Battle L5424 near Penistone.
On 25th March 1941 this aircraft was being flown on a training flight when the pilot became lost in deteriorating visibility. At 17.00hrs the pilot attempted a forced landing on sloping ground in the Penistone area but the fast landing speed combined with the slope saw it run down hill and into a brick wall. The aircraft was on the books of No.1 (Polish) Flying Training School at the time. The pilot was a very experienced pilot, having clocked up a thousand hours flying in Poland but he had just six hours flying time in the Battle.
Pilot - Sgt Adolf Pietrasiak PAF (784763).
Adolf Pietrasiak completed his training and was posted to 308 Squadron. On 19th August 1941 he was flying Spitfire P8318 over France when he was shot down. He managed to evade capture and returned to the UK via Spain. He received a DFM at some stage quite possibly for evading capture. He was killed on 29th November 1943 with 308 Squadron when Spitfire MA584 crashed off Dunkirk. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Polish memorial at Northolt. He has his own Wikipedia page.
Battle L5424 built to contract 540408/36 by The Auston Motor Car Company Ltd. at Longbridge and was delivered to 6 MU at Brize Norton on 16th
February 1940. On 6th March 1940 it was taken on charge by 15 EFTS at Redhill but on 6th May 1940 Cat.M/FA damage was recorded when the then
pilot belly landed in error at Redhill. It was repaired on site and returned to the unit but on 2nd June 1940 it moved with the unit to Carlisle
(Kingstown) airfield. On 21st June 1940 Cat.M/FA damage was again recorded when the undercarriage collapsed on landing at Kirkbride, again it was
repaired on site and returned to the unit. On 10th December 1940 it was transferred to No.1 (Polish) FTS at Hucknall and was on charge with them
when the incident near Penistone occurred on 25th March 1941, Cat.B/FA damage was recorded and it was dismantled and transported by road to
The Fairey Aircraft Co. Ltd., at Stockport for repair in work and arrived there on 19t April 1941. On 14th July 1941 the repair was complete
and it was flown to 47 MU at Sealand for storage. On 27th August 1941 it was transferred to the RCAF and became 2107. It was tranported by ship
to Canada and was taken on charge at The Aircraft Repair Co. at Edmonton on 11th September 1941. On 8th November 1941 it was taken on charge
by No.2 T.C. at Winnipeg. On an unknown date it was transferred to 3 B&GS at MacDonald, Manitoba and was damaged on 31st January 1943,
Cat.A/FA damage, when it overshot on landing at MacDonald and tipped onto it's nose. It was repaired on site but on completion of repair on
17th April 1943 was placed in to the Stored Reserve. On 16th February 1945 to was struck off charge for WAC (War Assets Corp.) with a total
flying time of 515 hours.