Operation: RAF Transport

Date: 5th November 1945 (Monday)

Unit: 300 (Masovian) (Polish) Squadron

Type: Lancaster I

Serial: PD383

Code: BH:Z

Base: RAF Faldingworth, Lincolnshire.

Location: Tyrrhenian Sea off Corsica.

Crew:

Pilot: Flt Sgt. Bronisław Warchołek 704705 PAF Age 26. Missing

Flt Eng: Flt Sgt. Piotr Skibiński 793281 PAF Age 24. Missing

Nav: Flt Sgt. Władysław Szumskii 704962 PAF Age 24. Missing

Bomb Aimer: Flt Sgt. Bernard Nowak 794948 PAF Age 28. Missing

WOp/Air Gnr: Sgt. Zdzisław Pietrzak 706646 PAF Age 20. Missing

Air Gnr (Rear): Flt Sgt. Michał Antoszczyszyn 703020 PAF Age 26. Missing

Passenger list:

Flt Lt. Mervyn Cyril Steward Long 50943 RAF, 300 (Polish) Sqn, Age 23. Missing

Flt Sgt. Harold Beard 1398508 RAFVR, 214 Sqn, Age 22. Missing

Sgt. Leslie William Finch 1255107 RAFVR Age 31. Missing

Sgt. William Edward Malley 993015 RAFVR Age 30. Missing

Sgt. Alfred Williams 549505 RAF Age 25. Missing

Cpl. Andrew Bell 1785099 RAFVR Age 28. Missing

Cpl. William Jude 1071061 RAFVR Age 34. Missing

Cpl. Ernest George Hewlett 1644684 RAFVR Age 41. Missing

Cpl. James Mills 948530 RAFVR Age 23. Missing

LAC. Michael Francis Armstrong 1571899 RAFVR Age 37. Missing

LAC. Robert Victor Dunning 1014148 RAFVR Age 31. Missing

LAC. Sidney Walter Gottheimer 1291116 RAFVR Age 30. Missing

LAC. Arthur Oliver Hampton 1466367 RAFVR Age 40. Missing

LAC. William McAllister 1105130 RAFVR Age? Missing

LAC. William Stanley Roberts 2212174 RAFVR Age? Missing

LAC. Roy Shipley 1451546 RAFVR Age 23. Missing

LAC. Charles George Smith 1524505 RAFVR Age 40. Missing

LAC. Friend Welbourne Wilkinson 1619589 RAFVR Age 24. Missing

LAC. Robert Holme Willman 1686870 RAFVR Age 17. Missing

LAC. Reginald Charles Frank Young 1276272 RAFVR Age 24. Missing

REASON FOR LOSS:

Transporting RAF boys back home to the United Kingdom from a base in Italy.

They limited the maximum number of passengers on the Lancaster to 22 persons as the aircraft really was unsuitable for this type of work. Kit bags and luggage was carried in the bomb bays - passengers could move around to the various positions within the Lancaster and enjoy the view on the 6 hour return journey home.

No accurate information is currently available but reports are that the Lancaster broke up in the air and crashed just off Corsica in the Tyrrhenian Sea. No bodies or wreckage was found and are posted as missing.

This aircraft had been built by Metropolitan Vickers Ltd at Moseley Road, Manchester, England. Contract No. 221. Powered by 4 Rolls Royce Merlin XXIV engines.

Flt Sgt. Władysław Szumski (Courtesy of Marta Bartosiewicz)

Cpl. James Mills and one of his last letters home. (courtesy of James's brother, Basil Mills and family)

Burial details:

Malta memorial and the Warsaw Memorial in Poland (archives)

All crew and passengers classed as missing. RAF Personnel are recorded on the Malta Memorial and the RAF honour roll at St Clements Danes Church. The Polish crew are commemorated on the Polish Memorial Northolt and Warsaw and the RAF honour roll at St Clements Danes Church, London, England.

Crew:

Flt Sgt. Bronisław Warchołek. Born on the 29th September 1919

Flt Sgt. Michał Antoszczyszyn. Born on the 12th October 1919

Flt Sgt. Piotr Skibinski. Born on the 30th May 1921

Flt Sgt. Władysław Szumski. Born on the 28th June 1921

Flt Sgt. Bernard Nowak. Born on the 6th February 1917 in Poland

Sgt. Zdzisław Pietrzak. Born on the 16th February 1925

Panel on the Malta Memorial very kindly submitted by Anne and Chris Jones

Passengers:

Flt Lt. Mervyn Cyril Steward Long. Malta Memorial Panel 18, Column 1. Born on the 10th February 1922 in Kensington, Greater London. Son of Cyril Ernest and Agnes Elizabeth (née Steward) Long of Fulham, London, England.

Flt Sgt. Harold Beard. Malta Memorial Panel 18, Column 1. Born on the 2nd April 1922 in Kent. Son of William Alfred and Minnie Ellen (née Tovey) Beard of Gillingham, Kent, England.

Sgt. Leslie William Finch. Malta Memorial Panel 18, Column 2. Born on the 15th February 1914 in Hornsey, Middlesex. Son of William Walter and Francis Sarah (née Barnard – deceased in Dec 1938) Finch of Worthing, Sussex, England.

Sgt. William Edward Malley. Malta Memorial Panel 18, Column 2. Born circa 1915 in Victoria, Australia. Son of the Revd. Augustus Malley and Annie Elizabeth Malley of Hemel Hempstead Vicarage, Hertfordshire Husband of Margaret Malley of Lisburn, Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland.

Sgt. Alfred Williams. Malta Memorial Panel 19, Column 2. Son of Mrs. A. Williams of Fishponds, Gloucestershire, England.

Cpl. Andrew Bell. Malta Memorial Panel 19, Column 1. Son of Robert Alexander Bell and Margaret Bell of Carntyne, Glasgow, Scotland.

Cpl. Ernest George Hewlett. Malta Memorial Panel 19, Column 1. Born on the 29th July 1903 in Brighton, Sussex. Son of Ernest Edward and Rosamond Laura (née Ellen) Hewlett. Husband of Ethel D. (née Hollis) Hewlett of Brighton, Sussex, England.

Cpl. William Jude. Malta Memorial Panel 19, Column 1. Born on the 1st August 1911. Son of Thomas and Mary Jude. Husband of Eleanor (née Pearson) Jude of Leamington, Newcastle-on-Tyne, England.

Cpl. James Mills. Malta Memorial Panel 19, Column 1. Son of George and Mary Mills of Northwich, Cheshire, England.

His father used to run a boxing club and Jim had won various medals and trophies. He also represented the RAF at inter-allied tournaments and won his weight / class on a number of occasions. The family also related to a story that he had been scheduled to return on an earlier flight but gave up his place as one of his friends needed to return to see his mother who was seriously ill.

LAC. Michael Francis Armstrong. Malta Memorial Panel 19, Column 1. Born in November 1908 in Little Bay, Newfoundland, Canada. Son of Thomas and Ellen (née Walker) Armstrong of Little Bay, Notre Dame Bay, Newfoundland.

LAC. Robert Victor Dunning. Malta Memorial Panel 19, Column 1. Son of Henry and Rose Dunning. Husband of Hilda May Dunning of Lyde, Herefordshire, England.

LAC. Sidney Walter Gottheimer. Malta Memorial Panel 18, Column 2. Son of Frederick and Mary Ann Gottheimer of Hoxton, London, England.

LAC. Arthur Oliver Hampton. Malta Memorial Panel 19, Column 2. Born on the 28th April 1905 in London. Son of Charles and Eleanor (née Oliver) Hampton. Husband to Phyllis Shelley (née Hutchingson) Hampton of Amersham, Buckinghamshire, England.

LAC. William McAllister. Malta Memorial Panel 19, Column 2. No further details as yet.

LAC. William Stanley Roberts. Malta Memorial Panel 19, Column 2. Son of William and Emily Roberts. Husband of Edith Emily Roberts of Kingswood, Bristol, England.

LAC. Roy Shipley. Malta Memorial Panel 19, Column 2. Born in the 2nd Qtr of 1922 in Bramley, Yorkshire West Riding. Son of William Charles and Annie Adelia (née Keep) Shipley of Leeds, Yorkshire, England.

LAC. Charles George Smith. Malta Memorial Panel 19, Column 2. Husband of Jessie Smith of Newbold-on-Avon, Warwickshire, England.

LAC. Friend Welbourne Wilkinson. Malta Memorial Panel 19, Column 2. Born in 3rd Qtr of 1921 in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. Son of Albert and Beatrice (née Jowett) Wilkinson of Milnsbridge, Yorkshire, England.

LAC. Robert Holme Willman. Malta Memorial Panel 19, Column 2. Husband of Gianna Willman of Garston, Lancashire, England.

LAC. Reginald Charles Frank Young. Malta Memorial Panel 19, Column 2. Son of Percy George and Ethel May Young of Ryde, Isle of Wight, England.

Researched for the brother of James Mills - Anne and Chris Jones recently very kindly supplied us with a photo of the panel at Malta - passed on to the family. With thanks to Colin Cummings "The Price Of Peace” Stephen Diver from 300 Squadron. Addition of image for Flt Sgt. Szumski and editorial updates (Jun 2020). Thanks to Anna Booth for the updated images for her grandfather, Flt Sgt. Antoszczyszyn (Sep 2025).

Other sources listed below:

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