WW2 Polish Virtuti Militari Group (No. 9518), Cross of Valour – Pilot E. Fojud, 300 Bomber Squadron

Edmund Fojud (1920–1981) – Polish bomber pilot in World War II.

Edmund Fojud was born on 12 November 1920 in Chojno (Wielkopolskie Voivodeship). In 1937, he began education at the Air Force Non-Commissioned Officer School in Bydgoszcz, where he trained as a pilot. After the outbreak of World War II in September 1939, he evacuated through Romania to Syria, and then to France, where he continued his flight training. After the fall of France, he managed to reach Great Britain, where on 8 December 1941 he was assigned to 300 Bomber Squadron “Ziemi Mazowieckiej” – the first Polish bomber unit formed in the UK.

As a Wellington bomber pilot, he took part in numerous raids on strategic targets in Germany, including Essen, Dortmund, Cologne, Hamburg, and Stuttgart. He participated in the famous 1,000 Bomber Raids on Cologne, Essen and Bremen. During a mission over Essen in June 1942, his aircraft was severely damaged by a German Messerschmitt 110. Despite losing one engine and suffering serious structural damage, he managed to return the aircraft safely to England.

After completing his combat tour in 300 Squadron in 1943, he was transferred to transport aviation, flying in No. 691 Transport Squadron and 216 Transport Group. After the war, he remained in Great Britain, serving for another two years in the RAF Resettlement Corps. On 22 November 1948, he was discharged from service and in 1950 obtained British citizenship. He settled in Eastwood, Nottinghamshire, where he worked as a machine operator. He passed away on 12 May 1981. His wife Betty survived him until 2018. The couple had no children.

He was decorated for his service, including the Virtuti Militari Silver Cross and the Cross of Valour

The set includes the following items

Polish Silver Cross of the Virtuti Militari 5th Class No. 9127 (Issued version , produced by Krupski Matulewicz workshop in Warsaw)
Cross of Valour with clasp, production of the Commander-in-Chief’s Technical Group (Krogulec 24b) – awarded example
Award document for the Air Force Medal
(British) Air Crew Europe Star
(British) 1939–45 Star
(British) War Medal 1939–1945
(British) Defence Medal
Box for British decorations
Ribbon bars for Virtuti Militari and Cross of Valour
RAF forage cap badge
RAF pilot wings (British)
Polish eagle cap badge, production J.R. Gaunt
Airman’s Service and Pay Book
Certificate of discharge from service
II RP PKO savings account booklet
Handwritten diary from the years 1939–1953
Photo album from service in the Polish Air Force with drawings
Map of Great Britain
Map of Northern France and Southern Britain
Map of Cairo
Set of RAF buttons, set of bakelite buttons, cigarette tin
Documents confirming service in France, awarding of British decorations
Program of the play “While Parents Sleep”
Notebook for Workshop & Laboratory Records
Pay Book (Carnet de Solde Individuel) issued by the Polish Air Force in France (Armée Polonaise – Armée de l’Air)
Business card from “Hotel du Siècle” in Marseille
Pay slips for April and May 1940
Exercise book
Manual “Aeronavigation in Brief,” February 1941
Air Transport College manual
Document from the Polish Red Cross in London
Marriage certificate dated 3 May 1944
Document confirming return of marriage certificate
Document granting permission to marry
Request for marriage approval
Wellington bomber manual
Document from Air Ministry Meteorological Office
Program of the play “The Wind and the Rain,” dated 12 August 1946
Extract from military service record
Invitation and program for Christmas Eve celebration in Asmara, 1945
Certificate of discharge from military service
Folder with documents from the Air Force Resettlement and Placement Corps
Sheet with handwritten notes: dates and total flight hours
Printed articles about Edmund Fojud

Condition as shown in photographs