View source for Zdzisław Henneberg

{{Short description|Polish fighter pilot (1911–1941)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2019}}
{{Expand Polish|topic=bio|Zdzisław Henneberg|date=May 2011}}
{{Infobox military person
|name=Zdzisław Henneberg
|image= Zdzisław Henneberg.jpg
|caption= Zdzisław Henneberg
|birth_date={{Birth date|1911|05|11|df=yes}}
|death_date={{Death date and age|1941|05|12|1911|05|11|df=yes}}
|placeofburial_label=
|placeofburial=
|birth_place=[[Warsaw]], [[Kingdom of Poland]]
|death_place=[[English Channel]], off [[Dungeness (headland)|Dungeness]], England
|placeofburial_coordinates= <!-- {{Coord|LAT|LONG|display=inline,title}} -->
|nickname=
|birth_name=
|allegiance={{flag|Poland}}
|branch={{air force|Poland}}<br>{{air force|United Kingdom}}
|serviceyears=1931-1941
|rank=[[Flight Lieutenant]]
|servicenumber=P1393 
|unit=[[No. 303 Squadron RAF]]
|commands=[[No. 303 Squadron RAF]]
|battles=World War II
*[[Battle of France]]
*[[Battle of Britain]]
|battles_label=
|awards= [[Virtuti Militari]], [[Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)|Distinguished Flying Cross]], [[Krzyz Zaslugi]] (Triple Bar), [[Croix de Guerre]]
|relations=
|laterwork=
}}
'''Zdzisław Karol Henneberg''' [[Virtuti Militari|VM]], [[Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)|DFC]], [[Krzyz Zaslugi|KZ***]], [[Croix de Guerre|CdeG]] (11 May 1911 – 12 April 1941) was a Polish airman who flew with the [[Royal Air Force]] during the [[Battle of Britain]] and a flying ace of the [[Second World War]].

==Early life and career==
Henneberg was born on 11 May 1914 in [[Warsaw]]. He graduated from the VIIIth Polish Air Force and before the war was an instructor at the advanced flight training school.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elknet.pl/acestory/henne/henne.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010306024158/http://www.elknet.pl/acestory/henne/henne.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=6 March 2001|title=WW II ACE STORIES|date=6 March 2001}}</ref> He was stationed as an instructor in Dęblin when the [[battle of Poland|German invasion of Poland]] commenced, and volunteered for combat flying. After the USSR's invasion of Poland he fled to Romania and then to France, where he trained on the [[Morane-Saulnier M.S.406]].

===Battle of France===
During the [[Battle of France|German invasion of France]] Henneberg was put in command of a [[Bloch MB.150|MB.152]] fighter group. He was stationed at [[Châteauroux]], which was abandoned by its French personnel on 17 June 1940, upon which Henneberg was evacuated to England, reaching it via [[Bourdeaux]] with three other pilots. This was the only Polish evacuation from France to England by plane.

===Battle of Britain===
[[File:Piloci 303.jpg|thumb|Zdzisław Henneberg third from the right]]

On 2 August 1940 Henneberg joined [[No. 303 Squadron RAF]], under the command of [[Ronald Gustave Kellett|Squadron Leader Kellett]]. He was shot down on 31 August during his first operational mission. On 2 September 1940 Henneberg was credited with one damaged enemy aircraft. Five days later in a battle over Essex Henneberg claimed one confirmed and one probable [[Messerschmitt Bf 109|Bf 109]]. On 15 September 1940 (later known as [[Battle of Britain Day]]), Henneberg was attacked by a number of Bf 109s. He defended himself and destroyed one [[Dornier Do 17|Do 17]].

Henneberg temporarily took command of [[No. 303 Squadron RAF]] from [[Witold Urbanowicz]] on 21 September 1940. On 27 September he was credited with a [[Messerschmitt Bf 109|Bf 109]] and on 5 October he shot down a [[Messerschmitt Bf 110|Bf 110]] from the [[Erprobungsgruppe 210]].<ref>Battle of Britain Pilot List, [http://www.the-battle-of-britain.co.uk/pilots/He-pilots.html Extract] Retrieved February 2015</ref>

In a ceremony on 15 December he was awarded a DFC for 8 victories in the Battle of Britain by the Air Officer Commanding [[Fighter Command]] [[Air Chief Marshal]] [[Sholto Douglas, 1st Baron Douglas of Kirtleside|Sholto Douglas]].<ref>303 Squadron {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20080529061036/http://www.polishsquadronsremembered.com/303/303_pics1.html Pictures]}} Retrieved February 2015</ref>

===Later war & death ===
Henneberg temporarily relinquished command of [[No. 303 Squadron RAF]] on 7 November 1940 to Adam Kowalczyk, before taking over permanently on 20 February 1941.<ref>303 Squadron {{usurped|1=[https://archive.today/20120907020900/http://www.polishsquadronsremembered.com/ Commander List]}} Retrieved February 2015</ref>

On 12 April 1941 Henneberg led six [[Supermarine Spitfire]]s in an attack on airfields near [[Le Touquet]] and [[Crecy]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aircrewremembrancesociety.com/raf1941/3/hennebergzdzislaw.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111009063131/http://www.aircrewremembrancesociety.com/raf1941/3/hennebergzdzislaw.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=9 October 2011|title=Henneberg Zdzislaw|date=9 October 2011}}</ref> During the attack Henneberg's plane was damaged by anti-aircraft fire. He managed to fly his plane out of occupied France, but had to ditch it in the English Channel 20 miles from [[Dungeness (headland)|Dungeness]].<ref>Polish Airforce [http://www.polishairforce.pl/henneberg.html Henneberg Biography] (Polish) Retrieved February 2015</ref> Zbigniew Kustrzyński reported seeing Henneberg in the water and reported his position, but a two-day search could not find him and his body was never found.

He is remembered on the [[Battle of Britain Monument in London]], the Polish Memorial to Aircrew in [[Warsaw]] and the [[Polish War Memorial]] near [[RAF Northolt]].

==In popular culture==
Zdzisław Henneberg was portrayed by Christopher Jaciow in the 2018 film ''[[Hurricane (2018 film)|Hurricane: 303 Squadron]]''.

==See also==
*[[List of people who disappeared mysteriously at sea]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category-inline}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Henneberg, Zdzislaw}}
[[Category:1911 births]]
[[Category:1940s missing person cases]]
[[Category:1941 deaths]]
[[Category:Aerial disappearances of military personnel in action]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Warsaw]]
[[Category:Missing aviators]]
[[Category:Polish aviators]]
[[Category:Missing in action of World War II]]
[[Category:Missing person cases in Europe]]
[[Category:People lost at sea]]
[[Category:Polish Royal Air Force pilots of World War II]]
[[Category:Polish Air Force officers]]
[[Category:Polish military personnel killed in World War II]]
[[Category:Polish World War II pilots]]
[[Category:Royal Air Force officers]]
[[Category:Royal Air Force personnel killed in World War II]]
[[Category:The Few]]