In June, 1944, by which time he had scored another eight victories, the Polish Air Force discovered Gladych, Lanowski, and four other Polish pilots had “slipped the bounds” and were flying combat with the Americans. The Polish authorities threatened to expel all of them from the Polish Air Force, and four of the pilots did quit the 56th. Gladych and Lanowski continued and were expelled. Between June and October 1944, neither man was officially in anybody’s armed forces! The Polish government relented in October and restored them to membership in the Air Force. The result of this is that the Polish Air Force does not recognize Gladych’s ten aerial and five ground claims with the 56th FG, though the USAF does. During his time in the 56th, Gladych was unofficially carried as a “Major,” the equivalent of his RAF rank of Squadron Leader. All the P-47s he flew in the 56th were named Pengie, the nickname of his Canadian WAAF girlfriend, which continued to Pengie V as he received newer aircraft. His insignia was the cartoon image of a penguin on the left side of the engine cowling.
