Date: 27th February 1945 (Tuesday)
Unit: No. 303 Squadron (Polish)
Type: Spitfire F.IX
Serial: MA814
Coded: RF-Q
Location: U.S.A.A.F. Base Harrington, Nr. Kettering, Northants.
Pilot: Sgt. Klemens Prusak P-782599 P.A.F. Age 30. Killed
REASON FOR LOSS:
The pilot was flying at around 300 ft. carrying out rolls and then levelled out at a very low 50ft. flying straight and according to 7 eye witnesses the pilot seemed to be in control. At 14.21 hrs the aircraft struck a tree at very high speed at about 30 ft and dived into the ground. The aircraft then continued in flames for a further 350 yards.
The conclusion of the enquiry was that the aircraft had no defects, weather conditions were fine with visibility of 8 miles, wind - 16 m.p.h, light conditions - good and that it was due to pilot error and that he was lacking in flying discipline.
Sgt. Prusak was an experienced pilot with 305 hours on the Spitfire and a total of 1,251 hours on other aircraft types.
He had, however already been court-martialled on a previous occasion (24/08/1943) for low flying. He was reduced to Sgt for this.
Sgt. Klemens Prusak had been awarded the cross of valour on two separate occasions.
Front row, 3rd from right: Sgt. Klemens Prusak (Courtesy Peter Sikora)
Accident scene Spitfire F.IX MA814 (Courtesy Gretzyngier, Matusiak, Wojcik and Zielinski)
(Courtesy Olka Prusek and family)
(Courtesy Olka Prusek and family)
Burial Details:
Klemens Prusak. Newark Cemetery, England. Grave No: 0.328
Born: Warsaw, Poland.
We are pleased to advise that we are in contact with Olka Prusek, and hope that further information will follow soon.
The Aircrew Remembrance Society would like to thank Olka Prusek, Peter Sikora, 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. Thanks also to Mike Harrison for grave photo's.
