Date: 24/25th April 1944
Unit: No. 300 Squadron (Polish)
Type: Lancaster III
Serial: LM486
Coded: BH-C
Location: North Sea.
Pilot: Sqn/Ldr. Ludwig Józef Kurowski P-0819 P.A.F. Age; 34, Missing (Warsaw, Poland.)
Fl/Mech: Fl/Sgt. Wladyslaw Pruss 793556 P.A.F. Age; 26, Missing (Janowcu, Wielkopolskim, Poland.)
Nav: F/O. Zbigniew Antoni Woch P-1780 P.A.F. Age; 30, Missing (Rszlew, Poland.)
Air/Bmr: Fl/Sgt. Wladyslaw Karalun 794454 P.A.F. Age; 31, Missing (Janowcu, Wielkopolskim, Poland.)
W/Op: Fl/Sgt. Karol Krysiak 703157 P.A.F. Age; 27, Missing (Praszce, Poland.)
Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Michal Wlodzimierz Wijtyk 784189 P.A.F. Age; 28, Missing (No further details as yet.)
Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Józef Zygmunt Walecki 704024 P.A.F. Age; 24; Missing (Opolu, Lubelskim, Poland.)
REASON FOR LOSS:
Took off at 22.09 hrs from Faldingworth - this along with LL855 BH-G were the first aircraft from 300 squadron to be lost since changing over to the Lancaster. In 1947 the Polish Armed Forces collected money in order for a memorial to be erected.
LM486 was claimed to have been shot down by the German Night Fighter Ace Oblt. H-Wolfgang Schnaufer Stab IV.NJG1. It was shot down at 02.40 hrs at a height of between 5,000 and 5,800 m. The aircraft came down 10 Km West of Vlissingen in the sea. No bodies were recovered.
Oblt. Schnaufer also has claims for two others this night, 115 Squadron Lancaster DS734 and a Halifax from 192 Squadron LW622. He survived the war with a total claim of 121 kills.
From the squadron's ORB's this day:
"Morning working parades were carried out and daily inspections of aircraft completed.
In the morning one crew were engaged on leveling bomb sights. Two other crews were engaged on aircraft serviceability tests, combining it with W/T test. Other crews were engaged in their sections. In the afternoon one crew practiced bombing over the Bombing Range. The crews allotted for operations were briefed at 17.00 hours. The target being ‘KARLSRUHE’. Seven crews took off, five of them returned. Two were missing. Crews reported very difficult weather conditions. To reach the target they had to cross clouds over the target. Crews reported some dummy fires and dummy markers. The raid was very concentrated and caused big fires. They were opposed by strong heavy flak and had two combats with enemy night fighters. Operational flying during the day amounted to 4 hours. Operational flying amounted to 30 hours 35 minutes."
Some of the crew left to right: Kurowski, Pruss, Woch, Karalun and Wijtyk
LM486 and LL855 memorial paid for by the Polish Armed Forces
Oblt. H-Wolfgang Schnaufer Stab IV.NJG1. Sqn/Ldr. Ludwig Józef Kurowski (Courtesy Mike Harrison)
With thanks to the following: Bill Chorley - "Bomber Command Losses Vol 3", Theo Boiten - "German Nightfighter War Diaries Vol 2", Martin Middlebrook "Bomber Command War Diaries". The C.W.G.C. Robert Gretzyngier, Woitek Matusiak, Wadldemar Wojcik and Josef Zielinski for the use of some of these photographs
