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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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68 Squadron Crest
22.04.1943 No. 68 Squadron Beaufighter VIF V8567 WM-B F/O. Josef Menšík

Operation: Training

Date: 22nd April 1943 (Thursday)

Unit: No. 68 Squadron

Type: Beaufighter VIF

Serial: V8567

Code: WM-B

Base: RAF Coltishall, Norfolk

Location: Swanton Morley, Norfolk

Pilot: F/O. Josef Menšík 128670 RAFVR Age 25. Killed

Nav: F/O. Rudolf Slíva 141980 RAFVR Age 31. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

Taking off for a training flight at 20.30 hrs from RAF Coltishall. Several witnesses saw pieces of the aircraft fall away before the aircraft spun into the ground near Swanton Morley some 28 km west of Coltishall. Both crew killed.

F/O. Menšík had two earlier escapes:
Whilst with 312 squadron on Circus 19 escorting Blenheims to Chocques from RAF Kenley on the 3rd May 1941 he was forced to crash land his Hurricane Z2987 on return, but survived, slightly injured. The aircraft was later repaired.
Shortly afterwards on the 8th July 1941 whilst on Circus 39 the squadron were engaging Bf109’s from JG26 flying Hurricane IIb Z3327 when he was shot down, baling out over Lisbourg. Managed withe the assistance of escape lines to return to England on the 21st October 1941 via Spain.

Above and below: Scottow Cemetery as visited by Aircrew Remembered April 2014

Burial details:

Both crew were buried at Scottow Cemetery near Coltishall on the 26th April 1943.

F/O. Josef Menšík. Scottow Cemetery, Norfolk. Grave 295. Next of kin details not available. Born in Skačany, Czechoslovakia on 19th November 1917. Joined the Czech-Slovak Air Force in 1935, RAF on 2nd August 1940 after escaping the German occupation.

F/O. Rudolf Slíva. Scottow Cemetery, Norfolk. Grave 294. Next of kin details not available. Born in Czechoslovakia on the 16th February 1912.

Researched with information from Norman L.R. Franks 'Fighter Command Losses' Vol. 1-3, Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Aircrew Remembered own Archives.

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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 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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