Archive Report: Allied Forces

Compiled from official National Archive and Service sources, contemporary press reports, personal logbooks, diaries and correspondence, reference books, other sources, and interviews.

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17.12.1942 N0. 138 Squadron Halifax II DT542 NF-Q F/O. Krzysztof L. DobromirskI

Operation: Ferry flight

Date:17th December 1942

Unit: 138 Squadron

Type: Halifax II

Serial: DT542

Code: NF-Q

Location: Zejtun, Malta

Pilot: F/O. Krzysztof Leon Dobromirski P-0100 PAF Age 27. Killed

Pilot(2): F/O. Stanislaw Pankiewicz P-0858 PAF Age 26. Killed

Nav: F/O. Zbigniew Augustyn Idzikowski P-0742 PAF Age 32. Killed

W/Op: Fl/Sgt. Alfred Edmund Kleniewski 780771 PAF Age 24. Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Roman Wysocki 780214 PAF Age 26. Killed

Fl/Eng: Sgt Alexander Clubb Watt 571759 RAF Age 21. Killed

Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Oskar Franciszek Zieliński 781151 PAF Age 32. Killed

Passengers:

Major, (Lord Apsley) Bathurst DSO. MC. TD. 12995 RAC Age 47. Killed

LAC Cyril Dennis Brown 1069726 RAFVR Killed

LAC Richard Clegg 1233498 RAFVR Age 21. Killed

Fl/Lt. Peter Earle 44315 RAF Age 28. Killed

Cpl. Douglas Sidney Hounslow 1165159 RAFVR Killed

AC1. Stanley Edward Kelly 1493201 RAFVR Age 40. Killed

Maj. Arthur David Curtis Millar Indian Army. Age 38. Killed

Sgt. Dennis Spibey 535526 RAF Killed

Sd/Ldr. Jefferson Heywood Wedgwood DFC 37645 RAF Killed

Fl/Lt. Leonard Arthur Vaughan DSO. DFC. 78666 RAFVR Age 42. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

Took off from Luqa, Malta to the United Kingdom but then turned back due to engine problems and crashed East of Zejtun, Malta at 04.05 hrs whilst attempting to land. Some reports state that it crashed just as the aircraft became airborne.

Left to right: Pilot, Dobromirski, Pilot No2, Pankiewicz, Nav, Idzikowski, W/Op, Kleniewski, Air/Gnr, Wysocki

Burial Details (Crew):

F/O. Krzysztof Leon Dobromirski. Malta (Capuccini) Naval Cemetery, Collective grave No: 4. From Gliniany, Poland.

F/O. Stanislaw Pankiewicz. Malta (Capuccini) Naval Cemetery, Collective grave No: 4. From Augustow, Poland

F/O. Zbigniew Augustyn Idzikowski. Malta (Capuccini) Naval Cemetery, Collective grave No: 4. From Krakow, Poland.

Fl/Sgt. Alfred Edmund Kleniewski. Malta (Capuccini) Naval Cemetery, Collective grave No: 4. From Mlawa, Poland.

Sgt. Roman Wysocki. Malta (Capuccini) Naval Cemetery, Collective grave No: 18. From Lubelskie, Poland.

Fl/Sgt. Oskar Franciszek Zieliński. Malta (Capuccini) Naval Cemetery, Collective grave No: 16. From Prostken, Poland.

Sgt. Alexander Clubb Watt. Malta (Capuccini) Naval Cemetery, Collective grave No: 17. Grandson of Isabella Watt, of St. Fergus, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

Burial Details (Passengers):

Maj. (Lord Apsley) Bathurst. Malta (Capuccini) Naval Cemetery Prot officer's. Plot E. Collective grave 4. Son of Colonel Seymour Henry Bathurst, CMG. TD. JP. DL. 7th Earl Bathurst, and of the Countess Bathurst (nee Borthwick), of Cirencester, Gloucestershire.

Husband of Lady Apsley, CBE (née Meeking), of Cirencester, England.

Left: Major, (Lord Apsley) Bathurst DSO.MC. TD. shown here in the white coat.

Colonel, The Arab Legion. MA. (Oxon); JP. Deputy Lieutenant for the County of Gloucestershire. Member of Parliament for Southampton, 1922-1929, and Bristol, 1931-1942; President, United Kingdom Pilots' Association.

LAC. Cyril Dennis Brown. Malta (Capuccini) Naval Cemetery Prot Men's. Plot F. Collective grave 18. Unit: Ex 21 PTC. (Personnel training centre) Middle East Command.

LAC. Richard Clegg. Malta (Capuccini) Naval Cemetery Prot Men's. Plot F. Collective grave 16. Son of Joseph and Mary Ellen Clegg, of Preston, Lancashire, England.

Fl/Lt. Peter Earle. Malta (Capuccini) Naval Cemetery Prot Officer's. Plot E. Collective grave 4. Son of Phyllis Earle, husband of Florence Earle, of West Worthing, Sussex. Unit: Ex 462 squadron (Observer)

Cpl. Douglas Sidney Hounslow. Malta (Capuccini) Naval Cemetery Prot Men's. Plot F. Collective grave 17. Unit: 138 Squadron, ground crew - no further details at present.

AC.I. Stanley Edward Kelly. Malta (Capuccini) Naval Cemetery Prot Men's. Plot F. Collective grave 18. Son of George and Mary Ann Kelly, husband of Alice Beatrice Kelly, of Wood Green, Middlesex, England. Unit: ex 244 Wing Middle East Command.

Maj. Arthur David Curtis Millar Malta (Capuccini) Naval Cemetery Prot Officer's. Plot E. Collective grave 4. Major Arthur David Curtis Millar of Indian Army. Son of Sarah Millar of Crieff, Perthshire.

Sgt. Dennis Spibey. Malta (Capuccini) Naval Cemetery Prot Men's. Plot F. Collective grave 17. Unit: 138 Squadron, ground crew, no further details at present.

Sq/Ldr. Jefferson Heywood. Wedgwood Malta (Capuccini) Naval Cemetery Prot Officer's. Plot E. Collective grave 4. Unit: ex 92 Squadron, Pilot, no further details at present.

Fl/Lt. Leonard Arthur Vaughan. Malta (Capuccini) Naval Cemetery Prot Officer's. Plot E. Collective grave 4. Son of Thomas and Elizabeth Vaughan, husband of Joan Vaughan, of Epsom, Surrey. Unit; ex 40 Squadron, Air gunner.

With thanks to Willie Orr for details on Maj. Arthur David Curtis Millar - June 2016. Willie says the family history has it that the crash resulted from 'friendly fire'. If anyone has specific information on this aspect please contact us via Helpdesk.

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