Marian Bełc

Marian Bełc
DSO DFC**
Born (1914-01-27)27 January 1914
Paplin[1] Russian Empire
(present-day Poland)
Died August 27, 1942(1942-08-27) (aged 23)
RAF Babdown Farm, England
Allegiance

 Poland
 France

 United Kingdom
Service/branch

 Polish Air Force
 France Armée de l'Air

 Royal Air Force
Years of service 1934-1942
Rank podporucznik
Unit Polish 143rd Fighter Escadrille
Polish 152nd Fighter Escadrille
No. 303 Polish Fighter Squadron
Battles/wars Polish Defensive War, World War II
Awards Virtuti Militari; Cross of Valour; Distinguished Flying Cross (UK)

Marian Bełc DFC 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. 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. 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.[2] 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 to the No. 303 Polish Fighter Squadron. In the Battle of Britain Bełc downed 5 German planes.

On 15 April 1941 married Audrey Stephenson, their son Marian Edward was born on 27 October 1941.[3]

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.

Aerial victory credits

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. picture of Bełc's wife and son

Further reading

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