Český Těšín, Czechoslovakia, 2nd October 1938

Polish occupiers

Pomietlarz, John Sunday, 16 Dec 2012 Comox Valley Record Courtenay 
December 21, 1915 - December 16, 2012 
John passed away December 16, at the age of 96. Born in the village of Brzeszcze, Poland, as a young man he began his lifelong love of flying often bicycling 20 miles to the Zar airfield in southern Poland where he learned to fly gliders. He was finishing his flight training school in the Polish Airforce when Germany invaded Poland in 1939. John escaped and after an adventurous journey through Romania, Lebanon and France he eventually arrived in Blackpool, England where he joined the RAF. 
He flew Spitfires in the 306 Polish Squadron-City of Torun. Towards the end of WWII he was flying P51 Mustangs, one of his favourite aircraft. For his service to his country and freedom during WWII John was awarded the highest Polish decoration - the VIRTUTI-MILITARY as well as the Cross of Valour (2 bars). John came to Canada after the war settling in Edmonton where he was a very successful entrepreneur as well as a founding member of the Edmonton Soaring Club. His true passion was flying gliders and many Edmonton glider pilots received their training from CFI John Pomietlarz. 
John retired to the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island in the late 70s enjoying his boat, fishing, gardening and golf. He is survived by his second wife Muriel and her daughters Linda and Carol, his son Paul (Monica), grandchildren Caitlin and Tyler as well as many nieces and nephews in Edmonton and Poland. 
Special thanks to the TCU staff at St Joseph’s Hospital, Comox for their wonderful care and compassion. A private ceremony will be held in the future in Edmonton as well as Brzeszcze, Poland.

Polish ace John Pomietlarz

Warsaw photographer Eugeniusz Lokajski, 1909-1944, took this photo of a Warsaw insurgent holding a cat ,Moniuszki street,september 1944. 

