Horbaczewski, Eugeniusz "Dziubek"

Vergeltungswaffe 1

Date of birth:: September 28th, 1917 (Kiev/Ukrain, Soviet Union)
Date of death:: August 18th, 1944 (Valennes/Département Sarthe, France)
Buried on:: Polish War Graves Creil
Plot: 1. Grave: 379.
Service number:: P0273
Nationality:: Polish

Biography

Horbaczewski was born in 1917 in Kiev but spent his childhood in Poland when his family moved to Brzesc. Since his early years Horbaczewski was fascinated by aviation. First, he built flying models, but as he matured, he started glider courses. On 14 August, 1935 he received his glider C rating. Next, he went to Officer Flying School in Deblin, where under the instructor Witold Urbanowicz he was awarded the rank of Pilot, Second Leutnant.
He arrived in England in 1940 after fleeing Poland via Runmania and France and was posted to No. 303 Squadron. Horbaczewski first met with enemy planes on the 6th of October 1941, when the 303 Squadron escorted bombers over France. He came up empty on his first attack on three Bf 109s. Noticing a formation of eight Bf 109s, "Dziubek" decided not to attack, but soon saw a lone Messerschmitt which he jumped and put several bursts into. The German began burning, but the victim's wingmen forced Horbaczewski to disengage into the clouds. He landed on fuel fumes at West Malling, the first British airfield he spotted.
At the end of 1942 Horbaczewski joined a group of selected Polish pilots in North Africa under the command of Stanislaw Skalski.
After spectacular successes, they received the nickname of 'Skalski's Circus'. After the North African campaign, Horbaczewski took command of the No. 43 Squadron, 324th Fighter Wing. In combat over Sicily and southern Italy, Horbaczewski added more victories to his scoreboard, two of which were Bf 109s he downed within 40 seconds. On the 18th of October 1944 during a massive air battle in which Horbaczewski's squadron was credited with downing 16 FW-190s (three downed by Horbaczewski himself) he was shot down and killed.
Horbaczewski finished the War with 16.5 victories. He was also credited with downing four V-1' rockets.
In 1947 the wreck of his Mustang with his body was found crashed near Valennes.

Promotions:
?: Podporucznik (2e Luitenant);
?: Porucznik (1e Luitenant);
?: Kapitan (Kapitein);
?: Major (Posthumously).

Career:
?: Bezmiechowa Glider Certificate A;
?: Bezmiechowa Glider Certificate B;
August 14th, 1935: Bezmiechowa Glider Certificate C;
1937 - 1939: Szkoly Podchor¹zych Lotnictwa (Flying School) Deblin;
?: "A"-Flight, No. 303 (Polish) Squadron;
February 1943: Polish Fighting Team, "Skalski's Circus", No. 145 Squadron, Desert Air Force;
?: No. 601 Squadron;
May 1943: Flight Commander No. 43 Squadron, No. 324 (Fighter) Wing;
August 1943: Commanding Officer No. 43 Squadron, No. 324 (Fighter) Wing;
February 16th, 1944 - August 18th, 1944: Commanding Officer No. 315 (City of Deblin) Squadron.