Frederic Chopin Airport

This airport was built in 1933 and was named after the location it was located in Okecie. The official opening took place in April 1934 and the main purpose was civilian flights, however after the final mobilisation of the Polish Army in August 1939, Okecie was the Air Base No 1 and the First Air regiment was based from here.

During the invasion of Germany from 01 September 1939 onwards the base was under heavy bombardments despite the fact that the base had the best Air defence in Poland. The Polish Air force established before the outbreak of the war already 6 Field airports in the surroundings of Warsaw.

After the Germans took over Poland, they started with repairing the facilities and established a Flight School here and a maintenance location. Junkers also set up a research center and later in the war a concrete runway was built.

The Wehrmacht destroyed it, before retreating in 1945.

Adolf Hitler landed here on October 5, 1939 to attend the victory parade in the Polish capital. That same day, Hitler took a flight back to Berlin from here.

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Source

• Text: Gio Theunissen
• Photos: Gio Theunissen