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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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PAF Crest
14/15.08.1944 No. 1586 Special Duties Flight Liberator VI KG890 GR-S Fl/Lt. Marian Z. Szostak

Operation: Warsaw supply drops

Date: 14/15th August 1944 (Monday/Tuesday)

Unit: No.1586 Special Duties Flight

Type: Liberator VI

Serial: KG890

Code: GR-S

Base: RAF Brindisi, Italy

Location: Nieszkowice Wielkie, Poland

Pilot: Fl/Lt. Marian Zbigniew Szostak 76684 PAF Age 28 Killed

Pilot 2: W/O. Jozef Bielicki 793845 PAF Age 22 Killed

Fl/Eng: Fl/Sgt. Wincenty Tadeusz Rutkowski 792934 PAF Age 23. Killed

Nav (Captain): Fl/Lt. Stanisław Jerzy Daniel P-0735 PAF Age 34. Killed

Air/Bmr: W/O. Tadeusz Dubowski 794215 PAF Age 21 Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Józef Witek 794534 PAF Age 29. Killed

Air/Gnr: W/O. Stanisław Malczyk 793506 PAF Age 28. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

Fl/Lt. Marian Zbigniew Szostak and this crew were classed as one of the most experienced aircrews and a great loss to the PAF.

These supply drops were made up from volunteer crews - this crew had made their first drop on the 8th August, all three crews (only three could be mustered for the first drop) made good drops to the Warsaw fighters on the ground. On the 13/14th August a further 54 aircraft made more drops but this time with limited success.

Heavy losses were experienced by the crews, 29 aircraft made drops on Warsaw but about a third of these missed the Polish Home Army and Freedom Fighter enclaves. 20 aircraft had to abandon the mission altogether for various reasons. 11 failed to return and most of the rest were so seriously damaged that they had to be written off.

The RAF lost five crews on this raid, SAAF also lost another 5 crews and the PAF KG890 was also lost. Searchlights blinded the aircrews trying to make the drops which were made from as low as 100 ft! Flak was extremely heavy over the target and the German night fighters were also very active. KG890 was shot down by one of these German night fighters.

KG890 GR-S being prepared in early August for Warsaw drops.

KG890 GR-S Engine test run.

Burial details:

Fl/Lt. Marian Zbigniew Szostak. Kraków Rakowicki Cemetery, Poland. Plot III Row A Grave 6. Born 11th November 1915 - Warsaw, Poland.

W/O. Jozef Bielicki. Originally buried at Pogwizdowie, but later exhumed and was re-buried in Kraków Rakowicki Cemetery, Poland. Plot III Row A Grave 3. Born 12th February 1922 Warsaw, Poland.

Fl/Sgt. Wincenty Tadeusz Rutkowski. Kraków Rakowicki Cemetery, Poland. Plot III Row A Grave 1. Born 26th February Zakrów, Poland.

Fl/Lt. Stanisław Jerzy Daniel. Kraków Rakowicki Cemetery, Poland Plot III Row A Grave 5. Born 29th March 1910 Wladywostok, Russia.

W/O. Tadeusz Dubowski. Kraków Rakowicki Cemetery, Poland. Plot III Row A Grave 4. Born 07th July 1923 Kraków, Poland.

Fl/Sgt. Jozef Witek. Kraków Rakowicki Cemetery, Poland. Plot III Row A Grave 2. Born 21st April 1915 Brzeszce, Poland.

W/O. Stanisław Malczyk. Kraków Rakowicki Cemetery, Poland. Plot III Row A Grave Y. Born 31st January 1916 Filipowice, Poland.

Aircrew Remembered would like to thank Robert Gretzyngier, Wojtek Matusiak, Waldemar Wojcik and Józef Zieliński for the use of some of these photographs. We highly recommend their publications regarding WW2 Polish Air Force and are happy to provide other researchers where they can be purchased. Memorial photo Jacek Norbert. Grave photos courtesy of Michael M at Find A Grave.

KTY 09.08.2015 Page updated

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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 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.
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