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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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RAF Crest
22.05.1946 36 Ferry Unit Spitfire F XIV RN130 W/O. Ryszard Idrian

Operation: Ferry Flight

Date: 22nd May 1946 (Wednesday)

Unit: No. 36 Ferry Unit (Service Party)

Type: Spitfire F XIV

Serial: RN130

Code: None

Base: Not known

Location: Near Agar, India

Pilot: W/O. Ryszard Idrian 784079 PAF Age 30. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

During a delivery flight W/O. Adrian flew into a severe sandstorm with visibility reported as down to 50 yards. During his descent he misjudged his height and flew into the ground.

Terrible loss having survived the war serving with 315 Squadron - shot down a Bf109 on the 07th June 1944 near Dreuz then on return strafed a truck convoy, Me109 also shot down on the 30th July 1944.

Above: W/O. Ryszard Idrian during an escort duty on an operation to Stavanger, Norway - the Polish Mustangs shot down 2 Me109s, 1 Fw190 and 4 other unidentified aircraft during this operation. 1 Beaufighter was lost. The crew in the Beaufighter P/O. Burrowes DFC, with his Navigator Fl/Sgt. Young.

58 Operational Training Unit course 20-1, Grangemouth, Scotland April 1942:

Front row: Sgt. Władysław Leon Pawlowski 793773, F/O. Władysław Wyganowski P-0847, P/O. Tadeusz Powierza 783477, P/O. O'Brien, F/O. Włodzimierz Zegallo P-0324, F/O. Tadeusz Franciszek Kolanko P-0966, Sgt. Barnes, Sgt. Dowding - Centre row: Sgt. Malec, Sgt. Blore, Sgt. Bassett, Sgt. Bushell, Sgt. Clymer, Sgt. Gray, Sgt. Hawkey - Back row: Sgt. Ryszard Idrian 784079, Sgt. Caldecott, Sgt. Hipolit Mikusek 784021, Sgt. Haynes, Sgt. Bell, Sgt. Andrzej Jan Julian Nahlik 792745.

Notes on the group photograph:

Sgt. Władysław Leon Pawlowski - killed 11th August 1944 (317 Squadron), F/O. Władysław Wyganowski - killed 02nd March 1945 (300 Squadron), P/O. Tadeusz Powierza - killed 01st January 1945 (302/317 Squadron), F/O. Włodzimierz Zegallo - died 31st December 1972, F/O. Tadeusz Franciszek Kolanko - died in 1982 (304 Squadron), Sgt. Hipolit Mikusek - died 01st December 1992 (302 Squadron), Sgt. Andrzej Jan Julian Nahlik - died 18th August 2008 (308 Squadron)

Burial details:

W/O. Ryszard Idrian. Delhi War Cemetery. Plot VII Row F Grave 10. Born 21st November 1916 in Warsaw, Poland. Ex 315 (P) Squadron.

Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this pilot with thanks to sources as quoted below:

KTY - 04.02.2017

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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 MWO 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', Archiwum - Polish Air Force Archive (on this site), Anna Krzystek, Tadeusz Krzystek - 'Polskie Siły Powietrzne w Wielkiej Brytanii', Franek Grabowski, 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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