Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II near Helleren: 10 killed
Date & Time:
Oct 30, 1942
Operator:
Registration:
W7773
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Tempsford - Tempsford
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Circumstances:
The crew left RAF Tempsford at 1700LT on October 29 to drop arms to the Polish resistance and to dispatch three Polish agents as well. Over Poland, the crew was unable to locate the drop zone and the captain decided to return to England. After a flight of ten hours, while overflying the south part of Norway, the bomber was shot down by enemy fire and crashed near Helleren, northeast of Egersund. All ten occupants were killed.
Crew (138th Squadron):
F/Sgt Franciszek Sobkowiak, pilot,
W/O Franciszek Zaremba, pilot,
F/O Mariusz Wodzicki, observer,
F/O Franciszek Pantkowski, radio operator,
Sgt Czesław Kozłowski, flight engineer,
F/Sgt Tadeusz Madejski, dropper,
F/Sgt Wacław Żuk, air gunner.
Passengers:
Lt Wiesław Szpakowicz,
Lt Stanisław Hencel,
2nd Lt Jerzy Bichniewicz.
Crew (138th Squadron):
F/Sgt Franciszek Sobkowiak, pilot,
W/O Franciszek Zaremba, pilot,
F/O Mariusz Wodzicki, observer,
F/O Franciszek Pantkowski, radio operator,
Sgt Czesław Kozłowski, flight engineer,
F/Sgt Tadeusz Madejski, dropper,
F/Sgt Wacław Żuk, air gunner.
Passengers:
Lt Wiesław Szpakowicz,
Lt Stanisław Hencel,
2nd Lt Jerzy Bichniewicz.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.
