Date: 19/20th June 1942
Unit: No. 305 Squadron (Polish)
Type: Wellinton II
Serial: Z8339
Code: SM-N
Base: Lindholme, Yorkshire
Location: Schoonheten, Holland
Pilot: Sgt. Alojzy Pawel Gusowski 782821 P.A.F. Age 26. Killed
Nav: F/O. Henryk Aleksander Jankiewicz P0444 P.A.F. Age 26. Killed
Air/Bmr: Fl/Lt. S Madejczyk P.A.F. P.O.W (Stalag Luft Sagan and Belaria P.O.W. No: 39674)
W/Op: Sgt. Kazimierz Jan Ardelli 793732 P.A.F. Age 22. Killed
Air/Gnr: Sgt. Marian J. Świderski 794273 P.A.F. Age 21. Killed
REASON FOR LOSS:
Took off at 23.40 hrs from Lingholme, Yorkshire as part of a 194 aircraft raid made up of 112 Wellington's, 37 Halifax's, 25 Stirling's, 11 Hampden's and 9 Lancaster's. Emden is a coastal port but the raid concentrated on the town. 131 Crews claimed to have hit Emden but photographs showed that the main force hit Osnabrück - 80 miles from the target. Emden only recorded 5 High Explosive bombs amd 2 - 300 incendiaries with no damage or casualties.
9 aircraft were lost on this raid with a total loss of some 49 crew killed and 5 being made P.O.W.'s.
Wellinton Z8339 was shot down by Oblt. Herbert Lütje of 8./NJG1 5 km South East of Raalte near Devente at 02.37 hrs. Oblt. Lutje survived the war with a total of 47 night kills and a further 3 day kills.
Wellington Z8339 lost this night (Photo courtesy of Gretzyngier, Matusiak, Wojcik and Zielinski)
Left to right: Pilot: Sgt. Gusowski, W/Op: Sgt. Ardelli, Air/Gnr: Sgt. Świderski
Wellington Z8339 having an engine service.
Raalte General Cemetery (Photo courtesy of Rob Philips)
Burial details:
Sgt. Marian J Świderski. Raalte General Cemetery - Overijssel, Netherlands. War Graves Plot Grave 3
Sgt. Kazimierz Jan Ardelli. Raalte General Cemetery - Overijssel, Netherlands. Plot War Graves Grave 2
Sgt. Alojzy Pawel Gusowski. Raalte General Cemetery - Overijssel, Netherlands. Plot War Graves Grave 4
F/O. Henryk Aleksander Jankiewicz. Raalte General Cemetery - Overijssel, Netherlands. War Graves Grave 1
The Aircrew Remembrance Society would like to thank Robert Gretzyngier, Woitek Matusiak, Wadldemar Wojcik and Josef Zielinski 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 information where they can be purchased. See "here"
