- Home
- Maps▾
- FAQ▾
- About/Donate▾
- News▾
- Obits
- Contact/Help▾
- PersonalHistories▾
- Cross Reference Research Lists ▶
- Recent Archive Reports
- Profiles in Courage
- 1914 -1918 WW1 Material
- Royal Air Force + RAFVR ▶
- WAAF/WRAF
- Australia
- Belgium
- Canada
- Site honouring Czechoslovak RAF
- Holland: LOST Rob Philips Memorial Archive
- New Zealand
- Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland
- Poland
- South Africa
- Archiwum Mielnika: Polish Air Force Archive
- USAAF & USAF
- USA WASP Flygirls
- USA - Co de Swart Gallery: Baker Crew 95th BG
- USA - Co de Swart Gallery: Geyer Crew 98th BG
- Axis Powers
- Russia/Soviet Union
- RCAF 409 The Nighthawks
- Hore-Kennard RCAF
- Zenon Bartkowiak PAF
- Charles Dills USAAC
- Gerald Schwartz USAAC
- Ralph Malan Memoirs
- Soviet Women 'Night Witches'
- Full Story of Lancaster Z-Zebra
- First Air Raid Victim
- 1914 -1918 WW1 Material
- Databases▾
- Databases Master List
- Consolidated Names: includes 500K+ names from all our databases
- Cross Reference Research Lists
- Research Sources
- MULTI-NATIONAL DATABASES
- Aces and Aviators International WW1 - 3000+
- Vitz Archive: War Crimes Victims of Axis
- NEW! USAAF & Allies Non Combat Incidents and Losses
- ALLIED DATABASES
- Allied Losses and Incidents: all Commands
- Aircrew Deaths & Resting Places Worldwide 1939 - 47 120,000+
- Alamein Allied Air Forces Memorial 3000+
- Allied Non-British Graves in Europe managed by CWGC
- Battle of Britain: Enhanced and Extended
- Glider Pilot Regiment Casualties
- Korean War UN Forces Database
- LOST Rob Philips Memorial Archive Dutch/2TAF Losses
- Malta Memorial Database
- Nordic Allied Database
- Ottawa Allied Air Forces Memorial Database
- Paradie RCAF Archive
- Archiwum: Polish Air Force Archive
- Polish Honour Roll
- RAAF Honour Roll
- RCAF Notes - 9000+
- Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm
- Runnymede Memorial Database
- Soviet Aces Database 1941 - 1945
- US Aces and Aviators WW2
- US Air Service Victories WW1
- USAAF Allies NonCombat Losses
- USAAF Operations WWll
- US Marine Corps Squadrons WWll
- Vitz Memorial Archive: War Crimes Victims of Axis
- AXIS DATABASES
- Kracker Luftwaffe Archive
- Deutsches Kreuz in Gold
- German Graves in UK
- German WW2 Aces
- Luftwaffe Graves Managed by CWGC
- Luftwaffe Victories by Name/Date
- Archives ▾
- Archiwum: Polish Air Force Archive: Data on 17,000
- Kracker Luftwaffe Archive
- LOST Rob Philips Memorial Archive: Holland
- Paradie Canadian Archive
- Paul McGuiness RAAF Archive WW1 & WW2
- Profiles in Courage
- Vitz Memorial Archive: War Crimes Victims of Axis
- USAAF Combat Operations 1941-45 Worldwide
- 409 RCAF: The Nighthawks
- Detailed Personal Archive RCAF Officer
- Charles Dills Archive
- Gerald Schwartz Archive
- Ralph Malan Memoirs
- RAF Coastal Command Patrol Areas
- US Intelligence Analysis German Anti Aircraft
- Allied Mine Laying Map (Gardening)
- Airborne Forces - a short history
- More ▾
- de Swart Gallery: Baker Crew, Geyer Crew
- Guide to Complete Site
- Helpdesk
- Donate
- Lay a Wreath
- Your relative's CWGC grave explained
- CWGC War Graves in USA
- Doing Your Own Research
- Research Sources
- US Assistance to Warsaw Uprising
- Our support for charities
- Axis Awards Descriptions
- Stolperstein: Permanent Remembrance
- Who fought for Britain 1939 - 1945
- Aerotoxic Syndrome
- Bermuda Triangle Mystery
- Cross Reference Research Lists
- Not Many People Know That
- Image Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations Used by Forces
- Poetry of Direct Personal Experience
- Staggering Cost in Lives of WWll
- Animated Map All Allied Bombing WW2
- USAAF Combat Operations 1941-45 Worldwide
- Polish Airmen Fighting (Video)
- Important Links
- Canada Memorial Project
- Remembering Banica
- Book Reviews
- 1 BFTS Texas
- Veterans Appeals
- Korean Conflict
- Vietnam Conflict
- Other Conflicts
- Commercial Aviation
- Bush Flying
- Nose Art
- Military Humour
- Airborne Forces - a short history
-
• Kracker Archive
• Allied Losses
• Archiwum Polish
• Paradie Canadian
• RCAF
• RAAF
• RNZAF
• USA
• Searchable Lists
Compiled from official National Archive and Service sources, contemporary press reports, personal logbooks, diaries and correspondence, reference books, other sources, and interviews.
Check our Research databases: Database List
.
We seek additional information and photographs. Please contact us via the Helpdesk.
Operation: Training
Date: 23rd April 1941 (Wednesday)
Unit: No. 18 OTU (Operational Training Unit)
Type: Avro Anson I
Serial: R3408
Base: RAF Bramcote, Warwickshire
Location: Walsgrave on Sowe, West Midlands.
Pilot: Sgt. John Bernard Molony 740943 RAFVR Age 28. Killed (1)
Obs: F/O. Oskar Benedykt Sablik P-1438 PAF Age 29. Killed
W/Op/Air/Gnr/Mech: W/O. Sidney Ripley 363472 RAF Age ? Killed
W/Op/Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Robert Hanson 966859 RAFVR Age 20. Killed
W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Edmund Kosznik 780477 PAF Age 21. Survived - wounded (2)
Obs: Sgt. Jerzy Rudlicki 780347 PAF Age 20. Killed
REASON FOR LOSS:
On a night navigation exercise when they strayed some 20 miles off course. They entered the Midlands marriage balloon protection area and struck a cable. The aircraft came down on Stole House in Walsgrave on Sowe killing all the crew.
Researched for the Wimbledon College Roll Of Honour - pilot, Sgt. John Molony having been a former pupil.
(1) The CWGC have the death of Sgt. John Bernard Molony listed as 23rd March 1941 - clearly a mistake.
(2) Not known how Sgt. Edmund Kosznik survived this incident - did he bale out, perhaps you are able to assist? He lost his life later on the 24th June 1944 whilst serving with 300 squadron. Lancaster EE124 BH-M. Crashed near Lissington, Lincolnshire on return from an operation to Les Hayone.
Above: Graves of some of the crew. Also showing top right: Sgt. Jerzy Rudlicki. Lower: F/O. Oskar Benedykt Sablik
Burial details:
Sgt. John Bernard Molony. Wimbledon Cemetery (Gap Road). Plot S.A. Grave 8. Son of the Right Hon. Sir Thomas Francis Molony, Bt., P.C., K.C., M.A., LL.D., Vice Chancellor of the University of Dublin, and of Lady Molony (née Rispin), of Wimbledon, husband of Marjory Molony (née Higgs). Won the Victor Ludorum at Wimbledon College in 1931, London, England.
Above: grave photo of pilot Sgt. Malony (courtesy Rob Pearson)
F/O. Oskar Benedykt Sablik. Nuneaton Cemetery (Oaston Road) War Graves Plot. Sec. H. Joint Grave 99. Next of kin details not available - are you able to assist? Born Born 08th October 1921.
W/O. Sidney Ripley. Hambleton Cemetery (St. Andrew). SE of church. Husband of Mary Ann Ripley, of Burley in Wharfedale, Yorkshire, England. Had joined service as a boy in 1923.
Fl/Sgt. Robert Hanson. Liverpool Cemetery (Anfield) Sec. 21. Grave 878. Son of Robert and Mary Hanson, of West Derby, Liverpool, England.
Sgt. Jerzy Rudlicki. Nuneaton Cemetery (Oaston Road) War Graves Plot. Sec. H. Joint Grave 99. Next of kin details not available - are you able to assist? Born 25th December 1912 in Czechowice, Poland
Researched for the Wimbledon College Roll Of Honour - Aircrew Remembered have offered to provide basic information for the school records. Also to Rob Pearson for grave photographs. For further details our thanks to the following sources shown below.
KTY 12.05.2016 grave photo added
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
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.
Click to add your info via ticket on Helpdesk •
Click to let us know via ticket on Helpdesk• 
Click to explore the entire site
A word from the Editor: your contribution is important. We welcome your comments and information. Thanks in advance.
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning we will remember
them. - Laurence
Binyon
All site material (except as noted elsewhere) is owned or managed
by Aircrew Remembered and should not be used without prior
permission.
© Aircrew Remembered 2012 - 2025
Last Modified: 13 March 2021, 22:00