Polish pilot Jan Baxter (born Jan Zablocki) escaped from his native Poland in 1939, reached France and then travelled to England where he joined the RAF and trained as a pilot. He flew 12 operations on Wellingtons, the majority dropping sea mines in the entrances to Nazi-held ports. After converting to the Halifax, he left for Italy and completed 27 missions dropping supplies to the partisans in Yugoslavia, Greece and Poland, which he visited 11 times. He was twice awarded the Polish Cross of Valour. He remained in the RAF after the war and flew Dakota and Valetta transport aircraftIn Aden and Malaya.. He later worked for the MoD for 10 years as a linguist and translator.

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