Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A group of four Polish medals and British Pilot’s Log Book to Warrant Officer Antoni Seredyn, a ‘Battle of Britain’ Pilot

Poland, Cross of Valour, W.W.2, unmarked; Cross of Merit, 2nd Class, silver base metal and enamel, modern production; Cross for Polish Forces in the West; War Commemorative Medal 1939, all unnamed, generally extremely fine (lot)
£400-450

Antoni Seredyn was born on 15 August 1913, in Torun, Poland. A regular in the Polish Air Force, he flew against the Germans in 1939. With the German and Russian occupation, he left the country and went to Romania and thence to France and Britain, arriving in France in January 1940. Volunteering for the Royal Air Force, he was initially based at Manston after which he was sent to the Polish Air Force Depot at Blackpool. Whilst there he developed kidney trouble which delayed his further posting. In September 1940 he was posted to 5 OTU, Aston Down, and after converting to Hurricanes, he joined No. 32 Squadron based at Acklington on 12 October. Later in the year his kidney problems resurfaced and he was again hospitalised. After a long period of convalescence, in July 1941 he was posted to 13 Group Flight at Turnhouse. Seredyn was later posted to No. 285 Squadron at Woodside, on anti-aircraft duties. He was promoted to a Warrant Officer in September 1943 and joined No. 286 Squadron. In May 1944 Seredyn was posted to 61 OTU in preparation for a return to flying duties. He converted to Mustangs at 3 TEU and then joined No. 315 Squadron at Brenzett, Sussex, in September 1944. The long-rang Mustangs were used as escorts for bombers and after the squadron was moved to Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, they flew missions to Norway. He left the Squadron on 29 November 1945 and was released from the Polish Air Force on 25 May 1947. After marrying in 1945, he moved to Barnsley in 1957 and then to Blackpool in 1959, living in Ibbison Court, where he was employed in driving buses in the resort.

Sold with (a) R.A.F. Pilot’s Flying Log Book (some damage), dating from 22 June 1943 until 10 November 1945, in which it records flights in Spitfires and Mustangs, with 34 ‘Ramrod’, ‘Rodeo’, ‘Roadstead’ operations against enemy targets in Norway and Germany. (b-e) Award certificates for the Polish Cross of Valour, dated 20 June 1945; Cross for the September Campaign 1939, dated 1985; Cross for Polish Forces in the West, dated 1995; War Commemorative Medal 1939, dated 1995. (f) Award document for the Cross of Merit, dated 1982. (g) Riband bar, showing six Polish ribbons together with those for the British 1939-45 Star; France and Germany Star; Defence and War Medals. (h) Certificate of Registration, with photograph, issued in July 1957 in Barnsley Borough. (i) Gazeta, The Polish Gazette, July-September 1996. (j) Newspaper cutting, relating to Seredyn’s wartime service. (k) Polish Air Force Association 25th Anniversary Brochure 1951-1976. (l) Two other booklets. (m) R.A.F. cloth ‘wings’ (3). (n) Small metal badges (10), metal bar and miniature razor in case.