 After the Soviet invasion of Poland on 17 September, the Polish government decided to evacuate the country and ordered the remaining airforce to evacuate as well.Travelling via Romania, Yugoslavia and Italy, Sawicz eventually reached France where he was assigned to the French Air Force (see also Polish Army in France).After training in Lyon, on 1 June 1940 he was assigned to Groupe de Chasse III/10 stationed in Deauville.