Zumbach did not fly during the German invasion of Poland due to a broken leg from a flying accident during the summer of 1939. He returned to his unit only to be evacuated to France via Romania. While in France, Zumbach flew the Morane 406 and Curtiss Hawk 75 with GCII/55. On 10 June, he was one of several pilots shot down by Bf 109s, but escaped unscathed. On 18 June 1940, he travelled to England by boat and on 2 August was posted as one of the founding members of the newly formed No. 303 Polish Fighter Squadron.
Jan Zumbach (center) with four 303 Squadron comrades beside one of their Hurricane Mark I's
During the Battle of Britain, Zumbach scored eight victories and one probable, mostly against Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters. Zumbach was shot down by a JG 3 Bf 109 over Dover on 9 May 1941 when returning from a mission, but he was again able to bail out unharmed.
Zumbach became one of the first Allied pilots to engage in combat with a German Focke-Wulf Fw 190, which he damaged; in return, his aircraft was damaged by a "single radial-engined fighter" on 13 October 1941. In December 1941, Zumbach was posted to 58 OTU, and in March 1942 returned to 303 Squadron as a flight commander. In May, he was promoted to squadron leader and took command of the squadron, a post Zumbach held from 19 May 1942 until 30 November 1943.[3]
During this period, Zumbach flew three Supermarine Spitfire VBs, serial numbers BM144, EP594 and EN951. All these aircraft carried the same code, RF-D, "RF" being the squadron code for 303 Squadron and "D" the individual aircraft code. All three aircraft carried a cartoon of Donald Duck on the port side of the fuselage, slightly forward of the cockpit. Zumbach's victory tally was marked with German crosses under the cockpit on the port side; confirmed kills were outlined in white, probable kills in red, and damaged aircraft with no outline.
After handing over command of 303 Squadron to Squadron Leader Bieńkowski, Zumbach spent a year in staff appointments, including the Polish Air Force Staff College. He returned to flying duties as the commander of the 2nd Polish Air Wing, No 133 Wing. On 25 September 1944, he scored his final victory of the war, a probable kill over a JG 26 Fw 190 over Arnhem.
On 30 January 1945, Zumbach was posted to HQ, No. 84 Group. While flying an Auster that was used to visit units under the Group's command, he made a navigational error and ran out of fuel. He force-landed in enemy territory and spent the final month of the war as a prisoner of war.
Zumbach's final victory tally was 12 (and two shared) confirmed kills, five probables and one damaged.[4]
Post-Second World WarEdit
Roundel of the Biafran Air Force, organised and commanded by Jan Zumbach under the alias "John Brown".
In January 1962, Zumbach was contracted to organise and command Avikat, the air force of Congolese breakaway state of Katanga, commanding it until December 1962. He went on to deal in second-hand aircraft before again becoming a mercenary in 1967, as he organised and commanded the air force of Biafra, flying the B-26 Invader, using the nom de guerre of John Brown.[5] Based in Enugu, he became well-known among the locals.[6] During that time, he also partook in Biafran air force raids, including killing a Nigerian army chief of staff during an attack on Markudi airfield he led.
In 1975, Zumbach published his autobiography, originally available in French under the title Mister Brown: Aventures dans le ciel, it was subsequently published in German, English under the title On Wings of War: My Life as a Pilot Adventurer, and Polish under the title Ostatnia walka: Moje życie jako lotnika, przemytnika i poszukiwacza przygód. (The final battle: My life as a pilot, smuggler, and adventurer).
Memorial plaque to Jan Zumbach in his childhood village of Bobrowo
Zumbach died in unclear circumstances on 3 January 1986 in France, and was buried at Powązki Military Cemetery in Warsaw, Poland. The investigation into his death was closed by order of the French authorities without public explanation.
DecorationsEdit
Virtuti Militari Crosses are the most prestigious Polish military awards.
^Knoblock, Glenn (May 2004). With Great Sacrifice and Bravery: The Career of Polish Ace Waclaw Lapkowski, 1939-41: Illustrated with Official RAF Combat Reports. Merriam Press. ISBN9781576383308.
Olson, Lynne and Stanley Cloud. A Question of Honor: the Kościuszko Squadron in World War II. New York: Random House, 2003. ISBN978-0-375-41197-7.
Shores, Christopher and Clive Williams. Aces High. London: Grub Street, 1994. ISBN978-1-898697-00-8.
Zumbach, Jan. Ostatnia Walka (The Final Battle). Warsaw: Echo, 2000. ISBN978-83-87162-00-9.
Zumbach, Jean (sic). On Wings of War: My Life as a Pilot Adventurer. London: Corgi, 1977. ISBN978-0-552-10521-7.
Further readingEdit
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. 644. ISBN9788361421597
Jerzy Pawlak: Absolwenci Szkoły Orląt: 1925-1939. Warszawa: Retro-Art, 2009, p. 191. ISBN8387992224
Piotr Sikora: Asy polskiego lotnictwa. Warszawa: Oficyna Wydawnicza Alma-Press. 2014, p. 182-187. ISBN9788370205607
Józef Zieliński: Asy polskiego lotnictwa. Warszawa: Agencja lotnicza ALTAIR, 1994, p. 16-17. ISBN 83862172.
Józef Zieliński: Lotnicy polscy w Bitwie o Wielką Brytanię. Warszawa: Oficyna Wydawnicza MH, 2005, p. 230-231. ISBN8390662043
External linksEdit
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zumbach, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor, january, 2013, lea. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Jan Zumbach news newspapers books scholar JSTOR January 2013 Learn how and when to remove this template message Jan Eugeniusz Ludwig Zumbach 14 April 1915 Ursynow Congress Poland Russian Empire 3 January 1986 France was a Polish Swiss 1 fighter pilot who became an ace and squadron commander during the Second World War During the Cold War he became a mercenary in Africa and played a key role in forming the air forces of the breakaway states of Katanga and Biafra Jan ZumbachJan Zumbach c October 1940Born 1915 04 14 14 April 1915Ursynow Congress Poland Russian EmpireDied3 January 1986 1986 01 03 aged 70 FranceAllegiance Poland France United Kingdom Katanga BiafraService wbr branch Polish Air Force French Air Force Royal Air Force Katangese Air Force Biafran Air ForceYears of service1934 1967RankWing CommanderService number1382Commands held303 Squadron 1942 1943 Battles warsWestern Front World War II Battle of France Battle of Britain Congo Crisis Nigerian Civil WarAwardsVirtuti Militari Polish Cross of Valour 4 awards Distinguished Flying Cross amp Bar Contents 1 Early years 2 Second World War 3 Post Second World War 4 Decorations 5 In popular culture 6 References 6 1 Notes 6 2 Bibliography 7 Further reading 8 External linksEarly years EditThe son of Eugeniusz Zumbach and Halina nee Gorzechowska from a family of landowners 2 hailing from the region of Plock Zumbach was registered as a Swiss citizen his paternal grandfather of Swiss origin settled in Poland at the end of the 19th century He was born in Ursynow and grew up in Bobrowo In 1935 he graduated the Marshal Stanislaw Malachowski High School in Plock He joined the Polish Army in 1935 and served as an infantryman until 1936 when he transferred to the Polish Air Force After graduating the Polish Air Force Officer Training Center No 1 in Deblin in 1938 he was posted to 111 Eskadra Mysliwska Second World War EditZumbach did not fly during the German invasion of Poland due to a broken leg from a flying accident during the summer of 1939 He returned to his unit only to be evacuated to France via Romania While in France Zumbach flew the Morane 406 and Curtiss Hawk 75 with GCII 55 On 10 June he was one of several pilots shot down by Bf 109s but escaped unscathed On 18 June 1940 he travelled to England by boat and on 2 August was posted as one of the founding members of the newly formed No 303 Polish Fighter Squadron Jan Zumbach center with four 303 Squadron comrades beside one of their Hurricane Mark I sDuring the Battle of Britain Zumbach scored eight victories and one probable mostly against Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters Zumbach was shot down by a JG 3 Bf 109 over Dover on 9 May 1941 when returning from a mission but he was again able to bail out unharmed Zumbach became one of the first Allied pilots to engage in combat with a German Focke Wulf Fw 190 which he damaged in return his aircraft was damaged by a single radial engined fighter on 13 October 1941 In December 1941 Zumbach was posted to 58 OTU and in March 1942 returned to 303 Squadron as a flight commander In May he was promoted to squadron leader and took command of the squadron a post Zumbach held from 19 May 1942 until 30 November 1943 3 A Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Spitfire with Zumbach s markingsDuring this period Zumbach flew three Supermarine Spitfire VBs serial numbers BM144 EP594 and EN951 All these aircraft carried the same code RF D RF being the squadron code for 303 Squadron and D the individual aircraft code All three aircraft carried a cartoon of Donald Duck on the port side of the fuselage slightly forward of the cockpit Zumbach s victory tally was marked with German crosses under the cockpit on the port side confirmed kills were outlined in white probable kills in red and damaged aircraft with no outline After handing over command of 303 Squadron to Squadron Leader Bienkowski Zumbach spent a year in staff appointments including the Polish Air Force Staff College He returned to flying duties as the commander of the 2nd Polish Air Wing No 133 Wing On 25 September 1944 he scored his final victory of the war a probable kill over a JG 26 Fw 190 over Arnhem On 30 January 1945 Zumbach was posted to HQ No 84 Group While flying an Auster that was used to visit units under the Group s command he made a navigational error and ran out of fuel He force landed in enemy territory and spent the final month of the war as a prisoner of war Zumbach s final victory tally was 12 and two shared confirmed kills five probables and one damaged 4 Post Second World War Edit Roundel of the Biafran Air Force organised and commanded by Jan Zumbach under the alias John Brown Zumbach was demobilised in October 1946 but continued to fly for a living Under a Swiss passport he flew contraband around Southern Europe and the Middle East In January 1962 Zumbach was contracted to organise and command Avikat the air force of Congolese breakaway state of Katanga commanding it until December 1962 He went on to deal in second hand aircraft before again becoming a mercenary in 1967 as he organised and commanded the air force of Biafra flying the B 26 Invader using the nom de guerre of John Brown 5 Based in Enugu he became well known among the locals 6 During that time he also partook in Biafran air force raids including killing a Nigerian army chief of staff during an attack on Markudi airfield he led In 1975 Zumbach published his autobiography originally available in French under the title Mister Brown Aventures dans le ciel it was subsequently published in German English under the title On Wings of War My Life as a Pilot Adventurer and Polish under the title Ostatnia walka Moje zycie jako lotnika przemytnika i poszukiwacza przygod The final battle My life as a pilot smuggler and adventurer Memorial plaque to Jan Zumbach in his childhood village of BobrowoZumbach died in unclear circumstances on 3 January 1986 in France and was buried at Powazki Military Cemetery in Warsaw Poland The investigation into his death was closed by order of the French authorities without public explanation Decorations EditVirtuti Militari Crosses are the most prestigious Polish military awards Virtuti Militari Silver Cross Cross of Valour Poland four times Distinguished Flying Cross United Kingdom amp BarIn popular culture EditJan Zumbach was portrayed by Iwan Rheon in the 2018 film Hurricane 303 Squadron References EditNotes Edit Venter Al J 2016 Biafra s War 1967 1970 A Tribal Conflict in Nigeria That Left a Million Dead Helion and Company ISBN 9781912174317 Zumbach Jan Ostatnia Walka Warsaw Echo 2000 ISBN 978 83 87162 00 9 Knoblock Glenn May 2004 With Great Sacrifice and Bravery The Career of Polish Ace Waclaw Lapkowski 1939 41 Illustrated with Official RAF Combat Reports Merriam Press ISBN 9781576383308 Shores and Williams 1984 p 655 Michael Robson The Douglas A B 26 Invader Biafran Invaders Vectaris net Archived from the original on 9 May 2013 Retrieved 15 February 2013 Garrison Lloyd 29 July 1967 Eastern Nigerian Rebels Weather Their First Test The New York Times pp A1 A3 Bibliography Edit Matusiak Wojtek Zumbach s Donalds Rossagraph ISBN 83 916229 5 9 Olson Lynne and Stanley Cloud A Question of Honor the Kosciuszko Squadron in World War II New York Random House 2003 ISBN 978 0 375 41197 7 Shores Christopher and Clive Williams Aces High London Grub Street 1994 ISBN 978 1 898697 00 8 Zumbach Jan Ostatnia Walka The Final Battle Warsaw Echo 2000 ISBN 978 83 87162 00 9 Zumbach Jean sic On Wings of War My Life as a Pilot Adventurer London Corgi 1977 ISBN 978 0 552 10521 7 Further reading EditTadeusz Jerzy Krzystek Anna Krzystek Polskie Sily Powietrzne w Wielkiej Brytanii w latach 1940 1947 lacznie z Pomocnicza Lotnicza Sluzba Kobiet PLSK WAAF Sandomierz Stratus 2012 p 644 ISBN 9788361421597 Jerzy Pawlak Absolwenci Szkoly Orlat 1925 1939 Warszawa Retro Art 2009 p 191 ISBN 8387992224 Piotr Sikora Asy polskiego lotnictwa Warszawa Oficyna Wydawnicza Alma Press 2014 p 182 187 ISBN 9788370205607 Jozef Zielinski Asy polskiego lotnictwa Warszawa Agencja lotnicza ALTAIR 1994 p 16 17 ISBN 83862172 Jozef Zielinski Lotnicy polscy w Bitwie o Wielka Brytanie Warszawa Oficyna Wydawnicza MH 2005 p 230 231 ISBN 8390662043External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jan Zumbach Poland portal Biography portalBattle of Britain Memorial Flight 2007 Official Program See BBMF official webpage Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Jan Zumbach amp oldid 1144188335, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
