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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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305 Squadron crest
19/20.06.1942 No. 305 Squadron Wellington II Z8339 SM-N Sgt. Alojzy Gusowski

Operation: Emden, North West Germany

Date: 19/20th June 1942

Unit: No. 305 Squadron (Polish)

Type: Wellington II

Serial: Z8339

Code: SM-N

Base: RAF Lindholme, Yorkshire

Location: Schoonheten, Holland

Pilot: Sgt. Alojzy Pawel Gusowski 782821 Polish Air Force (PAF) Age 26. Killed

Nav: F/O. Henryk Aleksander Jankiewicz P-0444 PAF Age 26. Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr:: Fl/Lt. S. Madejczyk PAF Prisoner of War No. 39674 Camp: Stalag Luft Sagan and Belaria

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Kazimierz Jan Ardelli 793732 PAF Age 22. Killed

Air/Gnr: Sgt. Marian J. Świderski 794273 PAF Age 21. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

Took off at 23:40 hrs from Lingholme, Yorkshire as part of a 194 aircraft raid made up of 112 Wellingtons, 37 Halifaxes, 25 Stirlings, 11 Hampdens and 9 Lancasters.

Wellington Z8339 lost this night (Photo courtesy of Gretzyngier, Matusiak, Wojcik and Zielinski)

Left to right: Pilot: Sgt. Gusowski, W/Op: Sgt. Ardelli, Air/Gnr: Sgt. Świderski

Emden is a coastal port but the raid concentrated on the town. 131 crews claimed to have hit Emden but photographs showed that the main force hit Osnabrück - 80 miles from the target. Emden only recorded 5 High Explosive bombs and 200 - 300 incendiaries with no damage or casualties.

9 aircraft were lost on this raid with a total loss of some 49 crew killed and 5 being made P.o.W.

Wellington Z8339 was shot down by Oblt. Herbert Lutje (shown above) of 8./NJG1 5 km South East of Raalte near Devente at 02.37 hrs. Oblt. Lutje survived the war with a total of 47 night kills and a further 3 day kills. (see Kracker Luftwaffe Archive on this site)

Wellington Z8339 having an engine service

Raalte General Cemetery (Photo courtesy of our friend, the late Mr. Rob Philips)

Burial details:

Sgt. Marian J Swiderski. Raalte General Cemetery - Overijssel, Netherlands. War Graves Plot Grave 3.

Sgt. Kazimierz Jan Ardelli. Raalte General Cemetery - Overijssel, Netherlands. Plot War Graves Grave 2.

Sgt. Alojzy Pawel Gusowski. Raalte General Cemetery - Overijssel, Netherlands. Plot War Graves Grave 4

F/O. Henryk Aleksander Jankiewicz. Raalte General Cemetery - Overijssel, Netherlands. War Graves Grave 1

We would like to thank Robert Gretzyngier, Woitek Matusiak, Wadldemar Wojcik and Josef Zielinski for the use of some of these photographs. We highly recommend their publications regarding WW2 Polish Air Force and are happy to provide other researchers information where they can be purchased.

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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 MWO 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', Archiwum - Polish Air Force Archive (on this site), Anna Krzystek, Tadeusz Krzystek - 'Polskie Siły Powietrzne w Wielkiej Brytanii', Franek Grabowski, 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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