Operation: Training

Date: 19th April 1943 (Monday)

Unit No: 318 ‘City of Kraków’ Squadron (Polish)

Type: Hurricane Mk.I

Serial: V6544

Code: ZF:?

Base: RAF Detling, Kent

Location: RAF Detling, Kent

Pilot: Fg Off. Jan Jakubowski CV and Bar, P-0498 PAF Age 29. Killed (1)

RAF Regiment: LAC. Robert Hogarth 1300119 RAFVR Age 31. Killed

RAF Regiment: LAC. Jeffrey William Janes 1473093 RAFVR Age 19. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

During training the Hurricane crashed on landing killing the pilot and two Leading Aircraftman (LACs) who were cycling across the airfield at the time.

Fg Off. Jan Jakubowski CV & Bar, 2nd from right

According to some reports it seems that the aircraft stalled during a steep turn with flaps and undercarriage down and the pilot failed to maintain flying speed causing the aircraft to crash.

(1) After Germany invaded Poland Jan Jakubowski escaped through the Balkans to Portugal and then on to France. Already a trained and experienced pilot he joined the RAF and did his conversion training at 55 Operational Training Unit (OTU) prior to joining 32 Squadron, then on to 308 Squadron and finally to 318 Squadron.

Whilst serving with 308 Sqn Plt Off. Jan Jakubowski survived a series of take-off and landing accidents:

17th March 1942 - Spitfire Vb BL544 - Retracted undercarriage before getting airborne at RAF Woodvale - Safe;
8th April 1942 - Spitfire Vb BL475 - Engine failure on take-off and crashed at Exeter - Injured;
29th August 1942 - Spitfire Vb W3630 - Heavy landing tyre burst and undercarriage collapsed at RAF Manston - Safe.

He was also credited with destroying a Bf109 on the 24th October 1941 on a fighter sweep over France flying Spitfire Vb W3825.

The funeral mass for the three airman took place at 08:00 hrs on the 22nd April with twenty-six (26) Officers escorting the coffins to the train station at Maidstone. The funeral took place at Northwood on the 24th April and attended by Fg Off. Urban and Fg Off. Blaszczyk.

Fg Off. Jan Blaszczyk was killed later that year flying Hurricane IIb BP135 whilst in Egypt.

LACs Robert Hogarth and Jeffrey William Janes were listed in the station Operation Record Book (ORB) as members of 2768 Flight, RAF Regiment attached to 318 Squadron.

Above: Funeral of Fg Off. Jan Jakubowski. The lady in the fur coat was Maria who was Jan’s Fiancée (Aircrew Remembered does have a few more of his funeral and Maria)

The wedding of Jan and Maria for August that year Maria's family was very fond of Janek. Her mother wrote in a letter to Andrzej and Janina Jakubowski: “We loved him like a son, he was one of the most wonderful boys I have ever met.”

Burial Details:

Above Northwood Cemetery (photographed by Aircrew Remembered in 2013)

Fg Off. Jan Jakubowski. Northwood Cemetery, Middlesex. Sec. H. Grave 378. Born on 6th November 1913. Next of Kin Details not available at this time.

Above: grave of LAC. Hogarth (Courtesy Stephen Farnell and Wertypop for permission to use)

LAC. Robert Hogarth. Sheffield Cemetery. Sec F. Grave 5581. Born on the 13th September 1911 in Sheffield. 2nd son and one of seven (7) siblings of John and Harriet Hogarth of Sheffield, England.

Above: grave of LAC. Janes (Courtesy Stephen Farnell and Wertypop for permission to use)

LAC. Jeffrey William Janes. Prestwood Churchyard. Plot 1. Row 5. Grave 70. Born on the 18th August 1923 in Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. Son of Sidney William and Ellen Drusilla (née Parslow) Janes of Heath End, Hampshire, England.

Special thanks to Peter Sikora who has contribute greatly to this page of remembrance, Stephen Farnell for grave photo of LAC Hogarth and Wertypop for use of grave photo LAC Janes, Robert Gretzyngier, Woitek Matusiak, Waldemar Wójcik and Józef Zieliński - "Ku Czci Połeglyçh Lotnikow 1939-1945", Anna Krzystek, Tadeusz Krzystek - 'Polskie Siły Powietrznew Wielkiej Brytanii', The 1333 (Grangemouth Spitfire) Squadron and the Grangemouth Spitfire Memorial Trust who provided me with so much information and assistance during my visit, Jerzy Bogdan Cynk - 'The Polish Airforce At War', Vol's 1 and 2. Thanks to Wojciech Stupnicki for the identification of the lady in the fur coat in the images and for the additional information (Feb 2025). Further updates by Aircrew Remembered (Feb 2025).

Other source listed below:

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