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This story was submitted to the People’s War site by a volunteer from csvberkshire on behalf of Kazimierz Pakula and has been added to the site with his permission. Kazimierz Pakula fully understands the site’s terms and conditions.
Kazimierz Pakula’s Story. Part Two 1940-1944
Becoming a Navigator instead of a Pilot - a Disappointment that Probably Saved My Life.
When I arrived in Plymouth on June 22nd. 1940 I was 20 years of age and still hoping to be a pilot. A policeman saw us onto a train, the WRVS gave us food. I remember how clean and smart they were, also how soft and comfortable were the seats in the train . We headed North for Glasgow (though I didn’t know that at the time) where the Polish Authorities and Refugees were collecting. From there I was sent South to RAF West Kirby and on again to Blackpool, a couple of days later, arriving on July 2nd. There the streets seemed full of thousands of young girls all on holiday; it was ‘Wakes Weeks’ and all seemed so normal and so strange after the other countries I had been through in Mainland Europe.
We were put into a small boarding house in Blackpool to wait for training but it was a comfortable life as we only had Morning Orders and Parade. On arrival in England we had all been given a ten shilling note , a welcoming present from the King , George VI, and with this I bought an English—Polish dictionary (which I have still) for 6 shillings, 3 shilling were for the Pleasure Beach and 1 shilling I saved. During the following months I was determined to study English and learnt fifty words a day going to the local RAF library Reading Room. There I was helped by the Officer in Charge who gave assistance with English conversation. As a result of this after 9 months, and his recommendation, I was offered the job of Interpreter with the rank of Acting Sergeant at 306 Squadron in Turn Hill, Cheshire. However, they had been transferred to Northolt, and eventually I was posted to RAF Padgate in the Spring of 1941.
I was still hoping to fly although I had been an Interpreter in the meantime, and was at Padgate for 6 months before the posting came to St. Andrew’s as an AC2 for ground training. A year later in Spring 1942 I went to Hucknall for Tiger Moth training. This course, where the trainees were mainly American/Polish or Brazilian/Polish, was very selective and if one didn’t qualify to fly solo in twelve hours one had to leave and do other courses. In two to three weeks the numbers in my group had dropped from seven to only three. At the end of this course came the order that now more Navigators and Bomb Aimers were wanted. As a result, although I had passed the Pilot’s Course, I had to change direction and attend the Navigator School in Eastbourne where we were housed in the kitchens of the Grand Hotel. Eventually in the Autumn of 1942 I went to the Isle of Man and completed the training for a Sergeant-Observer, and three of us went on to Coastal Command and other courses, back to Blackpool then to an Operational Training Unit at RAF Siloth in Cumbria.

Part of a Polish Crew
In the Summer of 1943 I was part of a Polish crew which consisted of 1st and second pilots, three gunners and one Navigator and we were posted to 304 Polish Squadron based at Davidstow Moor in Devon. Then to RAF Predannack and RAF Chivenor where I was on June 6th 1944 We were doing anti-submarine patrols and night flying over the Bay of Biscay for about 10 hours at a time . It was very exciting but it was only the start of my RAF Service during the war. Whilst at Predannack we lost 2 crews (12 men) . One of the Navigators was my best friend; we had trained together. He was a Polish Jew and his name was Pawel Kuflik.
After 50 trips in 304 Polish Squadron I was selected for the Officer Training School in North Berwick and when I finished that course I was Commissioned. It was December 1944.
I had wanted to be a Pilot since I was 8 years old. I had been a Student -Pilot and had passed the Basic Pilot’s Course in Poland, and in England in 1941, so it was a big disappointment to be a Navigator. Nevertheless, it probably saved my life as it meant I spent more time on training and I did not enter operational flying until Summer 1943 - three of my High School friends from Poland who were a year ahead of me were killed in action in Bomber Command. The toughest part of my war was before I came to England
The prospect of feeling free and not being a refugee makes for happiness.

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