberry, who were awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) for their gallantry.

Popławski returned to active service and went on to fly many more combat missions until the end of the war. In 1948, he emigrated to Canada and settled in Hamilton, Ontario, where he was active in Polish veterans’ organizations including as president of the Polish Airmen’s Association Kraków Wing. He died in Halifax in 2009, aged 96.

A hero who narrowly escaped death, received Poland’s highest honour from General Sikorski, and continued his service to Poland and veterans in Canada. Cześć jego pamięci!

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