A World War 2 Polish Fighter Pilot Jan Zumbach Jan Zumbach joined the Polish Air Force in 1936 and became a pilot. He flew old planes like the Polish P7 fighter. During the summer of 1939 he broke his leg in a flying accident and so he did not fly in the battle against the Germans who invaded Poland in September 1939. When his leg was better, Zumbach escaped from Poland to France and flew a Morane 406 plane as a fighter pilot for the French Air Force. But on the 10th June 1940 during the German invasion of France, Zumbach was shot down by a German ME 109 fighter. Luckily, he escaped from his plane by parachuting down and was not hurt. The next week he escaped to England in a boat and flew for the British Royal Air Force as a fighter pilot in the Battle of Britain in 1940. He was a pilot in number 303 Polish Fighter Squadron. He flew a Hurricane fighter during the Battle of Britain and shot down 8 German planes, mostly ME 109s. In 1942 he became the leader of 303 Polish Fighter Squadron. By 1942 he was flying a Spitfire fighter plane with a Donald Duck painted on it. World War 2 Polish Fighter pilot Jan Zumbach Jan Zumbach joined the Polish Air Force in 1936 and became ________. He flew old planes like the _________________. During the summer of 1939 he broke his leg in a ____________ and so he did not fly in the ___________________ who invaded Poland in September 1939. When his leg was better, Zumbach escaped from Poland to France and flew __________________ as a fighter pilot for the French Air Force. But on the 10th June 1940 during the German invasion of France, Zumbach was shot down by ___________________. Luckily, he escaped ______________________ _____ and was not hurt. The next week he escaped to England in a boat and flew for the British Royal Air Force as a __________________________ in 1940. He was a pilot __________________ Fighter Squadron. He _______________________ and shot down _________________________ during the Battle of Britain, mostly ME 109s. In 1942 he became the _____________________ Fighter Squadron. By 1942 he was flying a ___________________ with ______________ painted on it. Jan Zumbach Writing Help Words became a pilot the Polish P7 fighter a flying accident the battle against the Germans flew a Morane by a German ME 109 by parachuting as a fighter pilot in the a pilot in number 4 406 plane fighter down Battle of Britain in 1940 303 Polish Fighter He flew a Hurricane shot down 8 German the leader of 303 Polish he was flying a Spitfire fighter plane with a p fighter planes Fighter Squadron Donald Duck painted on it. ___________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ Please use this page to do your own picture and writing about Jan Zumbach Questions 1 1. When did Jan Zumbach join the Polish Air Force? 2. What sort of plane did he fly for the Polish Air Force? 3. Which battle did Jan Zumbach miss in 1939? 4. Why did he miss this battle? 5. When Jan Zumbach escaped from Poland, which country did he go to and which plane did he fly there? 6. What happened to Jan Zumbach on 10th June 1940? 7. Where did Jan Zumbach escape to in a boat in 1940? 8. Which fighter squadron did he join in 1940 as a fighter pilot and which battle did he fight in? 9. Which British fighter plane did he fly and how many German planes did he shoot down? 10.Why do you think Jan Zumbach was made the leader of 303 Squadron? Answer Starts 1 1. Jan Zumbach joined the Polish Air Force in… 2. The plane he flew for the Polish Air Force was the… 3. In 1939 Jan Zumbach missed the battle against… 4. He missed this battle because he… 5. Jan Zumbach escaped to… and he flew a plane called the… 6. On 10th June 1940 Jan Zumbach was… 7. In 1940 Jan Zumbach escaped in a boat to… 8. He joined… and he fought in… 9. The British fighter plane he flew was the… and he shot down… 10.I think Jan Zumbach was made the leader of 303 Squadron because… Questions 2 1. When did Jan Zumbach join the Polish Air Force? 2. What kind of plane did he fly? 3. What happened to Jan Zumbach in the summer of 1939? 4. Which plane did he fly as a fighter pilot for the French Air Force? 5. What happened to Jan Zumbach on 10th June 1940? 6. How did he escape from his plane? 7. Which plane did he fly as a pilot in 303 Polish Fighter Squadron? 8. How many German planes did he shoot down in the Battle of Britain in 1940? Answer Starts 2 1. Jan Zumbach joined the Polish Air Force in… 2. He flew the Polish… 3. In the summer of 1939 Jan Zumbach… 4. As a fighter pilot for the French Air Force he flew a… 5. On the 10th June 1940 Jan Zumbach was… 6. He escaped from his plane by… 7. As a pilot in 303 Polish Fighter Squadron, Jan Zumbach flew a… 8. During the Battle of Britain in 1940, he shot down… Jan Zumbach Pictures A A An old fashioned Polish P7 fighter like the one flown by Yan A french Morane 406 fighter plane like the one flown by Jan Zumbach in Poland. Zumbach in France in 1940. Yan Zumbach’s Spitfire fighter plane. You can see the Donald Duck Yan Zumbach in the cockpit of his Spitfire fighter plane. You can picture on the side by the cockpit. see Donald Duck, the Polish Squadron badge and the black crosses for the number of German planes he has shot down. Jan Zumbach’s Diary We do not know for certain that Jan Zumbach kept a dairy of his life as a fighter pilot but he probably did. A long time after the war he wrote a book about his fighter pilot adventures and he would have needed a dairy to help him remember when things happened. Let’s imagine Jan Zumbach did write a diary. Part of his diary might look like this. July 10th 1939 I took off with two other pilots to fly our P7 fighter planes over the airfield. I won the race back but I nearly hit a tree! July 15th 1939 Crash! I had a lucky escape today. I landed my plane too fast and crashed it. I’m okay but my leg is broken. I am writing this in the hospital. August 15th 1939 My leg is getting better. I’m leaving hospital today. September 1st 1939 The Germans have attacked our country! They are sending hundreds of planes to bomb Poland! September 15th 1939 The Germans are winning the battle for Poland. Our army is retreating. The Germans have too many tanks and planes. Our army can’t stop them. September 16th 1939 The Germans are getting close to our base. They could be here very soon. We are leaving. We are going to try to escape to France. October 10th 1939 We made it! We have arrived in France. The French are going to let us fly their new Morane 406 fighter planes! Task: Write a few pages from Jan Kumbach’s diary. Use the time line to help you. Choose 5 or 6 events from the time line and write your diary for those dates. Time Line for Jan Zumbach’s Diary The dates in red are real. The other dates are made up dates but the events are real or probably happened. September 1st 1939 The Germans attack Poland. September 16th 1939 Escape from Poland. October 10th 1939 Arrive in France. Big party with French! October 20th 1939 Join French Air Force. Another big party! November 10th 1939 Fly French Morane 406 fighter plane for the first time. January 15th 1940 Very cold weather, snow! Can’t fly the planes. January 30th 1940 The weather is better. We can fly again. February 15th 1940 Flew close to Germany today. Chased by a German ME109 fighter. March 20th 1940 Trip to Paris. Saw the Eiffel Tower. April 14th 1940 The French give me a new Morane 406 fighter to fly. May 10th 1940 The Germans attack France. May 15th 1940 German planes everywhere! May 20th 1940 Chased by 20 German planes. Escaped! June 10th 1940 Shot down by German ME109 fighter. Escaped from plane by parachute. Not hurt. June 15th 1940 Germans nearly at our base. Time to escape again. June 18th 1940 Escape by boat to England. August 2nd 1940 Join 303 Polish Fighter Squadron. Jan Zumbach images: website details militaryphotos.net militaryphotos.net incredibleimages4u.blogspot.com militaryphotos.net kits.kitreview.com directart.co.uk thedaysofglory.blogspot.com en.wikipedia.org jackiefreemenphotography.com forum.netweather.tv anglican.ca www.wojciechowski.freeserve.co.uk vectaris.net ww2incolor.com bobgamehub.blogspot.com .