On 14th August 1942 the pilot of this aircraft was flying a solo on cross-country training exercise when he became lost and on running low on fuel opted to force-land the aircraft at 18.40hrs near Brimham Rocks. The aircraft was only slightly damaged when it overshot the selected field and the undercarriage collapsed when it ran into a hedge. The pilot escaped injury and completed his training. It was later dismantled and removed from the site and rebuilt.
Pilot - LAC Franciszek Olkiewicz PAF (P/781146), aged 21.
Franciszek Olkiewicz, photo credit to "Encyklopedia of Polish Air Force N.C.Os Training School" compiled by the late Mietek M.Hasinski-Adam.
Franciszek Olkiewicz was born on 12th December 1920 in Skrzybowce, Poland. He joined the "SPLdM" in Swiecie in 1938 and when War was declared he and the entire Pilot's Training Unit was evacuated from Moderowka to Romania. He arrived in the UK after first going through France and begun pilot training here in the UK on 25th August 1941. He completed his training on 16th September 1942 and his incident near Brimham Rocks was therefore towards the end of this training. On 1st December 1942 he was posted to 6 OTU, and later on 15th April 1943 he joined 304 Squadron before being posted to 301 Squadron on 5th December 1943 in Italy. This posting was sadly cut short as he was killed on 6th January 1944 whilst flying with 301 Squadron / 1586 Polish Special Operations Flight when Liberator BZ949 with eight crew iced up on Ops to Poland and whilst attempting a forced-landing near Villa Casteli the aircraft flew into high ground at Grotaglia, Italy killing all crew. He was buried in the Polish Military Cemetery in Casamassina, near Bari, Italy. He was awarded the Medal Lotniczy.
Oxford V4219 was built to contract B.55347/39 by The Standard Motor Co. Ltd. at Canley and was taken on charge by 16 (P)FTS at Newton on 10th January 1942. As a result of the forced landing on 14th August 1942 Cat.B/FA damage was the assessed and it was taken away by road for a repair in works. With the repair complete it was placed in MU storage and remained there until 23rd June 1943 when it was taken on charge by 1 BAS at Watchfield. On 9th July 1943 it was transferred to 3 (P)AFU at South Cerney and coded "-117". It ended its flying days on 14th December 1945, when it was placed in long term MU storage pending disposal but remained in existance until 25th August 1949 when it was sold as scrap to W.F.Lamont.