Wellington W5566 at Lindholme airfield.
On the night of 17th / 18th April 1942 the crew of this 305 Squadron aircraft were tasked with flying an operational flight to bomb Hamburg but dropped their bombs in the area of Tierschelling because of engine trouble. They were forced to fly the return leg with a failing port engine and while on the approach to land at Lindholme airfield at 03.25hrs the port engine finally gave up. The crew attempted to land but the pilot could not stop in the available space and it collided with Wellington Z8519 that was parked in a dispersal point. Five of the Polish crew in W5566 were slightly injuredy. The damage to the aircraft was deemed beyond repair.
Wellington W5566 was built to contract B.71441/40 by Vickers Armstrong's Ltd. at Weybridge and was awaiting collection in June 1941. On 8th June 1941 it was flown to 33 MU at Lyneham where it remained at least until being allocated to 115 Squadron at Marham on 12th July 1941 but may have been delivered to 115 Squadron as they did not operate Mk.II Wellingtons. It was then taken on charge by 305 Squadron at Lindholme on 2nd August 1941. As a result of a minor unspecified incident on 17th March 1942 Cat.A(c) damage was the assessment. It was repaired on site and returned to service with 305 Squadron on 11th April 1942. Seven days later on 18th April 1942 it crashed at Lindholme and after being assessed with Cat.E/FB damage it was struck off charge on 25th April 1942.
Pilot - F/O Leszek Jerzy Wielochowski PAF (P/0363). Injured.
Pilot - F/O Gerard Roman Izydor Kunowski PAF (P/0636). Injured.
Navigator - F/O Antoni Wladyslaw Kiewnarski PAF (P/0109). Injured.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Jan Rogala-Sobiewzczanski PAF (P/784042). Injured.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Jan Josef Czwojda PAF (P/780668). Injured.
Air Gunner - Sgt Stefan Stysiak PAF (P/783132).
Antoni Kiewnarski was born in January 1899. He was flying in Wellington Z1245 on the night of 27th/28th August 1942 on Ops to Kassel. His aircraft was shot down and crashed in The Netherlands, he and one other member of the crew survived and F/Lt Kiewnarski was taken prisoner. In March 1944 while being held at the Sagan prison camp he was one of number who took part in the mass break-out which became infamous as "The Great Escape". Unfortunately he was one of fifty murdered when caught and is now buried in Poznan Garrison cemetery, in his native Poland.
The original burial location of the fifty Great Escapers in the PoW camp at Sagan. Photograph - Graham Sharpe.
Leszek Wielochowski was the Commanding Officer of 305 Squadron and later 318 Squadron.
Sgt Rogala-Sobieszczanski was killed on 1st November 1942 with 304 Squadron flying in Wellngton R1716. The aircraft was shot down over the Bay of Biscay and at the time the squadron was operating with Coastal Command. He had been awarded the Polish Cross of Valour and Two Bars prior to his death. He was born in May 1920.
Gerard Kunowski later served with 1586 Special Duties Squadron making parachute drops in occupied Europe.
Stefan Stysiak was killed on 19th July 1944 when 300 Squadron Lancaster PB171 failed to return from ops to Scholven-Buer. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Northolt Memorial.