Crash Site Wellington W5665

The bomber Wellington W5665 was shot down by a German night fighter in the night of 18-19 June 1941. Of the crew, four were killed and two captured.

This aircraft had taken off from Swinderly base in Lincolnshire at 10:02 pm and went down at 2:57 am, shot out of the air by Oberfeldwebel Pauk Gildner of IV./NJG1. The crew consisted of Sgt J. Domanski; P / O W. Sebrzynski ;; Sgt P. R, Bankowski; F / L W. Cebrzynski; Sgt S. Winek; Sgt W. Paleniczek and Sgt W. Siekza. Three of them did not survive the crash and one (Paleniczek) was reported as marked missing. According to a report by the police (municipal police officer Derk Meijer) in Ameland, on that particular June 19th, 1941, at around 1 p.m. or earlier, between km mark 23 and 24, two corpses, dressed in leather aviator clothing, and in '' fresh '' condition. Under aviator clothing here, they wore an English aviator uniform. Also black boots lined with fur. The letters POLEN are said to have been found on the right upper arm of their uniforms; one of them was also found to have a identification mark with the name Sergt Bankowski on it. Unfortunately, the identity of the other could not be established. The remains were made available to the German island commander. And immediately coffed on the spot and then transferred to the General Cemetery in Nes on Ameland. Where that same day (around 3 p.m.) a German and the local municipal doctor would have carried out the death examination. On June 20th, 1941, around four o'clock in the afternoon, both remains were subsequently buried at the Roman Catholic cemetery in Nes, with military honors, On Friday, June 27, 1941 - reportedly around seven o'clock in the morning - According to a report by Derk Meijer mentioned earlier, he was warned that another body had washed up on the beach in the vicinity of km marker 24. When he arrived there, he found on the spot the reed in a state of decomposition material The remains of a male, who was dressed in a gray fur-lined aviator overalls, including an English aviator uniform (with the letters POLEN on the right upper arm), were given fur-lined boots. Therefore, like both other drowning people found here earlier, belonging to clothing of Polish pilots, in service of the Polish 300 Squadron within the British Royal Air Force. And, as it turned out, was also part of the same crew and flying machine, which was shot down by Oberfeldwebel Gildner in the night of 18-19 June 1941, and then landed in the sea near Ameland and only a few kilometers from the coast. According to the German island commander, the kite who was then washed up on the beach was Sergeant Domanski. The remains were casketed. And also transferred to the General cemetery in Nes, inspected, and then on the R.K. burial ground. P / O Sebrzynski, Cebrzynski and Winek survived the crash and were captured.

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Source

• Text: Kaj Metz
• Photos: RAF
• zzairwar.nll
• J C Maarschalkerweerd