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Polish inventions based on a 3D printer
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4. Polish inventions based on a 3D printer

• innovation
• ecology
• medicine
• science
• bioimplant
• 3D printers
• wind turbine

A wind turbine, bioimplants and a device facilitating vein surgeries –Poles lead the way in demonstrating 3D printing potential. Creative solutions are already taking the world by storm.

• See also:
• Polish 3D printers

Poland is one of the world leaders in the 3D sector. According to data presented by Deloitte, Polish companies produced approx. 10% of all 3D printers sold worldwide in 2014. The equipment is available in several dozen countries and start-ups such as Zortrax and Omni3D are market leaders. The equipment manufactured by the former company, based in Olsztyn, is used by such giants as BMW, Audi, Stihl and Dell,whereas the latter company, based in Poznań, has been sold by global commerce leaders such as Amazon since 2014.

3D printing is an innovative technology which enables the production of various tailor-made devices. For example, astronauts at the International Space Station use 3D printers for printing tools and everyday objects. Polish inventors have many ideas on how this equipment can be used on Earth:

Wind turbines

This idea was reported by leading global technology magazines and websites, including “Wired” and “Engadget”. Engineers working at Omni3D have developed a small wind turbine designed for self-assembly. The set called AirEnergy 3D includes a generator, electronic components and a battery, and is supplemented with draft propellers which need to be printed using a 3D printer. Once assembled, the turbine is the size of a floor lamp. The turbine can be mounted on a balcony, roof or next to a caravan – in case we need electricity while on holiday.

"AirEnergy 3D converts kinetic energy in wind into electricity with a capacity of approx. 300 watts, which is enough to power four or five laptops or several LED bulbs," Konrad Sierzputowski, CEO of Omni3D, told Polska.pl.

If we wanted to use this method to power all of our household appliances, two or three such turbines would have to be connected. As much as GBP 24,000 was raised for this project via Kickstarter. It has been highly praised around the world and is now waiting to be implemented.

Bioimplants

Researchers at the Faculty of Material Science and Engineering at the Warsaw University of Technology have developed a bioactive prosthesis called BIO-IMPLANT used to reconstruct bones. It is designed specifically to match each order and printed using a 3D printer. A prosthesis is built of biodegradable composite made of a polymer and ceramics which is naturally present in human bones. Prior to the implantation of a bioimplant in the place containing bone defects, it is covered with stem cells taken from the patient, which then grow on the implant. Thanks to this and the porous structure of the material, it is quickly covered with growing bone tissue and blood vessels. After two years, when the bone has been reconstructed, the bioimplant dissolves completely.

"Our main achievement is the development of such a formula for the composite that allows it to dissolve only when the bone tissue has completely regenerated," Polska.pl was told by Dr. Eng. BarbaraOstrowska, CEO of MaterialsCare which was formed as a spin-off of the Warsaw University of Technology.

So far, bioimplants have been used in veterinary medicine only, but clinical trials for their use in humans are to start soon.

Device used in vein surgeries

A 3D printer can also be used to print a number of elements of an innovative device that facilitates the surgical removal of varicose veins in legs. The project has been developed by Zortrax in cooperation with Mediq, a clinic based in Legionowo near Warsaw.

© Zortrax">

The invention facilitates endovascular surgeries carried out using fiber lasers that leave patients scar-free. The laser is inserted into inefficient veins to close the vessels inside them. A medical doctor who carries out such a surgery needs to be very skilled and their movements must be stable and made at a constant speed. At this point the device developed by Zortax is used as a winch to handle theoptical fiber with necessary precision.

"The winch, operating similarly to a ski lift, withdraws the optical fibre from the vein, always at the same time and with the same strength, to close it correctly in 100%," says Marcin Feliga, MD, PhD, of the Mediq clinic. "The device has dramatically changed our surgeries, as it guarantees closing veins in almost 100%, compared to global statistics ranging from 80 to 85%," Dr Feliga added.


ALEKSANDRA STANISŁAWSKA

• See also:
• Polish 3D printers

01.02.2016

Polish inventions based on a 3D printer

 

[SobieskiSavedEurope]

November 10, 2012

Matt Urban (Urbanowitz)


President Jimmy Carter called him "the greatest soldier in American history". He was a man with immense courage in the face of overwhelming odds and demonstrated to the world what freedom really means. This man was Lt. Colonel Matt Urban, a Polish American. He was the most decorated soldier of WW2, but one medal continually eluded him - the highest commendation of the United States - the Congressional Medal of Honour.

That he finally received the prestigious award was due entirely to the intervention of a close friend. Urban was too modest a man to meddle in self promotion. Despite the recommendations, it was decades before the military brass finally bestowed Urban with the recognition and respect owed to him. In July 1980 Urban finally received the highest of honours. Several years later he stated, "When I came home, I never thought about the war.. that's why the medal was 35 years late...I just never pursued it.'



60th Infantry Regiment Coat of Arms
Though Matt Urban was born in Buffalo, New York, he was of Polish heritage. The son of Helen and Stanley Urbanowitz, he was baptized Matty Louis Urbanowitz. As WW2 raged throughout Europe, Urban was studying at Cornell University where he graduated in June 1941 with a degree in history and government. He immediately enrolled in the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) and by the following month was already on active duty training at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. As part of the 60th Infantry Regiment, he was dispatched overseas and saw combat action in Sicily, France, Belgium and Germany. Urban is most praised for his heroic actions on D-Day.

During the landing at Omaha Beach Urban broke his leg, but was not deterred. His buddies were trapped on the beach, and despite his injury, Urban climbed atop a tank and led them on a concentrated attack on German position. The Germans called Urban by the nickname the "Ghost' because he kept returning to the front lines despite his many injuries. He was wounded six times, and returned to fight six times.

But he was injured a seventh time. A bullet ripped out one of his vocal cords, a wound which the doctors expected to be fatal. It was a miracle that Urban survived the attack. Despite the threat to his life, Urban adamantly refused to be evacuated, and was determined to carry on and lead his battalion. (The objective was to secure their position at the crossing-point on the Meuse River). Against all odds, Urban did survive the injury, though it was a two year battle for recovery. The damage to his vocal cords affected his speech for the rest of his life - he could only speak with a raspy voice.

Urban was praised for his heroism, evident throughout the D-Day invasion. There were ten acts of bravery documented. He suffered a leg wound from a bazooka attack while fighting in Northern France and shipped to an Army hospital in England. Remarkably within six weeks he went AWOL and returned to the battlefield. In another incident when his unit was virtually under siege by German firepower, Urban dashed across an open field in a hail of machine gun bullets, towards an unmanned American tank. He climbed into the tank and proceeded to return fire, successfully routing the German position.


Omaha Beach on D Day - low tide
Lt. Col. Urban was decorated with a total of 29 medals, which rival that of any military officer in the United States Forces. Among his many awards were 7 Purple Hearts (one for each wound) with silver and bronze oak leaf clusters; Silver Star (1 OLC); Bronze Star (2 OLC) with V Device; NYS Conspicuous Cross with 4 Silver and 1 Gold Clusters; Legion of Merit; French Croix de Guerre; and Belgian Croix de Guerre with palm.

What was the act that earned Urban the Congressional Medal of Honour? A sergeant who was an eyewitness to the event said that Urban, "one of the craziest officers suddenly appeared before us, yelling like a madman and waving a gun in his hand...He got us on our feet, though, gave us our confidence back and saved our lives."


US Congressional Medal of Honour

Matt Urban passed away on March 20, 1995 from a collapsed lung (due to his numerous war injuries). His remains have been laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery.

Matt Louis Urbanowitz will be remembered for his outstanding leadership, and amazing courage under heavy fire. He served the United States Army, the men of his battalion, and most dear to his heart, the cause of freedom and liberty.



President Jimmy Carter congratulates Matt Urban






Posted by Polish Greatness at 12:00 AM
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Labels: 60th Infantry Regiment, Congressional Medal of Honour, D Day Invasion, Matt Urban (Urbanowitz), Most Decorated WW2 Soldier, Omaha Beach, the Ghost

 

[yiostheoy]

The Poles had the finest cavalry (with horses) in the world during WW2.

Unfortunately cavalry are not much good against tanks.

 

[SobieskiSavedEurope]

The Poles had the finest cavalry (with horses) in the world during WW2.

Unfortunately cavalry are not much good against tanks.

 

[yiostheoy]

We joke about Polish cavalry during WW2 in military history classes.

The irony of the Polish cavalry is that everyone else learned in WW1 that cavalry were now obsolete against newfangled barbed wire, machine guns, automatic rifles, and tanks.

Not the Poles however.

 

[SobieskiSavedEurope]

We joke about Polish cavalry during WW2 in military history classes.

The irony of the Polish cavalry is that everyone else learned in WW1 that cavalry were now obsolete against newfangled barbed wire, machine guns, automatic rifles, and tanks.

Not the Poles however.

If you had watched the first video I just posted, it admitted that 80% of the Nazi Germany army was Horse drawn.

That the Nazi Germans, and Soviets combined had 6 million Horses during WW2.

There were enough mounted Nazi German Horse units.

nazi german horse units - Bing images

Furthermore, tanks were incredibly slow back during WW2, a Horse was actually about as quick.

 

[SobieskiSavedEurope]

Polish Chopin festival starts Saturday
PR dla Zagranicy
Victoria Bieniek 12.08.2017 08:46
A 19-day Chopin festival showcasing 19th-century European music from Chopin’s perspective, with emphasis on the trends that shaped his work, starts in Warsaw on Saturday.

Fryderyk Chopin. Photo: Polish Institute in Paris.

The "Chopin and his Europe" festival also presents works that were inspired by Chopin and aims to promote Polish composers who remain obscure abroad, including Dobrzyński, Zarębski, Żeleński, Stojowski, Szczepanowski, Elsner, Krogulski, Kurpiński, and Mirecki.

The festival features more than 40 events – including recitals, orchestral and chamber concerts, oratorios and a semi-staged opera performance of Verdi's Macbeth – and such pianists as Chopin concert laureates Eric Liu, Seong-Jin Cho, Yulianna Avdeeva, Yundi and Garrick Ohlsson.

Liu, a laureate of the 2015 International Chopin Competition, is billed for the first day of the festival, as is a concert by the Beethoven Academy Orchestra, a Kraków-based youth ensemble, under Jacek Kaspszyk, with Polish-born Canadian pianist Jan Lisiecki as the soloist.

Launched in 2005, the "Chopin and his Europe" festival is being held for the 13th time. (mk/vb)

tags: Chopin, music festival

Polish Chopin festival starts Saturday

 

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Blocking bullets – A Polish speciality
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More than a hundred years after a Pole invented the bulletproof vest, Polish scientists have improved personal protection against bullets by filling the vest with... liquid.
Without great exaggeration one can say today in all honesty that the bulletproof vest is a Polish speciality. The idea to create the vest came to Casimir Zeglen, a Chicago resident, back in the 19th Century. In 1897, the Polish monk obtained two patents for making a bulletproof armour made of a silk cloth developed by him, the thread of which was fastened so tightly that it blocked bullets from penetrating the material. In 1903, he founded Zeglen Bullet Proof Cloth Co. producing bulletproof vests.

After a century of technological development, nowadays the military has far more effective vests made, for example, of Kevlar, a fibre five times stronger than steel. However, this is still not quite the perfect solution: when hit by a bullet the vest's cover can bend up to 4 cm, increasing the risk of injury to internal organs. Polish scientists found a solution to this problem by creating a vest filled with a special liquid – a mixture of silica powder and glycol. The scientists behind the invention are researchers from the Warsaw University of Technology, the Military Institute of Armament Technology and the Institute of Security Technologies “Moratex.”

“This is a non-Newtonian liquid in which under the influence of momentary pressure molecules organise and arrange close to each other which allows energy from the blow to be absorbed,” Marcin Struszczyk, PhD, Deputy Director of Science at the Institute of Security Technologies “Moratex” in Łódź, told Poland.pl.

The expert points out that the liquid-filled vest must be made of ballistic materials, such as Kevlar and polyethylene fabric. Only then can protective equipment achieve incredible results: it stops a 7.62-calibre bullet rushing at a speed of 720 meters per second. No wonder that it has attracted attention the world over.

“Liquid is an additional element reducing the material's bend,” says Struszczyk. “Our tests showed that thanks to it we have managed to reduce the bend of the cover caused by a blow by almost 80 per cent, so to just 1 cm.”

Foreign companies within the defence sector are already interested in the solution developed in Poland and want to buy the revolutionary technology. It can be used not only in defence but also wherever it is necessary to disperse energy from strokes or vibrations, e.g. in the production of sports protectors, bumpers or dampers.

“We are thinking of creating special repellents which when applied to a ski suit protect the skier from injuries caused as a result of falls,” adds Marcin Struszczyk.

Aleksandra Stanisławska


04.04.2017

Blocking bullets – A Polish speciality

 

[SobieskiSavedEurope]

 

[SobieskiSavedEurope]

Lt. Col. Francis S. "Gabby" Gabreski
Scored 28 kills with 56th Fighter Group in WWII, POW
By Stephen Sherman, June, 1999. Updated June 28, 2011.

"This is your last chance, so give it your best." the flight instructor said to aviation cadet Francis S. Gabreski.

Uneasy as always, Gabby took the plane up and put it through the basic required maneuvers, stiffly, but competently enough to convince Captain Ray Wassel that he might make a decent pilot. After an indifferent two years at Notre Dame, Gabreski had enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1940, and had had a tough time of primary flight training.

Trainee Gabreski was a shaky pilot who didn't get on well with his first instructor, Mr. Myers. He was scared to death during his first solo, and afterwards knew that he wasn't progressing as fast as the other students. Mr. Myers' brusque and demanding style just didn't match Gabreski's uneasiness and awkward handling. Eventually, Mr. Myers scheduled an "Elimination Flight" for him with Major Ray Wassall (Actually, Wassall was a civilian but was know as "the Major" in St. Louis in the 30's and 40's. He was a superb instructor from the first, beginning in 1917 flying Jennys.) An "Elimination Flight" was just that, a cadet's final chance to prove himself worthy in the opinion of an Army officer.

Thus in September 1940, Wassall told Gabby Gabreski, America's future "Greatest Living Ace", to step into the plane and give it his best. He flew well enough for Major Wassall to drew the same conclusion as he himself had drawn. He was a marginal pilot, but probably could do better with a new instructor. He was assigned to a different instructor and in November 1940 completed primary flight training without further problems.

Polish Roots in Oil City, PA
Young Francis Gabreski was relieved not to let down his parents. Both of them had emigrated from Poland to Oil City, Pennsylvania in the early 1900's. Born on January 28, 1919, he grew up in tough family circumstances as his Dad got sick and couldn't keep his physically strenuous job with the railroad. To support the family of five children, his Dad borrowed enough money to buy the Purity Market, and worked at it 12 hours a day. Like many immigrant-owned small businesses, all the family members worked at the market. Francis was an average student and did not dream of aviation like many boys of the era did. His first memory of an airplane was from the 1932 Cleveland Air Races.

He graduated from high school in 1938, and as his parents were determined that their children would go to college, Gabby went to Notre Dame. Unprepared for real, academic work, he almost flunked out in his freshman year. At college, he developed his first interest in flying, thinking that it would be a neat way to get back and forth between Oil City and South Bend; never mind that Oil City didn't have an airport. He took flying lessons from Homer Stockert, owner of Stockert Flying Services, in a Taylorcraft monoplane, but after six hours under Mr. Stockert's patient tutelage, he just couldn't get the hang of flying. He continued at Notre Dame, starting his second year there as war raged in Europe and Poland was invaded and split up by Germany and Russia. When Army Air Corps recruiters visited the campus, Gabby went to hear them, largely because some friends went too. The Army's enticing offer impressed him, especially the program's waiving of an academic test, and he enrolled, reporting in July 1940 to Pittsburgh for a physical and induction into the Army.

Army Air Corps Flight Training
After these preliminaries, he went to East St. Louis, for primary flight training at Parks Air College, a civilian program that the Army used for its novice cadets. Here they flew Stearman PT-17 biplanes and Fairchild PT-19 low-wing monoplanes. Gabreski struggled through primary training, barely avoiding being washed out in the "Elimination Flight" described above. But he passed, got a new instructor and in November 1940 completed primary flight training.

He reported to Gunther Army Air Base outside of Montgomery, Alabama, for basic flight training. Unlike Parks College, this was real Army; everyone was in khaki, lots of saluting, the whole bit. Here he flew the Vultee BT-13, a more powerful and less forgiving plane, and so noisy that the cadets called it the "Vultee Vibrator." On this plane they learned instrument flying with a hood over the student's cockpit, which enabled them to begin learning how to fly in bad weather. Here Gabby saw his first fatality, when a pilot named Blackie went into a spin and bailed out, but the propeller chopped his legs off. He bled to death before he reached the ground.

After completing basic training at Gunther, Gabby and the other surviving pilots moved over to nearby Maxwell Field for advanced training. Here they took a big step up and started flying the famous AT-6 Texan, a bigger, more powerful, quieter plane equipped with retractable landing gear and a radio. It was almost like flying a fighter. At Maxwell, Gabby almost washed out again, this time for fainting at early morning parade when he badly hung over. He compounded the problem by not immediately explaining his reason for passing out. From the Army's point of view, a pilot who fainted for no apparent reason was an unacceptable risk, while one who fainted because he was hung over was merely a mild disciplinary issue. But before it got to expulsion, Gabreski coughed up the actual reason, and apart from some extra guard duty and other punishments, escaped further repercussions. He graduated in March 1941 and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant; his parents, family and friends from Oil City proudly attending.

2nd Lt. Gabreski received his first choice of duty assignments - fighter planes in Hawaii. He traveled there in the SS Washington, passing through the Panama Canal and San Francisco en route. About 20 Second Lieutenants were in his group assigned to Wheeler Field on Oahu. It was a beautiful green, sod field (sod being easier to maintain and easier on airplane tires than concrete), with rows of Curtiss P-40s and P-36s, and even a few old Boeing P-26 Peashooters (obsolete, but delightful to fly).

Two Fighter Groups with about 75 planes each used Wheeler Field. Gabreski was assigned to the 45th Fighter Squadron of the 15th Fighter Group. He and the other new pilots saw no more 2-seat trainers; they flew only powerful (1000+ hp), single-seat fighters. The P-40 had a lot of torque and in Gabby's first flight in one, he narrowly avoided crashing on take-off and landed bumpily but safely. The pilots flew about 30 hours a month, usually at 5,000 to 10,000 feet, never higher because they didn't have oxygen equipment. Flying was hard work, following all the leader's twists and turns, working the manual controls, and pulling heavy G's. After a day's flying, they hung out at the Officers' Club, mostly talking about flying, reviewing each other's performance, and trying to improve their skills.

War!
Among the pilots there in Hawaii, Gabreski "got a big kick out of" George Welch of the 18th FG, "a real Hell-raiser." They also enjoyed the officers-only beach at Haleiwa, with the timeless attractions of Hawaiian beaches - surfing and girls (mostly daughters of Army officers and their friends). Here, Gabby met Kay Cochrane, niece of an Army colonel. They began dating in late 1941, and had their first falling out on the night of December 6, 1941. That night young Lt. Gabreski went to bed quite concerned about his future.

As he awoke on the morning of the 7th, shaving and worrying about his girlfriend, he heard some explosions, which were fairly common at a military base. Then he saw a gray monoplane with red circles and fixed landing gear flying overhead. He realized the Japanese were attacking. He heard louder and closer explosions and saw smoke from the burning airplanes. The air crews hustled over to the airstrip and pulled out some undamaged planes. Captain Tyler, the squadron CO, ordered them fueled and armed. About 10 planes were readied, and Gabreski was one of the pilots selected to fly. As they flew over Pearl Harbor, they could see that everything was a horrible, burning mess. Jittery AA crews fired away at anything in the the sky, including the P-36s and P-40s. Gabby and his group searched the area for about 45 minutes, but the Japs were long gone. Having gotten into the air earlier, George Welch of the 18th FG had downed four.

In the aftermath of Pearl Harbor, Gabreski realized that everything about his life had changed. But after discussions with Kay and her family, the young couple decided to get engaged. Not long afterwards, in March of 1942, all the military dependents on the islands, including Kay, were evacuated to the mainland. The pilots of the 45th FS helped clean up Wheeler Field, dispersed planes into revetments, etc. They then moved to an airstrip near Kaena Point, at first flying constant daytime patrols, which quickly wore out both men and machines. They received new planes, P-40E's and Bell P-39 Airacobra, both of which had their drawbacks. The Model E Warhawk was even heavier and more sluggish than its predecessors, and the Airacobras had an unfortunate tendency to tumble. Throughout the summer of 1942, the 45th FS pilots led a fairly dull life: gunnery practice and flying patrols.

With the Pacific shaping up as primarily a Navy theatre and his strong feelings about the German invasion of Poland, Gabby wanted to get into the European Theatre. Capitalizing on his ability to speak Polish, he got the idea to transfer to one of the RAF's Polish squadrons. Perhaps surprisingly, the War Department okayed the idea and in September, 1942, he flew in Pan Am's famous China Clipper to San Francisco, from there on a DC-3 to Chicago, and then by train to Washington. The Pentagon "bigwigs" were more interested in hearing about the attack on Pearl Harbor than in his upcoming plans. As a junior officer, he felt that he didn't have much insight on base preparedness, etc., but he told them of his experiences. After a brief visit with Kay and his family in Oil City, he returned to Washington, was promoted to Captain, and shipped out to England.

England
In October of 1942, the new Captain Gabreski reported to Eighth Air Force Headquarters in England, to finalize his assignment to the RAF Polish squadrons. 8AF HQ seemed to him to consist of about 20 people running around in complete confusion, none of whom knew about him or his pending assignment. After some weeks of inaction, he met some Poles from the RAF in London's Embassy Club. He introduced himself to them in Polish and explained his proposal to them. They were very enthused, and were interested generally in America's war plans. His new friends of the 315 Sqn shared with Gabby the origins of the RAF Polish squadrons and promised to help him. Eventually both the US VIII Fighter Command and the UK War Ministry issued their approvals, so that Gabby joined the 315 Squadron.

He reported to Group Captain Mumler at Northolt in December, 1942. Northolt held six Polish squadrons of Spitfires; it boasted a macadam runway and permanent buildings. Capt. Gabreski was assigned to 315 Sqn., which was receiving the new Spitfire Mark IXs. These bore standard RAF camouflage and roundels, plus red-and-white Polish checkerboard insignia. They outperformed the P-40s that he was used to. They weighed less, had more horsepower, flew faster, and maneuvered better. Their two-speed superchargers and radio-equipped oxygen masks enabled the Mk IXs to operate at altitudes up to 30,000 feet (compared to 20,000 feet for the P-40s). They were better than the P-40s in every respect except diving; they were just too light. At that time fighter combat in Western Europe was not too intense, just fighter sweeps out over the Channel: "rodeos" - fighter-only missions and "circuses" - missions which included a few bombers as lures for the Luftwaffe. The Spitfires' short range prevented deep penetration raids. Tactically, the Poles used a "line abreast" or "finger four" formation, which allowed everyone to keep an eye on someone else's tail.

He flew his first Spitfire mission in early Jan. 1943, a circus to Le Havre; he was flying wing for Flight Lt. Tadeusz Andersz. They escorted a small formation of Douglas A-20 Bostons, twin-engine bombers. It was an uneventful mission, with no contact with the Luftwaffe. Gabby flew several more missions in January with the Poles, becoming quite familiar with the corner of France that the Spitfire's range covered. He encountered the Germans on Feb. 3, when a group of FW-190s jumped his squadron on a circus to St. Omer. As the dogfight developed quickly, Flt. Lt. Andersz called on Gabby to fire at a German right in front of him. All that the excited young flier could see were two small dots far away, so he fired at them. When they returned to Northolt and reviewed the gun camera footage, Gabreski was shocked to see an FW-190 in plain sight in the lower corner of the screen. On this first combat mission, he learned that he had to keep calm; he also observed the Poles' strict radio discipline and he saw how difficult it was to estimate the range to target. He flew another 25 missions with the 315 Sqn, but had no more encounters with the Luftwaffe.

56th Fighter Group
On February 27, 1943, he rejoined the U.S. Eighth Air Force, assigned to Hub Zemke's 56th Fighter Group, flying P-47 Thunderbolts, then stationed at Kings Cliffe airfield. Two things struck him: 1) the immensity of the P-47, a huge fighter with a 40 foot wingspan, and 2) the obvious military bearing of the 56th FG personnel, the influence of Hub Zemke. Capt. Gabreski was assigned to the 61st Squadron, commanded by Major Loren G. "Mac" McCollom. The squadron pilots had all been through training together, and regarded Gabreski, a Captain yet, as a bit of an outsider. Merle Eby introduced him to the P-47 and showed him its operation, especially the turbocharger that required careful monitoring. Despite its size, the P-47 was a nice handling plane, with the smooth roar of its big radial engine. Its climb performance wasn't much; but it had outstanding roll and spectacular dive speed. Gabby liked its efficient cockpit heating system and its eight .50 caliber machine guns.

The 56th trained during March and adopted the "finger four" tactical formation. In keeping with his rank of Captain, Gabby was made commander of the 61st Squadron's 'B' flight (nine pilots). On April 1, 1943, the Group moved to Horsham St. Faith, about 100 miles northeast of London. They flew their first combat missions in mid-April. They saw more combat in May, some pilots scoring, a few others being shot down, but action continued continued to elude Gabby. He was finally able to claim a damaged FW-190 on May 15, 1943, but didn't encounter any more opposition for the next month. On June 9th, the reserved Hub Zemke called Gabby into his office, explained that "Mac" McCollom was being moved up to Group Executive Officer, and offered him the command of the 61st FS, with the rank of Major. Forty years later Gabby could still recall his shock at this unexpected honor. He related in his autobiography, Gabby: A Fighter Pilot's Life, that he stammered his acceptance "with as much military bearing as I could muster. A year earlier I had been a carefree Lieutenant on the beaches of Hawaii, learning how to fly, now I was CO of a P-47 squadron, about to lead it into combat against the toughest opponents on Earth."

He led his squadron with skill and courage, but victories eluded him. His frustration ended on August 24, 1943, when he scored his first victory. From that day on, victories came frequently, often by doubles and triples, until he led both the group and all AAF fighter pilots in the theater.

In the book, American Aces Great Fighter Missions of WWII by Edward Sims, Gabby described the mission of Dec. 11, 1943, as the most exciting of his tour in Europe. The weather was perfectly clear as he led the 61st Squadron from Halesworth on a bomber escort mission to Emden. Minutes after take-off, they were over the icy waters of the North Sea. The sixteen P-47s of the 61st were a part of a 200-strong fighter escort that VIII Fighter Command had ordered for the Emden raid. They continued the long climb to altitude; well out over the North Sea, they reached 11,000 feet and continued to climb towards their goal of 22,000 feet. As they reached the northern coast of Holland, they approached 20,000 feet, cruising at 250 mph, looking to rendezvous with the bombers.

When they came up to the bombers, Gabreski and the Thunderbolt pilots saw the bombers under attack by German Bf-109s and -110s. The twin engine -110s were equipped with rockets to fling at the bombers. As the 61st squadron turned to go after the -110s, two of them collided and exploded. The German attackers scattered in every direction. The sky erupted into a wild melee of American bombers trying to hold formation, others going down in flames, U.S. fighters hurling themselves at the German attackers, German fighters swirling around, and German fighter-destroyers firing rockets. Gabreski focused on a trio of Bf-110s, that broke down and away; as usual, the superior diving of the P-47 allowed him to catch them, and shoot down the "tail end Charlie." His comrades took care of the two other Bf-110s. He watched his victim plunge down, then searched the sky fruitlessly; he couldn't see any other planes from the 61st. And worse, he was now getting low on fuel. He briefly tried to join up with a group of radial engine fighters, but he edged away when he realized they were FW-190s. When he checked his fuel again, he realized that he might not have enough to get home. He headed west, leaned out the mixture a little more than was safe, adjusted to the most economical cruising speed and altitude, and prayed.

As Gabreski was checking gauges, he spotted a lone plane coming in at 3 o'clock. It turned out to be a Bf-109. With his fuel situation, Gabby was in no position to dogfight the German, nor to take evasive action that would take him further from England. As the German made firing passes at him, twice Gabby sharply flew into his assailant, and continued his westward course. On the third pass, the German's shells hit, shot away a rudder pedal and part of Gabreski's boot. Even worse the engine had taken hits and began to run rough. The Thunderbolt started to spiral down, and Gabby let it go as long as he dared, playing 'possum' for the FW-190 pilot. The ruse worked for a few seconds, but the German quickly dived in pursuit. Gabreski reached the low clouds in time and eluded his pursuer. Nursing his damaged fighter and low on fuel, he reached the advanced strip at Manston

POW
Excerpts from: Valor, July 1997, Vol. 80, No. 7, by John L. Frisbee, Contributing Editor

On June 6, 1944 - D-Day. Gabreski led his squadron in long fighter sweeps over the beaches of Normandy. Three weeks later, he surpassed Eddie Rickenbacker's World War I record and on July 5th scored his 28th victory making him America's leading ace. When Gabreski 's total reached 28 air victories and 193 missions, he earned a leave back to the States. While waiting to board the plane that would fly him to the US, Gabreski discovered that a mission was scheduled for that morning. He took his bags off the transport and wangled permission to "fly just one more." After his plane was armed for battle, he met no opposition over the target. Seeking targets of opportunity, he spotted enemy fighters parked on an airdrome. During his second strafing pass, his plane suddenly began to vibrate violently and crash landed. Uninjured, he jumped to the ground and runs toward a deep woods with German soldiers in pursuit. Eluding them for five days, he began to make his way toward Allied lines. He encountered a Polish-speaking forced laborer whom he persuaded to bring him food and water. But eventually he was captured and interrogated by the famed Hans Scharff.

Finally transferred to Stalag Luft I, a permanent prisoner of war camp holding Allied air officers, he was barracked in one of the 20-man shacks surrounded by two rows of barbed wire fence. There he shared the bad food, hunger and punishments, if possible. But he was proud of the men's spirits under such miserable circumstances, for they had their own clandestine radios to listen to war news, a newspaper printed under the very noses of their guards, and supervision of the simultaneous digging of as many as 100 escape tunnels, few of which lead to freedom.

By March, 1945, after Gabreski was given command of a newly completed prisoner compound, food was at rock bottom. But he did not lose faith. Soon he began to hear artillery to the East. When Russian soldiers arrived, it was a joyous occasion and soon American planes evacuated the airmen to freedom.

After the war, Gabreski spent several years in flight testing and in command of fighter units before he succeeded in getting an assignment to Korea.

Korea
In July, 1951, now-Colonel Gabreski downed his first MiG, flying an F-86 Sabre jet, despite its unfamiliar new gunsight which he replaced with a piece of chewing gum stuck on the windscreen. Two months later, after a huge dogfight over the Yalu on Sept. 9, he was pleased to congratulate two of his pilots, Capt. Richard Becker and 1st. Lt. Ralph Gibson, when they became the 2nd and 3rd American jet aces. In December 1951, he transferred from the 4th to the 51st FIW. In April, 1952, he scored his fifth kill of the Korean air war, to become one of the few pilots who became aces in two war. That summer, cooperating quietly with Bud Mahurin, Bill Whisner, and other commanders, he participated in the clandestine 'Maple Special' missions across the Yalu River, into Manchuria. He was credited with 6.5 kills in Korea.

He ended a distinguished Air Force career as commander of several tactical and air defense wings. After his retirement from the U.S. Air Force, he worked in the aviation industry and as President of the Long Island Rail Road. He lived in retirement on Long Island, for many years as "America's Greatest Living Ace". He passed away on Jan. 31, 2002.

Sources:

• Valor, July 1997, Vol. 80, No. 7, by John L. Frisbee, Contributing Editor
• Francis S. Gabreski and Carl Molesworth, Gabby: A Fighter Pilot's Life, Schiffer, 1998
• Roger Freeman, 56th Fighter Group, Osprey, 2000 - from Osprey's new Aviation Elite series

Francis S. 'Gabby' Gabreski - Biography of Polish-American Ace in WW2 and Korea

 

[SobieskiSavedEurope]

Poland marks anniversary of 1920 victory over Bolsheviks
PR dla Zagranicy
Paweł Kononczuk 15.08.2017 09:00
A series of patriotic and religious ceremonies were held on Tuesday in Poland to mark the 97th anniversary of the country's victory over the Russian Bolsheviks in the 1920 Battle of Warsaw.

Polish-Soviet war; Polish defences with a machine gun position on the outskirts of Warsaw, August 1920. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

It is believed that the battle, often described as the “Miracle of the Vistula,” saved Poland’s newly regained independence after the end of World War I and prevented the Bolshevik revolution from spreading into western Europe.

The battle, part of the Polish-Soviet War of 1919-1921, was fought from 12 to 25 August 1920 as Red Army forces commanded by Mikhail Tukhachevsky approached the Polish capital. Polish forces led by Marshal Józef Piłsudski counterattacked, forcing the Soviets to withdraw.

Around 4,500 Polish soldiers were killed, 10,000 went missing and 22,000 were wounded, compared with estimated Russian losses of 10,000 killed, 500 missing, 30,000 wounded and 66,000 taken prisoner.

The 1920 Battle of Warsaw has been listed among the most important battles that have decided the fate of the world.

Tuesday's ceremonies began with a morning Mass at Warsaw's Field Cathedral of the Polish Army.

President Andrzej Duda attended the service, along with a host of government officials including Defence Minister Antoni Macierewicz as well as parliamentary leaders and military men.

After the mass, the president laid flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in downtown Warsaw and at a monument to celebrated statesman and military leader Józef Piłsudski.

The main ceremonies took place at midday, when the president oversaw a large-scale military parade in the centre of the Polish capital.

August 15 marks Armed Forces Day in Poland, an annual celebration commemorating the 1920 victory. (str/pk)

tags: 1920 Battle of Warsaw, Armed Forces Day, hp polskieradio

Poland marks anniversary of 1920 victory over Bolsheviks

 

[Cossack1483]

To this day it still very difficult to find a negro in Polska.

 

[SobieskiSavedEurope]

To this day it still very difficult to find a negro in Polska.

 

[SobieskiSavedEurope]

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‘Europe must wake up from lethargy’: Polish PM
PR dla Zagranicy
Paweł Kononczuk 20.08.2017 12:34
Europe must "wake up from its lethargy and finally start thinking about the safety of its citizens," Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydło said when asked to comment on the latest spate of terror attacks.

Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydło. Photo: premier.gov.pl/P. Tracz.



Speaking to public broadcaster TVP Info on Saturday evening, Szydło said that Europe “must not be afraid to talk about terrorism” and should “finally replace political correctness with common sense.”

She made the comment when asked what Europe should do to prevent more terrorist acts like those in Spain where at least 14 people were killed and more than 100 others injured in two separate attacks on Thursday.

"There is no price at which the safety of the Polish people could be sold, so the most important thing for me today is to have partners in Europe, among the European elites, to talk about what should be done to combat terrorism," Szydło said.

She added that the migration policies of Europe's leaders, especially German Chancellor Angela Merkel, "have benefited those who are now sowing death" among European citizens.

Szydło also suggested, without elaborating, that Central and Eastern European countries have developed their own ideas on how to deal with terrorism. (str)

Source: TVP Info

‘Europe must wake up from lethargy’: Polish PM

 

[SobieskiSavedEurope]

Prize-winning Polish-US playwright Janusz Glowacki dies
Posted 1:45 p.m. Saturday

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By MONIKA SCISLOWSKA, Associated Press

WARSAW, Poland — Renowned Polish-U.S. playwright and screenwriter Janusz Glowacki, who won top prizes for his bitter, ironic analysis of the difficult lives of immigrants, died Saturday at 78.

His wife, actress Olena Leonenko-Glowacka, announced his death but its cause was not immediately revealed.

Popular in New York and Polish artistic and intellectual circles, Glowacki was the author of award-winning plays "Antigone in New York" and "The Fourth Sister," which set classic themes in the contemporary world. A keen observer of reality, Glowacki's works are permeated with sarcasm but also with sympathy for the often-futile struggles of his characters.

Born in 1938 in Poznan, western Poland, he made a name for himself in the 1960s with short stories and screenplays, including for the movie "Hunting Flies" by Poland's leading filmmaker Andrzej Wajda. His dark and absurd humor was also helpful in protecting his works from censors, like the 1970 movie "The Cruise" that in a convoluted way showed the absurdities of life under communism in Poland.

He settled in New York in the early 1980s, choosing not to return to Poland after its communist authorities imposed martial law. He was in London for the opening of his play "Cinders" when the clampdown was announced.

Glowacki did return to Warsaw after the 1989 ouster of communist rule.

In 1987, his drama "Hunting Cockroaches" won the Hollywood Drama League Critics Award. "Antigone in New York" was awarded the Le Balladine Award in Paris for the best play of 1997, and "The Fourth Sister" won the main Grand Prize at the International Theatre Festival in Dubrovnik in 2001.

Funeral arrangements are still pending.

Glowacki is also survived by his daughter, Zuzanna Glowacka, and his ex-wife, Ewa Zadrzynska.

IMAGE: Prize-winning Polish-US playwright Janusz Glowacki dies
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Prize-winning Polish-US playwright Janusz Glowacki dies :: WRAL.com

 

[SobieskiSavedEurope]

July 4, 2012
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lXq-v3Pyq...xWVEO79og/s1600/American+and+Polish+Flags.GIF
LIFE, LIBERTY AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS. These ideals form the basis of the American Constitution, and for which Americans fought bitterly to win their independence from British rule. Among the many heroes of the American Revolution were Benjamin Franklin, who brokered a liaison with the French in fighting against England; Thomas Jefferson who secretly assisted in the drafting of the American Constitution despite great risks; Nathaniel Greene, who was in charge of the southern regiments, and who brilliantly lured the British Redcoats on a wild goose chase until the American soldiers turned on them.

But among all the heroes of the American Revolution were two great men whose names have faded from collective memory. They were not Americans, but they possessed the spirit of freedom and justice. I refer to Tadeusz Kosciuszko and Kazimierz Pulaski, two great Polish patriots whose love for freedom and liberty compelled them to sail across the vast expanse of a treacherous ocean to fight for another nation's independence.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-06hMobR91...of+American+Revolution+Tadeusz_Kosciuszko.PNG

Tadeusz Kosciuszko
Tadeusz Kosciuszko is a beloved national hero of Poland, and of the United States. He led the 1794 Kosciuszko Uprising in a desperate effort to free Poland from the brutal occupation and rule of Imperial Russia and Kingdom of Prussia, but the Uprising failed. Years earlier, Kosciuszko was a Colonel in the Continental Army, and distinguished himself as a great leader and valiant soldier during the American Revolutionary War. After years of service, in 1783 Kosciuszko was promoted to rank of brigadier general, was given a grant of land, and became a naturalized citizen of the United States of America.

On October 18, 1776, Kosciuzko was commissioned a Colonel of Engineers by Congress upon the recommendations of Prince Adam Kazimerz Czartoryski and General Charles Lee. He was dispatched to Pennsylvania to work with the Continental Army. Soon after having arrived, Kosciuszko read the Declaration of Independence for the first time, and was particularly moved by its precepts because it encompassed all the principles which he valued so highly. He was compelled to meet with the man who helped make it possible - Thomas Jefferson. They became very close friends.

Kosciuszko's first mission dealt with the fortification of Philadelphia. On September 24, 1776 he was given orders to fortify the banks of the Delaware River to defend against a possible attack from the British. In spring 1777, attached to the Northern Army under the command of Major General Horatio Gates, Kosciuszko directed the construction of several forts and military camps situated along the Canadian border. He restored defenses at Fort Ticonderoga, and after having surveyed the terrain he recommended the construction of a battery on Sugar Loaf Mtn, which would have provided an ideal post from which to overlook the fort below. However the latter recommendation was denied by the commander of the garrison, Brigadier Gen. Arthur St. Clair, due to what he deemed "logistical" problems. It was a serious error in judgement that greatly undermined their position. When the British Army arrived in July, their commander General John Burgoyne immediately established a stronghold on that hill, giving them complete strategic control.

Kosciuszko was considered one of the best engineers in the Continental Army. His accomplishments garnered the attention of George Washington who immediately put Kosciuszko to work on improving defenses of the American stronghold in West Point. (It was here that Benedict Arnold attempted to pass control to the British.)

There are memorials honoring Kosciuszko's name in many parts of the world. Bridges, statues, monuments, streets, and even mountains bear his name - in Poland, France, the United States, Switzerland, Australia, Hungary, as well as Russia, Lithuania, Serbia, and Brazil.


Urn containing Tadeusz Kosciuszko's heart


Kazimierz Pulaski has become known as the Father of American Cavalry. He was a soldier and military commander who fought against Russian occupation of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Like Kosciuszko, he also emigrated to North America, and with Benjamin Franklin's backing joined the Continental Army to fight during the American Revolutionary War. He saved George Washington's life and was given rank of General in the Army. Soon after he reorganized the American cavalry, and founded a new regiment, the Pulaski Cavalry Legion.

Kazimierz Pulaski


Pulaski was instrumental in saving the Army from a surprise attack at Warren Tavern (located near Philadelphia). He fought in the Battle of Germantown. In the winter of 1777, Pulaski remained at Valley Forge, with most of the Army. He strongly recommended that military operations continue throughout the winter however his idea was dismissed by the General Staff. Instead, he focused his energies on reorganizing the cavalry regiment, most of which was posted in Trenton. In February the following year, Pulaski worked with General Anthony Wayne, a collaboration which led to the successful victory over British troops at Haddonfield, New Jersey.

Despite these successes there lingered some degree of tension between the Polish and American officers, the latter of whom were not content to accept orders from "the foreigners" who could barely speak English. Irregardless the Polish officers were highly disciplined,
experienced cavalrymen and tacticians. In March 1778, Pulaski chose to resign his command due to internal conflict and the fact that wages due to the Polish lancer unit was denied.

Pulaski created a new unit at Yorktown, where he met with General Horatio Gates. At Gates' recommendation, Congress conferred Pulaski with rank of Brigade General, and a special title of "Commander of the Horse". His new unit numbered about 300 men, Americans and foreigners. Pulaski was highly commended by General Charles Lee for the high standards he used in training and became known as the "Father of American Cavalry". He trained his men in cavalry tactics, and demanded nothing less than excellence from them.

A heated controversy arose surrounding Pulaski's financial situation. Since Pulaski could not depend on Congress for funds, which were quite scarce, he resorted to his own personal finances to purchase the best equipment he could find to ensure the safety of his men. Consequently, he was mercilessly hounded by auditors and local officials. Pulaski was eventually cleared of charges, but not before his death. He died during the Battle of Savannah.

Just as Kosciuszko, Pulaski is revered as a hero who struggled and fought for liberty and justice - in Poland and in the United States. He remains among the most honored persons in American history. Many places have been named after him - cities, streets, bridges, a US submarine (USS Casimir Pulaski), a Polish frigate ORP General Kazimierz Pulaski, Fort Pulaski (during the American Civil War) and the list goes on.

Kazimierz Pulaski is commemorated for all time, and has been memorialized in the poetic verses written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. In 1929, the United States Congress passed a resolution proclaiming October 11 each year as General Pulaski Memorial Day.

In 2009, the US Congress passed a resolution conferring Honorary US citizenship on Pulaski, a bill which was signed by President Barack Obama on November 6, 2009. Kazimierz Pulaski is only the seventh person to receive such an honour posthumously. The other six were: William Penn, Hannah Callowhill Penn, Marquis de Lafayette, Sir Winston Churchill, Raoul Wallenberg, Mother Teresa.

Polish Greatness (Blog): American Independence: Polish Heroes of the Revolution

 

[Bleipriester]

The Poles had the finest cavalry (with horses) in the world during WW2.

Unfortunately cavalry are not much good against tanks.

Unfortunately, people have no historic knowledge. Poland owned a large tank force of at least 800 tanks in 1939.

 

[SobieskiSavedEurope]

 

[SobieskiSavedEurope]

He won Poland on the piano
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4. He won Poland on the piano

The Polish cause would not have found such a broad audience in America had it not been for his talent and fervent patriotism. Also, it is largely to Paderewski that we owe the rebirth of our country. It is fitting therefore, that we should revive his memory.

© Wikimedia Commons"> Ignacy Jan Paderewski was better known and more popular than Frederic Chopin, who in his lifetime never made a big name for himself as a pianist in America. Admittedly, Paderewski was active 50 years later, but we should remember that both musical geniuses rose to fame as piano virtuosos. Paderewski owed his renown to America, an emerging modern power which by the late 19th century had grown into a pyramid of wealth, dollars and capitalism, the world’s richest country. Paderewski conquered America already during his first tour of the continent. In 1891, he set foot in New York, where he arrived after his London success aboard a steamship named Spray. Enthusiastic reviews in England of the new star of European music had caught the eye of Steinway, a piano manufacturer, which decided to build the advertising campaign of its modern instruments around the Polish virtuoso, then aged 31.

Paderewski’s good looks and charm were a major factor too. His female audiences in the United States and England were enthralled by his romantic appearance and way of playing.

The reddish shock of hair, the air of a handsome dandy, his aristocratic manners, command of foreign languages, and piano virtuosity had an electrifying, intoxicating and bewitching effect on women in the audience. His performances saw women barging onto the stage, laying siege to concert halls, and shrieking and cheering without end (just like at The Beatles’ concerts 70 years later). This pattern would repeat itself in Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago and many other cities.

Although few musicologists and historians of music have taken note of this, Paderewski’s career was built by women. These included women he was emotionally attached to, had affairs with, and was loved and supported by, such as pianist Annette Jessipova, princess Rachel de Brancovan, Helena Górska (who later would become his wife), Laurence Alma-Tadema (daughter of the great painter), and earlier on Helena Modrzejewska, as well as the thousands of American women who idolized and adored this handsome and charming Pole.

Many of them had a habit of playing his pieces on pianos adorned with porcelain busts of the Polish virtuoso, or of falling asleep to the tune of Chopin’s mazurkas that were played by wind-up music boxes with a small Ignacy figure standing or seated at the piano.

His first tour comprised 80 concerts in 33 cities, starting with the triumphant performance at Carnegie Hall. The following day, New York papers hailed him as “the titan of the piano,” a genius, the king of pianists, the greatest master ever etc. “A breathtaking triumph,” wrote an “Evening Post” critic. The week-long spree of concerts propelled the pianist to stardom and made him a figure lionized by American millionaires, politicians, and Broadway stars. Paderewski made friends with the railway tycoon Vanderbilt, with J.P. Morgan who would become his banker, and with the publisher and press mogul Joseph Pullitzer, whose papers came in handy when Paderewski began to be politically active in America during the World War. His other acquaintances included Mark Twain and William Chase.

Like a Hollywood star

In America, Steinway & Sons made sure the Polish virtuoso had modern coverage and publicity. Even though it was Paderewski, a young star from Europe, who was supposed to advertise their grand and upright pianos (sales increased by 400 percent following his concerts), he too was given enormous publicity by Steinway. Part of it was Paderewski’s Train. Moving from town to town, Paderewski could not practice in hotels he was staying in, and had difficulty finding the right instrument. To address this problem, tour organizers arranged for a train that would pull Paderewski’s salon car with a room to relax, sleep, and play the piano.

Travelling in the second car was a spare piano and a tuner. Another car was occupied by a lackey, a servant, a photographer, and porters who would carry the artist’s luggage or move his piano should the one at the local concert hall prove unsuitable. Other cars followed with a kitchen, a dining room and a personal chef, a car for the friends and guests Paderewski would take on his journey, and a separate car for the journalists and critics covering his concerts.

The train became a sensation. Tens of thousands of people lined its route from Boston to Philadelphia during the second tour. Fans would gather in the night to wait for the train and cheer as it passed by, with Ignacy Paderewski standing at the window, a cigar in his hand, and waving to the crowd.

The first tour earned Paderewski a million dollars (in today’s money), and the next one brought in even more. No other musician before had been paid as much, not even Caruso, Melba or Anton Rubinstein, who were all considered major music stars. In subsequent years, Ignacy Paderewski went on 18 concert tours (featuring 80-100 concerts each) in the United States alone, to say nothing of his additional charity concerts, and White House performances given for presidents Theodore Roosevelt, W. Taft, W. Wilson and Herbert Hoover.

Paderewski considered himself a composer, treating his pianist career as a footnote. He dreamt of Richard Wagner’s fame, a musician he looked up to. Paderewski’s opera Manru was staged with great success at the Metropolitan Opera in New York in 1902 to mark its inauguration, and received glowing reviews despite its mediocre libretto and boring plot. The Polish pianist made over 100 vinyl records in the USA, which sold millions of copies.

A patriot and politician fighting for his home country

When the World War broke out, Paderewski, following his many affairs with some of Europe’s most beautiful aristocrats, was happily married to Helena Górska (his long-time friend who had abandoned her husband for him), lived in his palace at Morges, on Lake Geneva in Switzerland.

In 1915, he and his wife left for America. Paderewski stopped giving concerts (making exceptions for the Polish diaspora and the Polish Army in France, and to help war victims in Poland) to devote his energies and fame to advancing the cause of Poland. He used his contacts to draw the interest of US financial and political elites to the rebirth of Poland after 120 years of partitions.

Paderewski’s friendship with Col. Edward M. House, President Woodrow Wilson’s chief foreign policy advisor, allowed him to get into the White House and discuss the Polish issue with the president himself.

Influenced by Paderewski, Wilson became an advocate of Polish independence. After the United States entered the war, which sealed the allied victory, the American leader demanded that new borders be drawn in Europe. In point 13 of his Fourteen Points for the Versailles Peace Conference (1919) Wilson demanded that Poland should be restituted on the map of Europe.

The Polish cause might not have prevailed in the post-war wheeling and dealing of Versailles had it not been for Ignacy Jan Paderewski and his leverage with the political decision-makers of the time: President Wilson, British Prime Ministers Lord Balfour (Paderewski’s friend) and Lloyd George, and French Prime Minister Clemenceau. As the world’s new political and geographical order was being agreed upon, Polish politicians, including Roman Dmowski, Józef Piłsudski, and Wincenty Witos, were little known in Europe, let alone in America.

Paderewski would give personal advice to major world leaders, tell them about the wrongs done to Poland, which had been plundered and carved up by Russia, Prussia and Austria, and invoke their sense of justice. He succeeded, aided by his international renown as an artist.

After the Peace Conference began near Paris in January 1919, Ignacy Paderewski became the head of the Polish delegation, and put his signature to the treaty once President Wilson’s conditions had been accepted by the victors. As the composer himself put it, his purpose in life had been accomplished.

One day in his family manor of Kurylowka in (the) eastern Polish borderlands, he vowed to devote his life to saving Poland after being whipped by Russian Cossacks who came to arrest his father. His pianist career was important in that it allowed him to gain social position and fame. And success in America was necessary to achieve the overriding aim: freedom for Poland.

Ignacy Jan Paderewski was the prime minister of free Poland in the first year of its new existence. His life and purpose should always be an important lesson to us. Meanwhile, this outstanding Pole seems to be somewhat forgotten. It is time we changed this.

Author: Witold Orzechowski

He won Poland on the piano

 

[SobieskiSavedEurope]

Polish WWII pilot leads British poll to honour RAF heroes
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A Polish World War II pilot Franciszek Kornicki is well ahead in a poll held by a London museum to honour the heroes of Britain’s Royal Air Force.
Franciszek Kornicki, now 100, leads the poll, which the London-based RAF Museum has launched in the run-up to next year’s centenary of the British air force.

The aim is to select heroic RAF Spitfire pilots to be highlighted at a major exhibition.

An image of the winner of "The People’s Spitfire Pilot" title will be turned into a life-sized cut-out to stand beside an iconic Spitfire VB BL614 plane in the exhibition gallery.

Museum curators have decided that instead of being based on how many enemy aircraft were shot down by each pilot, the selection will be done online, with voters choosing the most captivating individual story.

Kornicki is among the 11 pilots whose biographies have been selected by members of the museum as well as academic and popular historians.

The last surviving Polish World War II squadron leader, Kornicki turned 100 last December. He is well ahead of the other pilots in the poll, with close on 200,000 votes, ahead of Sir Douglas Bader, with around 3,000 votes.

Kornicki’s short biography compiled by the society of Friends of the RAF Museum says that, after Poland was invaded by both Hitler’s Germany and Stalin’s Russia in September 1939, "Kornicki found himself flying an outdated PZL P.7 fighter in a losing battle."

It adds: "Undaunted by the collapse of Poland’s defences, he, like thousands of other servicemen, made his way to Britain to continue fighting. His ability as a pilot and quiet authority were noticed and, in February 1943, he took command of 308 Squadron which operated Spitfire Vbs.

"He was, at 26, the youngest squadron commander in the Polish Air Force. After surviving more than three years in the front line, he became a staff officer in 1944. After the war, Poland was controlled by Stalin’s communists, so he decided to remain in exile and joined the RAF; serving as an officer for over 20 years.”

To cast a vote in the poll go to: https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/london/whats-going-on/news/help-us-choose-the-peoples-pilot/.

Polish WWII pilot leads British poll to honour RAF heroes