Hurricane V6807 near Cherry Burton.
On 24th October 1940 the pilot of this 303 Squadron aircraft was practicing dog fighting tactics with other pilots of the same squadron when this aircraft entered a spin from which the pilot was unable to recover. The aircraft crashed near Grange Farm, Cherry Burton at 17.20hrs and the pilot was sadly killed. It was thought that the pilot may have blacked out after putting the aircraft into too steep a turn at speed.
Pilot - P/O Jan Bury-Burzymski PAF (P/0236), aged 25. Buried Leconfield Churchyard, Yorkshire.
Jan Bury-Burzymski was born on 5th July 1915. He trained as a pilot in Poland and had flown in Poland in September 1939 where he shot down at least two Heinkel HeIII's. For service in Poland he was awarded the Virtuti Militari. He later escaped Poland and arrived in France in October 1939 and flew in France until June 1940 when he left south towards North Africa but ran out of fuel just short of Algeria and had to swim ashore. He arrived in Britain later that Summer and was initially posted to 307 Squadron before arriving at 303 Squadron in early October 1940.
Hurricane V6807 was built to contract 85730/40/23a by the Gloster Aircraft Co. Ltd, at Hucclecote and was awaiting collection in early October 1940. It was delivered to 303
Squadron at Leconfield on or soon after 11th October 1940 when the unit moved in from Northolt. It sustained Cat.W/FA damage on 24th October 1940 following the accident as recorded
above. This was a brand new aircraft. I have a basic map reference for the crash location that plots to being in the field shown in the photograph above, whether this is correct or not I am unsure.
