Władysław Śliwiński was a fighter pilot who scored the 200th confirmed aerial victory credited to the legendary Polish 303 Squadron. After the war, he became a victim of communist repression and was destined to be forgotten.

 

On 6 September 1943, Polish 303 and 316 Squadrons led by S/Ldr Janusz Żurakowski took off from Northolt airbase for another series of missions code-named “Ramrod”. This time, Polish fighter squadrons were to provide cover for 72 B-26 Marauder bombers, which were about to hit the marshalling yard in Amiens, France. 303 Squadron was led by S/Ldr Jan Falkowski. One of the pilots assigned to the “B” flight of the unit was F/Lt Władysław Sliwiński.

 

This 22-year-old had been a 303 Squadron pilot for only a month, but he wasn’t a rookie. He had begun his combat service at the end of 1942, flying with the 306 Squadron. Then, in spring of 1943, he was assigned to the 302 Squadron, and finally, in August 1943, he joined Poland's most famous fighter unit, the 303. By that time, he had years of training behind him.

 

Władysław was fascinated by aviation since his teenage years. His passion led him to complete training courses in piloting aircraft and gliders. When in 1939, Poland was attacked by Germany, he wasn’t qualified enough to defend the Polish skies as a Polish Air Force soldier; however, he took the fight on the ground, serving as a regular infantryman.

 

Following the defeat of Poland, he made his way through Lithuania and Sweden to France, where he joined the forming Polish army and began his training as a military pilot in Lyon-Bron airbase. When the French surrendered in June 1940, Śliwiński was evacuated to Great Britain, where he continued his training and eventually earned his wings as one of the “few”, the elite circle of fighter pilots.

 

On 6 September 1943, he was hell-bent on finally scoring his first victory. Near the target, Polish pilots encountered German Bf-109s and Fw-190 fighters. 303 Squadron attacked a group of 6 to 8 Fw-190s and 8 Bf-109s flying at 25,000 feet.

 

“The flight did not promise anything great, but just after passing the shores of France, “ops” notified us of several groups of enemy aircraft that were coming at us - then I knew for sure that something was going to “come up” to my sight. And indeed - a moment later we attacked a Me-109 and an Fw-190. I fired at the Me-109 but was panicked by some other German with a yellow painted nose. I fled and once again attacked the second group of Fw-190s. I told myself that I would not let go anymore. Well, and I didn't let go, “ recalled Władysław.

 

He scored his first victory, a Fw-190 shot down in flames. As it turned out, it was the 200th confirmed kill scored by the 303 Squadron. This was a well-celebrated victory, immortalised in photographs. In one of them, we can see Władysław being honoured with a gold watch, presented at a ceremonial meeting attended by representatives of Polish, British and U.S. air forces.

 

Soon, the glory days were over. Although he didn’t expand his list of confirmed victories, he served well, gaining respect and recognition flying with the 302 and 316 Squadrons. After the war, he flew in Asia as a pilot of the 229 RAF Transport Group, and his last assignment was the Polish 309 Squadron. The unit disbanded in 1947, the same year Władysław decided to return to Poland and marry an English woman.

 

On 22 July 1947, together with his wife Myra Chadwick-Śliwińska, he returned to Warsaw, now free of German occupation but subjugated to the Soviet Union and communist regime. In 1947, he was contacted by Colonel Leon Bortnowski, who offered him to set up an intelligence network in Poland and collect information for the Polish exiled government in London.

 

Śliwinski's involvement lasted less than a year. We don’t know the exact motives behind his decision to become an informer. Maybe it was his loyalty towards the betrayed Polish exiled government? Or maybe it was his hatred for the communist enslavement of Poland? Maybe some other personal factors were involved? We don’t have the answers to those questions. In June 1948, he was arrested and jailed in the infamous Mokotów Prison. He was subjected to a brutal interrogation.

 

During the interrogation, he confessed to working for the British intelligence. By the end of June 1948, the Security Office had arrested 44 more people as part of the case, including Stanisław Skalski. Śliwiński’s situation became particularly dramatic after his wife and six-month-old son were imprisoned.

 

On 20 July 1950, the investigation was completed and Władysław Śliwiński was charged with working for a foreign intelligence service, organising an intelligence network and collecting information on the Polish Army, the Polish Workers' Party, Security Office officers, Polish industry and communication networks in Poland.

 

As early as 29 July 1950, the Military District Court in Warsaw issued a verdict sentencing Władysław Śliwiński to death. A complaint filed by Śliwiński’s lawyer with the Supreme Military Court was rejected, and President Bolesław Bierut also did not exercise his right of clemency.

 

On 15 February 1951, a firing squad executed Władysław Sliwinski in Warsaw's Mokotów Prison. Myra Chadwick-Sliwinska served her prison term in Bydgoszcz from 1948 to 1954. After her release, she eventually returned to Great Britain. Her son Stefan remained in Poland and died in 2019. Before he passed away, he had submitted a sample of genetic material to the Institute of National Remembrance to identify his father's remains, but to date, they have not been found.

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Source:  Institute of National Remembrance Facebook post

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