Date: 15th August 1944
Unit: No.1586 Special Duties Flight
Type: Liberator VI
Serial: KG890
Code: GR-S
Base: R.A.F. Brindisi, Italy
Location: Nieszkowicach Wielkich, Bosnia
Pilot: Fl/Lt. Marian Zbigniew Szostak 76684 P.A.F. Age 28 Killed
Pilot 2: W/O. Jozef Bielicki 793845 P.A.F. Age 22 Killed
Fl/Eng: Fl/Sgt. Wincenty Tudeusz Rutkowski 792934 Age 23. Killed
Nav: Fl/Lt. Stanislaw Daniel 0735 P.A.F. Age 34. Killed
Air/Bmr: W/O. Tadeusz Dubowski 794215 P.A.F. Age 21 Killed
W/Op/Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Jozef Witek 794534 P.A.F. Age 29. Killed
Air/Gnr: W/O. Stanislaw Malczyk 793506 P.A.F. Age 28. Killed
REASON FOR LOSS:
Fl/Lt. Marian Zbigniew Szostak and this crew were classed as one of the most experienced aircrews and a great loss to the P.A.F.
These supply drops were made up from volunteer crews and this crew had made their first drop on the 8th August, all three crews (only three could be mustered for the first drop) made good drops to the Warsaw fighters on the ground. On the 13/14th August a further 54 aircraft made more drops but this time with limited success.
Heavy losses were experienced by the crews, 29 aircraft made drops on Warsaw but about a third of these missed the Polish Home Army and Freedom Fighter enclaves. 20 aircraft had to abandon the mission altogether for various reasons. 11 failed to return and most of the rest were so seriously damaged that they had to be written off.
The R.A.F. lost five crews on this raid, S.A.A.F. also lost another 5 crews and the P.A.F. KG890 was also lost. Searchlights blinded the aircrews trying to make the drops which were made from as low as 100 ft!Flak was extremely heavy over the target and the German night fighters were also very active. KG890 was shot down by one of these German night fighters.
KG890 GR-S Being prepared in early August for Warsaw drops.
KG890 GR-S Engine test run
KG890 Crew graves
Burial details:
Fl/Lt. Marian Zbigniew Szostak. Krakow Rakowicki Cemetery, Poland. Plot III Row A Grave 6
W/O. Jozef Bielicki. Originally biried at Pogwizdowie, but later exhumed and was re-buried in Krakow Rakowicki Cemetery, Poland. Plot III Row A Grave 3
Fl/Sgt. Wincenty Tudeusz Rutkowski. Krakow Rakowicki Cemetery, Poland. Plot III Row A Grave 1
Fl/Lt. Stanislaw Daniel Krakow Rakowicki Cemetery, Poland Plot III Row A Grave 5
W/O. Tadeusz Dubowski. Krakow Rakowicki Cemetery, Poland. Plot III Row A Grave 4
Fl/Sgt. Jozef Witek. Krakow Rakowicki Cemetery, Poland. Plot III Row A Grave 2
W/O. Stanislaw Malczyk Krakow Rakowicki Cemetery, Poland. Plot III Row A Grave Y
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 where they can be purchased, please click onto the picture for more information.
