*Please Note Amended Description* P704114 Flight Sergeant St...

Hammer

£2,800

*Please Note Amended Description* P704114 Flight Sergeant Stanislaw Getman , 300 ( Polish ) Squadron RAF , WWII : An impressive group of Gallantry and Campaign Medals , comprising :

France :
Croix de Guerre , Croix de Combattant Voluntaires , Croix de Combattant , Medaille Engage Voluntaire , Commemmorative Medaille de la Guerre 1939/45 , Medaille de Union Nationalle des Combattants
Britain :
Air Crew Europe Star (with Bar for France & Germany) , 1939-45 Star , Africa Star , Italy Star , France & Germany Star , Defence Medal , War Medal , Distinguished Flying Medal (copy) , Bomber Command Medal

Poland :
Order of Vituti Militari (5th Class) plus oak leaf, (note: this lot comes with a citation signed by N.M Boffee D.F.C Wing Commander for a Polish Order of Vituti Militari (4th class) however other records for this award are absent) , Cross of Valour (3 Bars) , Cross of Merit (with Swords), Air Force Medal (with Bar)

Together with medal citations , RAF and Polish Air Force insignia , Dog Tags , ring with PAF insignia , tunic buttons , a War Office 1943 Map of Hamburg and a large collection of related ephemera .

In 1930s Poland , Stanislaw's father Michal Getman was serving as a Chief of Police . However in 1939 , as Germany invaded from the West and Russia from the East , he was arrested by the NKVD . Taken to Katyn Forest, Michal was executed (see Katyn Massacre.) Days later , his son Stanislaw was also arrested by the Russians. A serving member of the Polish Air Force , Stanislaw was sent to a Gulag in the East where he witnessed the deaths of some 65,000 detainees .
He lived and was later deported to England on the RMS Empress of Russia , whereupon he joined the Royal Air Force . In the dual role of Tailgunner / Radio Operator, Flt Sgt Getman flew some 45 missions over three tours in Vickers Wellington and Avro Lancaster Bombers , before being shot down over France . During this last mission , Stanislaw was in the process of moving from the tailgunner to take over radio duties when the aircraft was severely hit by anti- aircraft fire . He was able to bail out, but broke both ankles upon landing . The sole survivor of the crash , he was picked up by the French Underground and spent the remainder of the war with the Maquis ( French Resistance ) undertaking sabotage operations . At the end of the war he travelled back to England, leaving the RAF in 1948 .