443:
conversation with the man, who described that he was a Yogi and had been charged by his master (not sure if that is the right word) to travel to
England and teach willing people about Yoga. Mike was enthralled and accepted the man's teachings. According to Mike, he told the man that he had to resign his commission in the Air Force because he spent his days dropping bombs on people and trying to kill enemy pilots. The man told him that he had made a commitment to England and asked how he could break that commitment. Mike says that he asked the man, "Am I supposed to drop bombs on people all day and then talk to you about Yoga at night?" and that the man replied, "Yes, of course."
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345:. Low on fuel, he attempted to disengage after shooting down one of the Fw 190s, but the other two fighters boxed him in and tried to force him to land. As he approached a German airfield configured for landing, Gladych suddenly opened fire on the airfield with his remaining ammunition. German flak gunners responded, but missed Gladych and shot down the two following Fw 190s. When he crossed the English coast his P-47 ran out of fuel, forcing Gladych to bail out.
490:
512:
330:
not recognised by the Polish Air Force. Gladych was not formally accepted into the USAAF either (his kill credits were officially recognized, however), and continued to fly unofficially until
October 1944, when the Polish Air Force finally relented and sanctioned his secondment. Gladych was carried in American records by his RAF rank of
442:
Mike was considered by many who knew him to be a Yogi, a name that he did not resist. As he described it, he encountered a man from India in a boarding house in
England where he lived during World War II. A woman opened her house to people in the armed forces and others. Mike said that he struck up a
329:
When the Polish authorities became aware of the arrangement in June 1944 they attempted to discipline the pair with threats of expulsion from the Polish Air Force. Both continued to fly with the
Americans, however, and were consequently expelled. Therefore, Gladych's combat claims with the USAAF are
348:
It was then claimed he flew further (unofficial?) operations with an unnamed P-51 group, claiming a Me 262 jet downed, but this is not confirmed by USAAF records and his ten credited kills were all made with the 61st FS. It is also claimed he intentionally understated the total of his air victories
196:
from the Polish Air Force
Academy. He was commissioned on 1 September 1939, too late to see active service in the Polish campaign. He led a group of newly commissioned pilots to evacuate the PZL P.7 fighters of the Polish Pilot's School to neutral Romania. Escaping from the Romanian internment camp
446:
Mike said that his mission in life was to help people live harmoniously, which appears to have meant being at peace with the contradictions in life. Despite the many contradictions in his own life, Mike always seemed to be at peace with things, and he tried to share that with others. His visiting
427:
He also located his brother (a Polish resistance fighter) in a German POW camp in
Austria, which had been liberated by the Russians in 1945. Anticipating the fact that most of the Polish resistance falling into the hands of the Soviets were likely to be deported to Siberia, Gladych used his USAAF
222:
on 10 June 1940. After a long dogfight, the Pole's fighter was severely damaged. The pilot of the
Messerschmitt - with the number "13" on its side - simply waggled his wings and disengaged. This, according to Gladych, was the first of several encounters with
257:
in
October 1940, although again records suggest a later arrival in 1941. He claimed 3 Bf 109's shot down and a probable in 2 sorties on 23 June 1941, although after the second sortie he then crashed his damaged Spitfire at
838:
858:
407:
His wartime 'score' totals 17 claimed destroyed, 2 probables, 1 shared damaged, and 5 ground kills. His ten kills with the 56th FG are officially recognized by the U.S. Air Force, as are the 4 kills by
Lanowski.
201:(reputedly killing a guard in the process) he reached France, where he joined the recently formed Polish manned "Finnish" Squadron, intended to participate in the Finnish-Soviet war. The squadron became an
321:
of the 56th, who as a captain had previously been attached to the RAF Polish
Fighter Wing in 1942, Gladych helped organized battle training for American replacement pilots, and was assigned to Gabreski's
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341:
Gladych had claimed a further 10 air kills and 5 ground kills by the end of September 1944. Gladych reported that on 8 March 1944 while escorting bombers to Berlin, he engaged three
873:
853:
435:, obtaining a PhD degree and becoming a United States citizen. Until his death, he lived in the area where he practiced psychotherapy. He was a long-term practitioner of
290:
barrage to escape. (Apparently in 1950 Eder and Gladych met by chance at a pilots reunion in Frankfurt and managed to confirm they had been adversaries in each case.)
420:
After the war ended, Gladych was allegedly involved in black market smuggling across Europe. In the early 1950s, he was recruited by the CIA to join a newly composed
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269:"City of Poznan' in July 1942, joining it after recuperative leave in December 1942. By May he was a flight commander and had been promoted to Flight Lieutenant.
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279:. After crippling Gladych's Spitfire in the spring of 1943, yet again Eder flew alongside his victim and waggled his wings, before flying away.
843:
863:
293:
Another story relating to Gladych is that in the autumn of 1943 Gladych mistakenly almost shot down the aircraft carrying Prime Minister
833:
241:
Reputedly, 'Mike' claimed several air victories with the French Air Force, although this cannot be confirmed from surviving records.
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338:. He became the leading figure among six Polish pilots flying with the 61st Fighter Squadron, all but one of whom survived the war.
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137:
754:
725:
521:
389:
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Polskie Siły Powietrzne w Wielkiej Brytanii w latach 1940-1947 łącznie z Pomocniczą Lotniczą Służbą Kobiet (PLSK-WAAF)
638:
272:
Gladych detailed in a magazine article years later (Real magazine, New York, April–May 1960) another encounter with
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30:
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The two aces possibly met in combat once more in 1944, when again Eder shot up Gladych's P-47 aircraft over
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card for his psychotherapy practise read "Yoga Therapy." His wife, Elizabeth, "Pengie" died in 2008.
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219:
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As a boy, Gladych was expelled from various schools, before choosing a military career. He graduated
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76:
262:, and hit a telegraph pole, receiving a fractured skull, facial cuts, and a fractured collarbone.
788:
673:
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145:
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735:
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707:
421:
410:
USAF Historical Study No. 85: USAF Credits for the Destruction of Enemy Aircraft, World War II
342:
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91:
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276:
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231:
167:
87:
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for the sortie on 8 March 1944 when he strafed an airfield after shooting down an Fw 190.
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After ending his second RAF tour in January 1944, Gladych, along with fellow Pole Flt Lt.
192:
95:
122:
807:
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198:
175:
155:
659:
Gladych, B., "Hot Trip to a Red Trap", True The Man's Magazine, Feb., 1960, p. 46.
635:"The Real Roots of the CIA's Rendition and Black Sites Program | Antemedius"
493:
365:
259:
511:
436:
171:
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status to visit the camp and managed to smuggle his brother out to the West.
772:
541:
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386:
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and three clusters by the USAAF. He also claimed to have been awarded the
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Gladych returned to operations in October 1941 and was transferred to
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60:
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records Eder flew his first sorties with JG 51 in September 1940.)
286:, but the Pole cleverly tricked Eder by flying through the German
764:
326:. On 21 February 1944 Mike downed 2 Bf 109s in a single sortie.
839:
Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
734:. Warszawa: Oficyna Wydawnicza Alma-Press. 2014, s. 174-181.
698:
The Real Roots of the CIA's Rendition and Black Sites Program
334:
but was known in the unit by his equivalent American rank of
859:
Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)
694:(Volume 2) - Christopher Shores (Grub Street 1999), Page 95.
688:- Christopher Shores & Clive Williams (Grub Street 1994)
682:- Raymond Toliver & Trevor Constable (bantam Books 1977)
749:(in Polish). Warsaw: Agencja Lotnicza ALTAIR. p. 14.
297:. RAF Fighter Command grounded Gladych as a punishment.
349:
lest he be promoted and transferred off combat duties.
849:
Recipients of the Silver Cross of the Virtuti Militari
439:and integrated yoga into his therapeutic approach.
396:as he received newer aircraft. The name included a
151:
131:
121:
113:
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83:
66:
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37:
21:
381:He nicknamed the numerous P-47's assigned to him
309:, arranged a wholly unofficial secondment to the
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600:
581:
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166:(17 May 1918 – 12 July 2011) was a Polish
385:, after the nickname of his then girlfriend, a
211:. The unit was equipped with the experimental
874:Polish Royal Air Force pilots of World War II
360:with three bars by the Polish Air Force, the
218:Later, Gladych recalled an air combat with a
8:
249:Gladych did reach the UK in 1940, attending
484:Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
854:Recipients of the Cross of Valour (Poland)
431:After the war "Mike" Gladych emigrated to
29:
18:
412:, Air Force Historical Research Agency).
404:on the left side of the engine cowling.
702:Tadeusz Jerzy Krzystek, Anna Krzystek:
534:
16:Polish-American World War II flying ace
786:
879:Polish emigrants to the United States
720:. Warszawa: Retro-Art, 2009, s. 233.
706:. Sandomierz: Stratus, 2012, s. 196.
7:
793:: CS1 maint: ignored ISBN errors (
718:Absolwenci Szkoły Orląt: 1925-1939
518:and three clusters (United States)
317:in early 1944. Recruited by Major
253:before transferring to the famous
14:
869:Royal Air Force squadron leaders
674:An interview with Michal Gladych
510:
499:
496:and two clusters (United States)
488:
478:
467:
456:
829:Polish World War II flying aces
255:No. 303 Polish Fighter Squadron
824:Military personnel from Warsaw
424:operating from Washington DC.
392:, continuing the series up to
1:
844:Recipients of the Silver Star
542:Biography of Bolesław Gładych
301:United States Army Air Forces
864:Recipients of the Air Medal
895:
834:Polish World War II pilots
505:Distinguished Flying Cross
745:Zieliński, Józef (1994).
524:(France) (personal claim)
234:. (Although according to
28:
473:Cross of Valour (Poland)
205:Polish volunteer unit -
747:Asy polskiego lotnictwa
732:Asy polskiego lotnictwa
507:- twice (United States)
164:Bolesław Michal Gładych
23:Bolesław Michal Gładych
672:Chronicles of Courage
594:Krzystek 2012, p. 196.
368:and two clusters, the
208:Groupe de Chasse I/145
135:Groupe de Chasse I/145
324:61st Fighter Squadron
142:61st Fighter Squadron
106:Years of service
624:Sikora 2014, p. 178.
615:Sikora 2014, p. 177.
606:Sikora 2014, p. 176.
585:Sikora 2014, p. 175.
573:Sikora 2014, p. 486.
564:Sikora 2014, p. 174.
555:Pawlak 2009, p. 233.
461:Silver Cross of the
364:by the RAF, and the
315:U.S. Army Air Forces
100:U.S. Army Air Forces
676:, 13 September 2002
433:Seattle, Washington
352:He was awarded the
215:"Cyclone" fighter.
77:Seattle, Washington
641:on 3 November 2010
451:Honours and awards
416:Post-war biography
343:Focke-Wulf Fw 190s
311:56th Fighter Group
146:56th Fighter Group
422:Project ARTICHOKE
295:Winston Churchill
178:. He was born in
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637:. Archived from
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463:Virtuti Militari
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354:Virtuti Militari
319:Francis Gabreski
277:Georg-Peter Eder
232:Georg-Peter Eder
186:Polish Air Force
138:No. 303 Squadron
88:Polish Air Force
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522:Croix de Guerre
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375:Croix de Guerre
358:Cross of Valour
332:squadron leader
307:Witold Lanowski
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245:Royal Air Force
193:summa cum laude
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117:Squadron Leader
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96:Royal Air Force
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203:Armee de l'Air
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123:Service number
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92:Armee de l'Air
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74:(aged 93)
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213:Caudron C.714
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199:Turnu Severin
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643:. Retrieved
639:the original
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267:302 Squadron
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176:World War II
163:
162:
156:World War II
152:Battles/wars
72:(2011-07-12)
70:12 July 2011
41:
819:2011 deaths
814:1918 births
545:(in Polish)
494:Silver Star
475:four awards
400:image of a
366:Silver Star
260:RAF Manston
58:17 May 1918
42:Killer Mike
38:Nickname(s)
808:Categories
756:83-86217-2
726:8387992224
529:References
437:Yoga Nidra
172:flying ace
84:Allegiance
54:1918-05-17
789:cite book
692:Aces High
686:Aces High
516:Air Medal
370:Air Medal
274:Hauptmann
236:Luftwaffe
229:Hauptmann
225:Luftwaffe
170:pilot, a
109:1939-1946
773:34751125
765:95149065
645:14 April
394:Pengie V
387:Canadian
781:865104M
680:Horrido
667:Sources
402:penguin
398:cartoon
313:of the
220:Bf 109E
168:fighter
779:
771:
763:
753:
738:
724:
710:
383:Pengie
284:Vechta
251:57 OTU
180:Warsaw
127:P-1392
79:, U.S.
61:Poland
336:major
795:link
769:OCLC
761:LCCN
751:ISBN
736:ISBN
722:ISBN
708:ISBN
647:2010
390:WAAF
288:flak
227:ace
132:Unit
114:Rank
67:Died
48:Born
362:DFC
174:of
810::
791:}}
787:{{
777:OL
775:.
767:.
759:.
599:^
578:^
356:,
182:.
144:,
797:)
783:.
649:.
408:(
56:)
52:(
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