Romualdas Marcinkus

Romualdas Marcinkus a adăugat o fotografie

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Romualdas

Romualdas Marcinkus (22 July 1907 – 29 March 1944) was a Lithuanian pilot. Marcinkus participated in an early trans-European flight on 25 June 1934, and was the only Lithuanian pilot to serve in the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War. In his youth Marcinkus was a Lithuanian multifold football champion and a playing coach for the Lithuania national football team. While serving in the Lithuanian Air Force, Marcinkus was a parachute instructor, and headed the aviation sport and physical education department, and during his later years coached a junior football team. A few months before the Soviet occupation of Lithuania early in the Second World War, Marcinkus left Lithuania and enlisted in the French Air Force. After the Battle of France and the French capitulation, Marcinkus escaped to Britain, where he flew for the RAF. As a pilot for No. 1 Squadron RAF, he took part in various missions, including escorting bombers and night combat. On 12 February 1942, during Operation Cerberus, he was shot down, became a prisoner of war, and was sent to Stalag Luft III. At Stalag Luft III Marcinkus became an active member of an underground group of prisoners who organized and executed…Citește mai mult

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Romualdas

Early life Marcinkus was born on 22 July 1907 in the provincial Lithuanian town of Jurbarkas. At the time Jurbarkas, as well of the rest of Lithuania, was part of the Russian Empire. Romualdas' father, Pranas Marcinkus, served as a policeman in Jurbarkas, Tauragė, and Rumšiškės. His mother, Honorata Kroazė-Marcinkienė, came from an urban family of French origins. Marcinkus' cousin, Vanda Kroazė-Šestakauskienė, stated that the Kroazė family's origins in Lithuania began with a Frenchman named Courvoisier, who came to Lithuania with Napoleon's army during the French invasion of Russia in the 19th century and married a local Lithuanian woman. Romualdas was the eldest of five children in the family. After his younger brother died during childhood he became the family's only son. Following the First World War, Lithuania successfully re-established its independence and the first gymnasium in Jurbarkas was established. Soon afterwards, Marcinkus attended the institution, and became passionate about sports, especially football. Romualdas, or Romas as his friends called him, played football for the local team. Marcinkus was known for his stamina and discipline among his peers.

Romualdas Marcinkus a adăugat o fotografie

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Romualdas

In Lithuanian army service At age 17, Marcinkus moved from Jurbarkas to Kaunas, the temporary capital of Lithuania. In Kaunas, he attended the Higher German School. After graduating from the German School, he enrolled at the Kaunas Military School, intending to enlist in the Lithuanian army. During this time the Lithuanian army was expanding and modernizing. The Lithuanian Air Force was especially targeted for rapid development and service in this branch was prestigious. Some of its earlier members such as Jurgis Dobkevičius and Antanas Gustaitis were instrumental in improving on aeronautical designs. While at the military school Marcinkus played for the KSK (Kauno sporto klubas) football club. After his father's death in 1927, Marcinkus took on the responsibility of supporting his remaining family, he also began playing football for LFLS Kaunas. The aviator Steponas Darius, with associates, had established the Lietuvos Fizinio Lavinimo Sąjunga, which soon became one of the leading football clubs in Lithuania. Marcinkus joined the club and won a national championship during his first season. On 27 July 1927, Marcinkus played for Lithuania in an international match. Although they lost, Marcinkus managed to score his first goal in an international game. The Lithuanian team's coach predicted a…Citește mai mult

Romualdas Marcinkus a adăugat o fotografie

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Romualdas

In French air force service Marcinkus arrived in France in mid-March 1940 and immediately requested acceptance into the French Air Force (Armee de l'Air). Bureaucratic delays hindered his enlistment. By the time these hurdles were cleared, the Battle for France was rapidly drawing to a close. It is possible, however, that Marcinkus succeeded in shooting down several German military planes during his short career in that air force. After France surrendered, Marcinkus managed to make his way to the French colonies in Africa (Morocco and Algeria). He decided to go to Great Britain and continue fighting, but the French army's terms of armistice at Compiègne and tensions between Britain and France made this difficult. On 12 August 1940 he was finally demobilized from the French air force. Marcinkus and some of his associates concocted a daring plan to commandeer several aircraft without authorization and fly to England. The plan was not executed due to increased security at airfields and other circumstances. He finally received the necessary documents enabling him to go to Britain in autumn of 1940.

Romualdas Marcinkus a adăugat o fotografie

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In British service In October 1940, Marcinkus reached Liverpool, and from there travelled on to London. On 24 December of the same year, Marcinkus became a pilot in the Royal Air Force (RAF). To achieve that, he changed some of his personal data; he stated that he was three years younger, otherwise he would have been too old for service in the RAF. At that time, his homeland Lithuania had already lost its independence to the Soviet Union, and the Lithuanian air force was rapidly liquidated by its occupiers. Throughout the years, Maricinkus maintained close contacts with the Lithuanian attaché in Britain in order to receive news about Lithuania and his family. On 1 January 1941, Marcinkus was transferred to a training base. He demonstrated his flying skills, hoping to fly the British Hurricane fighter aircraft. He was successful and was transferred to No. 1 Squadron RAF, then stationed at Tangmere, Sussex. Marcinkus became the only Lithuanian pilot to fly for the RAF during the Second World War. Marcinkus wrote in his letter about the new challenges lying ahead: I was transferred to the night fighters – at that time the most dangerous kind of military aviation. But I like…Citește mai mult

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The Great Escape Marcinkus was sent to Stalag Luft III, a prisoner-of-war camp near Sagan that housed captured air force servicemen during the Second World War. The camp was restructured several times in order to accommodate more POWs. It would eventually hold over 10,000 inmates. Marcinkus was the only known Lithuanian at the camp. Squadron Leader Roger Bushell selected inmates and began planning an escape, at first focused on digging a tunnel. Already experienced from earlier escapes, Bushell became the nominal leader of this endeavour. The group expanded and accepted Marcinkus into their ranks—his fluent command of several languages, most importantly German, was seen as valuable. The prisoners delegated various tasks amongst themselves in order to better implement their escape. Marcinkus began working on creating forged documents that would aid the escapees once they were out of the confines of the Stalag. He also contributed his intelligence to analyses of the Baltic and Low Countries. His extensive knowledge of Germany's military and transport positions led to his nickname as "Know-it-All." He analyzed German news reports, but his most important contribution was his compilation of the German railway schedules, an essential part of the escape plan. Bertram James remembered Marcinkus' contribution…Citește mai mult

Romualdas Marcinkus a lăsat un gând

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Death Officers of the Danzig Gestapo took Marcinkus to a forest at Gross Trampken (Trabki Wielkie) near Pruśce and executed him. On 29 March his body was cremated in Danzig's Gestapo crematorium. The executions of the fifty recaptured servicemen were sanctioned by Adolf Hitler. Only three escapees managed to reach their final destinations. The Gestapo claimed that the recaptured servicemen were shot after resisting arrest and while attempting to escape again. By the time of his death Marcinkus held the rank of flight lieutenant in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve.

Romualdas Marcinkus a lăsat un gând

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Commemoration Details of the Great Escape executions reached the British Government. Its Foreign Secretary, Anthony Eden, then delivered this speech to the House of Commons: His Majesty's Government must, therefore, record their solemn protest against these cold-blooded acts of butchery. They will never cease in their efforts to collect the evidence to identify all those responsible. They are firmly resolved that these foul criminals shall be tracked down to the last man wherever they may take refuge. When the war is over they will be brought to exemplary justice. The remaining inmates at Stalag Luft III erected a memorial to their fifty executed comrades at the end of 1944. Following the war, the Allies launched an investigation into the escaped prisoners' executions and named seventy-two individuals as responsible. Marcinkus' killer was convicted in 1948. In the same year Marcinkus' burial place was identified and an urn containing his ashes was transferred to the British section of the Old Garrison Cemetery in Poznań, his grave is marked by a Commonwealth War Graves Commission headstone. Marcinkus was posthumously mentioned in despatches in the 1944 King's Birthday Honours, he also received the 1939–45 Star, the Air Crew Europe Star, and the War Medal…Citește mai mult