Operation: Circus 297
Date: 15th May 1943 (Saturday)
Unit: No. 315 Squadron (Polish)
Type: Spitfire IX
Serial: LZ990 (1)
Base: RAF Northolt, Middlesex
Location: South East Caen, France.
Pilot: Gp/Cpt. Stefan Pawlikowski P-0587 PAF Age 46. Killed
REASON FOR LOSS:
The squadron took off at 16:07 hrs to cover six Mitchells that were to bomb Caen Airfield.
Left: Gp/Cpt. Stefan Pawlikowski
Four Fw 190's from II./JG2 jumped the starboard section coming from behind and above.
Also shot down during the same operation Sgt. P-76819 Piotr Lewandoswski flying Spitfire IX BS554 PK-P. He survived but taken as PoW. Hauptmann Erich Rudorffer (2) claimed both 315 aircraft shot down.
Stefan Pawlikowski had already seen action in the first world war and then after war end became a test pilot. When Poland collapsed in 1939 he made his escape to France where he took over the training for the Polish Air Force base. Then, with France falling he escaped to England where he had been requested due to his age, to remain in the organisation role of the Air Force.
As do most pilots he loved flying and life behind a desk was becoming difficult. He managed to persuade W/Cdr. Kolaczkowski to allow him to take up a 315 Squadron Spitfire for this operation, which turned out to be his final flight.
(1) Spitfire IX LZ990, Manufactured at the Castle Bromwich factory and fitted with the Merlin 63 engine.
Left: Luftwaffe 'Ace' Hptm. Rudorffer
Grave marker and grave today of Gp/Cpt. Pawlikowski at Grainville-Langannerie Polish War Cemetery
Gp/Cptn Stefan Pawlikowski. Grainville-Langannerie Polish War Cemetery, Normandy France. Sec. 2 Row AA. Grave No. 2. Next of kin details not currently available, Born in Kozłów, Poland on October 11th 1896.
Researched for relatives of the pilot. With thanks for further information supplied to, Robert Gretzyngier, Wojtek Matusiak, Waldemar Wójcik and Józef Zieliński - 'Ku Czci Połeglyçh Lotnikow 1939-1945', Anna Krzystek, Tadeusz Krzystek - 'Polskie Siły Powietrzne w Wielkiej Brytanii'.
