1942-09-11 Wellington
1942-09-11, Wellington Z1258, Oud Beijerland (Lange weg)
Wellington Z1258 Information
Type Wellington
Serial Number Z1258
Squadron 300
X1D BH-N
Operation Dusseldorf
Date 1 10th September 1942
Date 2 11th September 1942
Further Information
"Serial Range Z1243 - Z1292. 50 Wellington Mk.1V. Part of a batch of 440 Wellington Mk.1C/1V/111. Z1040-Z1054; Z1066-Z1115; Z1139-Z1181 108 Mk.1C delivered by Vickers (Hawarden) between Jun41 and Mar42. Z1071; z1150 converted to Mk.XV1. Z1182-Z1183; Z1202-Z1221; Z1243-Z1292; Z1311-Z1345; Z1375-Z1424; Z1459-Z1496 195 Mk.1V delivered by Vickers (Hawarden) between Jun41 and Mar42. Z1562-Z1578; Z1592-Z1626; Z1648-Z1697; Z1717-Z1751 137 Mk.111 delivered by Vickers (Hawarden) between Nov41 and May42.
Airborne 20:29 from Ingham. Shot down by a night-fighter and crashed at Oud Beijerland (Beijerland), 12 km SSW of Rotterdam, where all are buried in Crooswijk General Cemetery.
F/L S.Waszkiewicz PAF KIA
F/O J.Wierzbicki PAF KIA
Sgt E.Zakielarz PAF KIA
Sgt B.Sawczuk PAF KIA
Sgt J.Horoch PAF KIA "
Above: a picture of an other Polish Wellington of 301 squadron
Mission
10/11 September 1942
Düsseldorf
479 aircraft - 242 Wellingtons, 89 Lancasters, 59 Halifaxes, 47 Stirlings, 28 Hampdens, 14 Whitleys. Training aircraft of 91, 92 and 93 Groups took part in this raid. 33 aircraft - 20 Wellingtons, 5 Lancasters, 4 Stirlings, 3 Halifaxes, 1 Hampden - lost, 7.1 per cent of the force. 16 OTU, from Upper Heyford, lost 5 of its 13 Wellingtons on the raid.
The Pathfinders successfully marked the target, using 'Pink Pansies' in converted 4,00Olb bomb casings for the first time. All parts of Düsseldorf except the north of the city were hit as well as the neighbouring town of Neuss. 39 industrial firms in Düsseldorf and 13 in Neuss were damaged so much that all production ceased for various periods. 8 public buildings were destroyed and 67 damaged. 911 houses were destroyed and 1,506 seriously and 8,340 lightly damaged. 132 people were killed, 120 in Düsseldorf and 12 in Neuss. 116 further people were still classed as missing 2 days later and 19,427 people were bombed out.
September 11, 1942 - R.A.F. bombers attacked Dusseldorf for 50th time. (source: The Britannica Archive)
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Possibly the following german claims have something to do with this plane:
In the SGLO NL loss register a second Wellington can be found that crashed near Biervliet that evening. This must be the plane shot down by Oblt. A. Schulz. The Wellington Z1258 is therefore possibly shot down by Ofw. K. Wieland.
Schülz, Albert Hptm
7/7/1917 Danzig 15 2/NJG-2 (1/41), 1/NJG-2 (9/42), 5/NJG-2 (12/42), Kdr IV/NJG-3, Kdr I/NJG-2 (1/30/44) Bf 110 & Ju 88C in IV/NJG-3, Ju 88C-6 Werk # 720936 "R4 + ??" (lost) DK-G(8/21/42), EP, EK 1 & 2, Night Fighter Operational Clasp KIA 30 January, 1944; shot down by B-17 return fire and crashed at Bodenwerder, near Dorf an der Weser. Remaining crew: Fw Heinz Krüger, R/O (KIA) and Uffz Georg Frieben, Gunner (bailed safely). Two known victories, his 1st & 2nd, Blenheims at the Church Fenton airfield, 16 January, 1941. His 3rd, a Blenheim near the West Raynham on the night of 10-11 February, 1941. A 4th, a Wellington at Cambridge the night of 9-10 April, 1941. His 5th, a Hampden 5 km northeast of Feltwell on 9 July, 1941 (Perry Claims). A 6th, a Wellington 70 km northeast of great Yarmouth on 8 August, 1941. A 7th, a Wellington south of Biervliet on 10 September, 1942. His 8th, a Wellington 2 km west of Egmond on 17 September, 1942. Two Wellingtons on 17 December, 1942.
Wieland, Karl Ofw
3 1/NJG-1 Bf 110F-4 Werk # 4678 "G9 + AH" (lost 1/13/43) EK 1 & 2, Night Fighter Operational Clasp KIA 13 January, 1943 due to engine damage during aerial combat. His 110 crashed and exploded at the Rielse dijk at Gilze Rijen Holland, 3 km SE of the Gilze-Rijen airfield (DeSwart & J.Beaman). His R/O, Uffz Günter Heu was also killed in the crash (J.Beaman). One known victory, a Halifax at Map Quadrant 6233 on 10 September, 1942. A Wellington on 11 September, 1942 over Hetfeld Germany. His 3rd, a Halifax on 6 October, 1942. Another source, Höhler, states the Werk # as 4679.
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10 Sep Vickers Wellington Z1258 Shot down by a night fighter near Beijerland. Op. to Düsseldorf.
F/O Wierzbicki, F/O Waszkiewicz, Sgt Zakielarz, Sgt Sawczuk, Sgt Horoch all KIA
Below information via: http://www.polishwargraves.nl/ned/z.1258.htm
DateAircraftTook off TargetCauseCrashed Fate Crew
10.9.1942 WELLINGTON Mk IV, Z 1258, code BH-N, 300 Sqdnfrom Ingham, Lincolnshire bombing Düsseldorf, Germanyhit by nightfighter at 23.15 hours near Oud Beijerland, the NetherlandsThe whole crew perished. Buried at Rotterdam (Crooswijk):
plut. strz. Sawczuk Borys Karol
kpt. obs. pil. Waszkiewicz Stanisław
foto: Rob Philips
R.A.F. Polish
RankService BornUnitRegimentDate of deathToday buriedGrave
HOROCH Jan Wojciehkapr.79425830.3.1918 Początkowa p. Nieszawa R.A.F. Polish300 Sqdn.10.9.1942 near Oud Beijerland, the Netherlands General Cemetery "Crooswijk", Rotterdam, the Netherlands LL.1.17
foto: Rob Philips
R.A.F. Polish
RankService BornUnitRegimentDate of deathToday buriedGrave
SAWCZUK Borys Karolplut.7814117.1.1920 R.A.F. Polish300 Sqdn. 10.9.1942 near Oud Beijerland, the Netherlands General Cemetery "Crooswijk", Rotterdam, the Netherlands LL.2.19-21
foto: Rob Philips
R.A.F. Polish
RankService BornUnitRegimentDate of deathToday buriedGrave
WASKIEWICZ Stanisławkpt.7661526.5.1909 Abramówka, USSR R.A.F. Polish 300 Sqdn.10.9.1942 near Oud Beijerland, the Netherlands General Cemetery "Crooswijk", Rotterdam, the Netherlands LL.2.19-21
foto: Rob Philips
R.A.F. Polish
RankService BornUnitRegimentDate of deathToday buriedGrave
ZAKIELARZ Edward Kazimierzkpr.7841086.3.1912 Rakszawie p. Łańcut R.A.F. Polish300 Sqdn.10.9.1942 near Oud Beijerland, the Netherlands General Cemetery "Crooswijk", Rotterdam, the Netherlands LL.2.19-21
foto: Rob Philips
R.A.F. Polish
RankService BornUnitRegimentDate of deathToday buriedGrave
WIERZBICKI Jerzy Aleksanderpor.P 104724.12.1909 Rzeczków p. Skierniewicz R.A.F. Polish300 Sqdn.10.9.1942 near Oud Beijerland, the Netherlands General Cemetery "Crooswijk", Rotterdam, the Netherlands LL.2.12
source: http://www.polishwargraves.nl/ned/
No. 300 Polish Bomber Squadron
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
No. 300 (Masovian) Squadron RAF
Badge of no. 300 (Masovian) squadron RAF
Active
Country
Allegiance
Branch
Role
Part of
Nickname
Aircraft
Battle honours
1 July 1940 - 2 February 1947
United Kingdom
Polish government in exile
Royal Air Force
Bomber
RAF Bomber Command
Mazowiecki
Fairey Battle, Vickers Wellington, Avro Lancaster
Millennium Offensive, bombing raids on V-weapon sites, D-Day, crossing the Rhine, Battle of the Ruhr, bombing of Hamburg and Battle of Berlin.
Insignia
Squadron code
BH (Jul 1940 - Oct 1946)
No. 300 (Polish) "Land of Masovia" Bomber Squadron (Polish: 300 Dywizjon Bombowy "Ziemi Mazowieckiej") was a Polish World War II bomber unit. It was fighting alongside the Royal Air Force and operated from airbases in the United Kingdom.
History
Already before the outbreak of World War II, the Polish government signed an agreement with the Royal Air Force. According to the appendix to the Polish-British Alliance, should the war with Germany break out, two Polish bomber squadrons were to be created on British soil. However, following the German invasion of Poland and subsequent Soviet invasion of Poland, most of Polish airmen who managed to get to the west were incorporated into the Polish Air Forces being created in France. It was not until the fall of France that Polish airmen started to arrive to the United Kingdom in large numbers.
Polish evacuees and refuges with experience in aerial warfare were initially kept in a military camp in Eastchurch.
Finally on July 1, 1940 the No. 300 Polish Bomber Squadron was created as the first such Polish units at RAF Bramcote, as a part of the Polish Air Forces in Great Britain.
As the number of Polish airmen, often with experience in fights against the Germans from Poland and France, was high, by July 24 additional bomber squadrons were created.
Between July 19, 1940 and May 8, 1945, the crews of the squadron flew 3,891 sorties and spent 20,264 hours in air.
Initially equipped with Fairey Battle light bombers, the squadron was equipped with Vickers Wellington medium bombers on November 16, 1940. The squadron used several versions, including Mark IC, IV, III and X. In 1941 while the unit was equipped with Wellingtons and flying from Hemswell on 'Gardening' (mining) operations, the squadron's Intelligence Officer was Michael Bentine, later to become well known as an entertainer. On March 5, 1944 the unit was re-equipped with Avro Lancaster bombers and continued to use that bomber until the end of World War II (versions Mk I and Mk III).
During the war, the squadron took part in most of the notable air offensives in Europe, including attacks on the German Navy preparing for Operation Seelöwe, also its naval ships such as the German battleship Gneisenau docked in Brest, other naval facilities in Wilhelmshaven and its U boat facilities in St. Nazaire, Millennium Offensive on large bombing raids on Cologne, bombing raids on V-weapon sites, D-Day, in support of crossing the Rhine, the Battle of the Ruhr, the bombing of Hamburg and the Battle of Berlin.
A number of the crew members were in late 1942 attached to the RAF Tempsford based No. 138 (Special) Squadron RAF as the newly-formed Flight C operating Handley Page Halifax bomber.
The last mission was flown on May 8, 1945 against Adolf Hitler's residence in Berchtesgaden. The unit was disbanded on January 2, 1947, after the Allies withdrew their support for the Polish government.