THE PRO PATRIA PROJECT

GLOWACKI Antoni

77508, Squadron Leader, Royal New Zealand Air Force

CITATION

Distinguished Flying Cross

Awarded 4 September 1942, with 303 (Polish) Squadron RAF (Spitfire)

Actual Citation not available

Background

After instructing at 55 OTU RAF for most of 1941 he was posted to 611 Squadron (Spitfire) in October, but was then posted to 303 (Polish) Squadron

RAF.  In April 1942 he probably destroyed an FW-190 and over Dieppe on 19 August destroyed another and shared an HE-111 with two other pilots.

In February 1943 he was posted to 308 (Polish) Squadron, RAF.  During 1944 he was briefly attached to the USAAF before returning to instructing

in May.  In September he returned to operations as the OC of 309 (Polish) Squadron.

Distinguished Flying Medal

Awarded 16 October 1940, 501 Squadron (Hurricane)

Actual Citation not available

Background

Following the German invasion of Poland Toni GLOWACKI escaped the country via Rumania and arrived in Britain in January 1940.  He had joined

the Warsaw Aero Club in 1926 and served with the Polish Air Force about 1030.  With the RAF he was first posted to 6 OTU and just a month later to 501 Squadron, as a Sergeant.  On 15 August 1940 he shot down a JU-87 and nine days later claimed five aircraft in a single day, three ME-109’s and two JU-88’s.  By the end of the battle of Britain he had claimed 8 aircraft destroyed, a probable and four as damaged.  He was then awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal and later commissioned.

Polish Virtuti Militari, Polish Cross of Valour***, Polish Cross of Merit, and the Polish Air Force Medal***

The citations were not published for security reasons

He was credited with eight destroyed, one shared destroyed, three probables and five damaged.  Was designated as  a WW2 Fighter Ace

He continued to serve in the RAF in the immediate post-war years, joining the RNZAF in 1954.  In 1958 he took up a flying post with the Civil Aviation Department and continued to fly until 1980 and amassing some 11,000 flying hours of which 8,500 were in single engine aircraft, and having flown at least 75 different aircraft

After demobilisation, Głowacki emigrated to New Zealand where he joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force. As a Flight Lieutenant he was an instructor at OTU at Ohakea Air Base, converting new pilots from piston-engined trainers to Vampire jets. He retired from the RNZAF and became an airfield inspector with the New Zealand Department of Civil Aviation where he was responsible for sport and executive aviation.

KNOWN AWARDS

Distinguished Flying Cross

Distinguished Flying Medal

1939-45 Star

Aircrew Europe Star

Battle of Britain

Defence Medal

War Service Medal 1939-45

Polish Virtuti Militari

Polish Cross of Valour***

Polish Cross of Merit

Polish Air Force Medal***

NOTES

Born 10 February 1919 Warsaw, Poland

Died 27 April 1980 Wellington, New Zealand

Buried Karori Cemetery (Section Lawn, Plot number 33 F)