TWO MORE LOSSES

W5627 (NZ-B) 28^th April 1942

This Mk 1c, flying out of RAF Lindholme, was shot down whilst returning from a bombing mission to Cologne. The aircraft crashed near Chatel-Censoir in France; Sgt Lipski was made a Prisoner of War, P/O Wacinski and Sgt Woznial were both injured and taken to local hospitals and presumably evaded capture or became Prisoners of War; no record of injury to Sgt Polesinski. There are reports that two of the crew were killed but there is evidence that all but Sgt Lipski evaded capture and returned to England. The pilot, F/O Julian Morawski walked into the village of Montillot was hidden by the locals and taken to a remote village, Charbonniere, where he remained until the Resistance took him through the Free French Zone and into Spain. He was interned in the camp at Miranda but escaped and returned to England. He subsequently transferred to 307 night fighter squadron and then 138 Special Duties squadron. He was killed on 13th July 1943 when Halifax JD155 was shot down during a supply drop to the Resistance in Normandy. He is buried in the Grainville-Langannerie cemetery.

DV781 31^st May 1942

This Mk1c was lost on an anti-submarine sweep from RAF Tiree. It made a forced ditching in the sea due to the failure of both port and starboard engines; the crew took to their dinghy and were picked up 6 hours later by the Royal Navy Destroyer HMS Boadicea. There were no fatalities and the known crew were: F/O Waclaw Waltera and Sgt Jonski.