Crash of Wellington W5557 with six Polish airmen of 305 Squadron (305 Dywizjon) in 1941

On the night of the 26th September 1941, a Vickers Wellington W5557 carrying six Polish Airmen of 305 Squadron (305 Dywizjon) undertook an operational flight to bomb the German city Cologne, departing from RAF Lindholme at 19:27 hrs. The operation went without incident and the crew began their return back to England.

Fog was heavy over Lindholme during the early hours of the 27th, seriously effecting visibility. As the aircraft was within minutes of landing at base, it is thought that the pilot either misjudged the height that the aircraft was flying at, or it had run out of fuel and the pilot was attempting a forced landing.

The Wellington W5557 struck trees and then crashed on Hatfield Moor at 01:30 hrs. Sadly, three members of the all Polish crew were killed in the crash, and a fourth died just over 24 hours later at Doncaster Hospital. The two remaining crewmen survived, but were badly injured.

Pilot

Sgt Eugeniusz Buszko (aged 27). Killed on impact on 27th September 1941.

Wireless Operator

Sgt Jerzy Sławomir Leyche (aged 23). Killed on impact on 27th September 1941.

Air Gunner

Sgt Wiktor Wasilenko (aged 18). Killed on impact on 27th September 1941.

Second Pilot

Sgt Tadeusz Korczyk (aged 27). Died of injuries on 28th September 1941.

Navigator

FL/t Stanisław Barzdo. Injured – Later killed in action in Hamburg, Germany on 4th May 1942 (aged 26).

Air Gunner

Sgt Zdzisław Pisarek. Injured – Passed way in Pennsylvania, USA on 3rd October 1991 (aged 74).

The body on an unidentified World War 2 airman was found close to the crash site on Hatfield Moor in the summer of 1987. The body contained no dogtags or other means of identification, and is strongly believed not to be connected to the Wellington W5557 crash.

After navigating through some fairly sketchy terrain across the vast Hatfield Moor, I eventually found my way to the location of the crash site. Whilst obviously a sad and sorrowful place, it was nice to see the area kept very clean, with a cross & plaque erected to remember the fallen Polish airmen.

Rest easy, Gentlemen.

Niech spoczywają w pokoju!

Author and pictures: Matt, Lost places & Forgotten Faces

 

 

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