Post by archivist on Dec 18, 2008 17:29:33 GMT -7
304 SQUADRON LOSSES 1943 - 1946
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.
HF198 (2E) 14th January 1944
This aircraft was lost during a normal training flight between Predannack and Cardigan Bay in Wales; the reasons are unknown. All five (?) crew were lost. Sergeant Krzywon had previously survived a crash in W5720 which was shot down by flak in October 1941. The entire crew were lost, they were: F/Lt Waclaw Chomka, F/Lt Wiktoryn Ciechanowski, F/O Stanislaw Nowacki, F/Sgt Tadeusz Krzywon and Sgt Wlodzimierz Druciak.
HF121 (2V) 7th April 1944
This aircraft was probably shot down by a fighter over the Bay of Biscay, the crew managed to make a mayday call but all were lost, they were: F/O Szczepan Marcin Stanczykiewicz, F/Sgt Bronislaw Marton, Sgt Stanislaw Franczak, Sgt Bronislaw Janicki, Sgt Wlodzimierz Kolodziej and Sgt Adam Sankowski.
HF188 (2A) 11th April 1944
This aircraft was shot down by German fighters over the Bay of Biscay and in spite of getting off an SOS, the whole crew was lost, they were: W/Cdr Stanislaw Poziomek, who was flying as a supernumerary crew member, W/O W Czekalski, Sq/Ldr Edward Stanczuk, F/Lt Lech Malynicz, F/Sgt Franciszek Matlak, F/Sgt Edward Mikolaj Siadecki and
F/Sgt Boguslaw Szpinalski.
HG273 (QD-X) 18th January 1946
This Transport Command Vickers Warwick flown by W/O Bojarczuk caught fire on landing after a training flight at Chedburgh, Suffolk. The pilot was killed but W/O Borek and W/O Zurek survived.
PP232 (QD-C) 23rd August 1946
This Transport Command Handley Page Halifax crashed during a training flight at Lawshall Green, Suffolk. Pilot error was the reason given and the entire crew died, they were: F/Lt Zygmunt Dabrowski, F/Lt Nikodem Matylis and F/Sgt Stanislaw Michalak.
DURING WWII, THE ROYAL AIR FORCE LOST WELL OVER 55,000 MEN (KILLED) FROM BOMBER COMMAND ALONE. THIS INCLUDED ABOUT 2,000 POLES WHO WERE UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO FIGHT, BUT DID SO ANYWAY. THIS, AND PREVIOUS POSTS, IS A TRIBUTE TO THEM ALL.
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.
HF198 (2E) 14th January 1944
This aircraft was lost during a normal training flight between Predannack and Cardigan Bay in Wales; the reasons are unknown. All five (?) crew were lost. Sergeant Krzywon had previously survived a crash in W5720 which was shot down by flak in October 1941. The entire crew were lost, they were: F/Lt Waclaw Chomka, F/Lt Wiktoryn Ciechanowski, F/O Stanislaw Nowacki, F/Sgt Tadeusz Krzywon and Sgt Wlodzimierz Druciak.
HF121 (2V) 7th April 1944
This aircraft was probably shot down by a fighter over the Bay of Biscay, the crew managed to make a mayday call but all were lost, they were: F/O Szczepan Marcin Stanczykiewicz, F/Sgt Bronislaw Marton, Sgt Stanislaw Franczak, Sgt Bronislaw Janicki, Sgt Wlodzimierz Kolodziej and Sgt Adam Sankowski.
HF188 (2A) 11th April 1944
This aircraft was shot down by German fighters over the Bay of Biscay and in spite of getting off an SOS, the whole crew was lost, they were: W/Cdr Stanislaw Poziomek, who was flying as a supernumerary crew member, W/O W Czekalski, Sq/Ldr Edward Stanczuk, F/Lt Lech Malynicz, F/Sgt Franciszek Matlak, F/Sgt Edward Mikolaj Siadecki and
F/Sgt Boguslaw Szpinalski.
HG273 (QD-X) 18th January 1946
This Transport Command Vickers Warwick flown by W/O Bojarczuk caught fire on landing after a training flight at Chedburgh, Suffolk. The pilot was killed but W/O Borek and W/O Zurek survived.
PP232 (QD-C) 23rd August 1946
This Transport Command Handley Page Halifax crashed during a training flight at Lawshall Green, Suffolk. Pilot error was the reason given and the entire crew died, they were: F/Lt Zygmunt Dabrowski, F/Lt Nikodem Matylis and F/Sgt Stanislaw Michalak.
DURING WWII, THE ROYAL AIR FORCE LOST WELL OVER 55,000 MEN (KILLED) FROM BOMBER COMMAND ALONE. THIS INCLUDED ABOUT 2,000 POLES WHO WERE UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO FIGHT, BUT DID SO ANYWAY. THIS, AND PREVIOUS POSTS, IS A TRIBUTE TO THEM ALL.
