WWII veteran Jan Black shares his wartime experiences

Описание: Jan Stangryciuk (18th April 1922 - 22nd October 2023) was born in Poland and moved to Argentina in the 1930s. In 1940, he came to Britain and volunteered for service in the Polish Air Forces. He served as a rear gunner aboard Wellington and Lancaster bombers in No. 300 Polish Bomber Squadron, and participated in 18 combat missions. After the war, Jan remained in Britain and later took on his wife's surname. At the time of his death, he was the last known member of the Guinea Pig Club.

Here are the timestamps for his story:

0:00 - Introduction

0:30 - Early life in Poland and emigrating to Argentina

1:31 - Outbreak of WWII and travelling to Britain

7:32 - Joining the Polish Air Force

12:09 - Being badly injured when his Wellington bomber crashed

16:56 - Meeting Dr Archibald McIndoe and being transferred to East Grinstead

21:44 - Returning to active service as a air gunner

26:33 - Being recalled for treatment

28:22 - Remainder of service in the Polish Air Force

This is the first section of our interview, which was recorded on the 10th July 2016, at the Polish Centre in Hammersmith. I would like to thank the Polish Airmen's Association for making this interview possible and I also apologise for the occasional background noise. The rest of our interview was completed in a quieter part of the building.