Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
Facebook YouTube
Facebook YouTube
Martin Malik
Bunker

My name is Martin and this is my story. I travel because it is fun and a great way to continue self-education which enriches the worldview and opens my eyes to unnoticeable things, both in the distant countries and the closest ones. Let's get to know other cultures but let's also respect and defend our own.

Read more ABOUT THE AUTHOR

YouTube channel

I recommend my adventurous YouTube channel

Make a donation

If you like Kompas and you’d like to support this project, make a donation by clicking the button below.

The Politics of Truth

Search
Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
Trips to Asia

Spy – book

Space for advert

A few words from the author

Whilst travelling from the Christian remains of Constantinople and the ancient sands of Persia, through the Himalayas, the Great Wall of China and the dense jungles of Borneo, I realized that the world must have its order. Therefore despite my beautiful adventures and experiences I always remembered which culture I myself belonged to, and I also appreciated the beauty and values of our beautiful - White Christian civilization.

Currency Converter

CurrencyRate

Weather forecast

Curiosities

The Polish-Pakistani Air Force

By: Martin Malik

The Polish-Pakistani Air Force

 

It is an often overlooked historical fact that the Poles, under the command of a pilot Władysław Turowicz, created the air force of Pakistan. Both Władyslaw Turowicz and his wife Zofia had huge contribution to the creation of aviation schools in Pakistan. Władysław Turowicz put forward the Pakistan’s military technology to a new era. He enabled Pakistan to master missile technology, he initiated a space program and began the project of creating and launching the first Pakistani satellite. Without a Polishman, Pakistan would never have nuclear weapons.                                        I think that Pakistanis have many reasons to truly love the “infidels” from Poland.

 

As soon as independent Pakistan was created in 1947, the new government in Karachi asked the British RAF to recommend them the most experienced and trusted pilots who would be able to build the air force of Pakistan. After the Second World War the British RAF and other European air forces were destroyed, which is why the British recommended Poles to Pakistan, who became famous for their extraordinary heroism and the best results in the Battle of Britain in 1941, and who still served in the British army. In 1947 a young officer Władysław Turowicz, as well as 17 Polish pilots and 13 technicians under his command landed in Karachi to set up the Pakistan Air Force.

Władysław Turowicz also had his wife Zofia to help, who was a civilian pilot and for the needs of the Pakistani army created the first women’s pilot and paratroopers squad. In Pakistan Wladyslaw Turowicz was quickly promoted to the rank of general and he is still well known to all Pakistani pilots. Unfortunately the communist regime in Poland covered up the memory of this outstanding Polish pilot to not to create Polish heroes abroad and to not to promote patriotism, while in England no one wrote about him because the Poles had already done their job and they were not needed anymore. For those reasons Turowicz is unknown in Poland and in England, while in Pakistan him and his wife Zofia are put forward as examples and every Pakistani pilot is obligated to learn about them. This article will therefore be about a Pole who became the national hero of Pakistan.

General Władysław Turowicz and the monument of him in front of the PAF (Pakistani Air Force) museum in Karachi.

General Władysław Turowicz and the monument of him in front of the PAF (Pakistani Air Force) museum in Karachi.

I think that Władysław Turowicz and his wife Zofia might have even wanted to go back to Poland or England but for political reasons it was impossible for them. As I wrote in my previous articles, Churchill threw the Poles to Stalin as his feast, publicly selling Poland and Poles in Yalta, and then he even made the infamous speech about the „Iron Curtain”, partly formed with the help of the British. The same Polish pilots who fought for England a few years earlier, after few years they heard ridiculous allegations during theatrical trials in the Soviet Union. The Russian courts were also visited by the representatives of the British Government who took notes and then reported in London that “all the trials of Poles took place justly and democratically” – so as I understand, according to the British, Polish pilots who fought for England deserved concentration camps in Siberia. That version was the most convenient for the British, although nobody believed it.

Either way Władysław Turowicz and other pilots of the Polish 303 Squadron were no longer needed by the British. In addition, England, the great ally of Stalin, did not allow Poland to take part in the 1946 Victory March in London, also to not to offend Stalin. Władysław Turowicz had no choice but to stay in Pakistan where he was highly honoured, rather than to return to the traitors in England or to the communists in Poland. This is how those Polish people end up who help the English!

While serving in the RAF, Władysław Turowicz flew the British made Handley Page Halifax aircraft and before leaving the UK he worked at the Farnborough aircraft factory.

‘Poles came to help us when we were abandoned by everyone.’

 

Captain of the group S. Ahtesham A. Naqvi from the Pakistan Air Force – during a conversation with Anna Pietraszek, director of the 2008 documentary film “Polish eaglets above Pakistan”.

Well, I assure that the Poles felt the same way, because everyone also abandoned us. They say that the British are the “bravest” nation in the world because they always fight to the last drop of blood ….. of their allies.

The PAF command board around 1961. Turowicz sits to the right in the first row.

The PAF command board around 1961. Turowicz sits to the right in the first row.

Turowicz’s origin, early life and his patriotism

Władysław Turowicz was born in 1908, when Poland was still divided between Tsarist Russia, Austro-Hungary and Germany. His father took part in the construction of the Trans-Siberian railway connecting Europe with the Pacific coast. Young Turowicz survived the hell in Siberia because still as a teenager he had to flee with his family from Russia because of the October Revolution (the Judeo-communist) in 1917. In the face of lawlessness, famine, plunder of property, persecution of Poles and ethnic cleansing, the Turowicz family fled to Poland which at that time only recently began to exist on the world map. Turowicz studied aviation engineering at a prestigious university in Warsaw where he met his wife Zofia.

When World War II broke out Turowicz served in the Polish Air Force and then he was interned to Romania. From there, the Poles went to France where they fought under the General Sikorski’s command, but when under the pressure of Germany France finally fell, Turowicz and his wife went to Great Britain, although for safety reasons they went separately; he went through North Africa and she went through the English Channel. In England, Turowicz and many other Poles served in the Polish Division of the Royal Air Force.

Turowicz loved Poland but his patriotism was based on nostalgia and on the stories of his parents living in exile under the Russian regime, first under Tsarist, then under the Judeo-communist one. Turowicz idealized Poland on the canon of the pre-war values, such as cultural values, good Polish upbringing and manners, despite the fact that during his lifetime Poland was already in the hands of the communist enemies, Bolshevik apparatchiks and spies who, as Turowicz himself admitted, many times tried to make contact with him. Turowicz however did not want to be one of them and once he even shouted it out loud. He regarded the communists as worthless, disgusting people deprived of values; as human scum. Władysław Turowicz was also happy when a Pole, John Paul II became the Pope in 1978, because he knew that it would be the beginning of the end of colonial communism in Poland and with it the end of the Soviet domination.

Władysław Turowicz with Pakistani officers around 1954.

Władysław Turowicz with Pakistani officers around 1954.

The career of Władysław Turowicz

When Pakistan offered Poles highly paid three-year contracts, over 30 Polish officers decided to join the Royal Pakistan Air Force (RPAF), as they were then called. (“Royal” was abolished in 1956 when Pakistan became a republic). They were commanded by the squadron commander Władysław Józef Marian Turowicz, pilot and engineer. He was appointed to serve in the Polish Air Force as an aviation engineer and fighter pilot but later emigrated to Great Britain to join the RAF. During World War II he flew the British Handley Page Halifax bomber and also served in the RAF Aeronautics Division as a technical inspector, supervising electrical and system information about aircrafts in order to organize, test and evaluate aircrafts.

In addition to being a great pilot, Władysław Turowicz was also an aviation and astrophysics engineer. In Pakistan he quickly advanced to the rank of Air Commodore and also managed space and rocket programs. Pakistan gave Turowicz numerous national and military honours and today he is known in Pakistan not only as the creator of one of the best air forces of his time but also as the godfather of the Pakistani space and missile program. It can be said that the Pakistani air bases under the Polish command were active throughout Pakistan; among many places in Peshawar, Chaklala and Karachi, which was the city of Turowicz’s residence. The majority of Polish pilots moved to the USA and Australia after the expiration of a 3-year contract, although some returned to England as well. Some even joined Orient Airways, later known as PIA – Pakistan International Airlines.

General Władysław Turowicz (second from the right in the middle row) and his wife Zofia Turowicz (third from the left) with Pakistani cadets.

General Władysław Turowicz (second from the right in the middle row) and his wife Zofia Turowicz (third from the left) with Pakistani cadets.

When Turowicz joined the Royal Pakistan Air Force in 1948, he brought with him great skills and knowledge. He founded technical institutes in Karachi and taught and perfected the Pakistan Air Force Academy, where he also worked as the lead scientist. In 1952 Turowicz was promoted to the rank of Wing Commander, in 1959 to the rank of captain of the group and in 1960 he became the Air Commander and Deputy Chief of the Air Staff responsible for the PAF conservation department.

‘They were not “foreigners”. Turowicz was like an older brother. ‘

 

Deputy Marshal M. Akhtar, Air Commander Kamal Ahmad and Squad Leader Ahmad Rafi – who remembered Poles as polite, noble and gentle.

In 1965, during the Pakistani-Indian War, the USA ceased to supply Pakistan with spare parts for combat aircraft, which is why Turowicz made sure that the equivalent of American spare parts were produced in Pakistan and that they were ready for war. Poles under Turowicz’s command helped to defend Lahore and the whole of Pakistan, thanks to which they were awarded the Sitara-e-Pakistan award. The name of another Polish pilot which is worth mentioning here is Antoni Jędryszak.

I believe that Turowicz intellectually overtook Pakistan by several generations, and without him the country would certainly not have had the chance of such a rapid military development or even a chance for further survival. India was much stronger and better equipped, therefore without the Polish military genius Pakistan could have been annected by India and be on the world map only for 18 years. Pakistani President Ayub Khan honoured Poles with Pakistani citizenship.

On the left: Władysław Turowicz receives Prime Minister Khawai Nazimuddin of Eastern Pakistani at the airport. (In 1971 East Pakistan became Bangladesh). On the right: in 1966 Władysław Turowicz was awarded by President Ayub Khan for his service to the Pakistani Air Force.

On the left: Władysław Turowicz receives Prime Minister Khawai Nazimuddin of Eastern Pakistani at the airport. (In 1971 East Pakistan became Bangladesh). On the right: in 1966 Władysław Turowicz was awarded by President Ayub Khan for his service to the Pakistani Air Force.

In 1966 the Government of Pakistan moved Turowicz to the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco), the national space agency of Pakistan, as its chief scientist. After the introduction of the Sputnik by the Soviet Union, Turowicz and the Nobel laureate Dr. Abdus Salam, successfully convinced the then President Ayub Khan about the importance of the space program for a developing country, such as Pakistan. Turowicz also convinced the US government to invest and train Pakistani scientists in the field of missile technology and became the head of Suparco in 1967 where he initiated the space program, modernized the Sonmiani Satellite Launch Center, installed the Flight Control Command and the System Startup Control System. Turowicz began the project of creating and launching a Pakistani satellite that enabled Pakistan to master missile technology.

However, Turowicz’s ambitions for Pakistan went even further because he also designed short and medium range ballistic missiles and then, in 1970, Turowicz started his research and production that led Pakistan to the independent nuclear potential. In other words, without the contribution of the Pole Pakistan could not have nuclear weapons. In addition, Turowicz was one of the main designers of the Sonmiani Satellite Launch Center.

Turowicz was a visionary who was sure that Pakistan would develop missile technology and over time would launch its own satellites. It is sad that despite the fact that Władysław Turowicz worked so hard to see Pakistani satellites, Pakistan sent his own experimental satellite for digital communication 10 years after his death – on July the 16th 1990, from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, from the territory of China on the board of Long March 2E. Turowicz’s vision was fulfilled and in large part the Pakistani satellite was Polish, although unfortunately he was not destined to see it himself.

A plaque to honour Władysław Turowicz at the PAF museum in Karachi.

A plaque to honour Władysław Turowicz at the PAF museum in Karachi.

Władysław Turowicz’s wife also contributed to the establishment of the Pakistan Air Force. She taught gliding at Shaheen Air Cadets in Karachi and Rawalpindi, and lectured elementary mathematics and physics at Karachi University. She was also honoured by the Pakistani government for her achievements and was awarded with the “Performance Pride” and Sitara-i-Imtiaz.

Turowicz died in a car accident on January the 8th 1980. He was buried at the Catholic Cemetery in Karachi with full military honours and for his merits he was awarded many prizes: among others these were Sitara-i-Pakistan, Tamgha-i-Pakistan, Sitara-i-Khidmat, Sitara-i-Quaid-i-Azam, Sitara-i-Imtiaz, Abdus Salam Award in the field of aeronautical engineering and ICTP awards in the field of space physics. Pakistan Air Force placed a monument in honour of Air Commodore Turowicz at the PAF Museum, and Suparco founded the Space Center in Lahore named after Władysław Turowicz. It can be therefore easily said that Pakistan won the Pole at a lottery.

Summary

I wrote this article to present a valuable Polishman. Despite the catastrophic political and economic situation, despite the war, despite the red occupation of Poland and repeated risking of his own life, Władysław Turowicz was able to do great things. It is a pity that not for Poland but among so many “wonderfoul friends” it shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone. The British were always very short-sighted when it comes to Poles and they made a mistake to betray us so many times.

On the other side of Europe, the Jewish-controlled communist regime in Poland persecuted and even killed intellectuals because it saw great threat in them. (An adequate example of this was the Jewish murderer of the Poles Zygmunt Bauman, who was highly rewarded and appreciated for his “achievements” by the British government, which allowed him to be the rector of the University of Leeds, in order to continue killing what was just and clean.)

Turowicz could help England and Poland but those two countries killed his soul which is why he helped Pakistan because over there he felt needed, appreciated and respected. The government of Pakistan demonstrated such a great diplomacy and made such a great use of the Poles, that it even told them that “it didn’t matter that they were Polish and that they were not Muslims”, whilst in England and the occupied Poland there were no conditions for his genius.

Monument at the RAF museum in Pakistan.

Monument at the RAF museum in Pakistan.

It is also sad that Turowicz’s bloodline was destroyed forever because he had 3 daughters. Two married Pakistani men and one married a Bangladeshi citizen. This is therefore the end.

I only hope that over the years the Poles have become politically smarter, that they have learned lessons from history, that they have already got to know their enemies and that instead of big hearts in the fight for freedom and strength of other countries they have enough intelligence to fight for their own. In Vienna the Poles saved Europe from Islam but at the same time they saved the Habsburg regime. For Napoleon’s France, the Poles fought for empty promises and then they let themselves to be fooled with their own propaganda that apparently Napoleon ‘was a friend of Poland’. For Churchill they fought for a total, repeated treachery which kept on destroying Poland for half a century and the British sold us to our outright enemies when they didn’t need us any longer.

By stopping the communist invasion in 1920, Poland defended the whole of Europe against the flood of Bolshevism, for which Hitler and the entire SS were grateful to the Poles, but what still didn’t prevent the Germans from destroying Poland and calling the Poles an under-race. However, in Pakistan Poles helped Muslims in achievieng a much higher military advancement, what means that they helped people for whom we are pigs and infidels, and according to whom we deserve to burn in hell because we have different God than Allah. Władysław Turowicz, like many other Poles, was an outstanding man but he also fought, created, had achievements, he was great – but as an outcast, in exile and for very wrong people. History always acted to the disadvantage of Poland and that is why Poles have been in disadvantageous situations for our country so many times, what explains why Poland wasted so many great Poles.

‘May God defend me from my friends, I can protect myself from my enemies.’

 

Voltaire

Over the years Pakistan erected monuments to honour Turowicz, it put metal plaques with his name, gave medals and a lot of warm speeches. For all of that I as a Pole, thank Pakistan but I think that it is not enough. I believe that the Polish Government should establish diplomatic cooperation with Pakistan and should demand that at least part of Wladyslaw Turowicz’s work is to be transferred to Poland. I think primarily of a military aid, including the creation of conditions by Pakistan so that Poland could become an independent nuclear state. Under such conditions Poland could become energetically independent, it could build short, medium and long range missiles, build nuclear powered submarines and also have a psychological weapon in the form of an atomic bomb, in order to protect Poland and its allies in the region. If my vision was to come true, then with skilful politics Poland could also develop economically and provide arms to every army in the world – apart from the Salvation Army of course.

The grave of Władysław Turowicz at the Catholic cemetery in Karachi.

The grave of Władysław Turowicz at the Catholic cemetery in Karachi.


Be sure to read:

Great Britain and the GREAT betrayal of Poland; part I

Great Britain and the GREAT betrayal of Poland; part II

TAGS
RELATED POSTS
4 Comments
  1. Reply

    You forgot to mention this

    30 December 2020

    After a long silence, Turowicz confessed he had met many spies, especially during the Indo-Pakistani war. He said they were slimy, worthless people, men without qualities, whom he would never let close.

    He then raised his voice: “I will never become one of them.”

    So…. Turowicz had more respect for the Pakistanis than the “slimy” agents Poland had sent him. Food for thought.

    • Reply

      KOMPAS TRAVEL

      30 December 2020

      @Friend not enemy & @You forgot to mention this:

      – Muslims have made it very clear what they think of Europe, Christianity, white women, and everyone who disagrees with them.

      – So “Allah means one God”? In Pakistan a few local people converted to Christianity, and Muslims threw stones at them and beat them up. Even when Pakistani Christians became outcast, they still needed police protection from Pakistani Muslims to stay alive.

      – I think that Pakistanis were smart to use Turowicz, and they should be grateful to Poland for having him.

      – Those “slimy worthless Polish people without qualities” won the Battle of England, just to be betrayed by Churchill in Katyn, Moscow and London, and were even sold to Stalin in Yalta.

      – When you go to hell, you might meet your prophet there. You never know.

      AL–TAKIYA – The Islamic philosophy of deception: https://www.compasstravelguide.net/the-politics-of-truth/the-philosophy-of-truth-and-deceit-part-v/

  2. Reply

    Friend not Enemy

    30 December 2020

    Good story but sadly, you’re mistaken in your analysis when you say that “they helped people for whom we are pigs and infidels and according to whom we deserve to burn in hell because we have a different God than Allah”.

    1. If what you say is true, Władysław Turowicz would never be so highly respected in Pakistan as he still is today. We only respect those who have respect for us, like Turowicz.

    2. Allah means the One God so he prayed to the same God as muslims. So Turowicz was our cousin in religion.

    3. Those who think they are superior to anyone just by the chance of being born white, will goto hell due to their naive arrogance.

    Change your thinking before it’s too late. You still have today. Good day.

  3. Reply

    Kambiz Khan

    7 August 2019

    Isn’t there a son as well. I’ve heard that his grandson is also living in Pakistan?

LEAVE A COMMENT

  • Animals
  • The beach files
  • Interesting people - unforgettable faces
  • Burma (Myanmar)
  • Armenia
  • Tadżykistan