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Aleksander Gabszewicz
Aleksander Gabszewicz (21-58).jpg
Born (1911-12-06)6 December 1911
Šiauliai, Russian Empire (now Lithuania)
Died 10 October 1983(1983-10-10) (aged 71)
Malvern, Worcestershire, England
Service/branch  Polish Land Forces
Flag of the Royal Air Force Royal Air Force
Rank Generał brygady
Service number P-0163
Unit Border Defence Corps
No. 607 Squadron RAF
No. 303 Polish Fighter Squadron
Commands held No. 316 Polish Fighter Squadron
2nd Polish Wing
1st Polish Wing
56th USAAF Fighter Group
Battles/wars Second World War
MWP MG15 HeinkelHe111 Gabszewicz
German MG 15 aerial machine gun, pilot's cap and some debris of a German Heinkel He 111 downed by Aleksander Gabszewicz on 1 September 1939

Aleksander Klemens Gabszewicz (6 December 1911 – 10 October 1983) was a Polish fighter pilot and a World War II fighter ace, with a score of 9½ confirmed and 2 probable kills.

Biography

Born in Šiauliai, then in the Russian Empire (now Lithuania), in 1931 he joined the Polish Army. Initially serving as an infantry NCO, in 1938, he graduated from the Dęblin-based Eagles' School and was attached to the air wing of the Border Defence Corps. Just before World War II he was a tactical officer of the IV/1 Fighter Group.

After the outbreak of the Polish September Campaign on 1 September 1939, around 9 AM, he scored his first kill, a Heinkel He 111 of 5.(K)/LG 1 unit over Ciechanów. According to some authors, it was the first kill of a German plane in World War II.

Downed the same day, he made it to France where he became the commanding officer of the 5th key of Groupe de Chasse III/10 covering Besançon. There, while piloting a Bloch 151, he downed a Dornier Do 17.

After the capitulation, he made it to the United Kingdom, where he served in the ranks of No. 607 Squadron RAF and No. 303 Polish Fighter Squadron. In December 1940 he was posted as a flight commander in No. 316 Polish Fighter Squadron. He became the commanding officer in November 1941. He was posted to 11 Group HQ in June 1942, and then as an instructor to 58 OTU until June 1943. He was then made wing commander/flying of the 2nd Polish Wing and finally the 1st Polish Wing. He was also attached to the 56th USAAF Fighter Group in December 1943, and then commanded 131 Wing RAF in February 1944, leading the wing during the invasion of Normandy. He became the commanding officer of RAF Coltishall in February 1945.

He ended the war in the Polish rank of generał brygady and remained in exile in the United Kingdom. He died in Malvern in 1983. His ashes were brought to Poland in 1992 and dispersed over Warsaw and Dęblin.

Legacy

The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight's Spitfire TE311 is painted to represent the aircraft flown by Gabszewicz in Germany from April to June 1945.

Decorations

Dso-ribbon.png Distinguished Service Order (with Bar)
DistinguishedFlyingCrossUKRibbon.jpg Distinguished Flying Cross
Croix de Guerre 1939-1945 ribbon.svg Croix de Guerre (France)
POL Virtuti Militari Złoty BAR.svg Virtuti Militari (Golden Cross)
POL Virtuti Militari Srebrny BAR.svg Virtuti Militari (Silver Cross)
POL Polonia Restituta Komandorski ZG BAR.svg Commander's Cross with Star of the Order of Polonia Restituta
POL Krzyż Walecznych (1940) 4r BAR.PNG Cross of Valour, four times
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