Mirosław Ferić
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Mirosław Ferić or Ferič (June 17, 1915 - February 14, 1942), was a Polish fighter pilot, a flying ace of the World War II.
Born in Travnik in Bosnia, his father was Yugoslavian (died during the World War I), and his mother was a Pole. In 1919 his family moved to Poland. He graduated in 1938 from a cadet flying school in Dęblin as a fighter pilot, and next served in the fighter escadre no. 111, with a rank of podporucznik pilot (2nd Lt. pilot).
During the Invasion of Poland in 1939, he served in the escadre No. 111, assigned to the Pursuit Brigade (Brygada Poscigowa), defending the Warsaw area. On September 3 his PZL P.11c fighter was damaged in combat but he successfully bailed out. During the campaign, he shot down one aircraft, a Hs 126 on September 8 as a team victory (according to most sources, he also shot down a Bf 110 with others, but this victory was not officially counted). On September 17 he and other pilots were ordered to evacuate to Romania. There he was interned, but as with most of the Polish airmen, he managed to escape and break through to France by sea. After training on French aircraft, he was assigned to a flight commanded by Kazimierz Kuzian, flying MS-406 fighters and protecting aircraft works in Nantes. However, Ferić saw no air combat. After the fall of France, Ferić evacuated in June 1940 to Great Britain.
After training at RAF OTU, he was assigned to the newly formed Polish No. 303 Squadron, flying the Hawker Hurricane and entering service in the Battle of Britain on August 31, 1940, based at Northolt. On his first day he shot down a Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter. On September 2 he probably shot down another one, but had his plane damaged as well and made a forced landing. On September 6 he shot down another Bf 109, and on September 15 a Bf 109 and Bf 110. On September 27 he shot down a Bf 109 and a Heinkel He 111 bomber, and on October 5, a Bf 109.
After an operational break, the squadron was back in combat in January 1941, flying Supermarine Spitfire's on missions over France. On June 22, on bomber escort he shot down a Bf 109, and on June 27 he damaged another one. In October he was sent to a six-month break from combat, to a Operational Training Unit as instructor, but after three months he volunteered to get back to combat. He was back in No. 303 squadron in late January 1942, but on February 14 he crashed in a training flight over Northolt, when his Spitfire broke up during aerobatics.
According to official lists, Mirosław Ferić was the 11th top Polish fighter ace, with 8 and 2/3 confirmed kills and 1 probable kill. He was awarded with several decorations, among others Silver Cross Virtuti Militari (September 18, 1940), two times Krzyz Walecznych, Distinguished Flying Cross (December 15, 1940). From September 1939 he was writing his personal diary, which were turned into No.303 Squadron's unit history.
