11. Polish airfield from September 1939 in Poniatów
At the end of August and the beginning of
September 1939, in the manor house in
Poniatów, were quartered Polish pilots from
the 113th, 114th and 123rd Fighter Squadrons
of the Pursuit Brigade, stationed at
a nearby airfield. In Poniatów, the squadron
consisted of a total of 48 aircraft type P.7
and P.11. From this airfield, the Polish pilots
took off for their heroic aerial combats,
fought from 1 to 3 September 1939, against
the Nazi pilots. Their main goal was to stop
the German bombers from flying over Warsaw.
The technical staff of the squadron
was quartered in the farm buildings of the
manor house.
The two-way airport in Poniatów bore the code name “Żyto” (‘Rye’), as opposed to the more distant diversion airport in the direction of Łajski, code-named “Lasek” (‘Small wood’). During the air combat, on 1 September 1939, the commander of the 123rd Fighter Squadron, captain-pilot Mieczysław Olszewski, whose plane went down in Stanislawów near Legionowo, was killed. Those who suffered injuries were: pilot officer Feliks Szyszka and officer cadets Jerzy Radomski and Anthony Danek, who died from injuries on March 18, 1940. After the IV/1 Squadron of the Pursuit Brigade left Poniatów, on 5-7 September, the Poniatów airport was used by the Air Force of the “Modlin” Army: 152nd Fighter Squadron and 53rd Observation Squadron.
The two-way airport in Poniatów bore the code name “Żyto” (‘Rye’), as opposed to the more distant diversion airport in the direction of Łajski, code-named “Lasek” (‘Small wood’). During the air combat, on 1 September 1939, the commander of the 123rd Fighter Squadron, captain-pilot Mieczysław Olszewski, whose plane went down in Stanislawów near Legionowo, was killed. Those who suffered injuries were: pilot officer Feliks Szyszka and officer cadets Jerzy Radomski and Anthony Danek, who died from injuries on March 18, 1940. After the IV/1 Squadron of the Pursuit Brigade left Poniatów, on 5-7 September, the Poniatów airport was used by the Air Force of the “Modlin” Army: 152nd Fighter Squadron and 53rd Observation Squadron.