On the evening of 21st October 1943 the crew of this 18 O.T.U. aircraft took off from Bircotes airfield at 19.17hrs to undertake a night cross-country training exercise. After setting out the crew sent a radio message to say there was a problem with one of the engines so were returning to base. At 19.57hrs the aircraft undershot the landing and flew into trees around two miles north of Bircotes airfield in the area surrounding Rossington Hall. Four of the five crew were killed.
Pilot - Sgt Mieczyslaw Solecki PAF (P.793230), aged 33. Buried Newark on Trent Cemetery, Nottinghamshire.
Navigator - F/Lt Stefan Karol Alberti PAF (P.780470), aged 35. Buried Newark on Trent Cemetery, Nottinghamshire.
Bomb Aimer - Sgt Jerzy Sawicki PAF (P.793799), aged 29. Buried Newark on Trent Cemetery, Nottinghamshire.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - F/Sgt Roman Kot PAF (P.0031), aged 24. Buried Newark on Trent Cemetery, Nottinghamshire.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Zbigniew Antoni Maryknowski PAF (P.703890). Injured.
Stefan Alberti was flying operationally in Poland in defence of his homeland when Germany invaded. On 3rd September 1939 he was flying with No.21 Eskadra Bombowa Lekka in a PZL-23b Karas aircraft attacking advancing German transport when their aircraft was attacked by an ME109 and was badly damaged. One member of the crew was killed, Alberti baled out while his pilot probably force landed the aircraft near Olzsynki, Poland. He later escaped his homeland and continued the fight against the Nazis from the UK.
Zbigniew Antoni (Toni) Maryknowski survived the War and settled in Blackpool. He died on 25th December 2013.
Wellington BK471 was built to contract B.124362/40 by Vickers Armstrong's Ltd. at Hawarden and was awaiting collection in November 1942. The aircraft was allotted to 466 Squadron at Driffield and, on paper, was taken on charge by them on 8th November 1942. By late-November 1942 they had already begun to exchange their few existing Wellington MkIII's in favour of Wellington Mk.X. It was taken on charge by 426 Squadron at Dishforth on 7th December 1942. 426 Squadron first flew the aircraft operationally on 3rd February 1943 and it was damaged on landing at Coltishall when it collided with a lorry. The aircraft's AM Form 78 states that it received minor Cat.Ac/FB battle damage on this date. It was repaired on site by a team from Vickers at Weybridge and was returned to 426 Squadron on 5th March 1943. The aircraft was involved in a ground accident on 24th March 1943 when it's then second pilot walked into a rotating propeller and sustained serious injuries. On 4th May 1943 the aircraft passed to 18 OTU at Finningley. On 17th May 1943 Cat.Ac/FA damage resulted when the tail wheel assembly at Finningley airfield. It was repaired on site by a team from Vickers at Weybrodge and retrned to 18 OTU on 2nd October 1943. On 21st October 1943 it crashed at Rossington Hall while making an approach to land at Bircotes airfield, sadly five airmen died. Cat.E2/FA damage was the damage assessment of the wreckage and it was written off.
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