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Mieczyslaw Mumler was born on 10th December 1899 in Lviv, he did his compulsory army service as an artillery officer and then transferred to the 11th Fighter Regiment in 1926 for flying training.
Mumler commanded 132 Squadron at Posnan from 1929 to 1937 and in 1938 he was promoted to command the third group of 3 Air Regiment, the only fighter component to function operationally until the Russians invaded Poland on 17th September 1939. On 6th and 12th September he destroyed He111's and on the 13th a Hs126.
Ordered to escape, he flew his aircraft at night over the Romanian border, where he was interned. In October he was released and travelled through Yugoslavia to Greece, from Athens he sailed to Marseilles, arriving on 23rd October.
He was sent to the Polish depot at Lyon-Bron. After converting to the D520 he was posted to GC II/7 and on 1st June 1940 shot down a He111. He shared a Do17 on the 15th and destroyed a He111 and damaged another on the 18th.
After the fall of France he flew to Algiers, crossed to Casablanca and sailed to England via Gibraltar.
He joined 302 Squadron at Leconfield from the Polish Wing at 3 School of Technical Training, Blackpool on 26th July as joint CO. He was detached to Duxford on 16th September. Mumler claimed a Do17 destroyed on the 18th. He rejoined 302 on the 26th.
He was posted to CFS Upavon on 15th December for an instructors course. Awarded the VM (5th Class)(gazetted 1st February 1941), he was posted to 58 OTU Grangemouth on 24th February 1941 and was there until August 1942.
Mumler was made Station Commander at Northolt a month later. He continued to fly occasional sorties. On 3rd February 1943 he was flying with 308 Squadron on a Ventura escort to Courtrai and damaged a Fw190. Mumler was awarded the KW (gazetted 7th April 1943).
On 24th October 1943 he was posted to HQ 84 Group as Polish Liaison Officer, was awarded a Bar to the KW (gazetted 15th February 1944) and made a CBE (gazetted 9th February 1945).
Mumler was posted to HQ Fighter Command on 19th June 1945 and returned to 84 Group on 21st February 1946.
He was released from the Polish Air Force later in the year as a Group Captain. In addition to his other awards, he also held the C de G (Fr).
Mumler settled in London, working as a baker in West End hotels, and died on 5th September 1985 at Ealing Hospital. He was buried at the Gunnersbury Cemetery near the Polish Katyn Memorial, in the M plot (grave no. 25).
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