Memorial Crash Wellington Z1392

This memorial stone commemorates four victims, all crew members of the Vickers Wellington, type IV, serial number Z1392, code SM-O of the Polish 305 squadron. The aircraft had taken off from RAF Hemswell at 18:03 and crashed near Oostermeer on 3 February 1943 at 21:37.

The aircraft was shot at with several salvos by a German night fighter from Uffz Alois Oost of 12/NJG1 (Nachtjagdgeschwader), which was noticed by residents of the municipalities of Tietjerkstradeel and Achtkarspelen. As a result, there were witnesses to the shelling and the aircraft catching fire. One of them describes that the aircraft sailed over Drogeham like a discarded flare, only to crash into a meadow on the Boskwei (Bosweg), east of the Bergummermeer.

Four crew members died as a result of the crash. They were buried together at the Torenlaan cemetery and later reburied at the Polish Cemetery in Breda;

- Bomb Aimer, 781188 Sergeant Henryk Leon Gzell, PAF, buried Polish Field of Honour Cemetery Breda Breda Breda, Plot B Row 6 Grave 9, Polish War Memorial RAF Northolt Panel 21.
- Air Gunner: 794283 Sergeant Bernard Kozlowski, PAF, buried Polish Field of Honour Cemetery Breda, Plot B Row 6 Grave 6, Polish War Memorial RAF Northolt Panel 33.
- Observer: P-0479 Flight Officer Edward Lesisz PAF Polish Field of Honour Cemetery Breda Breda Plot B Row 6 Grave 8/Polish War Memorial RAF Northolt Panel 38.
-Wireless Operator/Air Gunner: 780430 Flight Sergeant Alfons Kowalski, PAF, Polish Field of Honour Cemetery Breda Plot L 10, Polish War Memorial RAF Northolt Panel 32.

Only the fifth crew member the aircraft's pilot, Sergeant Mieczyslaw Seredyn, survived. He jumped late and landed with his parachute near the crashed aircraft. At the Nicolai family on Boskwei, he was treated by a doctor and later captured by the occupying forces. He survived the war after receiving medical treatment and spending time in several prisoner-of-war camps.

Do you have more information about this location? Inform us!

Source

• Text: Gerrit Hazenberg & Anton van Veen
• Photos: Arjan Vrieze (1, 2), Gerrit Hazenberg (3, 4)
• Wespennest Leeuwarden, deel 2 Ab A Jansen- https://www.4en5mei.nl/oorlogsmonumenten/zoeken/1056/eastermar-monument-voor-poolse-vliegers#:~:text=De%20Wellington%20MK%20III%20Z1392,neer%20tussen%20Drogeham%20en%20Eastermar.