BACK

25.11.1942  Crash of WELLINGTON Z 1495    

CREW:

ABŁAMOWICZ Stanisław kpr.
GERSTEL Jan por. obs.
GĘBACZKA Czesław kpr. strz.
KAŹMIERCZAK Władysław kpr.
SKONIECNY Józef kpr. r/op. strz.
R.A.F. Polish
CRASH of WELLINGTON Z 1495, code BH-?

On 25.11.1942 at 13.28 hours Wellington Mk. IV. Z 1495 has been shot down by the German Flak units II Zug 3. Lei. Abt./764 and I-IV Zug 3. Lei. Abt/845. during a daylightraid on the way to the target Essen, Germany. There was lack of cloudprotection.

The aircraft crashed 3 km North of Bergen Airfield, 8 km NW of Alkmaar, the Netherlands.

Gębaczka Czesław has been killed.

Rest of the crew survived as Prisoner of War.
Skoniezcny Józef died later on in captivity caused by an hart-attack.

A boy of 9 years old, Wim Dolfer, died the same day after he had eaten white tablets out of the Wellington.

ooooo

Translated out of the book "Berlin na bojowym" by Andrzej R. Janczak, page 66-68.

"On 25th November No.300 Squadron crews were detailed to bomb Essen. It was a daylight operation carried out in adverse weather conditions. Wellington Z1495 was crewed by sierz. pil. W. Kazmierczak, st. sierz. naw. J. Gerstel, kpr. rtg. J. Skonieczny, kpr. strz. St. Ablamowicz and kpr. strz. Cz. Gebaczka.

While the Polish crew were flying over the Netherlands on their way to the target, their Wellington suddenly shuddered. The aircraft was hit by flak. The clouds were too high to provide cover, so the pilot decided to dive and fly at the tree-top level. "Anti-aircraft fire from the starboard" - shouted the rear gunner. "And from the port" - he added almost at the same moment. Just as the pilot was preparing to jettison the bombs, he suddenly felt that his right leg went numb. At once he knew he had been wounded. He opened the bomb doors. Noticing that there was a Dutch village below, he dropped the bombs on an empty field farther away and turned heading for home. "Starboard engine on fire" - reported the wireless operator. Immediately the pilot switched on the fire extinguisher.

His Wellington was a sitting duck for the German flak crews, but he couldn't keep it under control with only one leg on the rudder pedals. "Port engine on fire" - a voice yelled in the intercom. "Fire in the fuselage" - added the same voice seconds later. The navigator let the gunner out of the front turret. "We're going to crash land!" The pilot could see a small meadow ahead (*) and some trees. He tried to fly over them... too late... a terrible noise. This must be the end. When he opened his eyes he realized that the nose section of the Wellington must have been torn off as he found himself sitting in his pilot's seat on the ground in the open.

Turning round he saw that the aircraft was burning. He tried to jump to his feet but fell down. His right leg, hideously injured, was barely attached to the rest of his body. Kazimierczak was trying to crawl away from the burning wreckage when he saw two German soldiers pointing their rifles at him. He asked them for help. They took him by the arms and dragged him behind one of the long wooden huts. Seconds later the fuel tanks exploded and he lost consciousness. When he came to, he was already in an ambulance.

The navigator, bomb aimer and wireless operator were lying next to him. The rear gunner, kpr. Czeslaw Gebaczka, must have died in flames. "How many people were on board?" - asked the German soldier who opened the ambulance door. "Five" - replied the pilot. "Then one of you is dead" - the German confirmed their worst expectations."

(*) It turned out that Sgt Kazimierczak landed his Wellington near Bergen in the middle of a German military camp, among cleverly camouflaged barracks."

BACK