Date: 22nd August 1942
Unit: 306 Squadron (Polish)
Type: Spitfire Vb
Serial: R6770
Code: UZ-V
Base: Catterick, Yorkshire
Location: St Omar, Northern France
Pilot: Fl/Sgt. Brunon Kroczynski 784726 P.A.F. P.O.W
REASON FOR LOSS:
A bad day for 306 Squadron - on this same raid a total of 4 Spitfires were lost - S/Ldr. Tadeusz Czerwiński P-1290 flying Spitfire Vb EN826 UZ-C - Killed, Fl/Sgt. Zdzislaw Horn 782489 flying Spitfire R6904 UZ-D - Killed, F/O. Witold Szyszkowski 76614 flying Spitfire Vb AR381 UZ-R - Killed and Fl/Sgt. Brunon Kroczynski 784726 also shot down but survived to become a P.O.W.
Fl/Sgt. Kroczynski had an earlier escape on the 19th May 1941 whilst flying a Hurricane IIB again with 306 Squadron. Engaging Bf 109's from JG52 whilst on convoy patrol at midday he was shot down - wounded, he baled out and was rescued from the sea. P/O. Jan Artur Czapiewski P-0706 flying another Hurricane IIA Z2456 UZ-U was shot down and killed during the same operation and another Hurricane IIB Z3065, also from 306 Squadron flown by Sgt. Kazimierz Rutkowski D.F.C P-0692 was attacked but he managed to bail out, safe. A Spitfire IIA P7922 from 214 Squadron was also lost during this air battle, P/O. Harker D.F.M baled out and was also safe.
In front of 306 Squadron Spitfire V UZ-S Left to right: Unidentified ?, Brunon Kroczynski, Kroczynski, Stanislaw Marcisz, Boleslaw Kaczmarek, Grzegorz Sollogub, Stanislaw Skalski, Henryk Pietrzak, Wawrzyniec Jasinski, Emil Landsman, Marcin Machowiak. (Courtesy Chris Mackay)
Fl/Sgt. Brunon Kroczynski on the left - other unknown. (Courtesy Chris Mackay)
Fl/Sgt. Kroczynski taken in France 1940 (Courtesy Chris Mackay)
With thanks to Norman Franks - fighter Command Losses Vol's 1 and 2.
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