Date: 18/19th July 1944
Unit: No. 300 Squadron (Polish)
Type: Lancaster III
Serial: PB171
Coded: BH-K
Location: North sea WSW of Den Helder
Pilot: W/O. Jósef Żóltański 793879 P.A.F. Age; 26, Missing
Co/pilot: Fl/Lt. Stanislaw Ostaszewski P-0445 P.A.F. Age; 30, Missing
Fl/Mech: Fl/Sgt. Stanislaw Szychowski 780364 P.A.F. Age; 26, Missing
Nav: F/O. Jerzy Jósef Bregman P-2527 P.A.F. Age; 22, Missing
Air/Bmr: Fl/Sgt. Fryderyk Janicki 794451 P.A.F. Age; 29, Missing
W/O/Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Ignacy Ratajczak 703975 P.A.F. Age; 31, Missing
Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Stanislaw Jósef Mamak 703439 P.A.F. Age; 26, Missing
Air/Gnr: W/O. Stefan Stysiak 783132 P.A.F. Age;30, Missing
REASON FOR LOSS:
Took off at 23.15 hrs from Faldingworth. Part of a 170 aircraft force this night and PB171 was attacked on the return journey and lost without trace.
Claimed to have been shot down at 02.20 hrs by German night fighter ace Lt. Walter Briegleb 10./NJG3 (Survived the war with 25 kills) 60 km W.S.W. of Den Helder at a height of 3.500 metres.
Above left: W/O. Jósef Żóltański, right: Fl/Sgt. Stanislaw Jósef Mamak
Bf110 G-4 from 10./NJG3 Left to right: Ogefr Walter Braunlich, Lt Walter Briegleb, Ogefr. Brandt (Photo courtesy of Walter Briegleb.)
The Aircrew Remembrance Society would like to thank Robert Gretzyngier, Woitek Matusiak, Waldemar Wojcik and Josef Zielinski for the use of the crew photographs. We highly recommend their publications regarding the WW2 Polish Air Forces. See "here".Thanks also to Mike Harrison for additional information.
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".
