Battle of Britain Day: Jozek Jeka dedicated life to defeating Nazis and Communism

Having spent six weeks fighting in the Battle of Britain ­— during which he had become one of the deadliest RAF fighter pilots, with five enemy aircraft kills, one shared destroyed and one damaged ­— 23-year-old Sergeant Jozef Jeka’s luck was about to run out.

On November 5, 1940, Jeka and other Hurricane pilots from 238 Squadron were on patrol near Bournemouth when they were bounced from above by enemy fighters.

Jeka found himself flying for his life against formidable Messerschmitt Bf-109 pilots from JG-2 Richthofen, which were being led by the Luftwaffe’s most successful fighter ace Major Helmut Wick.

Despite being wounded during the dogfight Jeka parachuted out of his stricken Hurricane as it began to plummet out of the sky.

Wounded Jeka was taken to the Army hospital at Shaftesbury to recover.

During this time a new Polish fighter squadron, No. 306, was being formed.

Its pilots, fresh from RAF training units, were keen but lacked combat experience and upon recovery Jeka found himself posted to the squadron to pass on his hard-earned knowledge.

Its fighter pilots would both defend Britain’s airspace and take the war to the enemy by taking part in ‘circuses’ over occupied France in which RAF light bombers were used as a bait to entice Luftwaffe fighters into combat with large numbers of RAF fighters.

On June 17, 1941, during Circus 13, Jeka showed he had not lost his edge by claiming the destruction of a Messerschmitt Bf-109 fighter in aerial combat.

On February 19, 1942, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal for his bravery. The citation included: “At all times he has shown the greatest courage and determination to inflict losses on the enemy.”

Being one of the most successful RAF aces, he was invited to take part in the Wings For Victory campaign, and on March 11, 1943, stood in Trafalgar Square to give an impassioned speech to the large crowd to buy war bonds.

On August 19, he shot down his eighth and final enemy aircraft, a Focke-Wulf 190 fighter.

On May 21, 1944, Jeka’s Spitfire was shot down by flak near Rouen. After again parachuting to safety, he successfully evaded the German troops and managed to contact the French Resistance.

The Resistance hid him for two months at a safehouse in the Somme until he was able to rejoin 308 Squadron and get back into action.

On March 6, 1945, Jeka bought down one of the last V1 rockets the Nazis were able to launch.

The second world war had ended but the Cold War was just beginning.

Jeka’s brilliant flying skills and anti-communist statements had not gone unnoticed by the American CIA who, in 1949, successfully approached and recruited him.

Jeka had one more useful asset ­— now classed as a stateless citizen meant complete deniability should he fall into communist hands during secret missions. He resigned his commission and began a new life working in the shadows.

While many of Jeka’s missions with the CIA remain confidential it is known he flew as a test pilot on the U2 spyplane programme.

It is believed he then took part in clandestine missions behind the Iron Curtain.

He also became the first Polish pilot to fly at Mach 2, twice the speed of sound.

During the Korean War, 1950-53, the new Soviet-built MiG-15 jet was proving itself a worthy adversary against American jets and it was feared that if it was produced in large numbers it would give the Soviets aerial superiority during any future conflict.

Jeka volunteered to be parachuted behind the Iron Curtain where, with CIA help, he would break into an airbase and steal a MiG-15.

He would then attempt to fly it through the Soviet defences to Germany where it could then be studied and used for combat evaluation.

His training was advanced when a Polish defector took the CIA up on their offer of a cash reward, equivalent to half a million dollars in today’s money, and American citizenship by flying a MiG-15 to Denmark where it could be examined.

Shortly afterwards, another Mig-15 was delivered direct to the Americans by a defecting North Korean pilot.

As a result of these two defections Jeka’s near suicide mission was cancelled.

In 1958, to assist rebel forces combating the communist government in Indonesia, Jeka found himself as part of an ill-fated CIA private airforce consisting of several P-51 Mustang fighters and fifteen B-26 Marauder bombers.

On April 13, he was piloting a B-26 due to bomb the airport of Makassar when shortly after take-off an engine failed, and it crashed into trees killing him and his two aircrew.

To cover up their role in the conflict their bodies were flown to America by the CIA where death certificates were then issued stating that they had died in an air crash there.

Shortly afterwards Jeka’s body was flown on to Britain and he was buried in Newark Cemetery as per his wishes.

The subterfuge over his body ultimately proved pointless as one month after Jeka’s death one of the other B-26s was shot down and the American pilot was captured, tried and convicted.

With their cover blown the CIA quickly withdrew their support for the rebels.

It was a sad ending to a 19-year story of bravery and heroics fighting against both Nazism and communism especially as 41-year-old Jeka never got to meet his only child, a daughter born just before his death.

Revered as an aviation legend in Poland Jeka’s medals included the DFM, Poland’s highest award the Virtuti Militari (5th Class), the Krzyz Walecznych and three bars, the Silver Cross of Merit with Swords and four air medals, making him one of the highest decorated Polish RAF fighter pilots of the second world war.