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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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303 squadron badge
15.12.1942 No. 303 Squadron Spitfire Vb AD269 RF-L P/O. Stankiewicz

Operation: Training

Date: 15th December 1942 (Tuesday)

Unit: No. 303 Squadron (Polish) 12 Group

Type: Spitfire Vb

Serial: AD269

Code: RF-L

Base: RAF Kirton-in-Lindsey

Location: Normanby-le-Wolds, Near Market Rasen, Lincolnshire.

Pilot: P/O. Ryszard Franciszek Stankiewicz P-1737/783491 PAF Age 27. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

During a training flight the weather became extremely bad with very poor visibility the Spitfire failed to recover from a spin, crashing at Normanby-le-Wolds in Lincolnshire.

Course No.26 58 Operational Training Unit, Grangemouth, Scotland: Front row: P/O. Białecki, P/O. Dubielecki, F/O. Kalinowski, P/O. Radziszewski, P/O. Bartys, P/O. Meyer - Centre row: Sgt. Szczepankiewicz, Sgt. Tomczak, P/O. Panek, P/O. Sworniowski, P/O. Stankiewicz, P/O. Radwanski, Sgt. Stanski - Rear row: Sgt. Lewicki, Sgt. Sweryda, Sgt. Szajda, Sgt. Gierczycki, Sgt. Jaszczak, Sgt Kepdzynski (See notes below)

Joined 303 Squadron at the beginning of October 1942. Escaped from Poland via Libya and Romania and then into France.

Burial Details:

P/O. Ryszard Stankiewicz. Buried on the 18th December 1942 11:00 hrs at Newark-Upon-Trent Cemetery. Sec H Grave 313. Born 18th August 1915 in Turno near Gmina Sosnowica, Poland. Next of kin details not yet available.

Researched for relatives of the pilot. With thanks to the following for further information supplied by the 1333 (Grangemouth Spitfire) Squadron and the Grangemouth Spitfire Memorial Trust who provided me with so much information and assistance during my visit, Polish Squadron O.R.B. 'website'. Robert Gretzyngier, Wojtek Matusiak, Waldemar Wójcik and Józef Zieliński - 'Ku Czci Połeglyçh Lotnikow 1939-1945'.


Notes on training photograph:

Fl/Lt. Bronisław Jan Białecki P-1949/783425 PAF. Born on the 09th June 1917 - passed away on the 21st June 2006 age 89.

Fl/Lt. Ryszard Dubielecki P-1715/783386 PAF. Born on the 13th February 1920 - passed away on the 19th March 2011 age 91.

Fl/Lt. Zbigniew Teofil Kalinowski P-0231 PAF. Born on the 07th October 1910 - passed away on the 22nd February 1985 age 75.

Fl/Lt. Jan Radziszewski P-1736/783645 PAF. Born on the 20th April 1916 - no further details.

Fl/Lt. Edward Emil Bartys P-1709/783413 PAF. Born on the 26th September 1919 - passed away on the10th October 1977 age 58.

Fl/Lt. Wiesław Meyer P-1726/784708 PAF. Born on the 01st September 1920 - passed away in 2005.

Sgt. Włodzimierz Roman Szczepankiewicz 793904 PAF. Born on the 28th September 1916 - passed away in 2003.

W/O. Franciszek Tomczak 792015 PAF. Born on the 01st July 1920 - passed away on the 20th September 2008 age 88.

F/O. Przemysław Wojciech Panek P-1730/783487 PAF. Born on the 27th February 1920 - killed on the 04th April 1943 age 23.

Fl/Lt. Adam Sworniowski P-1739/781025 PAF. Born on the 19th February 1918 - killed on the 19th June 1944 age 26.

F/O. Ryszard Franciszek Stankiewicz P-1737/783491 PAF. Born on the 18th August 1915 - killed on the 15th December 1942 age 27.

Jerzy Aleksander Radwański P-1735 / 783646 PAF - passed away on the 04th January 1992.

F/O. Waclaw Stanski P-2677/782355 PAF. Born on the 17th July 1920 - passed away on the 18th June 1986.

W/O. Stanisław Józef Lewicki 792032 PAF. Born on the 02nd July 1921 - passed away on the 28th October 1989 age 68.

W/O. Jan Sweryda 780709 PAF. Born on the 31st March 1919 and passed away on the 29th March 1975 age 56.

Fl/Lt. Władysław Jan Szajda P-1740/783471 PAF. Born on the 31st October 1919 - killed on the 04th April 1944 age 25.

Sgt. Jerzy Janusz Gierczycki 782951 PAF. Born on the 27th February 1919 - killed on the 27th April 1943 age 24.

W/O. Mieczysław Jaszczak 783146 PAF. Born on the 22nd April 1915 - passed away on the 16th April 1982 age 69.

W/O. Antoni Teofil Kępczyński 780464 PAF. Born on the 10th August 1917 - no details of death.

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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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