Spitfire W3774 near Kirkby Wharfe, Tadcaster.
During the afternoon of the 14th May 1943 at least two aircraft of 308 Squadron were undertaking a formation flying exercise in the region around their home airfield of Church Fenton. At 16.25hrs two of the Spitfires (Spitfires P8746 and W4773) collided in the air over Kirkby Wharfe, both aircraft then crashed close to Stockwell Stud Farm with wreckage from one or possibly both actually crashing on to the roof of part of the farm courtyard buildings. Sadly both pilots lost their lives in this incident. The collision was blamed on pilots in the formation changing position without any instructions or warnings given to any other members of the formation. The 308 Squadron record book adds further details for the 14th May 1943, it stated that in the afternoon "six pilots carry out practise with sleeve target. F/O Habela and Sgt Osoba collide in air, and both are killed". It also stated for 15th May 1943 that the "Polish Wing Commander Flying suspended squadron from taking part in training flying" and also suspended S/Ldr Pawel Niemiec (Commanding Officer of 308 Squadron), F/Lt Bruno Kudrewicz, F/O Boweslaw Palej, and WO Stanislaw Piatkowski from flying: all in connection with a fatal accident of yesterday" and all four were posted out of 308 Squadron within a week. There seems little doubt that a number of 308 Squadron's pilots were held to account for this collision.
As an addition to this account Church Fenton Fighter Sector Control used a riding school in Grimston Park near Kirkby Wharfe during the Second World War and it is possible that these Spitfires crashed onto what was then an RAF occupied site.
Pilot - P/O Adam Tadeusz Habela PAF (P/1642), aged 26. Buried Northwood Cemetery, London.
Adam Habela was born on 18th November 1916. While training at 15 EFTS he baled out of Magister L8084 around three miles north-east of Carlisle after the aircraft suffered structural failure in the air. He survived the landing and later trained at 58 OTU. He had been credited with a share of shooting down a Junkers Ju88 on 24th July 1942. His gravestone photograph was found on the internet and was taken I credit David Koziol for it.
