On Saturday, September 4th 2021, the Polish community from The White Red Eagle Association paid their tribute to those who died in the Wellington W5557 crash and the Polish Airforce members who served in Britain during WWII.
On the night of 26th / September 27th 1941, the crew of this 305 Squadron aircraft undertook an operational flight to bomb Cologne and took off from base at Lindholme at 19.27hrs. All appears to have gone without incident outbound and over the target area. The fog was over Lindholme during the early hours of September 27th 1941, and while it was clear air above 500 feet, lower than that, the fog was seriously affecting visibility. Additionally, other aircrafts returning to Lindholme were short on fuel, so there was a possibility that Wellington W5557 may also have been low on fuel or even run out of fuel. Having flown back into the general area of Lindholme airfield, the crew lowered their undercarriage and were making an approach to land when it was thought that the pilot either misjudged the height the aircraft was flying, or it had run out of fuel, and the pilot was attempting a forced landing. The aircraft struck trees and then crashed on Hatfield Moor, just short of the airfield, at 01.30hrs. Sadly three members of the Polish crew were killed in the crash, and a fourth died just over twenty-four hours later in Hospital in Doncaster Hospital.
Pilot – Sgt Eugene Buszko PAF (P/780447), aged 27. Buried Newark Cemetery, Nottinghamshire.
Wireless Operator – Sgt Jerzy Slawomir Leyche PAF (P/781385), aged 23. Buried Newark Cemetery, Nottinghamshire.
Air Gunner – Sgt Wictor Wasilenko PAF (P/781021), aged 18. Buried Newark Cemetery, Nottinghamshire.
Second Pilot – Sgt Tadeusz Korczyk PAF (P/780686), aged 27. Died of injuries 28th September 1941. Buried Newark Cemetery, Nottinghamshire.
Navigator – P/O Stanislaw Barzdo PAF (P/0079). Injured.
Air Gunner – Sgt Zdzislaw Pisarek PAF (P/781742). Injured.
Source:
http://www.yorkshire-aircraft.co.uk/aircraft/yorkshire/york41/w5557.html
