WWII RAF bomber found in Poland
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WWII RAF bomber found in Poland
There seem to be discrepancies in take-off base and crew. I am unable to locate any other independent information on the the flight/crew details. A key publishing forum gives a translation of a Polish paper saying a memorial plaque in a nearby shrine at Odporyszow gives the following as the flight crew: Arnold R. Blynn, George A. Chapman, Harold L. Brown, C. B. Wylie, Arthur G. W. Liddell, Frederick G. Wenham and Kenneth J. Ashmore. Other press reports give the actual departure airfield as Campo Casale.
BBC: WWII RAF bomber found in Poland
Historians in Poland have discovered the wreckage of a World War II RAF Halifax bomber along with the remains of its British and Canadian crew. The hull of the aircraft, from 148 Squadron, was found buried in a field near the southern Polish town of Dabrowa Tarnowska. The bomber was shot down while dropping supplies and ammunition to the Polish underground during the Warsaw uprising. Polish historians are now trying to track down the airmen's families.
Records show the Halifax JP-276A took off on its final flight from the Italian city of Brindisi around 2000 GMT on 4 August 1944. The crew of five Canadians and two Britons, led by Canadian pilot Captain A.R. Blynn, were flying on a mission to drop weapons and ammunition to the Polish underground. Although a small amount of human remains from the crash were found and buried in Poland in 1944, the wreckage has remained buried along with most of the remains for more than 60 years.
Warsaw's Museum of the 1944 Warsaw Uprising started to recover the wreck about two months ago. Project manager Piotr Sliwowski, who heads the museum's history department, told the Associated Press news agency: "This is an extraordinary, rare find - there are only three Halifaxes in museums around the world."
Although the museum's officials were intrigued to find the hull of the bomber as well as documents and personal belongings, it was the discovery of the remains of its crew of young men that left the biggest impression. The historians have contacted the British and Canadian embassies in Warsaw in the hope that the families of the airmen can be notified.
Mr Sliwowski said: "These were boys aged 28 or 30. Their remains were for decades in the ground, now they will be able to return to their homelands." Documents, notes and maps and personal items belonging to the crew, like a folding knife and a well-preserved aviator's badge, were also discovered. "It takes you back 62 years and you start thinking, 'What were they like? What did they look like? Did they have girlfriends?'" Mr Sliwowski said. Containers of weapons and ammunition were also found on board the crashed Halifax......
Recovery Photot Gallery
BBC: WWII RAF bomber found in Poland
Historians in Poland have discovered the wreckage of a World War II RAF Halifax bomber along with the remains of its British and Canadian crew. The hull of the aircraft, from 148 Squadron, was found buried in a field near the southern Polish town of Dabrowa Tarnowska. The bomber was shot down while dropping supplies and ammunition to the Polish underground during the Warsaw uprising. Polish historians are now trying to track down the airmen's families.
Records show the Halifax JP-276A took off on its final flight from the Italian city of Brindisi around 2000 GMT on 4 August 1944. The crew of five Canadians and two Britons, led by Canadian pilot Captain A.R. Blynn, were flying on a mission to drop weapons and ammunition to the Polish underground. Although a small amount of human remains from the crash were found and buried in Poland in 1944, the wreckage has remained buried along with most of the remains for more than 60 years.
Warsaw's Museum of the 1944 Warsaw Uprising started to recover the wreck about two months ago. Project manager Piotr Sliwowski, who heads the museum's history department, told the Associated Press news agency: "This is an extraordinary, rare find - there are only three Halifaxes in museums around the world."
Although the museum's officials were intrigued to find the hull of the bomber as well as documents and personal belongings, it was the discovery of the remains of its crew of young men that left the biggest impression. The historians have contacted the British and Canadian embassies in Warsaw in the hope that the families of the airmen can be notified.
Mr Sliwowski said: "These were boys aged 28 or 30. Their remains were for decades in the ground, now they will be able to return to their homelands." Documents, notes and maps and personal items belonging to the crew, like a folding knife and a well-preserved aviator's badge, were also discovered. "It takes you back 62 years and you start thinking, 'What were they like? What did they look like? Did they have girlfriends?'" Mr Sliwowski said. Containers of weapons and ammunition were also found on board the crashed Halifax......
Recovery Photot Gallery
Last edited by ORAC; 2nd Dec 2006 at 16:24.
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Warsaw '44
From a publication I have ex SA (via Anne Storm) entitled
"Heroism Beyond Praise" WARSAW the re-supply missions August, September and October 1944 (Second Edition0 by Graham C.L. du Toit
JP276 "A2 148 Sqd Halifax II 05.08.1944
crew F/Lt AR Blynn RCAF
P/O GA Chapman RCAF
F/O HL Brown RCAF
F/Sgt CB Wylie RCAF
F/Sgt AGW Liddell RCAF
Sgt FG Wenham RAF(VR)
Sgt KJ Ashmore RAF(VR)
Halifax shot down by Luftwaffe night fighters in the vicinity of Warsaw, Poland, while flying a classified mission fo the Special Operations Executive (SOE)
Departure airfield not mentioned
PZU - Out of Africa
My Dad went to Warsaw in Oct '44 & came back!!!
From the attic - downloaded from a now defunct site www.meil.pw.edu.pl/~st1300/Hist/mssng2.htm
this listed ALL missions in support of the Home Army from November 1941 to Dec 1944
Names as above, but Chapman rank shown as W/O
"This aircraft had the task to execute a drop over SAN post near Lodz(this was not a drop for uprising in Warsaw as some sources say). It was shot down (probably by night fighter) and crashed in Dabrowa Tarnowska area. All crewman were killed and are presently buried in British war cemetary in Cracow
Appears to be discrepancy over crew burial, but that is understandable in the circumstances. RIP
Again no mention of of flight origin
"Heroism Beyond Praise" WARSAW the re-supply missions August, September and October 1944 (Second Edition0 by Graham C.L. du Toit
JP276 "A2 148 Sqd Halifax II 05.08.1944
crew F/Lt AR Blynn RCAF
P/O GA Chapman RCAF
F/O HL Brown RCAF
F/Sgt CB Wylie RCAF
F/Sgt AGW Liddell RCAF
Sgt FG Wenham RAF(VR)
Sgt KJ Ashmore RAF(VR)
Halifax shot down by Luftwaffe night fighters in the vicinity of Warsaw, Poland, while flying a classified mission fo the Special Operations Executive (SOE)
Departure airfield not mentioned
PZU - Out of Africa
My Dad went to Warsaw in Oct '44 & came back!!!
From the attic - downloaded from a now defunct site www.meil.pw.edu.pl/~st1300/Hist/mssng2.htm
this listed ALL missions in support of the Home Army from November 1941 to Dec 1944
Names as above, but Chapman rank shown as W/O
"This aircraft had the task to execute a drop over SAN post near Lodz(this was not a drop for uprising in Warsaw as some sources say). It was shot down (probably by night fighter) and crashed in Dabrowa Tarnowska area. All crewman were killed and are presently buried in British war cemetary in Cracow
Appears to be discrepancy over crew burial, but that is understandable in the circumstances. RIP
Again no mention of of flight origin
Last edited by pzu; 2nd Dec 2006 at 19:01. Reason: additional info from attic
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From another web site
Re JP 276, see from another web site
http://www.rafcommands.com/dcforum/D...6/10476.html#0
and from within that link see also
http://www.etmtelevision.com/
PZU - Out of Africa
http://www.rafcommands.com/dcforum/D...6/10476.html#0
and from within that link see also
http://www.etmtelevision.com/
PZU - Out of Africa
