Years of service 1934-1942 | Rank Podporucznik | |
 | ||
Born 27 January 1914
Paplin Russian Empire
(present-day Poland) ( 1914-01-27 ) Allegiance Poland
France
United Kingdom Service/branch Polish Air Force
France Armée de l'Air
Royal Air Force Unit Polish 143rd Fighter Escadrille
Polish 152nd Fighter Escadrille
No. 303 Polish Fighter Squadron Battles/wars Polish Defensive War, World War II Awards Virtuti Militari; Cross of Valour; Distinguished Flying Cross (UK) Died 27 August 1942, RAF Babdown Farm Battles and wars Invasion of Poland, World War II | ||
Marian Bełc DFC was a Polish fighter ace of the Polish Air Force in World War II with 7 confirmed kills and one shared.
Contents
Biography
Marian Bełc graduated from pilot training at Lublinek air base near Łódź. On 2 November 1934 he was assigned to the 143rd Fighter Escadrille in Toruń. In autumn 1937 he was transferred to the Polish 152nd Fighter Escadrille in Wilno. During the Invasion of Poland Bełc shot down his first plane, on 3 September a Bf 109. After the Soviet invasion of Poland he was evacuated to France via Romania. He served in the Krasnodębski section of the Groupe de Chasse et de Défense I/55 under the command of Zdzisław Krasnodębski. In the same unit served two other Polish aces: Jan Zumbach and Stanisław Karubin. After the capitulation of France he came to the UK. All pilots of the Krasnodębski section were posted to the No. 303 Polish Fighter Squadron. In the Battle of Britain Bełc downed 5 German planes.
On 15 April 1941 married Audrey Stephenson, their son Marian Edward was born on 27 October 1941.
In 1942 Bełc became an instructor in 58 OTU. On 27 August 1942, in a training flight with a British pilot their plane crash-landed. Both pilots were killed.
Aerial victory credits
Awards
Virtuti Militari, Silver Cross
Cross of Valour (Poland), three times
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)