ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 169410
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| Date: | Wednesday 12 August 1942 |
| Time: | 03:20 |
| Type: |  Vickers Wellington Mk IC 'NZ-L' |
| Owner/operator: | 304 'Ziemia Slaska' (Land of Selesia) Polish Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | HX384 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 6 / Occupants: 6 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | In the sea near Dale Airfield -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Dale |
| Return. |
Crashed after takeoff into the sea. The crew of six Polish nationals perished in the crash.
The wreckage was found on 21st September 1991 by divers from the Llantrisant Sub Aqua Club.
F/Lt Maslanka, F/O Siuzdak, Sgt Omieliaszko, Sgt Modrzewski, Sgt Wojtowicz and Sgt Drozdziok.
R.I.P.
Details:
Construction of the airfield began between the villages of Dale and Marloes in 1941. It became operational in June 1942. Initially it was to be named RAF Marloes, planned as a satellite to nearby RAF Talbenny, but the name was changed to RAF Dale instead. The only RAF unit to use RAF Dale was 304 squadron between 30 December 1942 and 2 April 1943.
HX384 was no stranger to patrolling the Atlantic sector of the ‘Western Approaches’. On the 6th of July 1942 the crew of HX384 took off at 11:05 hours and arrived at their allocated position off the Bishop Rock Lighthouse on the Isles of Scilly at 14:25 hours, on course 192’, at 400 feet. The crew sighted a U Boat conning tower (the position has been censored during the war) on course of 300’, speed not established. The U Boat lay at a distance of approximately 4 miles from HX384, which was 3 points off the submarines S/Brd quarter. The Wellington altered course to Starboard and lost height as the boat crash dived. HX384 attacked, dropping six depth charges into the swirl from 50 feet in one salvo. They remained in the area for fifteen minutes, but apart from a yellowish-grey foam on the surface, (thought to be residue from the D/C) nothing further was seen. They landed at Dale, 19:17 hours.
Their next two patrols were called off due to bad weather, but on the 16th of July they took off at 13:10 hrs. At the same patrol area, a Focke Wulf Kurier was sighted (This is more commonly known now as the Fw-200 Condor). The E/A was on a course of 320’ at 1,500 feet, 600 yards to port. The front and rear turrets of 384 opened fire, expanding around 400 rounds as they turned to S/Brd. No hits were seen on E/A, which in turn opened fire with cannon from the rear lower gondola, it immediately altered course and made off in the direction of France, not hits on 384 which eventually landed at 20:35 hrs.
After one more routine patrol and another recalled their next eventful patrol occurred on the 1st of August. 384 took off at 10:35 hrs. (extract from flight record).
“Arrived at designated position, 4714N 0853W at 16:35 hours. Sighted two Arado 196 E/A 5 miles to S/Brd on course 270’ at 1,000 feet. Own A/C which was on course 280’ at 1,000 feet. We dived into 9/10ths Cumulus cloud at 700 feet, used cloud cover for 10 minutes. Arado’s seen, were still doing so. No combat ensued.
Patrol Bishops Rock 11:40hrs, ended at Bishops Rock at 17:58hrs.
Sighted French Tunneymen Trawlers & Crabber Ketch.
Landed RAF Station Dale, 19:00hrs.”
3rd August 1942.
“T/O 12:16hrs same patrol area. Two M.V. of 2,000 tons with flush decks and line abreast were seen, all grey with two funnels each. Course 090’, speed 10 Kts, NO MARKINGS. Also seen later into patrol, 32 French Tunneymen, fired on three. Landed at Dale 16:39 hrs.”
HX384 and her crew were to conduct the first night patrol from Dale on the 11th of August. But they were delayed due to strong winds. The winds lessened and at 03:05hrs of the 12th, they began the patrol, taking off, they were hit by a strong gust which took the fully loaded Wellington down into the sea only half a mile off the aerodrome, the crew of six all drowned.
A matter of hours later, with the early morning light, the rescue started seeing rescue boats and the St Davids Lifeboat attending, off duty RAF crews and ground crews could only watch from the cliffs at the end of the runway. The funeral took place at Newark on the 24th of August, three crew members of 384 were buried along with another two from Wellington Z1172 which came to grief off the Isle of Man on the 20th. The remaining crew of three were buried the following day on the 25th of August.
Crew:
‘Kapitan’ Ludwik Maslanka 31yo P/0770 PAF. Pilot. Killed. 1
‘Porucznik’ Tadeusz Marian Siuzdak 29yo P/0184 PAF. Nav’. Killed. 2
‘Kapral’ Pawel Drozdziok 24yo P/793787 PAF. W/Op. Killed. 3
‘Kapral’ Marian Jerzy Modrzewski 26yo P/780903 PAF. Obs. Killed. 4
‘Plutonowy’ Michal Omieljaszko 28yo P/781303 PAF. A/Gnr. Killed. 5
‘Kapral’ Stanislaw Rudolph Wojtowicz 23yo P/784066 PAF. A/Gnr. Killed. 6
Buried:
1 Newark-Upon-Trent Cemetery. War Graves Plot. Section J. Grave 310A.
2 Newark-Upon-Trent Cemetery. War Graves Plot. Section I. Grave 310B.
3 Newark-Upon-Trent Cemetery. War Graves Plot. Section L. Grave 310A.
4 Newark-Upon-Trent Cemetery. War Graves Plot. Section L. Grave 310B.
5 Newark-Upon-Trent Cemetery. War Graves Plot. Section I. Grave 310A.
6 Newark-Upon-Trent Cemetery. War Graves Plot. Section H. Grave 310A.
Wreckage:
The wreckage was found on 21st September 1991 by divers from the Llantrisant Sub Aqua Club. Subsequently machine guns and propellers were recovered and restored. One was with the ATC museum, Abergavenny. A similar set was donated to the Polish people in a ceremony aboard the sailing ship Iskra on 15th July 1993, which was attended by members of the Polish Military and War Veterans Association. The vessel was docked at Newcastle upon Tyne for the Tall Ships Race. These relics are now housed in the Military Museum in Warsaw. The ATC Museum had to close because of MOD cutbacks and the two rooms full of recovered relics of air incidents from all over south Wales ended up being held in varying locations. The propeller of HX384 ended up in a garden before being rescued by Steve Jones of Port Talbot who returned it to Pembrokeshire. It has been gifted to the Coastlands Local History Group and will in time be displayed at Dale. It was kept at the Sunderland Trust’s Workshop in Pembroke Dock and could be seen outside the old Navy Chapel, which is the new museum location, the propeller is now with Valero.
HX384 propeller, and its incredible story, is a reminder of the sacrifices made by allied airmen during the Second World War, and the special role played by Polish RAF crews in Pembrokeshire at the time. Valero is proud to be able to assist in helping restore this significant piece of Pembrokeshire’s military heritage back to where it belongs in Dale.
Additional Information:
Equivalent ranks.
Kapitan = Flight Lieutenant.
Porucznik = Flying Officer.
Kapral = Sergeant.
Sources:
http://www.westerntelegraph.co.uk/news/11442531.Propeller_from_crashed_wartime_bomber_to_go_on_show/
http://304squadron.blogspohttp://www.geocities.ws/skrzydla/304/304losses.html
http://www.geocities.ws/skrzydla/304/304losses.html
www.304squadron.blogspot.com
www.polishsquadronsremembered.com
www.rafcommands.com
www.1.wales/pembrokshire-memorials.com
www.westerntelegraph.co.uk
nationalarchives.gov
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 31-Aug-2014 20:42 | gerard57 | Added |
| 19-Oct-2014 07:18 | Apen | Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Departure airport] |
| 18-Oct-2018 17:17 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Operator] |
| 04-Jul-2022 05:21 | Davies 62 | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Operator, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
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