Hurricane P3206 at Leconfield airfield.
On 29th October 1940 three 303 Squadron Hurricanes took off at 17.25hrs to undertake an operational patrol. The pilot of this aircraft landed at Leconfield with the other two aircraft at 18.05hrs but the undercarriage of this Hurricane appears to have collapsed. While the squadron records do not recount any damage being sustained there is an AIR81 casualty file in the National Archives that relates to this incident and states the pilot sustained minor head injuries.
Pilot - P/O Wlodzimierz Janusz Miksa PAF (P/0286). Sustained slight abrasions to the forehead.
Wlodzimierz Miksa was born in Lodz in 1915 he had flown with the Polish Air Force in Poland from 1936 and had destroyed two German aircraft in combat over Poland in September 1939. He later escaped his homeland and eventually arrived in the UK in July 1940. Following training at 5 OTU he was posted to 303 Squadron on 21st October 1940. The 303 Squadron records state that he was been posted to 303 Squadron from 151 Squadron although Kenneth Wynn's "Men of the Battle of Britain" book makes no mention of this. As the Battle of Britain technically ended on 31st October 1940 this flight on 29th October 1940 was his one and only operational flight during The Battle and as such it qualified him as being a Battle of Britain pilot. While with 303 Squadron he force landed Hurricane L2099 near Hull on 19th November 1940. By the end of the War he had served with 315 Squadron and 317 Squadron and had been awarded the Polish K.W. Medal with three Bars. He was also awarded the Polish V.M. and the RAF DFC on 26th May 1945. He later married into the Pilkington family, famous for glass production. His son was a member of a 1970s rock band Curved Air with Stewart Copeland (later of The Police). Wlodzimierz Pilkington-Miksa died in 1999.
Hurricane P3206 was built to contract 962371/38/C.23a by The Gloster Aircraft Co. Ltd., at Brockworth and was awaiting collection in April 1940. It was taken on charge as new by 302 Squadron at Leconfield shortly after they formed on 13th July 1940. During August 1940 it was transferred to 151 Squadron at North Weald thus making it a Battle of Britain veteran aircraft. During September 1940 it was transferred to 504 Squadron at Filton and soon after to 303 Squadron and was back at Leconfield with them. On 29th October 1940 it sustained this minor damage incident which is not listed in it's published history so the damage was probably Cat.U or M/FA. Cat.U was undamaged, Cat.M was a very minor damage resulted in a probable repair on site at Leconfield. On 3rd January 1941 it moved with 303 Squadron to Northolt and to Speke on 16th July 1941. Whilst at Speke it was transferred to the MSFU which was based there and used for training purposes. On 7th September 1943 the MSFU disbanded so it was placed in MU storage. By the end of 1943 had been taken on charge by 2nd T.A.F. Communications Flight at Blackbushe and then moved to Northolt with them on 3rd April 1944. There is then no record of the aircraft being in France after D Day but by the end of 1944 it was back in MU storage. It was struck off charge on 17th November 1944.