Date: 17th June 1943
Unit: No. 316 Squadron (Polish)
Type: Spitfire IX
Serial: BR143
Coded: SZ-Q
Location: Brugge, Belgium
Pilot: Fl/Lt. Stefan Stegman 76711 P.A.F. Age; 28, Killed
REASON FOR LOSS:
Escorting a force of 23 Blenheims on a large circus operation to the power station near Béthune, northern France. The bombing raid was a success and none of the 23 Blenheims were lost although 10 of the escort were shot down including Fl/Lt. Stefan Stegman Spitfire - BR143 - thought to be by a F.W. 190 from JG26. The combat occurred at 09.15hrs and the aircraft came down in Brugge, Belgium.
Fl/Lt. Stefan Stegman with BR143 (Courtesy of Robert Gretzyngier, Woitek Matusiak, Wadldemar Wojcik and Josef Zielinski)
Ground crew working on Spitfire BR143 (Courtesy of Robert Gretzyngier, Woitek Matusiak, Wadldemar Wojcik and Josef Zielinski)
Ostende New Communal Cemetery (Grave photo supplied by Mike Harrison)
Burial Details:
Fl/Lt. Stefan Stegman 76711 P.A.F. Ostende New Communal Cemetery: Plot 9B, Row. 5. Grave No. 20.
(Penza, Russia.)
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"
