Date: 12/13th April 1943
Unit: No. 138 Squadron
Type: Halifax II
Serial: BB340
Coded: NF-D
Location: Douvres-la Delivrande, Calvados, France
Pilot: W/O. Stanislaw Jensen 780044 D.F.M. V.M P.A.F. P.O.W. (Camp 9C, POW No.42736.)
Pilot 2: F/O. Boleslaw Korpowski P-0982 V.M P.A.F. Evaded capture.
Nav: Sgt. A. N. Dent R.A.F. Evaded capture.
Obs: Fl/Lt. Jan Izycki P-1275 V.M P.A.F. P.O.W. (Camps 9C/L3, PoW No.42737)
Air/Bmr: Sgt. G. Evans R.A.F. Evaded capture
W/Op: Sgt. Jan Leśniewicz 792916 V.M P.A.F. Age; 24. Killed (Skierniewicach, Warsaw, Poland)
Air/Gnr: W/O. Leszek Zaborowski 794270 V.M P.A.F. Evaded capture (1) (POW No.222566)
Air/Gnr: W/O. Lech Urbanśki 781255 V.M P.A.F. Evaded capture.(2) (B/L6/357, PoW No.222561)
Agents:
Lee Graham P.O.W.
Claude Jumeau P.O.W. Died during captivity
(1) Initially evaded capture after the crash landing but captured near the French/Spanish border 3rd June 1943.
(2) Initially evaded capture after the crash landing but captured on the 2nd June 1943.
REASON FOR LOSS:
Took off from Tempsford and was hit outbound by flak and crash landed at Douvres-la Delivrande, Calvados, France. Sgt. Jan Leśniewicz was killed when flak entered his wireless compartment. F/O. Boleslaw Korpowski escaped back to England via Gibralter on the 1st June 1943. Both W/O. Stanislaw Jensen and Fl/Lt. Jan Izycki underwent brutal interrogation by the Gestapo before being handed over to P.O.W. camps
Halifax BB340 NF-D being examined by German Luftwaffe.
Left: Sgt. Jan Leśniewicz Right: Grave at Douvres-la Delivrande.
Burial Details:
Jan Leśniewicz Douvres-la Delivrande Cemetery, France. Grave 7.
We would like to thank Bob Chorley (Bomber Command Losses 1943) for information supplied and also to Robert Gretzyngier, Woitek Matusiak, Waldemar Wojcik and Josef Zielinski for the use of the Halifax BB340 photographs. See "here"
Researched by Kelvin T. Youngs (Aircrew Remembrance Society March 2009)
