Marian Bełc

DSO DFC**
Born(1914-01-27)27 January 1914
Paplin[1] Russian Empire
(present-day Poland)
Died27 August 1942(1942-08-27) (aged 28)
RAF Babdown Farm, England
Allegiance Poland
 France
 United Kingdom
Service/branch Polish Air Force
 France Armée de l'Air
 Royal Air Force
Years of service1934-1942
Rankpodporucznik
Service numberP-1901
UnitPolish 143rd Fighter Escadrille
Polish 152nd Fighter Escadrille
No. 303 Polish Fighter Squadron
Battles/warsPolish Defensive War, World War II
AwardsVirtuti Militari; Cross of Valour; Distinguished Flying Cross (UK)

Marian Bełc DFC (27 January 1914 – 27 August 1942) was a Polish fighter ace of the Polish Air Force in World War II with 7 confirmed kills and one shared.

Biography

Marian Bełc graduated from pilot training at Lublinek air base near Łódź. On 2 November 1934 he was assigned to the 143rd Fighter Escadrille in Toruń.[2] In autumn 1937 he was transferred to the Polish 152nd Fighter Escadrille in Wilno. During the Invasion of Poland Bełc shot down his first plane, on 3 September a Bf 109.[3] After the Soviet invasion of Poland he was evacuated to France via Romania. He served in the Krasnodębski section of the Groupe de Chasse et de Défense I/55 under the command of Zdzisław Krasnodębski.[4] In the same unit served two other Polish aces: Jan Zumbach and Stanisław Karubin. After the capitulation of France he came to the UK. All pilots of the Krasnodębski section were posted 2 August 1940 to the No. 303 Polish Fighter Squadron.[5] In the Battle of Britain Bełc downed 6 German planes.[6]

On 15 April 1941 married Audrey Stephenson, their son Marian Edward was born on 27 October 1941.[7]

In 1942 Bełc became an instructor in 58 OTU. On 27 August 1942, in a training flight with a British pilot their plane crash-landed. Both pilots were killed.[8]

Aerial victory credits

  • Bf 109 - 3 September 1939
  • 1/8 Do 215 - 18 September 1940
  • Bf 109 - 26 September 1940
  • Bf 110 - 5 October 1940
  • Bf 109 - 7 October 1940
  • Bf 109 - 24 June 1941
  • Bf 109 - 28 June 1941
  • Bf 109 - 24 July 1941

Awards

Virtuti Militari, Silver Cross
Cross of Valour (Poland), three times
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)

References

  1. ↑ Andrzej R. Jańczak "Ostatni lot", Warsaw 1979, p. 138
  2. ↑ Sikora 2014, p. 286.
  3. ↑ Krzystek 2012, p. 88.
  4. ↑
    • Grzegorz Śliżewski. "Polskie "kominy" we Francji w 1940 roku" (in Polish). Archived from the original on 9 September 2009. Retrieved 9 October 2009.
  5. ↑ Zieliński 1994, p. 47.
  6. ↑ Sikora 2014, p. 290.
  7. ↑ picture of Bełc's wife and son
  8. ↑ Zieliński 2005, p. 17.

Further reading

  • Charytoniuk, Zbigniew; Zmyślony, Wojciech (2012). Wydawnictwo Gretza (ed.). Ppor. pil. Marian Bełc - As myśliwski Dywizjonu 303 (1914-1942). Warsaw. ISBN 978-83-932973-3-7.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Cumft, Olgierd; Kujawa, Hubert Kazimierz (1989). Wydawnictwo Ministerstwa Obrony Narodowej (ed.). Księga lotników polskich poległych, zmarłych i zaginionych 1939-1946. Warsaw. ISBN 83-11-07329-5.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • King, Richard (2012). Wydawnictwo RM (ed.). Dywizjon 303 walka i codzienność. Warsaw. p. 384. ISBN 978-83-7243-979-6.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • "The Battle of Britain London Monument - The Airmen's Stories - Sgt Marian Belc". Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 18 June 2012.
  • Zbigniew Charytoniuk, Wojciech Zmyślony. "Marian Bełc - życiorys" (in Polish). Retrieved 23 February 2013.
  • "Marian Bełc - awards". Retrieved 18 June 2012.
  • Tadeusz Jerzy Krzystek, Anna Krzystek: Polskie Siły Powietrzne w Wielkiej Brytanii w latach 1940-1947 łącznie z Pomocniczą Lotniczą Służbą Kobiet (PLSK-WAAF). Sandomierz: Stratus, 2012, p. 88. ISBN 9788361421597
  • Józef Zieliński: Asy polskiego lotnictwa. Warszawa: Agencja lotnicza ALTAIR, 1994, p. 47. ISBN 83862172.
  • Józef Zieliński: Lotnicy polscy w Bitwie o Wielką Brytanię. Warszawa: Oficyna Wydawnicza MH, 2005, pp. 16–17. ISBN 8390662043

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