Klem Baczewski - 300 Squadron R.A.F. - 'A Quiet Hero'
Directed by Greg EnglertKlemens Marian Baczewski was born on 22 March 1915 in Warsaw Poland. Prior to 1939 Klem was a Naval Cadet. He was good at most sports...tennis, horse riding, skiing and he was an excellent speed skater. He loved soccer and played in the Polish team in the R.A.F. Klem's father was a Solicitor in Warsaw and he had some important clients wishing to travel to Romania. Knowing Klem was a good driver and loved cars he offered his son's services as a driver to his clients on holiday. Not long after they arrived in Romania war broke out and he was advised by his father it was not safe to return. On the 17th of September 1939 the German Blitzkreig reached Warsaw from the West. Whilst in Romania he wrote to his family but learned that as the war continued his parents and grandmother were killed. He heard that his sister Hanka had survived and had gone to Palestine or Egypt with the Red Cross, so he decided to try to find her. He undertook a journey from Romania to Turkey and Palestine and eventually to Egypt where he discovered that his sister had died, possibly in Palestine when the hospital was bombed. He is then believed to have stowed away on a ship to Glasgow. Klem enlisted in the R.A.F. on the 5th August 1940 and in either late 1941 or early 1942, whilst undertaking his Pilot's training, met Joan Stanhope in Blackpool She was 16 and he was 26yrs old at the time. Klem and Joan regularly danced at the world famous Blackpool Tower Ballroom along with many others in a sea of swirling people crammed onto the dance floor. They would also have regularly seen the Ballroom's "Mighty Wurlitzer Organ" rise from below the stage with Reginald Dixon playing "oh I do love to be beside the seaside". The ballroom was opened in 1899 and had a dance floor measuring 120 feet by 102 feet. The inscription above the Ballroom stage, "Bid me discourse, I will enchant thine ear", is from a sonnet by Shakespeare - Venus and Adonis. Among the Ballroom's strict rules were:- "Gentlemen may not dance unless with a lady" and "disorderly conduct means immediate expulsion". In October 1941 Klem told Joan that he was to go to Bramcote to commence his training. From his RAF Pilot's Flying Logbook from Flying Training School dated 13th April 1942 to 31 May 1942, which contains details of his training in a Tiger Moth with Sgt. Bilau and F/Sgt. Huc. On 25th June 1943 Klem completed his operational training in 18 Operational Training Unit as a member of the crew commanded by Sgt pilot Jan Nowocin (NOWAZIN). Klem was the Sergeant Bomb Aimer and occasionally air gunner. It is not known why he flew as a Bomb Aimer and not a Pilot as he had originally trained for. The crew was posted to 300 Squadron at Ingham in Lincolnshire. 300 Squadron was formed in Blackpool as were a lot of the other Polish Squadrons On the night of the 14/15 July 1943 Klem flew his first mission in Avro Lancasters as an Air Gunner over Aachen. Over the next 6 months Klem flew no less than 26 missions including missions over Essen and Hannover. On the night of the 24-25 July 1943 Klem was a Bomb aimer in one of 791 Bombers involved in the bombing of the German city of Hamburg. Operation Gomorrah is remembered as one of the most horrifying bombing raids destroying most of the city in one of the largest firestorms of World War II and sadly killing an estimated 37,000 civilians and wounding 180,000 more. On 11th of October 1943 he was promoted to the rank of Flight Sergeant. On 20th March 1944, Upon completion of his tour of duty he and his crew left 300 Sqn for the Depot of Polish Inspectorate General at Blackpool (D.P.I.G.) then from 17/4/44 to 11/8/44 at (Polish) Air Crew Training Centre - (P) A.C.T.C.W. From 12/8/44 to 18/10/44 Klem was stationed at R.A.F. Bomber 31 Base at Stradishall - Suffolk where the 1657 Heavy Conversion Unit trained crews for heavy bombers including the Short Stirling Bombers being used for the invasion of Europe after D Day. From 9/1/45 to 3/4/45 - Klem was stationed at the R.A.F. 74 Base Marston Moor at Tockwith North Yorkshire where the 1652 Heavy Conversion Unit trained crews from medium bombers to heavy bombers such as the Halifax Mk III and Lancasters. This was an extremely dangerous activity. In the short 3 months Klem was in Yorkshire 41 planes crashed (mostly Halifaxes and Lancasters) and 192 crew members killed, many Australian. On one horror day 5th March, 9 separate Halifax Bombers crashed killing 50 crew members. On 26 March, 1945 while instructing bomber crews on Halifax MkIII bombers those freezing temperatures iced up the carburetor on a Lancaster Klem was in causing them to crash in a field and all were injured. R.A.F. records show Klem was attached to the Polish Air Force Depot (P.A.F.D) from 4/4/45 to 7/8/46. This would have been the lengthy time Klem spent in a hospital with possibly a broken back. Klem once revealed that he met many Aussies in the hospital who not only helped raise his spirits but taught him some colourful Aussie language. These experiences may have played some part in his eventual decision to emigrate to Australia. Klem's daughter Lynda recalled that as for as long as she can remember, he suffered with this injury. He was hospitalised several times over the years having to have traction for usually at least 2 weeks and sometimes even longer. In 1972, in a show of his strength and determination he had to take Valium so he could walk Lynda down the aisle and without telling them headed straight to hospital after they had left the wedding. In June 1944 Klem was awarded Polands Highest military honour, the Virtuti Militari (the equivalent of the Victoria Cross and US Medal of Honour). Eventually he was also awarded the Polish Cross of Valour twice and the Polish Air Service Medal along with the British 1939 - 1945 Star, the Air Crew Europe Star, The Defence Medal and the War Medal 1939 to 1945. After the war Klem and Joan lived in Blackpool and married in January 1946. He was still in uniform when they married as he had signed up for 2 years to serve in the 1st and then the 5th Polish Resettlement Corps. These units were for armed forces members who had served with the British and who didn't want to return to communist Poland after the end of war. It was designed to ease the transition from military to civilian life. He was discharged 10/12/48 with the rank of Warrant Officer. Joan's father Frank Stanhope, was in a position to offer Klem work as a spray painter on the iconic Blackpool Tower. As leading hand, Frank was in charge of all the maintenance, repairs, working crews etc on the Tower and climbed all over the Tower - yet again dangerous work, similar to another famous Aussie Paul Hogan who years later did the same thing on the Sydney Harbour Bridge. He is believed to have worked on the Tower up to 3 years. Klem changed the family name to Stapelton and he became a British Citizen on 26 November, 1954. Klem's daughter remembers in possibly 1955/56 Klem was sick for a while and stayed in bed a lot. The children were told to be quiet and not to go in the bedroom and when they did see him he was sad and cranky. He wasn't going out and definately not working. Years later Joan mentioned that Klem had suffered a nervous breakdown (now known as PTSD) and had been unable to sleep for a long time and when he did he was restless, grinding his teeth down, sometimes having nightmares etc. Klem mentioned he was sick of the cold weather, working such long hours and no opportunity to get a different decent job. He wanted to live in a country with a warm climate. Joan's sister and brother in law had emigrated to Melbourne 2yrs previously and were offering to sponsor them to go to Australia in the £10 Poms scheme, a journey that normally took 6 weeks by boat. Klem and his family emigrated to Australia on 10 January 1964 and were one of the first 10 pound pom families to fly over to Sydney by British Airways. A great experience for all of them. He was fortunate to get a job that he loved, working for Chrysler Australia and worked his way from preparing cars for the showroom and sales to Foreman for quality control. He worked there for just over 20yrs choosing to retire late at the age of 70. On ANZAC DAY 1989 the Wentworthville RSL in Sydney honoured Klem. It was the first and only time his family had ever seen him wear his medals. Klem lived a quiet family orientated life in Sydney and was able to know his 2 grandchildren Matthew and Brett. Klem passed away on 14 October, 1990. Klem's Eulogy summed up his life. He was a quiet, private person..a man of few words but also with strong convictions. He was loyal, supportive and lived for his family and friends: a man of warmth and character, a proud and sensitive person who always tried to do the right thing. But above all, he was always a Gentleman.
Where to Watch Klem Baczewski - 300 Squadron R.A.F. - 'A Quiet Hero'
