2nd Lieutenant Włodzimierz Bernhardt

Born May 30, 1915 in Warsaw, died September 29, 2013 in Warsaw

Włodzimierz Bernhardt began his military career in the 21st Infantry Regiment, where he served during the defensive campaign in 1939. He took part, among others, in the battles of Mława, Kock and in the defense of Warsaw. His next stop was France, where he served in the 3rd Silesian Grenadier Regiment. It was only in England in mid-1942 that an Army cadet was allowed to complete an aircraft piloting course. After undergoing training as a Lancaster bomber, he joined the 300th bomber squadron “Ziemia Mazowiecka”.

The outbreak of the Warsaw Uprising resulted in Włodzimierz Bernhardt being conscripted into the 1586th Special Tasks Squadron on August 7, 1944. The squadron was responsible for delivering supplies to the insurgents. His first combat flight in the new squadron took place on the night of August 16-17, 1944, Włodzimierz served as a bombardier/drop officer. Despite constant control of the sky by German searchlights and fire from the Citadel by German heavy machine guns, the mission was successful. After the Halifax plane reached the appropriate position, Bernhardt decided to drop the containers over Warsaw. This involved a lot of responsibility and the need to pick the right moment. It worked, the supplies were delivered to Napoleon Square, and Włodzimierz, after completing his task, could go and have a rest. Unfortunately, on the way back from Warsaw, around 1:00 a.m., Halifax was shot at by a German Junkers Ju-88 fighter, forcing pilot Leszek Owsiany to make an emergency landing. After the order given by the commander, Włodzimierz handed the parachute to Leszek and then jumped out himself. Bruised, but without major injuries, he landed on a tree that cushioned the fall. The first thing Włodzimierz did after landing was to light a cigarette. At 2.00-3.00 a.m. Bernhardt encountered a civilian who took him to a nearby barn to spend the night in hiding and wait for the Home Army soldiers. After contacting a member of the Home Army, he joined the unit of 2nd Lt. Zdzisław Straszyński alias “Meteor”.

In November 1944, Bernhardt was sent to a camp in Kraków for downed British pilots and fugitives, where he posed as a Canadian who spoke French. After the liberation of Krakow on January 16, 1945, he decided to leave Poland. On February 28, together with a group of Allied prisoners, he went to Odessa, from where he got to England by ship.