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Tadeusz Koc joined 303 Squadron RAF on 12th October 1940
Tadeusz Koc was born on August 9, 1913 in the village of Grabanów near Biała Podlaska. Tadeusz Koc on 24 June 1940 he sailed from Saint-Jean-de-Luz on "Arandora Star" and arrived in Liverpool on 27 June. After completing training, he was referred to the 303 Squadron on 12 October, On 8 November 1940, he was transferred to the 245th RAF Fighter Squadron (245 Squadron) and on 22 February 1941 to the first personnel forming the 317 Vilnius Fighter Squadron in acklington. He flew Hurricanes and then on the Spitfires.
In June 1942 he was transferred as Flight commander of "A" flight of the 308 "Krakowska" Squadron
In July 1943, Koc was transferred to the 303 Squadron. On November 20, 1943, he took over from Capt. Jan Falkowski as commander of 303 Squadron, until 25 September 1944. Until the end of his service in the Polish Air Force, he was successively head of training in the combat training unit 61 Operational Training Unit in Keevil, liaison officer in the 12th RAF Hunting Group (12 Group) and 13 RAF Hunting Group (13 Group) and staff officer of 131 Fighter Wings.
He was awarded the Silver Cross of the Virtuti Militari War Order (No. 8495), the Cross of Valor four times, the Pilot's Field Sign (No. 596), the British Distinguished Flying Cross and commemorative medals. In England, he made 190 combat flights. In 1948, he demobilized as major and Flight Lieutenant (previously temporarily acting squadron leader). He emigrated to Canada and lived there for the rest of his life. Colonel Tadeusz Kotz (a record changed after the war) died on June 3, 2008 in Collingwood, aged 94. He is buried in a family tomb at St Mary's Roman Catholic cemetery in Collingwood
