Waclaw was born January 22, 1917 in Olszanka, poviat Augustów, voivodeship Białystok. ( Witold Urbanowicz, Polish fighter ace of World War II, also came from this village).  Waclaw was the son of Józef and Stanisława.  

 

At the age of 19, he was accepted at the NCO School for Minors in Konin, and studied there from 1932 to 1936. After graduation, he went on to complete the pilot course in Bydgoszcz (1936-1937).  On graduating, he was assigned to 1 P. Lot. in Warsaw.

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WW2 began when the Germans invaded Poland from the west on September 1, 1939, and Waclaw flew missions during the September Campaign.  When the Russians invaded Poland from the est on September 17th, the Polish forces were ordered to evacuate to Romania or Hungary in order to continue the battle from outside Poland.

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Waclaw evacuated to Romania, and then escaped to England on August 5, 1940. After training in a combat training unit, Warrant Officer / Pilot Szypulewski was incorporated into the 300 Bomber Squadron called “Ziemi Masowiecki”.  He also flew in the 309 Squadron “Ziemi Wielkopolskie”. His service number in the Polish Air Force in the UK was 782470.

 

He was awarded the Polish Cross of Valour and 3 Air Force medals, as well as British WW2 medals.

 

Waclaw emigrated to Canada in April 1949.  He and his wife Wanda lived in Montreal, where Waclaw worked in the aviation industry as a toolmaker.

 

He was one of the founding members of the “310 Wilno Wing”also a member of the Polish Veterans Association.

 

He died on October 27, 1994 at the age of 77, and is buried in the Polish Military section of the Pointe Claire cemetery