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Operation: Patrol
Date: 13th September 1943
Unit:No. 152 Squadron
Type: Spitfire IX
Serial: ED112
Code: UM-U
Base: Milazzo East, Sicily.
Location: At base
Pilot: Fl/Lt. Wladysaw Maciej Drecki P-0213 PAF Age 27. Killed
REASON FOR LOSS:
Polish fighter pilot credited with 4 kills and another probable.The squadron moved to Milazzo East airfield on the north coast of Sicily to cover the allied forces on the Salermo landings in Italy.
On the 11th September in the late afternoon Fl/Lt. Drecki in Spitfire MA289 UM-T met 2 x Bf109's. One of which was attacking a USAAF Lightning, Wladysaw Drecki managed to manoeuvre onto its tail and shot it down.
The pilot, Oblt. Rudolf Stevens of JG 53 managed to bale out and was picked up by American soldiers.
Two days later Fl/Lt. Drecki was taking off in Spitfire ES112 UM-U when a tire burst, due to heat build up and the aircraft served and hit another Spitfire parked to close to the runway - his aircraft was carrying a full 90 gallon long range fuel take and this exploded - killing him instantly.
Left: Fl/Lt. Wladysaw Maciej Drecki (archives)
152 Squadron Spitfire in Sicily, 1943 (archives)
Burial details:
Fl/Lt. Wladysaw Maciej Drecki. Catania War Cemetery Sicily, Italy (shown above right). Plot 1. Row K. Grave 48. Commemorated on the Polish War Memorial, Northolt and also the superb War Memorial Warsaw, Poland (shown above left). Born 19th May 1915 in Slupia.
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning we will remember
them. - Laurence
Binyon
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Last Modified: 27 May 2014, 20:12