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Operation: Training
Date: 9th August 1945 (Sunday)
Unit: 25 EFTS (Polish - Elementary Flying Training School)
Type: Tiger Moth II
Serial: DE956
Base: RAF Hucknall
Location: 2 miles North East Airfield
Pilot: Flt Lt. Ryszard Sylwester Ronowicz P-1082 PAF Age 29. Killed
Pilot U/T: AC2. Ryszard Szoplik 707169 PAF Age 19. Killed
REASON FOR LOSS:
Doing a night flying training exercise the pilots view of the airfield was suddenly obscured by a blanket of fog which developed without any warning. In an effort to fly below the cloud base, which was at 150 ft, and to obtain a visual on the airfield the instructor pilot turned quickly when it would appear that he saw the landing lights. During this manoeuvre the aircraft side slipped and dropped to the ground, crashed and caught fire killing both crew.
58 OTU. Grangemouth, Scotland. Course 18-1:
Front row: Plt Off. Dewar, F/g Off. Barnett, Flt Lt. Timney, Fg Off. Lenton, Fg Off. Lovell, Fg Off. Webb. Centre row: Sgt. Shaw, Fg Off. Wiejski, Fg Off. Martini, Fg Off. Ronowicz, Plt Off. Mozolowski. Rear row: Sgt. Pratt, Sgt. Brown, Sgt. Hanzelka, Sgt. Czachla, Sgt. Richardson, Sgt. Baklarz.
(NOTES: Jan Wiejski - Killed 02.02.1943. Florian Martini - Died 16.02.2001. Ryszard Sylwester Ronowicz - Killed 09.08.1945. Jan Józef Zygmunt Mozolowski - Died 22.11.1979. Piotr Tadeusz Hanzelka - Killed 05.06.1943. Stefan Czachla - (aka Curtis), 782696 PAF. Went on to join 316 Squadron, died in Luton on the 30th November age 76. Mieczysław Baklarz - Died
18.01.1984.)
Burial details:
Flt Lt. Ryszard Sylwester Ronowicz. Bexley Cemetery, London. Section N. Grave 460. Born 13th April 1916 in Hamburg, Germany. Next of kin details not available - are you able to assist?
AC2. Ryszard Szoplik. Hucknall Cemetery. Section D. Grave 9A. Born 31st January 1926 in Wielkoryta Poland now Belarus. Next of kin details not available - are you able to assist?
Researched and dedicated to the relatives of the crew with thanks to Robert Gretzyngier, Wojtek Matusiak, Waldemar Wójcik and Józef Zieliński - 'Ku Czci Połeglyçh Lotnikow 1939-1945' . With thanks to Forscher of Find A Grave for photo and details of WO. Stefan Czachla - November 2017. Thanks to Nicholas Dowling for the correction to spelling of Bexley Cemetery (Nov 2021). Other sources quoted below:
RS 09.11.2021 - Correction to the spelling of Bexley cemetery
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning we will remember
them. - Laurence
Binyon
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Last Modified: 09 November 2021, 13:28