Posthumous honours for Polish WWII pilot who fought for Britain

A Polish WWII pilot who fought for Britain and who in 2017 won a poll held by a London museum to honour the heroes of the Royal Air Force has received posthumous honours from Poland's president.

President Andrzej Duda speaks during a ceremony at the Polish embassy in London on Monday.

Photo: Krzysztof Sitkowski/KPRP

At a ceremony in London on Tuesday, President Andrzej Duda posthumously promoted Franciszek Kornicki to general, public broadcaster Polish Radio’s IAR news agency has reported.

Poland’s Defence Minister Mariusz Błaszczak and Kornicki’s son Richard also took part in Tuesday's ceremony at the Polish embassy.

Franciszek Kornicki died in November 2017 a month before his 101st birthday.

Earlier that year he won an online poll to pick a heroic RAF Spitfire pilot to be highlighted at a special exhibition marking the centenary of the British air force.

Several other veteran pilots who fought for Britain during WWII also received awards from the Polish president in London on Tuesday.

(gs/pk)

Source: IAR, prezydent.pl