Operation: Essen
Date: 02/03rd June 1942 (Tuesday/Wednesday)
Unit: No. 301 Squadron (Polish)
Type: Wellington IV
Serial: R1615
Code: GR-G
Base: RAF Hemswell, Lincolnshire
Location: Turnhout area, Belgium.
Pilot: P/O. Wincenty Głowacki 783450 PAF Age 25. Killed
Pilot: F/O. Stefan Leopold Alojzy Praschill P-0877 PAF 35. Age Killed
Obs: F/O. Rajmund Kiwacz P-1447 PAF Age 30. Killed
W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Jarosław Zalewski 784574 PAF Age 30. Killed
W/Op/Air/Gnr: P/O. Jan Halastra P-1661 PAF Age 28. Killed
Air/Gnr: Sgt. Wacław Żeligowski 781872 PAF Age 22. Killed
REASON FOR LOSS:
Taking off from RAF Hemswell in Lincolnshire at 23:53 hrs. A relatively small force of 195 Aircraft took part - 97 Wellingtons, 38 Halifaxes, 27 Lancasters, 21 Stirlings and 12 Hampdens in the second night in succession bombing Essen. The attack was widely scattered and records show that only 3 high explosive and 300 incendiary bombs hit the city with no serious damage or injuries.
The RAF however lost 14 aircraft! 68 crew members were killed with a further 15 made prisoners of war. It is thought that they were hit by anti-aircraft fire coming down in the Turnhout area of Belgium.
Above L-R-top: P/O. Wincenty Głowacki, F/O. Stefan Praschill, F/O. Rajmund Kiwacz, L-R-lower: Sgt. Jarosław Zalewski, P/O. Jan Halastra, Sgt. Wacław Żeligowski.
Memorial to crew (courtesy Wim Govers - see credits below)
Burial details:
P/O. Wincenty Głowacki. Lommel Polish Military Cemetery. Born on the 04th September 1917 from Inowrocław, Poland. Next of kin details not yet available - are you able to assist?
F/O. Stefan Leopold Alojzy Praschill. Lommel Polish Military Cemetery. Born on the 01st September 1907 from Krakow, Poland. Next of kin details not yet available - are you able to assist?
Obs: F/O. Rajmund Kiwacz. Lommel Polish Military Cemetery. Born on the 28th July 1912, from Morszańsk, Russia. Next of kin details not yet available - are you able to assist?
W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Jarosław Zalewski. Lommel Polish Military Cemetery. Bon on the 01st November 1912, from Wilno, Poland (now Lithuania) Next of kin details not yet available - are you able to assist?
W/Op/Air/Gnr: P/O. Jan Halastra. Lommel Polish Military Cemetery. Born on the 07th October 1910, from Mnich, Cieszyn, Poland. Next of kin details not yet available - are you able to assist?
Air/Gnr: Sgt. Wacław Żeligowski. Lommel Polish Military Cemetery. Born on the 28th November 1920, from Łódź, Poland. Next of kin details not yet available - are you able to assist?
For further details our thanks to Wim Govers and his work on the memorial and research on this crew. Other sources shown below.
