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Andrew Mielnik Memorial Archiwum: Ulepszone Dane Personalne Sił Powietrznych 1940 - 1947

Archive: Enhanced Polish Air Force Personnel Data

Allied Losses Nordic RAAF Losses RNZAF Losses USAAF Battle of Britain Paradie RCAF Archiwum Polish War Graves Runnymede Kracker Luftwaffe
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Dedicated to the Memory of Andrew Mielnik: 16 February 1928 - 13 March 2022
 Andrew Mielnik (kontynuacja T. Krzystek) uzupełnione dane personalne PSP 1940-1947.
Histories prepared by Tadeusz Krzystek in a muti-decadal collaboration with Andrew Mielnik involving extensive contributions, corrections and amendments from him, which were further enhanced by Mr. Mielnik for 9 years after Mr. Krzystek's death in 2013 right up to his own passing in March 2022. Developed by Aircrew Remembered from Mr. Mielnik's notes into a searchable database format and further enhanced on a continuous basis by Aircrew Remembered researchers and editors. Dedicated to the memory of these dedicated researchers and chroniclers

In addition to data on Polish Air Force (PAF) personnel, extensive notes on the PAF in the UK and its organization were prepared by Mr. Krzystek with only minor contributions from Andrew Mielnik. This additional information is at listakrzystka site

Andrew Mielnik in 1944

Prawie 17 000 lotników przedostało się różnymi drogami do Wielkiej Brytanii po upadku Polski w 1939 roku. Ich ciągłym życzeniem było pomszczenie niemieckiego ataku na ich Ojczyznę i rodziny wszelkimi dostępnymi środkami. Że to zrobili z honorem i niezachwianą odwagą - każdy z nich, od urzędnika do najwyższego rangą dowódcy - jest świadectwem ich przyrzeczenia wobec Polski: Miłość żąda ofiary wyhaftowanym na Sztandarze Lotnictwa Polskiego przez zakonnice w okupowanej Polsce i przemyconym do Wielkiej Brytanii w 1941. Ta baza danych jest wynikiem pracochłonnych badań przeprowadzonych przez Andrew Mielnik w Melbourne, Australia. Teraz (2019) zapewnia tysiące uzupełnień do wielu oryginalnych danych. Uważa się zatem, że przedstawione tutaj informacje są wyczerpującym i dokładnym zestawieniem informacji o personelu, co powinno przynieść korzyści naukowcom na całym świecie. W tej bazie danych zapisujemy kluczowe dane każdego, który służył w PSP w W. Brytanii. Podaj nam dodatkowe informacje za pomocą Help Desk.

Almost 17,000 airmen made their way by various incredible means to reach the shores of Great Britain after the fall of Poland in 1939. Their abiding wish was to avenge the German assault of their homeland and families by every means at their disposal. That they did so with honour and undaunted courage - every one of them, from the office orderly to the highest ranking commander - is testament of their pledge to Poland : Love Demands Sacrifice. This pledge was embroidered on the Polish Air Force banner by nuns in occupied Poland and smuggled to Britain through war-torn Europe in 1941. In this database we record key details of every airman who served in PAF in the UK. Use the Addition button to send additional information via our Help Desk.

We sincerely pay our respects to the beautiful site niebieskaeskadra.pl which has done an outstanding job collating information on members of the Polish Air Force. We acknowledge our debt to them for some of the images in the Archiwum and for their valuable information on many grave locations. We also acknowledge our debt to the listakrzystka site for its extensive collection of various aspects of the Polish Air Force in the West.

OBJAŚNIENIA Wykaz imienny obejmuje: - Numer ewidencyjny RAF, Nazwisko i Imię; odznaczenia, Data urodzenia, Data zgonu (+ = śmiercią naturalną † = śmiercią lotnika) oraz wiek, w którym zmarł lub zginął, stopień wojskowy polski / angielski posiadany w roku 1947, specjalność lotnicza i przydział do jednostki lub dywizjonu. - Miejsce urodzenia(o ile znane) i dalsze informacje odnośnie przebiegu służby, - stacja RAF, typ samolotu i numer. – O ile zginął / zmarł - miejsce gdzie pochowany, w nawiasie numer grobu (o ile znany) odnotowany w Sekretariacie SLP – podaje dodatkowe informacje o Dowódcach Dywizjonów lub osób, które pełniły funkcję w Stowarzyszeniu Lotników Polskich, oraz dane dotyczące lotów bojowych. Symbol > wskazuje nowe informacje.

EXPLANATIONS The personnel list includes: - -. RAF registration number, Surname and Name; decorations, Date of birth, Date of death (+ = natural death † = death in service) and age in which he died or died, Polish / English military rank held in 1947, air specialty and assignment to unit or squadron. - Place of birth (if known) and further information about the service, - RAF station, type of aircraft and number. - If he died / died - a place where he is buried, in brackets the number of the grave (if known) noted in the SLP Secretariat additional information about the Commanders Squadrons or people who served as part of the Polish Airmen Association, and data on combat flights. The symbol > indicates new information.

Baza strat i incydentów sojuszniczych zawiera ponad 7000 polskich wpisów, które mogą zawierać dodatkowe informacje do podanych tutaj. The Allied Losses and Incidents database contains over 7000 Polish entries which may contain additional information to that provided here. Zobacz też/Check Allied Losses and Incidents Database

Przykładowe wyszukiwania/Example Searches: (1) 309DMR AND pilot AND virtuti (2) mechanik AND 303DM (3) Plut AND Radar (4) 1918 AND 309DMR (5) Strzelec AND 301DB

Supplementary Information in English: this material is provided by Aircrew Remembered researchers and Editors as information becomes available, with appropriate care for its provenance, but was not necessarily validated by Andrew Mielnik whilst he was alive. Responsibility for its accuracy therefore rests with Aircrew Remembered.

TO SEARCH ON SQUADRON USE FORMATS (ABY WYSZUKIWAĆ W SQUADRON, UŻYJ FORMATÓW):
300DB, 301DB, 302DM, 303DM, 304DB, 305DB, 306DM, 307DM, 308DM, 309DMR, 315DM, 316DM, 317DM, 318DMR
+ = natural death † = death in service    + = śmiercią naturalną † = śmiercią lotnika

Enter Your search conditions and click Search This

These are the results of your search:

You searched for: “"hf492"”

#Nazwisko/ Name SORT (↑)Imie/ First NamesStopien/ RankService Number******************Photo******************Specjalnosc/ TradeOdznaczenia/ HonoursPrzydzial/ UnitDataZgonu /DateDeathCodeWiek/ AgeData Urodzenia/ BornMiejsce Birthplace******************Notatka/Notes******************Links
1 BasterBronisławpor. / F / LtP-0538




Newark UK		PilotMedal Lotniczy (x2)

309DM

305DB

1943-05-25† 311912-06-22Kraków1943 zginął – RAF Hemswell-“Wellington”HF492 - lot ćwicz. z nieustal. powodów na wysokości 300 m. Przeszedl w lot pionowy lot do ziemi. Zapalił się i spadł w miejsc. Appleby k/ Scunthorpe. Zginęła cała załoga. Poch. w Newark (317/I) UK
Added by Stefan Pietrzak Youngs: "We were an Army Cooperation squadron, flying Lysanders in Scotland, and learning ourselves and teaching others to cooperate with the ground forces of the Scottish Command, which included units of the Polish Army. There was plenty of work, and thanks to our excellent mechanics we were able to fly more hours than any other squadron in the Army Cooperation Command. For the pilots the work was quite exacting, as apart from the actual piloting they had to shoot, bomb, photograph, navigate and also learn to send and receive coded messages by Morse. Nevertheless it was realised that Lysanders were completely unsuitable for these tasks in the circumstances of real war, and we hoped and prayed for re-equipment with faster and better armed planes. In this atmosphere tales were rife and scarcely a week passed without news of new and wonderful planes with which our squadron was about to be re-equipped. In the spring of 1942, I was asked by the Chief Pilot whether I would like to go on a course to fly Mustangs. Although my heart cried with joy I refused to volunteer, but said that certainly I would like to go if ordered. I must put in here a long aside about volunteering. We have a saying in Poland: "Volunteers perish", and when I was saying good-bye to my mother when leaving home for the war, almost her last words were (and she was an ardent patriot) "Do your duty, but do not volunteer." In 309 squadron, fed up with the phoney war in Scotland, two of the most experienced and excellent pilots, F/O Kornel Stefanus and F/O Bronek Baster asked to be transferred to bomber squadrons, which were at that time carrying out bombing missions over Europe. Their request was granted. Kornel was killed on the ground whilst still in an Operational Training Unit; during night flying an aircraft swung into a group of people at the end of the run and he was the only one killed. Bronek actually joined a bomber squadron but on his first operational flight he had to turn back because of engine trouble. The next day he was testing his aircraft after repairs and went into a dive which finished in the ground." Janusz Jozef Lewkowicz (1970's account)
Added by Stefan Pietrzak Youngs: 1943-05-25 Wellington X HF492 SM-M 305 Sqd RAF Helmswell. Training flight, day. Crashed near Appleby, Scunthorpe- adjacent to the steelworks. The squadron had only just begun to receive the Mk.X Wellington to replace the earlier Mk.IV, at its base at Ingham north of Lincoln. The new mark had more powerful Hercules engines. Eye witnesses say the aircraft apparently dived into the ground from around 1,000 feet. It struck the ground on its belly and began to burn fiercely.The pilot may have lost consciousness prior to the crash, as concluded by the board of enquiry. Crew: Pilot Baster Bronisław (F/L) (P-0538) Age 30, Ground Crew (along for the ride) Berdecha Jan (Cpl) (P.781055) Age 34. Nav Koczapski Władysław Karol K (P/O) (P-1830) Age 28, Air Bomber Miksza Edward (Sgt) (P.794664) Age 19, A/G Niżnik Adam (Sgt) (P.792833), A/G Kazimierz Białobrzeski (P.703895) Age 20.

Crash site (courtesy northlincsweb.net)		Allied Losses Datbase HF492

Story northlincsweb.net
2 BerdechaJanplut. / Cpl781055
Newark UK
Mechanik pokładowyMedal Lotniczy

305DB
1943-05-25† 341909-04-29Syczewka– RAF Hemswell-„Wellington”-HF492- lot nieoperacyjny – z nie ustalonych powodów samolot spikował z wysokości 300 m, stanął w płomieniach i rozbił się w miejcowości Appleby koło Scunthorpe. Zginęła cała załoga.- poch. w Newark (316/A) UK
Added by Stefan Pietrzak Youngs: 1943-05-25 Wellington X HF492 SM-M 305 Sqd RAF Helmswell. Training flight, day. Crashed near Appleby, Scunthorpe- adjacent to the steelworks. The squadron had only just begun to receive the Mk.X Wellington to replace the earlier Mk.IV, at its base at Ingham north of Lincoln. The new mark had more powerful Hercules engines. Eye witnesses say the aircraft apparently dived into the ground from around 1,000 feet. It struck the ground on its belly and began to burn fiercely.The pilot may have lost consciousness prior to the crash, as concluded by the board of enquiry. Crew: Pilot Baster Bronisław (F/L) (P-0538) Age 30, Ground Crew (along for the ride) Berdecha Jan (Cpl) (P.781055) Age 34. Nav Koczapski Władysław Karol K (P/O) (P-1830) Age 28, Air Bomber Miksza Edward (Sgt) (P.794664) Age 19, A/G Niżnik Adam (Sgt) (P.792833), A/G Kazimierz Białobrzeski (P.703895) Age 20.

Crash site (courtesy northlincsweb.net)		Allied Losses Datbase HF492

Story northlincsweb.net
3 BiałobrzeskiKazimierzst.szer. / Sgt703895
Newark UK
Strzelec pokładowyKrzyż Walecznych

Medal Lotniczy

305DB
1943-05-25† 221921-01-21 (1923 ?)Łomża1943 zginął – RAF Hemswell-“Wellington”-HF492 - lot ćwiczebny, z nie ustalonych powodów na wysokości 300 m. przeszedł w pionowy lot do ziemi. Zapalił się i spadł w miejscowości Appleby k/Scunthorpe . Zginęła cała załoga. - pochowany w Newark (316/A/I) UK
Added by Stefan Pietrzak Youngs: 1943-05-25 Wellington X HF492 SM-M 305 Sqd RAF Helmswell. Training flight, day. Crashed near Appleby, Scunthorpe- adjacent to the steelworks. The squadron had only just begun to receive the Mk.X Wellington to replace the earlier Mk.IV, at its base at Ingham north of Lincoln. The new mark had more powerful Hercules engines. Eye witnesses say the aircraft apparently dived into the ground from around 1,000 feet. It struck the ground on its belly and began to burn fiercely.The pilot may have lost consciousness prior to the crash, as concluded by the board of enquiry. Crew: Pilot Baster Bronisław (F/L) (P-0538) Age 30, Ground Crew (along for the ride) Berdecha Jan (Cpl) (P.781055) Age 34. Nav Koczapski Władysław Karol K (P/O) (P-1830) Age 28, Air Bomber Miksza Edward (Sgt) (P.794664) Age 19, A/G Niżnik Adam (Sgt) (P.792833), A/G Kazimierz Białobrzeski (P.703895) Age 20.

Crash site (courtesy northlincsweb.net)		Allied Losses Datbase HF492

Story northlincsweb.net
4 KoczapskiWładysławpor./F/OP-1830


Newark UK
ObserwatorMedal Lotniczy

305DB
1943-05-25† 281915-01-19Stryj– RAF Hemswell-“Wellington”HF492 - lot ćwicz. z nie ustalonych powodów na wysokości 300 m. przeszedł w pionowy lot do ziemi. Zapalił się i spadł w miejsc. Appleby k/Scunthorpe. Zginęła cała załoga. - poch. w Newark (317/H) UK
Added by Stefan Pietrzak Youngs: 1943-05-25 Wellington X HF492 SM-M 305 Sqd RAF Helmswell. Training flight, day. Crashed near Appleby, Scunthorpe- adjacent to the steelworks. The squadron had only just begun to receive the Mk.X Wellington to replace the earlier Mk.IV, at its base at Ingham north of Lincoln. The new mark had more powerful Hercules engines. Eye witnesses say the aircraft apparently dived into the ground from around 1,000 feet. It struck the ground on its belly and began to burn fiercely.The pilot may have lost consciousness prior to the crash, as concluded by the board of enquiry. Crew: Pilot Baster Bronisław (F/L) (P-0538) Age 30, Ground Crew (along for the ride) Berdecha Jan (Cpl) (P.781055) Age 34. Nav Koczapski Władysław Karol K (P/O) (P-1830) Age 28, Air Bomber Miksza Edward (Sgt) (P.794664) Age 19, A/G Niżnik Adam (Sgt) (P.792833), A/G Kazimierz Białobrzeski (P.703895) Age 20.

Crash site (courtesy northlincsweb.net)		Allied Losses Datbase HF492

Story northlincsweb.net
5 MikszaEdwardst.szer./Sgt794664


Newark UK
BombardierMedal Lotniczy

305DB
1943-05-25† 211922-03-05Tarnawa– RAF Hemswell-“Wellington”HF492 - lot ćwicz, z nie ustalonych powodów na wysokości 300 m. przeszedł w pion. lot do ziemi. Zapalił się i spadł w miejsc. Appleby k/Scunthorpe. Zginęła cała załoga. - poch. w Newark (316/A/K) UK
Added by Stefan Pietrzak Youngs: 1943-05-25 Wellington X HF492 SM-M 305 Sqd RAF Helmswell. Training flight, day. Crashed near Appleby, Scunthorpe- adjacent to the steelworks. The squadron had only just begun to receive the Mk.X Wellington to replace the earlier Mk.IV, at its base at Ingham north of Lincoln. The new mark had more powerful Hercules engines. Eye witnesses say the aircraft apparently dived into the ground from around 1,000 feet. It struck the ground on its belly and began to burn fiercely.The pilot may have lost consciousness prior to the crash, as concluded by the board of enquiry. Crew: Pilot Baster Bronisław (F/L) (P-0538) Age 30, Ground Crew (along for the ride) Berdecha Jan (Cpl) (P.781055) Age 34. Nav Koczapski Władysław Karol K (P/O) (P-1830) Age 28, Air Bomber Miksza Edward (Sgt) (P.794664) Age 19, A/G Niżnik Adam (Sgt) (P.792833), A/G Kazimierz Białobrzeski (P.703895) Age 20.

Crash site (courtesy northlincsweb.net)		Allied Losses Datbase HF492

Story northlincsweb.net
6 NiżnikAdamkpr./Sgt792833


Newark UK
Strzelec pokładowyMedal Lotniczy (x2)

305DB
1943-05-25† 241919-06-01Rabka Zdrój– RAF Hemswell-“Wellington”HF492 - lot ćwicz., z nie ustalonych powodów na wysok. 300 m. przeszedł w pionowy lot do ziemi. Zapalił się i spadł w miejsc. Appleby k/Scunthorpe. Zginęła cała załoga. -pochowany w Newark (316/A/J) UK
Added by Stefan Pietrzak Youngs: 1943-05-25 Wellington X HF492 SM-M 305 Sqd RAF Helmswell. Training flight, day. Crashed near Appleby, Scunthorpe- adjacent to the steelworks. The squadron had only just begun to receive the Mk.X Wellington to replace the earlier Mk.IV, at its base at Ingham north of Lincoln. The new mark had more powerful Hercules engines. Eye witnesses say the aircraft apparently dived into the ground from around 1,000 feet. It struck the ground on its belly and began to burn fiercely.The pilot may have lost consciousness prior to the crash, as concluded by the board of enquiry. Crew: Pilot Baster Bronisław (F/L) (P-0538) Age 30, Ground Crew (along for the ride) Berdecha Jan (Cpl) (P.781055) Age 34. Nav Koczapski Władysław Karol K (P/O) (P-1830) Age 28, Air Bomber Miksza Edward (Sgt) (P.794664) Age 19, A/G Niżnik Adam (Sgt) (P.792833), A/G Kazimierz Białobrzeski (P.703895) Age 20.

Crash site (courtesy northlincsweb.net)		Allied Losses Datbase HF492

Story northlincsweb.net

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