Cigarette case belonging to Polish pilot Lieutenant FRANCISZEK GRUSZKA, who fought in No. 65 Squadron of the RAF during the Battle of Britain, one of the first Polish pilots flying on Spitfire Fighter. FRANCISZEK GRUSZKA was killed on August 18, 1940, during a combat mission over Canterbury.
The case is made of silver and marked MENNICA WARSZAWSKA. It is engraved inside with two inscriptions. The inscription on the left is dedicated to Lieutenant FRANCISZEK GRUSZKA. The inscription on the right is a wonderful dedication to the pilot: "To win, make your opponent furious and stay calm, my pilot." Most likely, the cigarette case was a gift to FRANCISZEK GRUSZKA from another Polish pilot fighting during the Battle of Britain.
FRANCISZEK GRUSZKA was killed in late August 1940 while fighting over England, and for years the inscription with the pilot's name was covered up in the case, which I personally uncovered after purchasing it.
Franciszek Gruszka was born on January 21, 1910, in the Lviv Voivodeship (Biłka Królewska - W. Grudniak). He passed his high school leaving examinations in Lviv. He graduated from the 7th Tadeusz Kościuszko High School. He volunteered for the Air Force. In 1931, he received his first unit assignment. He reported to the Balloon Battalion in Toruń. But he preferred airplanes to ballooning. He had the opportunity to transfer from the city of Copernicus to Dęblin. He took advantage of it. Five years before the outbreak of World War II, he graduated from the Air Force Cadet School as an observer. In 1934, he was sent to Lviv and joined the 6th Air Force Regiment. A year later, in Dęblin, where he was already familiar with the city, he completed a pilot training course. With the necessary pilot certificates from the Air Force Officer Training Center, he completed the Higher Pilot Training Course in 1936. This allowed him to fly in a training squadron.
In 1938, Franciszek was assigned to the Aviation Training Center. While in Brzeżany-Lutsk, he was to train other Ikar heirs. He likely would have stayed longer. But the outbreak of war prevented him. Before the guns began to ring, Gruszka became deputy commander.
Faced with defeat, he evacuated Air Base No. 6 to Romania. Like some of the flight and ground crew, he went to Yugoslavia. He didn't stay long. He wanted to fight. He reached Italy. He didn't stay long. He rushed to wherever he felt needed. So he ended up in Great Britain. After appropriate training, he joined the ranks of the Royal Air Force pilots. He flew with them in the 65th Fighter Squadron. What's more, he managed to take part in the Battle of Britain, defending the skies over London.
On August 18, 1940, he was scrambled into the air. A bombing raid was approaching the capital. They met it over Canterbury. A dogfight ensued. The Luftwaffe pilots had a keen eye. Franciszek Gruszka never returned to his home airfield. He died an airman's death.
https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franciszek_Gruszka
