Wellington Bomber HZ251 - Bradley, UK
Posted by: 
dtrebilc
N 53° 55.533 W 002° 00.136
30U E 565516 N 5975699
This memorial unveiled on 22nd April 2007, commemorates 7 Polish crewmen of a Royal Air Force Wellington Bomber who were killed when the plane crashed during a training flight on 23rd September 1943.
Waymark Code: WMKG4V
Location: Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 04/10/2014
Views: 2
After Germany invaded Poland at the start of the Second World War, many pilots from the Polish Air Force managed to escape to the UK and joined the Royal Air Force.
The pilots were very experienced as they had defended Poland during the German invasion and were highly regarded in the Royal Air Force. Four Polish squadrons were formed and 303 Squadron was for a time the most efficient RAF fighter squadron.
link
An information board near to the memorial has information about the plane crash and memorial.
At 12:50pm on Thursday the 23rd September 1943 a Royal Air Force
Vickers Wellington Mk XI bomber, serial number HZ251, on a routine
training flight returning to its home base at 6 (C) Operational Training Unit,
Silloth Cumberland crashed near here in the area known then as "Winfred's Cafe."
The seven members of the R.A.F. aircrew, all Polish, lost their lives.
The crash was due to a major wing spar failure.
Eyewitnesses watched in horror as the port wing
and engine fell away, resulting in the tragedy.
Two local men, Peter Whitaker and Jim Hartley,
who researched this accident, located relatives
of some of the crew members, one of whom being
the widow of Flt. Lt. Jozef Wolnik, a bride of only three weeks.
It was here on 22nd April 2007 that this lady,
as Mrs Josephine Stebbing MBE, unveiled this Memorial
to those gallant young airmen of World War II.
The plane crashed onto the bank of the Leeds Liverpool Canal. The information board is located on the tow path next to a small swing bridge, whilst the memorial itself is situated in a small paved area on the other bank of the canal.
The memorial has a bronze plaque set into a small stand alone wall made of stone bricks. On top of the wall is a small figure of a white eagle, the national symbol of Poland. Underneath the eagles is a small red and white 4 square roundel, the symbol used on planes of the Polish Air Force. Underneath the plaque is a metal plate engraved with the plane's serial number, HZ 251, and a dial recovered from the control panel of the aircraft.
The plaque also has a stylised version of a white eagle as used both on the Polish Air Force's flag and Poland's coat of arms.
The text on the plaque is as follows
LEST WE FORGET
IN MEMORY OF THE POLISH AIRMEN WHO LOST THEIR LIVES HERE
FLYING A VICKERS WELLINGTON XI HZ 251
ON SEPTEMBER 23RD 1943
F/SGT. WLADYSLAW OSTROWSKI AGE 27
SGT. ABRAM KAWENOCKI AGE 22 F/LT. JOSEF WOLNIK AGE 31
F/SGT. FRANCISEK CIASTON AGE 27 SGT. BOLELAW RYCHEL AGE 21
SGT. BOLESLAW J. SWIECA AGE 28 SGT. JAN CZYZEWSKI AGE 23
THE FALLEN
THEY HAVE PASSED BEYOND THE STRESS AND STORM OF MORTAL STRIFE
THROUGH THE GATEWAYS OF THE MORNING TO A WIDER LIFE
ASKING ONLY THIS OF US THAT WE WITH FAITH AND PRIDE
REMEMBER IN THE AFTER YEARS THE THINGS FOR WHICH THEY DIED
PATIENCE STRONG
There is also a smaller, simpler memorial a small distance away on the edge of the tow path.
link