Uszpolewicz, Boleslaw

Date of birth:: April 25th, 1914 (Poniewież)
Date of death:: March 27th, 1942 (near airfield "de Kooy", the Netherlands)
Buried on:: Commonwealth War Cemetery Bergen op Zoom
Plot: XXXI. Row: A. Grave: 12.
Service number:: P-1629 / 783526
Nationality:: Polish

Biography

1935: 15-month compulsory service in the Lithuanian army.
1938: Obtained Polish citizenship and joined the Polish Air Forces as cadet.
September 1939: Evacuated from Poland via Romania. Suffered with malaria during the journey.
1940: Joined the French Air Force (Armée de l'Air).
June 1940: Evacuated to the UK, where he joined the RAF. Trained with Oxfords before moving onto the twin-engine Wellingtons.
1 oktober 1940: Promoted to 2nd Lieutenant.
January 1942: Posted to No. 300 (Masovian) Squadron.

Pppor. Uszpolewicz's combat missions in 1942 with No. 300 Squadron:

6 February: Wellington IV BH-Q (Z1268) - Scharnhorst and Gneisenau at Brest
10-11 February: Wellington IV BH-Q (Z1268) - Bremen
12 February: Wellington IV BH-Q (Z1268) - German naval units at sea
13-14 February: Wellington IV BH-Q (Z1268) - Cologne
16-17 February: Wellington IV BH-Q (Z1268) - Aurich, Bremen, Wilhelmshaven
8 March: Wellington IV BH-V (R1725) - Essen
10-11 March: Wellington IV BH-J (Z1183) - Essen
25-26 March: Wellington IV BH-Z (Z1279) - Essen
26-27 March: Wellington IV BH-L (Z1269) - Essen (shot down by a night fighter and KIA)

Ppor. Uszpolewicz was one of the two crew members who parachuted out of the burning aircraft. Both presumably drowned and washed ashore. Ppor. Uszpolewicz was buried with military honour on the Allied plot on cemetery Huisduinen (grave 119) Den Helder on 31 March 1942. He was reburied in Bergen op Zoom in May 1947.