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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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316 Squadron badge
27.04.1943 No. 316 Squadron Spitfire Vb AR382 Sgt. Gierczycki

Operation: Training

Date: 27th April 1943 (Tuesday)

Unit: No. 316 Squadron (Polish)

Type: Spitfire Vb

Serial: AR382

Code: SZ-W

Base: RAF Northolt, Middlesex

Location: Manor Farm, Shepperton, Middlesex.

Pilot: Sgt. Jerzy Janusz Gierczycki P-782951 PAF Age 24. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

Taking off at 18.25 hrs from R.A.F. Northolt on a camera training exercise the two aircraft collided and crashed on Manor Farm, Shepperton, Middlesex.

 

Sgt. Jerzy Janusz Gierczycki (courtesy Krzysztof Michalski)

                  

For details on the other pilot see Sgt. Antoni Stefan Plenkiewicz.

Notes: AR382 was built by the Westland Aircraft Factory and powered with a Merlin 45 R.R Engine.

                 

 Course 26, 58 O.T.U: Front row: P/O. Bialecki, P/O. Dubielecki, F/O. Kalinowski, P/O. Radziszewski, P/O.Bartys, P/O. Meyer - Centre row: Sgt. Sczepankiewicz, Sgt. Tomkczak, P/O. Panek, P/O. Sworniowski, P/O. Stankiewicz, P/O. Radwanski, Sgt. Stanski - Rear row: Sgt. Lewicki, Sgt. Jan Sweryda, Sgt. Szajda, Sgt. Gierczycki, St. Jaszczar, Sgt Kepdzynski

         

Above right: original grave marker and left Northwood Cemetery as photographed by Aircrew Remembered in May 2013.

Burial Details:

Sgt. Jerzy Janusz Gierczycki. Northwood Cemetery. Sec. H. Grave 379. Born 27th February 1919 in Lwów, Poland, No N.o.K details currently available. After escaping from Poland he made his way to Romania and then in February 1940, escaped to France. After France fell he made his way to England on June 26th 1940. 

Trained initially with 25 E.F.T.S. in Hucknel and then with 16 S.F.T.S. before joining 10 A.C.S. on an observers course. He transferred to fighter command and trained at 58 O.T.U. in Grngemouth.

Researched for relatives of the two pilots with thanks to Krzysztof Michalski for the in depth personal record and photographs, additional information from The Grangemouth Air Cadets and the Grangemouth Spitfire Memorial Trust who provided me with so much information and assistance during my visit, Robert Gretzyngier, Wojtek Matusiak, Waldemar Wójcik and Józef Zieliński - 'Ku Czci Połeglyçh Lotnikow 1939-1945'.

Pages of Outstanding Interest
History Airborne Forces •  Soviet Night Witches •  Bomber Command Memories •  Abbreviations •  Gardening Codenames
CWGC: Your Relative's Grave Explained •  USA Flygirls •  Axis Awards Descriptions •  'Lack Of Moral Fibre'
Concept of Colonial Discrimination  •  Unauthorised First Long Range Mustang Attack
RAAF Bomb Aimer Evades with Maquis •  SOE Heroine Nancy Wake •  Fane: Motor Racing PRU Legend
Acknowledgements
Sources used by us in compiling Archive Reports include: Bill Chorley - 'Bomber Command Losses Vols. 1-9, plus ongoing revisions', Dr. Theo E.W. Boiten and Mr. Roderick J. Mackenzie - 'Nightfighter War Diaries Vols. 1 and 2', Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt - 'Bomber Command War Diaries', Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Tom Kracker - Kracker Luftwaffe Archives, Michel Beckers, Major Fred Paradie (RCAF) and Captain François Dutil (RCAF) - Paradie Archive (on this site), Jean Schadskaje, Major Jack O'Connor USAF (Retd.), Robert Gretzyngier, Wojtek Matusiak, Waldemar Wójcik and Józef Zieliński - 'Ku Czci Połeglyçh Lotnikow 1939-1945', Andrew Mielnik: Archiwum - Polish Air Force Archive (on this site), Anna Krzystek, Tadeusz Krzystek - 'Polskie Siły Powietrzne w Wielkiej Brytanii', Franek Grabowski, Polish graves: https://niebieskaeskadra.pl/, PoW Museum Żagań, Norman L.R. Franks 'Fighter Command Losses', Stan D. Bishop, John A. Hey MBE, Gerrie Franken and Maco Cillessen - Losses of the US 8th and 9th Air Forces, Vols 1-6, Dr. Theo E.W. Boiton - Nachtjagd Combat Archives, Vols 1-13. Aircrew Remembered Databases and our own archives. We are grateful for the support and encouragement of CWGC, UK Imperial War Museum, Australian War Memorial, Australian National Archives, New Zealand National Archives, UK National Archives and Fold3 and countless dedicated friends and researchers across the world.
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