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Post by archivist on Dec 11, 2008 8:00:30 GMT -7
WROBLEWSKI Henryk
He was a pilot, born in St Petersburg, Russia, in 1921 to a Polish family, he was captured by the Russians and suffered harsh treatment in Siberia for many months before being released in an amnesty. He was to join the Polish Army of General Anders, which was then being formed in Russia, to fight the Germans. He volunteered for the Polish Air Force in England and was sent there via Uzbekistan, Iran, India and South Africa, arriving in Glasgow in June 1942. He went on to train as a pilot and joined 304 Squadron.
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Post by archivist on Dec 12, 2008 6:24:12 GMT -7
To all my friends and the 500 plus readers of this thread: I am running out of individual histories to post on this site BUT THERE ARE MANY MORE UNSUNG HEROES. Please ask your families, especially for those still living in Poland, if they have more information. It is going to be very expensive for me to publish a book on the heroes of 304 Squadron. I am committed to doing this so please read what follows and ask YOUR people if they can help with stories and photos. It is your heritage and I am doing my best to promote and remember these men. Please help me if you can. They fought, and many died, for our freedom. Czesc ich pamieci.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF 304 POLISH SQUADRON There was no cogent reason for the destruction of Poland, other than the German dream of lebensraum, which led to the deaths of 5 million Poles, the devastation of a country and the ultimate defeat of Germany and the final collapse, after 12 years, of a Reich that was designed, intended and stated to be there for a thousand years. In the summer of 1939, Germany turned its Blitzkrieg on Poland and Great Britain did the honourable thing, followed its treaty obligations and declared war on Germany. Sadly, at the end of the conflict, Britain and America caved in to the whims of Josef Stalin (and the Russian Bear who then attacked them in the rear) and gave away Polish sovereignty to Russia. A real slap in the face to our staunchest ally and an act of such ignominy towards the many thousands of Poles who fought for us during the War years. I hardly dare say that the battle hardened Poles were the fourth largest force fighting for our freedom at that time. In fact their fighter pilots were the most successful during the dark days of the Battle of Britain, both in terms of the squadron with the greatest number of kills and the individual pilot with the highest score.
Although battered by the German Blitzkrieg (German pilots were battle hardened by their allegedly advisory efforts in the Spanish Civil War) and with many of their aircraft destroyed on the ground, the Poles fled to France, where they fought on against the hated enemy. With the almost immediate collapse of the French forces, the Poles might have given up, but they fought bravely on and made their way to Britain, the last bastion of resistance to the German might.
Travelling via diverse and tortuous routes, they came in their tens of thousands to build up a core of fighting forces to resist the Germans. With refugee status, they were under no obligation to fight but still they provided a land army, naval presence and 15 Air Force squadrons to keep the battle going.
After taking a mauling by the Luftwaffe, the Poles were defeated on the home front, devastated by the swift collapse of France and ran to Britain. But they did not run for cover; they ran to fight another day, only waiting to be re-equipped by the British. When that re-equipment came, they proved themselves to be without equal in courage and fighting spirit. The basic make up of 304 Squadron was airmen from the 2nd and 6th Air Regiments of the original Polish Air Force, later reinforced by elements of the 3rd Air Regiment (after the fall of France) and later supplemented by “British” Poles who made their way here, joined up and fought on. Most of the original complement of the squadron had actually fought in France.
This is the basis of the Polish fight back and what follows is my assessment of 304 Squadron as a representative sample of Polish forces and the history of their efforts.
The squadron was formed at RAF Bramcote, on 23rd August 1940 from 185 men, including 31 Officers, most of whom saw action in Poland and France with 2nd Air Regiment (Kracow) and 6th Air Regiment (Lwow) and with the French Army. This became 304 Silesian Squadron, commanded by Wing Commander Bialy with Wing Commander WM Graham as its British adviser. It was attached to No 1 Bomber Group and was given 16 Fairey Battles for training purposes.
The main problems were the language barrier and the lack of instructors on an aircraft which was unfamiliar to the Polish fliers. At the time, the Battle of Britain was in full swing and bombers were relegated to a back seat. In December 1940, the squadron converted to Vickers Welington Mk Ic medium bombers. At this time, the squadron suffered its first (accidental) loss when R1268 crashed near Edmondsley, 5 miles west of Durham on 14th December 1940, during the transition period between RAF Bramcote and RAF Syerston.
The Fairey Battle designed by Marc Lobelle, first flew 10th March 1936 This crash has not been recognised in many sources, including the history of the squadron, written by Wilhelm Ratuszynski, and the general impression is that the first loss was on 15th April 1941 when Wellington R1212 lost power in both engines simultaneously and crash landed on hilly ground, killing three crew members.
Their first operational mission was on 24th April 1941 when Flying Officer Sym and Flight Lieutenant Czetowicz flew a mission to bomb fuel dumps in Rotterdam. This was to be the precursor to attacks on Bielefeld, Brest, Cologne, Dusseldorf, Essen, Frankfurt, Mannheim, Nuremburg and Osnabruck. After a long series of raids on Europe, the squadron sustained heavy losses and, on 10th May 1942 was re- assigned to Coastal Command. This was originally a temporary measure but was soon confirmed as permanent.
They were transferred to RAF Tiree and had to accustom themselves to much longer flights over water on anti-submarine patrols. The first attacks on submarines were made in May 1942 and the first successful attack was credited, by the British Admiralty, to Flying Officer Skarzynski.
Low level flying over water was an extremely stressful activity but the Polish airmen coped admirably. About a month after their arrival at RAF Tiree, on 13th June, 1942 they were transferred to 19 Group and sent to RAF Dale and RAF Talbenny in Pembrokeshire, South Wales.
From here, their operations changed to anti-submarine patrol and convoy protection in the Bay of Biscay. This was a more dangerous area of operations, but gave the Poles a better chance to have a go at German U-Boats. On 25th June 1942, seven of their Wellingtons joined a 1,000 bomber raid on Bremen and one aircraft was lost. The pace of war was dramatically increased and it is a credit to the ground crews that they kept the squadron airborne. On August 13th 1942 Flying Officer Nowicki and his crew engaged and sunk a surfaced U-Boat with only three depth charges. The squadron became such a menace to submarines that an increasing number of German fighters were diverted to attack the bombers.
The Vickers Armstrong Wellington Medium Bomber, designed by R K Pierson, using Barnes-Wallis’ geodetic frame principle; first flew in July 1936. From here, their operations changed to anti-submarine patrol and convoy protection in the Bay of Biscay. This was a more dangerous area of operations, but gave the Poles a better chance to have a go at German U-Boats. On 25th June 1942, seven of their Wellingtons joined a 1,000 bomber raid on Bremen and one aircraft was lost. The pace of war was dramatically increased and it is a credit to the ground crews that they kept the squadron airborne. On August 13th 1942 Flying Officer Nowicki and his crew engaged and sunk a surfaced U-Boat with only three depth charges. The squadron became such a menace to submarines that an increasing number of German fighters were diverted to attack the bombers.
On 30th March 1943 the squadron transferred to 16 Group at RAF Docking in Norfolk and were given Mk X Wellingtons. It was intended that they should become torpedo bombers, but fortunately it was realised that they would be too slow, and an easy prey for German fighters. On 10th June 1943 they returned to 19 Group, transferred to RAF Davidstow Moor in Cornwall and resumed anti-submarine patrols over the Bay of Biscay. They were re-equipped with Wellington Mk XIII’s which were specially equipped to detect submerged submarines. In September, they were again e-equipped with Mark XIVs which carried additional detection equipment and the newly developed Leigh Light which enabled them to detect surfaced submarines by night – a considerable tactical advantage.
Towards the end of the year, Luftwaffe fighters became more frequent and the Wellingtons of 304 Squadron took a battering but they were again re-equipped with Mk XIV’s which carried the Leigh Light and enabled the crews to detect surfaced submarines at night. On 13th December 1943 they were transferred to RAF Predannack, Cornwall and, in spite of bad weather conditions, the pace of battle speeded up with significant contacts with enemy aircraft and submarines. 1943 had been a very bad year for 304 Squadron and they sustained many losses. Shortly afterwards they returned to 19 Group and resumed anti-submarine activities over the Bay of Biscay.
On February 19th, 1944, the squadron transferred to RAF Chivenor near Barnstaple in Devon. The squadron flew 110 sorties totaling 1074 hours, in spite of bad weather.
In March 1944, Sergeant Baranski was awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal for shooting down a German fighter in a near sea level encounter; such was his accuracy that the fighter exploded before crashing into the sea. For the rest of the summer, there were many contacts with enemy aircraft and in spite of taking tremendous punishment, most of the Polish aircraft made it home without serious injury to the crews. June and July was the squadron’s most successful period with 3 probable submarine kills.
In September 1944, the squadron was transferred to 15 Group and moved to RAF Benbecula to hunt submarines in the North Atlantic.
Early 1945 (January) saw the squadron command taken over by Wing Commander Zurek, who presided over Squadron Leader Pilniak and Squadron Leader Krsepisz who commanded A and B flights respectively. There were several unsuccessful attacks on U – Boats in this month.
On 5th March 1945, the squadron moved to 19 Group at RAF St Eval in Cornwall. They were paid a particular compliment at this time, when Air Commander Pritchett wrote a comment in the squadron diary; “They fly when seagulls won’t”.
On May 11th 1945, one of the squadron’s Wellingtons captured a German U – Boat and they flew their last operational sortie on May 30th 1945. On 14th June 1945 they transferred to Transport Command, flying out of RAF North Weald in Essex. Vickers Warwick (Developed from the Wellington Bomber (Designed by R K Pierson)
In August, they were re-equipped with Vickers Warwicks Mk I and Mk III and then, in January 1946 with Handley Page Halifaxes. Wing Commander Piotrowski took charge in September 1945. Most of their time was then spent ferrying supplies to Greece and Italy until they were disbanded in December 1946
Wherever possible, I have credited the copyright holders of photographs used, but I have been given photographs where the true copyright holders cannot be identified. In such cases, I will be happy to give due credit, if anyone can identify the owners. This is not a profit making document and is intended only as an historical record.
Handley Page Halifax – a very similar outward design to the Avro Lancaster.
You may notice big gaps, I don't know how it will appear on th forum, but the gaps are where I had photographs. I don't know how to place photos on the forum as they can't simply be copied and pasted.
Nevertheless, with or without photos, this is a summary of the heroes of your heritage. Keeping it polite, they had spherical objects of steel! As, at best, an honorary Pole, I am proud of them and you should be too!
Neville
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Post by archivist on Dec 12, 2008 13:28:51 GMT -7
580 people have read this thread but very few have responded. Why? If you like it, please leave a message. If you don't like it please leave a message telling me why you don't.
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Pawian
European
Have you seen my frog?
Posts: 3,266
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Post by Pawian on Dec 12, 2008 14:14:26 GMT -7
580 people have read this thread but very few have responded. Why? If you like it, please leave a message. If you don't like it please leave a message telling me why you don't. I am responding now with a bit different story but still related to the topic of Polish Air Force. Local author writes on Polish Air Force history By SCOTT WHIPPLE The New Britain (CT) Herald Tuesday, November 11, 2008
NEW BRITAIN — Author and historian Peter Kilduff has been busy since his recent retirement from Central Connecticut State University and has already published his first work as a full-time author.
Kilduff has written "The White Eagle Flies: Emergence of the Polish Air Force in and after World War I." The article appears in the autumn issue of "Over the Front," the quarterly journal of the League of World War I Aviation Historians.
Kilduff, 66, retired earlier this year as director of university relations from CCSU, his alma mater. The work combines his dedication to World War I aviation history and his interest in the Connecticut Polish American Archives at CCSU.
In his article Kilduff writes, "Following the several partitions of Poland, the once powerful Central European nation was virtually eliminated from the map. But national identity remained an ideal cherished by Poles living under Austrian, German and Russian domination, and the advent of World War I offered Poles an opportunity to reconstitute their nation even while their country remained nominally within the borders of belligerents on both sides."
One way they did that, Kilduff notes, "was for Poles within their divided nation to begin to form the beginnings of an independent air force under the noses of their various occupiers. In one instance after the October 1917 revolution in Russia, members of the 1st Polish Aviation Unit, formed at Minsk in August 1917, commandeered two trains loaded with dismantled Russian aircraft and evacuated them ahead of the advancing Germans."
The New Britain native says his account of the formation of Poland's air force in the closing days of World War I was inspired by a gift to CCSU's Polish American Archives of photos of the period. They were gathered by an early Polish military flier, the late Lt.Col. Franciszek Xawery Pininski (1896-1959). The photos were presented to the university by Pininski's daughter, Maria Ksiezopolska. A CCSU curator brought the photos to Kilduff's attention. Following months of research, his first post-retirement writing project was born.
A founder and president emeritus of the League of World War I Aviation Historians, Kilduff was the first managing editor of "Over the Front." He is currently its book review editor and an issue editor. This issue is the 10th he has edited since the journal was founded in 1986. More about the journal can be found online at overthefront. com.
Kilduff is the author of 12 books on aviation history, the latest, "Red Baron: The Life and Death of an Ace," was published in England last year. The paperback edition has just been released.
A veteran of aircraft carrier service in the U.S. Navy, Kilduff continues to pursue German aviation history research materials as the basis of writing projects.
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Post by archivist on Dec 12, 2008 14:26:14 GMT -7
Thanks Pawian,
I don,t suppose you can tell me how to contact Mr Kilduff?
Neville
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Pawian
European
Have you seen my frog?
Posts: 3,266
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Post by Pawian on Dec 12, 2008 15:13:25 GMT -7
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Post by archivist on Dec 12, 2008 17:13:45 GMT -7
Well, thanks for the tip Pawian. I tried but with no result
Neville
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Post by archivist on Dec 14, 2008 11:17:58 GMT -7
ZIOLKOWSKI F/Sgt Konrad
He was known to be in service on 5th January 1942 and promoted to Flight Sergeant on 12th February 1942. He and the first pilot, acting Squadron Leader Czetowicz were commended for bravery by Air Vice Marshall Ronald Graham when they regained control of a badly damaged Wellington, on a mission to bomb Rostock, which had been hit by machine gun and cannon fire from a fighter. They regained control and brought the aircraft home; A/Sq/Ldr Czetowicz was wounded and, in spite of the hydraulic system and the undercarriage being unserviceable, they belly landed the Wellington at RAF Lindholme without further injury to the crew. He was awarded the Order of Virtuti Militari on 21st November 1941 by Air Vice Marshal Ujejski. The text of the citation: NOTABLE WAR SERVICES. The Commander-in-Chief wishes to bring to the notice of all ranks in the Command the courage and determination and skilful airmanship displayed by Acting Squadron Leader K. CZETOWICZ and Flight Sergeant ZIOLKOWSKI, K., both of No. 304 (Polish) Squadron.
On the night of 24th April, 1942, this officer and N.C.O. were Captain and 2nd Pilot respectively of a Wellington 1C aircraft detailed to carry out an operational flight to ROSTOCK. On the outward journey a surprise attack was made on the aircraft by an enemy fighter which opened fire with machine gun and cannon, wounding the rear gunner in the arm. The Captain, while at the controls, also received wounds in the right arm as the result of which he momentarily lost control of the aircraft, but by great effort, and despite the pain he was suffering, he managed to regain control at 12,000ft.
Control of the aircraft, which had been rendered very difficult by the extensive damage sustained, was then taken over by the second pilot, the bombs jettisoned by the Navigator, and course was set for base. Despite the heavy damage which had rendered the hydraulic system and the undercarriage unserviceable, the second pilot made a successful belly-landing without further injury to the crew. The safe return of the aircraft to base can only be attributed to the fortitude and great skill shown by both the Captain and 2nd Pilot.
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Post by archivist on Dec 15, 2008 4:08:17 GMT -7
CORY WELLS LEWANDOWSKI
Could this acclaimed Three Dog Night be related to:
LEWANDOWSKI Sgt
Returning from a raid on Manheim, On 8th November 1941, the aircraft was out of fuel and the pilot attempted to land his plane on an airfield in Belgium. He landed at St Trond near Liege, which was a Luftwaffe fighter base. The crew all survived and were taken prisoner, but not before destroying all papers that might be useful to the Germans and they set the aircraft on fire. Sgt Lewandowski was confined to hospital because of his injuries; he escaped and made it back home.
Anyone know?
Neville
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Post by archivist on Dec 15, 2008 4:58:26 GMT -7
304 SUADRON LOSSES 1940 - 1941
R1268 (NZ-T) 14th December 1940
This was a cross country training mission out of RAF Syerston (Newark); the crew were lost and running perilously short of fuel. The aircraft crashed near Edmondsley, 5 Miles west of Durham City. Inexplicably flying with a crew of only 4 instead of the usual 6. This accident was 304 Squadron’s first actual loss, although it fails to get a mention in most accounts. It should be mentioned that this was one of the worst winters of the Twentieth Century and the aircraft, flying at 3500 feet, was heavily iced up.
The pilot had selected an emergency landing ground but lost sight of it because the cockpit windows iced over. An eye witness states that the pilot made a hard turn to avoid the farmhouse and hit trees on higher ground. This undoubtedly saved lives as the farm hands were almost certainly having lunch in the farm buildings.
The pilot, F/O Waroczewski, was later killed on 28th May 1941 after his aircraft, R1392, was seriously hit by flak over Boulogne and crashed near Darwell Hole, Brightlingsea, Sussex. He is buried in the military part of Newark Cemetery. F/O Kostuch suffered injuries which kept him away from the squadron until 17th March 1941. F/O Stanczuk was killed in a road accident in 1943 and Sgt Boczkowski does not appear again in available records.
R1014 6th February 1941
This aircraft crashed shortly after take off from RAF Syerston, coming down at Station Farm near Bleasby, Nottinghamshire. The plane was on a training flight and the cause of the crash is not known. Sgt Cymborski, Sgt Jonczyk, Sgt Lichota and Sgt Tofin were all killed.
R1212 15th April 1941
This aircraft was on a training mission and lost one, or both, engines and crashed whilst coming in to land near Flintham Woods near Newark, Nottinghamshire. Flying Officer Rudolf Christmann, Sgt Antoni Berger and Sgt Wieslaw Pietruszewski were killed; Flying Officer Galczynski, Sgt Ananowski and Sgt Jarosz survived.
R1443 6th May 1941
Whilst on a night bombing mission from RAF Syerston to Le Havre, France, this aircraft was shot down by an enemy fighter. All crew members were killed. This was 304 Squadron’s first operational loss. P/O Feliks Sobieralski’s body was washed ashore on September 14th 1941 and was buried in the Noordwijk General Cemetery in the Netherlands. The other fatalities were P/O Stanislaw Duchnicki, P/O Antoni Sym, Sgt Stanislaw Bialek, Sgt Leon Hampel and Sgt Wladislaw Zolnowski.
R1473 9th May 1941
This Mk 1c was the British advisor to 304 Squadron’s aircraft, flying out of RAF Syerston, and was shot down by flak near Lingen-Em, whilst on a bombing mission to Bremen. Five of the crew were killed, one survived and became a Prisoner of War. The dead are buried at the Reichswald War Cemetery in Westphalia, Germany. F/Sgt Wady survived; the dead were: F/O F S Webb, F/O G J Lynes, F/Sgt S R Gear, Sgt W C Hamilton and W/Cdr W M Graham.
R1392 (NZ-N) 28th May 1941
This aircraft was hit in the port engine by flak whilst on its way home from a bombing mission over Boulogne, France, one crewman baled out either over the target or over the sea and his body was never found. The pilot managed to regain control and another two crewman baled out over England and survived, one landing in a tree. At first he was mistaken for a German flier then he was assisted and taken to hospital. The plane crashed at Darwell Hole near Brightling in Sussex. P/O Waroczewski, who was killed in this incident was a survivor of the crash of R1268 in December 1940. He is also remembered on Panel 75 of the War Memorial at RAF Northolt The other fatalities were: F/O Cezary Wieczorek, P/O Bronislaw Kuszczynski and Sgt Jozef Drozdz. Sgt Jozefiak and Sgt Nilski survived with only minor injuries.
N2840 (GR-?) 18th July 1941
This aircraft was shot down during a bombing raid to Rotterdam from RAF Syerston; it was brought down by a German intruder and crashed at Cowtham House Farm, Balderton, just 2 miles from Newark, Nottinghamshire. The entire crew was killed; they were F/O B Kuzian, Sgt Tomaszewski, F/O B Klatt, Sgt J Sylwestrowicz, Sgt J Podziemski and Sgt M Czerniejewski. All the crew are buried in Newark upon Trent Cemetery. Many websites have failed to include this in 304 Squadron’s losses as the aircraft was borrowed from 301 Squadron.
X9620 25th July 1941
This Mk 1c aircraft, flying out of RAF Lindholme, was shot down during a bombing raid on Emden, Germany. It was hit by flak or, more probably, shot down by a night fighter, somewhere near Opperdoes, South West of Medemblik, Netherlands. The entire crew was lost. It is thought that the Messerschmidt Bf 110 night fighter flown by Oberleutnant Egmont Prinz zur Lippe Weissenfeld of 4 Nacht Jaeger is most likely to have shot this bomber down. The entire crew were killed; these were F/O Leszek Karczewski, F/O Jan Musial, F/O Stanislaw Rzepa, Sgt Boleslaw Salamon, Sgt Zygmunt Witkowski and Sgt Zbigniew Zuwala.
N2852 (NZ-D) 20th October 1941
This aircraft was hit by flak during a raid on Emden, Germany and although the crew got off a Mayday message giving its position, the rescue attempt did not succeed. The plane crashed near Heligoland, Germany and the entire crew was lost. Those who died were: F/O Adam Gisman, P/O Stanislaw Borzecki , Sgt Wilhelm Adamik, Sgt Ryszard Klimiuk, Sgt Henryk Plis and Sgt Mikolaj Zykow.
W5720 (NZ-Q) 26th October 1941
This Mk Ic aircraft was hit by flak, in the port engine during an attack on Hamburg and almost made it back home before crashing into the sea 12 miles off Cromer, Norfolk. The crew spent 18 hours on an inflatable dinghy in the water before being rescued by the Sheringham lifeboat ‘Forester’s Centenery’ and all but one of the crew survived. Sgt Stefan Stenocki was drowned and his body was not recovered. The survivors were: F/O Edmund Ladro, P/O Ludwik Karol Assman, P/O Skarzynski, P/O Czeslaw Sokolowski and Sgt Tadeusz Krzywon
R1215 8th November 1941
Returning from a raid on Manheim, Germany, the aircraft was out of fuel and the pilot attempted to land his plane on an airfield in Belgium. He landed at St Trond near Liege, which was a Luftwaffe fighter base. The crew all survived and were taken prisoner, but not before destroying all papers that might be useful to the Germans and they set the aircraft on fire. F/O Jerzy Tomasc Mondschein, aged 35, was one of 50 Officers executed on 29th March 1944 at Brux after an escape from Stalag Luft III (The Great Escape). He was cremated at Brux and his ashes were later buried in the Old Garrison Cemetery at Poznan, Poland. Other than F/O Mondschein’s murder, there were no fatalities. The survivors were: F/O Blicharz, P/O Rekszyc, Sgt Jaworoszuk, Sgt Krawiecki and Sgt Lewandowski.
X3164 30th November 1941
This Mk Ic, flying out of RAF Lindholme, on a bombing mission to Hamburg, ditched 20 miles east of Great Yarmouth after returning on one engine. The aircraft floated for 7 minutes, enabling the crew to escape. This crew were all killed on DV423 which was shot down by flak on 10th January 1942. The survivors were: P/O Jan Zajac, Sgt Stanislaw Garstka, P/O Jozef Maczynski, Sgt Jacek Strzyzewski, F/O Tadeusz Jozef Klewicz and Sgt Rajmund Antoni Pokrzywa.
R1064 16th December 1941
This MkIc aircraft, flying out of RAF Lindholme, was seen, by other aircrews, to crash into the sea whilst on a mission to bomb Ostend, Belgium but the cause of the crash remains a mystery. The entire crew was killed and only four bodies were pulled out of the water and were buried in France and Belgium. The fatalities were: Sq Ldr Jan Blazejewski, F/O Jan Komlacz, F/O Marian Szczodrowski, Sgt Boguslaw Golabek, Sgt Hubert Rutkowski and Sgt Kazimierz Suwalski
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Post by archivist on Dec 15, 2008 5:10:00 GMT -7
ROYAL AIR FORCE AFFECTION FOR POLISH FLIERS
The airmen of the PAF in exile were held in great respect by the fliers of the RAF. Like me, they had great difficulty in pronouncing Polish names, so the Poles were given anglicised names; Stanislaw would become Stan, Czeslaw would become Chet or Chester and there were others such as Blazejowski in the previous post, who became "Blaze away" a colloquial reference to a rapid firing gunner. In spite of the end of war betrayal, the Brits who served with the Poles had the greatest respect for them and often gave them this sort of nom de guerre - which was always respectful and usually humorous.
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Post by archivist on Dec 15, 2008 8:25:51 GMT -7
I am coming close to the end of what I can publish on this Squadron. If anyone reading this can help me with stories or photographs, I would be truly grateful. I know that a large number of Poles emigrated to the US and Canada after the war. Please help if you can; I have published a significant number of stories but there are many more I can't tell because I don't know. There must be some Poles out there with family/friends who served in the Squadron. Please talk to your families back in Poland and let me have the information to take this further. It has come as a big surprise to me that the bulk of the information I have received has been from English, Irish and French sources. Why won't the Poles respond to help me honour their people?
Neville
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Post by archivist on Dec 15, 2008 12:26:27 GMT -7
It was gratifying to come on the website today and see that it has been viewed 675 times. I feel now that I have got my message across and the brave Poles of 304 Squadron will not be forgotten. I have a few more posts before I run out of things to say and then I will have to knuckle down to some research and the posts will become less frequent - but they'll still be coming! I wish you could see pictures of these supermen; they look just like the rest of us but in old fashioned uniforms and with old fashioned hair styles. A bunch of ordinary young men who were tasked with an extraordinary job, and did it very well.
Czesc ich pamieci
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Post by archivist on Dec 16, 2008 3:43:36 GMT -7
304 SQUADRON LOSSES 1942 - 1943
DV423 10th January 1942
This Mk Ic aircraft, flying out of RAF Lindholme, was shot down by flak on a mission to bomb Wilhelmshaven, Germany; it crashed into the sea off the German Friesian island of Borkum. The entire crew were lost; they had previously all survived the crash of X3164 which ditched in the sea off Great Yarmouth on 30th November 1941. They were: F/O Tadeus Jozef Klewicz, P/O Jozef Maczynski, P/O Jan Zajac, Sgt Stanislaw Garstka, Sgt Rajmund Antoni Pokrzywa, Sgt Jacek Strzyzewski.
Z1082 10th January 1942
This aircraft, flying out of RAF Lindhome, was shot down, probably by a fighter, on a mission to bomb Wilhelmshaven. Once again, the entire crew were lost, they were: F/O Janusz Augustyn Kurek, Sgt Andrzej Kwiecien, Sgt Stanislaw Obiorek, Sgt Boleslaw Kazimierz Patek, Sgt Adam Rogowski and Sgt Alojzy Sankowski.
X9764 6th April 1942
Whilst on a bombing mission from RAF Lindholme to Cologne, this Mk 1c aircraft was shot down by a night fighter near Geetbetz, (Brabant), 28 kilometres ENE of Leuven, Belgium. None of the crew survived and all were buried at St Truiden. P/O Assman had previously survived being shot down by flak in W5720 on 26th October 1941. The dead were: F/O Zygmunt Natkanski, P/O Ludwik Karol Assman, P/O Alfred Osadzinski, P/O Kazimierz Ziemianski, Sgt Zdzislaw Babraj, Sgt Dominik Marian Grajnert.
R1230 (NZ-E) 11th April 1942
This Mk Ic aircraft was on its way, from RAF Lindholme to bomb Essen, Germany, when it was hit by flak (or possibly a night fighter) near Kessel, Germany. One of the crew was killed but the others baled out and were taken prisoner. Sergeant Jozef Janik was buried in the Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. The survivors were: F/O Piwowarek, Sgt Z Klus, Sgt T Moszynski, Sgt Jan Zygmunt Solecki and Sgt Walukiewicz.
DV437 12th April 1942
This Mk Ic, flying out of RAF Lindholme, on a mission to bomb the Krupps works at Essen, was attacked by two Messerschmidt Me110 night fighters near the target area. The starboard engine died whilst the pilot was attempting evasive action, but he managed to get home on the remaining engine. He still managed to drop his bomb load on a Luftwaffe aerodrome at Dinant, France. Unfortunately the second engine overheated and failed and the aircraft crash landed at Milton School Farm near March, Cambridgeshire. The whole crew survived and only two of them needed treatment for minor injuries. The Sqadron ORB records:”excellent work by rear gunner during attacks by enemy aircraft.” The survivors were: Sgt A Lozowicki, Sgt M Straczek, P/O J Wacinski, Sgt Ludwik Gibas, Sgt Czeslaw Piniewski and Sgt Wincenty Garbacz.
X9687 13th April 1942
This Mk Ic aircraft was shot down by flak on its way to bomb Essen, Germany. One crew member was killed but the others baled out and were taken Prisoner of War. Flight Lieutenant Edward Jerzy Mlynarski was buried in the Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. The survivors were: P/O Misiakiewicz, Sgt Bratkowski, Sgt Broda, Sgt Graczyk and Sgt Niewolski.
X9829 (NZ-O) 24th April 1942
During a raid on Rostock, Germany, this Mk Ic aircraft was shot down by a night fighter near the estuary of the River Ems, close to Manslagt, Germany. The entire crew were killed and their bodies were eventually washed ashore and buried in the Sage War Cemetery, Oldenburg, Germany. The deceased airmen were: F/Lt Stanislaw Marian Wojcik, F/O Jan Tadeusz Kwak, F/O Stanislaw Zieleniewski, P/O Lech Stanislaw Dzierzbicki, Sgt Wladyslaw Jankowski and Sgt Lucjan Jan Wozniak.
R1697 24th April 1942
All crew survived the crash landing of R1697 at RAF Lindholme on 24th April 1942. The aircraft jettisoned its bombs from 16,500 feet over Flensburg, Germany following a surprise attack by a Messerschmidt Me110 fighter. The aircraft was damaged and the pilot (Squadron Leader Czetowicz) and rear gunner (P/O Apanasik) were struck by bullets but all survived. The crew were: Sq/Ldr Kazimierz Czetowicz, F/Sgt Ziolkowski, F/Lt BF Lewkowicz, F/Sgt Jozef Apansewicz, F/Sgt Witold Paskiewicz and P/O S Apanasik.
Z1088 (NZ-D) 28th April 1942
This aircraft disappeared on a bombing mission to Cologne, Germany, without any radio contact, mayday message etc. It is believed to have been shot down near Villers la Ville (Brabant), 14 kilometres from Nivelles, Belgium. The crew of five were all killed. They were: F/Lt Edward Kowalski, F/O Ryszard Szczurowski, F/Sgt Zdzislaw Stanislaw Pieczynski, Sgt Stefan Ferenc and Sgt Wincenty Garbacz.
W5627 (NZ-B) 28th April 1942
This Mk 1c, flying out of RAF Lindholme, was shot down whilst returning from a bombing mission to Cologne. The aircraft crashed near Chatel-Censoir in France; Sgt Lipski was made a Prisoner of War, P/O Wacinski and Sgt Woznial were both injured and taken to local hospitals and presumably evaded capture or became Prisoners of War. There are reports that two of the crew were killed but there is evidence that all but Sgt Lipski evaded capture and returned to England. The pilot, F/O Julian Morawski walked into the village of Montillot was hidden by the locals and taken to a remote village, Charbonniere, where he remained until the Resistance took him through the Free French Zone and into Spain. He was interned in the camp at Miranda but escaped and returned to England. He subsequently transferred to 307 night fighter squadron and then 138 Special Duties squadron. He was killed on 13th July 1943 when Halifax JD155 was shot down during a supply drop to the Resistance in Normandy. He is buried in the Grainville-Langannerie cemetery.
DV781 31st May 1942
This Mk1c was lost on an anti-submarine sweep from RAF Tiree. It made a forced ditching in the sea due to the failure of both port and starboard engines; the crew took to their dinghy and were picked up 6 hours later by the Royal Navy Destroyer HMS Boadicea. There were no fatalities and the known crew were: F/O Waclaw Waltera and Sgt Jonski.
DV441 (NZ-Q) 26th June 1942
This aircraft was shot down over the sea by a fighter, during a raid on Bremen, Germany. The entire crew were killed and the only body found was that of Sgt Dydziul. This aircraft was part of a 1000 bomber raid. The lost crewmen were: P/O Jan Kramin, Sgt Marian Dydziul, Sgt Tadeusz Kamyszek, Sgt Henryk Kuc, Sgt Nikita Talach and Sgt Jan Wojas.
Z1072 (NZ-G) 11th July 1942
This aircraft crashed on take off from RAF Bramcote en route to RAF Dale. The reasons are unknown. Two Polish army passengers were aboard, one was killed, one survived. The fatalities were: P/O Michal Mazurkiewicz, F/Sgt Antoni Kosturkiewicz, 2nd Lt Pietraszek passenger & cousin of P/O Mazurkiewicz. The survivors were: F/O Peski, P/O Wodzinski, F/Sgt Adamczyc and Cpl Szpec (passenger).
HX384 (NZ-L) 12th August 1942
On the way to an anti-submarine sweep, this aircraft was struck by ferocious cross winds and failed to take off. It was blown over the edge of the cliffs by the runway at RAF Dale and the entire crew were killed. They were: F/Lt Ludwik Maslanka, F/O Tadeusz Siuzdak, Sgt Pawel Drozdziok, Sgt Marian Jerzy Modrzewski, Sgt Michal Omieljaszko and Sgt Stanislaw Rudolf Wojtowicz.
The wreckage was found on 21st September 1991 by divers from the Llantrisant Sub Aqua Club. Subsequently machine guns and propellers were recovered and restored; one of each is now on display at the ATC museum, Abergavenny, South Wales. A similar set was donated to the Polish people in a ceremony aboard the sailing ship Iskra on 15th July 1993, which was attended by members of the Polish Military and War Veterans Association. The vessel was docked at Newcastle upon Tyne for the Tall Ships Race. These relics are now housed in the Military Museum in Warsaw.
Members of the Llantrisant Sub Aqua Club with one of the propellers recovered from HX384
Z1172 (NZ-V) 20th August 1942
This aircraft took off from RAF Dale and shortly afterwards crashed into the sea near Anglesey. The reason for the crash is unknown. All the crew died. They were: F/O Leszek Teofil Wasilewski, P/O A Antoni Aleksy Zielinski, Sgt Grzegorz Piotr Gramiak, Sgt Ryszard Jarno, Sgt Ludwik Ruszel and Sgt Antoni Tycholis.
R1704 (NZ-P) 15th October 1942
This Wellington crashed during low flying exercises over the sea near Ramsey Island, Pembrokeshire, Wales. The only crew were the two pilots and both were killed. They were: F/O Tadeusz Skierkowski and F/O Adam Schultz.
R1413 (NZ-J) 16th October 1942
This aircraft suffered a crash landing on 1st October 1941 near Micklefield, Leeds, West Yorkshire. At the time, it was manned only by a pilot (Sgt A Lozowicki) and three mechanics (Edward Wrona, Florian Polok and another named Krzempek). This was a mysterious accident and little information exists about it except that only one of the crew was slightly hurt.
However it was finally shot down by German fighters whilst on patrol over the Bay of Biscay. The entire crew were killed; they were: F/O Tadeusz Oles, F/O Stanislaw Targowski, Sgt Franciszek Kubacik, Sgt Wladyslaw Mlynarski, Sgt Zygmunt Stanislaw Piechowiak and Sgt Gerard Twardoch
R1716 (NZ-L) 1st November 1942
Lost on patrol over the Bay of Biscay, probably shot down by an enemy fighter. The entire crew were lost. Flight Lieutenant Szkuta, previously serving with 301 Squadron, had survived being shot down over Germany and had escaped to fly again. F/O Krawczyk, previously serving with 305 Squadron, crash landed in Belgium and, in spite of his injuries, escaped to England. The fatalities were: Flt/Lt Ignacy Skorobohaty, Flt/Lt Alojzy Szkuta, F/O Mieczyslaw Sebastian Wodzinski, Sgt Jan Rogala-Sobieszczanski, Sgt Zygmunt Sasal and F/O Stanislaw Krawczyk.
HZ575 3rd July 1943
This aircraft was probably shot down by German fighters 40 miles North west of Brest, France. The entire crew was lost, they were: F/O Jerzy Jozef Blachowski, F/O Marian Nowak, Sgt Jerzy Fedak, Sgt Stefan Pilat, Sgt Roman Strek and Sgt Henryk Szulgin.
HE304 17th July 1943
Recorded only in the RAF Davidstow Moor Operations Record Book and Dennis Burke’s excellent website on foreign aircraft landings in the Irish Republic. This Wellington Mk X was returning from an anti-submarine patrol over the Bay of Biscay when it ran out of fuel. The crew baled out and landed safely in Carlow and the aircraft crashed near Ballickmoylar, Co Laois. Three aircraft were sent out to look for it but found no trace as they did not violate Irish neutrality by searching over the Republic. The crew returned to Britain and continued to fight; they were Sgt Stanislaw Kieltyka, Sgt Remigiusz Duszczak, Sgt Karol Stefan Pasieka, Sgt Mieczyslaw Franciszek Salewicz, Sgt Mikolaj Pawluczyk and Sgt Wladyslaw Kaczan.
HZ640 (NZ-W) 26th July 1943
This aircraft is known to have been shot down by a three seater Junkers JU88 night fighter flown by Lt Gerhard Blankenberg of V Gruppe, 13 KG 40 and crewed by Uffizier Heinz Hommel and Lt Knud Gmelin. All the crew were lost, they were: F/Lt Stanislaw Rolinski, F/Lt Wladyslaw Jagiello, F/O Jozef Kulicki, Sgt Stanislaw Ehrlich, Sgt Adam Stanislaw Zawilinski and Sgt Romuald Zagorowski. The aircraft came down in the Bay of Biscay, about 200Km north west of Cape Ortegal, North West Spain.
HE576 (NZ-K) 29th July 1943
This aircraft suffered the loss of both engines and crashed at Tresmarrow Farm, half a mile from RAF Davidstow Moor. Several sources state that it was just about to land after an anti-submarine patrol in the Bay of Biscay but the Station ORB says that it had just taken off. Both pilots, Sq/Leader Lech Rodziewicz and F/Lt Zygmunt Janicki, were killed. Survivors were F/Lt Kolodziejski, Sgt Jozwiak, Sgt Matlak and Sgt Zentar.
HZ638 13th August 1943
This aircraft was shot down by a fighter during a sea patrol over the Bay of Biscay. The entire crew were killed, they were: F/Lt Stefan Widanka, P/O Sylwan Jozef Kielan, Sgt Kazimierz Czarnecki, Sgt Jerzy Marian Dangel, Sgt Franciszek Gorka, Sgt Witold Pastwa.
HZ576 (2K) 22nd August 1943
This aircraft went missing over the Bay of Biscay, shot down by a fighter crewed by Oberleutnant Kurt Necesany and Lt. Lothar Wolff of 14/KG 40 130Km west of Cape Ortegal, Spain. The whole crew died, they were: F/O Boleslaw Robert Matuszewski, F/O Boleslaw Porebski, F/Sgt Wiktor Walkiewicz, F/Sgt Jan Wojnilowicz, Sgt Konstanty Gawlik and Sgt Stefan Szczepaniak.
HF150 7th November 1943
During the course of a Leigh Light exercise, this aircraft suffered engine problems and attempted an emergency landing at RAF Haverfordwest with disastrous results. The crew are unknown but the pilot was Flight Lieutenant A A Kasprzyk and the co-pilot was Sergeant Karol Polanin. The accident report is difficult to read but the following is a transcript:
EF [Engine Failure] Loss of revs on port engine. Pilot of HF150 decided to land at strange airfield, [RAF Oakington] overshot and went round again and on final landing struck unlighted a/c 615 close to midway. Co-pilot could have returned to base. CO Airfield controller to blame gave 615 green permission to cross runway should have given 150 a red when he saw him coming in to land the second time 1000 yards away. Pilot of 150 allowed his a/c to drift and did not synchronise his motors. Did not get a green to land 2nd time. CO Commanding pilot of 150 to blame AOF Pilot to blame. Discip action. A/O CinC agrees with AOC.
The results of any disciplinary action are unknown, but both aircraft were destroyed in the ensuing fire.
HF208 (2S) 21st December 1943
While returning from U-Boat patrol over the Bay of Biscay, the aircraft is thought to have been struck by lightning and went down in flames near Mount Brandon in the Irish Republic. The whole crew were killed and their bodies were given an honour guard by the Irish Army and handed over to the British authorities at the Ulster border. Sergeant Naftali Pawel Kuflik was buried in the Carnmoney Jewish Cemetery in Belfast. The remainder of the crew were interred in the Milltown Cemetery, they were: Sgt Stanislaw Czerniewski, Sgt Kowalewicz, Flight Sergeant Klemens Adamowicz, Sgt Kazimierz Lugowski andSgt Wincenty Pietrzak. The following extract is a direct quote from the website of the Warplane Research Group of Ireland:
R.A.F. 304 Squadron, based at Predannack, Lizard, Cornwall, flew Wellington Bombers. The members of this Squadron were Polish. Like many others, they too were involved in hunting U-Boats. On the 20th of December, 1943, their aircraft was seen by several Look Out Posts (L.O.P.’s) skirting along the coastlines of Kerry, Cork and Waterford. Indeed records show that their last reported position was over Lismore in County Waterford heading east-southeast presumably to Predannack. I cannot offer any reason why their aircraft should end up on the slopes of Mount Brandon a few hours later with the loss of all six crewmen on board but I can relate that all the crew were shot by the exploding ammunition in the fire that engulfed the aircraft. All the bodies were recovered outside the aircraft. None suffered burns.
The impact point was on the slopes above Slieveglass, above Brandon village on the Dingle Peninsula.
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Post by archivist on Dec 17, 2008 17:02:38 GMT -7
304 SQUADRON LOSSES 1942
DV423 10th January 1942
This Mk Ic aircraft, flying out of RAF Lindholme, was shot down by flak on a mission to bomb Wilhelmshaven, Germany; it crashed into the sea off the German Friesian island of Borkum. The entire crew were lost; they had previously all survived the crash of X3164 which ditched in the sea off Great Yarmouth on 30th November 1941. They were: F/O Tadeus Jozef Klewicz, P/O Jozef Maczynski, P/O Jan Zajac, Sgt Stanislaw Garstka, Sgt Rajmund Antoni Pokrzywa, Sgt Jacek Strzyzewski.
Z1082 10th January 1942
This aircraft, flying out of RAF Lindhome, was shot down, probably by a fighter, on a mission to bomb Wilhelmshaven. Once again, the entire crew were lost, they were: F/O Janusz Augustyn Kurek, Sgt Andrzej Kwiecien, Sgt Stanislaw Obiorek, Sgt Boleslaw Kazimierz Patek, Sgt Adam Rogowski and Sgt Alojzy Sankowski.
X9764 6th April 1942
Whilst on a bombing mission from RAF Lindholme to Cologne, this Mk 1c aircraft was shot down by a night fighter near Geetbetz, (Brabant), 28 kilometres ENE of Leuven, Belgium. None of the crew survived and all were buried at St Truiden. P/O Assman had previously survived being shot down by flak in W5720 on 26th October 1941. The dead were: F/O Zygmunt Natkanski, P/O Ludwik Karol Assman, P/O Alfred Osadzinski, P/O Kazimierz Ziemianski, Sgt Zdzislaw Babraj, Sgt Dominik Marian Grajnert.
R1230 (NZ-E) 11th April 1942
This Mk Ic aircraft was on its way, from RAF Lindholme to bomb Essen, Germany, when it was hit by flak (or possibly a night fighter) near Kessel, Germany. One of the crew was killed but the others baled out and were taken prisoner. Sergeant Jozef Janik was buried in the Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. The survivors were: F/O Piwowarek, Sgt Z Klus, Sgt T Moszynski, Sgt Jan Zygmunt Solecki and Sgt Walukiewicz.
DV437 12th April 1942
This Mk Ic, flying out of RAF Lindholme, on a mission to bomb the Krupps works at Essen, was attacked by two Messerschmidt Me110 night fighters near the target area. The starboard engine died whilst the pilot was attempting evasive action, but he managed to get home on the remaining engine. He still managed to drop his bomb load on a Luftwaffe aerodrome at Dinant, France. Unfortunately the second engine overheated and failed and the aircraft crash landed at Milton School Farm near March, Cambridgeshire. The whole crew survived and only two of them needed treatment for minor injuries. The Sqadron ORB records:”excellent work by rear gunner during attacks by enemy aircraft.” The survivors were: Sgt A Lozowicki, Sgt M Straczek, P/O J Wacinski, Sgt Ludwik Gibas, Sgt Czeslaw Piniewski and Sgt Wincenty Garbacz.
X9687 13th April 1942
This Mk Ic aircraft was shot down by flak on its way to bomb Essen, Germany. One crew member was killed but the others baled out and were taken Prisoner of War. Flight Lieutenant Edward Jerzy Mlynarski was buried in the Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. The survivors were: P/O Misiakiewicz, Sgt Bratkowski, Sgt Broda, Sgt Graczyk and Sgt Niewolski.
X9829 (NZ-O) 24th April 1942
During a raid on Rostock, Germany, this Mk Ic aircraft was shot down by a night fighter near the estuary of the River Ems, close to Manslagt, Germany. The entire crew were killed and their bodies were eventually washed ashore and buried in the Sage War Cemetery, Oldenburg, Germany. The deceased airmen were: F/Lt Stanislaw Marian Wojcik, F/O Jan Tadeusz Kwak, F/O Stanislaw Zieleniewski, P/O Lech Stanislaw Dzierzbicki, Sgt Wladyslaw Jankowski and Sgt Lucjan Jan Wozniak.
R1697 24th April 1942
All crew survived the crash landing of R1697 at RAF Lindholme on 24th April 1942. The aircraft jettisoned its bombs from 16,500 feet over Flensburg, Germany following a surprise attack by a Messerschmidt Me110 fighter. The aircraft was damaged and the pilot (Squadron Leader Czetowicz) and rear gunner (P/O Apanasik) were struck by bullets but all survived. The crew were: Sq/Ldr Kazimierz Czetowicz, F/Sgt Ziolkowski, F/Lt BF Lewkowicz, F/Sgt Jozef Apansewicz, F/Sgt Witold Paskiewicz and P/O S Apanasik.
Z1088 (NZ-D) 28th April 1942
This aircraft disappeared on a bombing mission to Cologne, Germany, without any radio contact, mayday message etc. It is believed to have been shot down near Villers la Ville (Brabant), 14 kilometres from Nivelles, Belgium. The crew of five were all killed. They were: F/Lt Edward Kowalski, F/O Ryszard Szczurowski, F/Sgt Zdzislaw Stanislaw Pieczynski, Sgt Stefan Ferenc and Sgt Wincenty Garbacz.
W5627 (NZ-B) 28th April 1942
This Mk 1c, flying out of RAF Lindholme, was shot down whilst returning from a bombing mission to Cologne. The aircraft crashed near Chatel-Censoir in France; Sgt Lipski was made a Prisoner of War, P/O Wacinski and Sgt Woznial were both injured and taken to local hospitals and presumably evaded capture or became Prisoners of War. There are reports that two of the crew were killed but there is evidence that all but Sgt Lipski evaded capture and returned to England. The pilot, F/O Julian Morawski walked into the village of Montillot was hidden by the locals and taken to a remote village, Charbonniere, where he remained until the Resistance took him through the Free French Zone and into Spain. He was interned in the camp at Miranda but escaped and returned to England. He subsequently transferred to 307 night fighter squadron and then 138 Special Duties squadron. He was killed on 13th July 1943 when Halifax JD155 was shot down during a supply drop to the Resistance in Normandy. He is buried in the Grainville-Langannerie cemetery.
DV781 31st May 1942
This Mk1c was lost on an anti-submarine sweep from RAF Tiree. It made a forced ditching in the sea due to the failure of both port and starboard engines; the crew took to their dinghy and were picked up 6 hours later by the Royal Navy Destroyer HMS Boadicea. There were no fatalities and the known crew were: F/O Waclaw Waltera and Sgt Jonski.
DV441 (NZ-Q) 26th June 1942
This aircraft was shot down over the sea by a fighter, during a raid on Bremen, Germany. The entire crew were killed and the only body found was that of Sgt Dydziul. This aircraft was part of a 1000 bomber raid. The lost crewmen were: P/O Jan Kramin, Sgt Marian Dydziul, Sgt Tadeusz Kamyszek, Sgt Henryk Kuc, Sgt Nikita Talach and Sgt Jan Wojas.
Z1072 (NZ-G) 11th July 1942
This aircraft crashed on take off from RAF Bramcote en route to RAF Dale. The reasons are unknown. Two Polish army passengers were aboard, one was killed, one survived. The fatalities were: P/O Michal Mazurkiewicz, F/Sgt Antoni Kosturkiewicz, 2nd Lt Pietraszek passenger & cousin of P/O Mazurkiewicz. The survivors were: F/O Peski, P/O Wodzinski, F/Sgt Adamczyc and Cpl Szpec (passenger).
HX384 (NZ-L) 12th August 1942
On the way to an anti-submarine sweep, this aircraft was struck by ferocious cross winds and failed to take off. It was blown over the edge of the cliffs by the runway at RAF Dale and the entire crew were killed. They were: F/Lt Ludwik Maslanka, F/O Tadeusz Siuzdak, Sgt Pawel Drozdziok, Sgt Marian Jerzy Modrzewski, Sgt Michal Omieljaszko and Sgt Stanislaw Rudolf Wojtowicz.
The wreckage was found on 21st September 1991 by divers from the Llantrisant Sub Aqua Club. Subsequently machine guns and propellers were recovered and restored; one of each is now on display at the ATC museum, Abergavenny, South Wales. A similar set was donated to the Polish people in a ceremony aboard the sailing ship Iskra on 15th July 1993, which was attended by m embers of the Polish Military and War Veterans Association. The vessel was docked at Newcastle upon Tyne for the Tall Ships Race. These relics are now housed in the Military Museum in Warsaw.
Z1172 (NZ-V) 20th August 1942
This aircraft took off from RAF Dale and shortly afterwards crashed into the sea near Anglesey. The reason for the crash is unknown. All the crew died. They were: F/O Leszek Teofil Wasilewski, P/O A Antoni Aleksy Zielinski, Sgt Grzegorz Piotr Gramiak, Sgt Ryszard Jarno, Sgt Ludwik Ruszel and Sgt Antoni Tycholis.
R1704 (NZ-P) 15th October 1942
This Wellington crashed during low flying exercises over the sea near Ramsey Island, Pembrokeshire, Wales. The only crew were the two pilots and both were killed. They were: F/O Tadeusz Skierkowski and F/O Adam Schultz.
R1413 (NZ-J) 16th October 1942
This aircraft suffered a crash landing on 1st October 1941 near Micklefield, Leeds, West Yorkshire. At the time, it was manned only by a pilot (Sgt A Lozowicki) and three mechanics (Edward Wrona, Florian Polok and another named Krzempek). This was a mysterious accident and little information exists about it except that only one of the crew was slightly hurt.
However it was finally shot down by German fighters whilst on patrol over the Bay of Biscay. The entire crew were killed; they were: F/O Tadeusz Oles, F/O Stanislaw Targowski, Sgt Franciszek Kubacik, Sgt Wladyslaw Mlynarski, Sgt Zygmunt Stanislaw Piechowiak and Sgt Gerard Twardoch
R1716 (NZ-L) 1st November 1942
Lost on patrol over the Bay of Biscay, probably shot down by an enemy fighter. The entire crew were lost. Flight Lieutenant Szkuta, previously serving with 301 Squadron, had survived being shot down over Germany and had escaped to fly again. F/O Krawczyk, previously serving with 305 Squadron, crash landed in Belgium and, in spite of his injuries, escaped to England. The fatalities were: Flt/Lt Ignacy Skorobohaty, Flt/Lt Alojzy Szkuta, F/O Mieczyslaw Sebastian Wodzinski, Sgt Jan Rogala-Sobieszczanski, Sgt Zygmunt Sasal and F/O Stanislaw Krawczyk.
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