Researching Heroes of the Soviet Union.

[new world]

I came accross a story of a hero ace-fighter, which is the most unusual I've ever heard. I do not know how much fiction is in this story, so it's for you to judge.

Ace fighter Bayda received his first Hero of SU title for Khalhin-Gol. In August 1941 he received second Hero SU title for night bombing of Berlin operation.

Eventually he ran out of luck and was shut down by Germans in October of 1941. While in German captivity, he was facing tough choice: to die in a prison cell or to fight on the German side against England. Bayda decided to live and was sent to the Western front as a German fighter. Several months later he escaped and surrendered to Brits.

After being under the investigation for half a year, Bayda was sent to Asia to fight Japanese. He must have been doing good job there and was decorated with two British Orders. However, in 1944 he again ran out of luck, his plane was burnt by the Japanese and he ended up in the Japanese POW camp.

Together with others POWs he was sent to dig fortifications where he became friends with an American pilot. These two managed to capture a plane, escaped and safely arrived to the US base on Phillipines.

For almost a year Bayda fought in the US AirForce, earned Purple Heart medal and decided to stay in the Phillipines after the end of WWII. He married a black woman (she was a nurse in the hospital) and they had 2 children together. Bayda stayed on the Phillipines till the beginning of the Korean war, when he was given an airforce wing under his command (not sure what his rank was, probably Colonel).

By the irony of the Faith, two times Hero of SU was fighting Soviet MIG pilots in Korea near Pussan! This was too much for him to bear, so he took off in American plane and escaped to the North Koreans, who handed him right into the hands of KGB.

I do not know what was the end of his story, most likely Bayda did not survive GULAG, even if he did not get death penalty.

I checked Hero of SU books and not surprisingly there is nothing about Bayda.

I think this story is mind-blowing. If anyone know more - please share with us.

Best regards,
New World