A 6 (C) OTU Wellington.
On the 23rd of September 1943 the crew of this Welllington were undertaking a training flight, on board was a mixed crew, all of whom
were Polish. The reasoning for the flight to be inland has yet to be learnt but there is a suggestion that the aircraft had just been
collected from Skipton on Swale airfield with the intension of carrying out a training flight and then landing it at Silloth where the Unit was
based. This is open to conjecture. The flight took them over the Yorkshire Dales and as far south as Skipton. Whilst over the
Skipton area and just before 13.00hrs the Wellington was seen to be flying very low to the south of Skipton and possibly following the
canal.
A wing was seen to break
away and the aircraft crashed soon after near Winifreds Cafe, striking the canal banking close to the modern A629 road and exploded
killing all seven airmen on board. Where the wing fell has yet to be discovered but it is
thought to have been nearby and "near the river". 60 MU were responsible for clearing the site, this probably accounts for five of the crew being buried
at Fulford, York. The cause of the crash was due to the main spar failing. Following the crash all Wellingtons at Silloth are reported to have been grounded
for major checks of the main spars.
Through the efforts of two local men, Mr Peter Whitaker and Mr Jim Hartley, a memorial was erected close to the crash site in April 2007. A full write-up and gallery of this are to follow.
Nav - F/Lt Jozef Wolnik PAF, aged 31, buried Leyton Road Cemetery, Blackpool (Grave BB493). Polish custom states the navigator is the captain of the aircraft.
Pilot - Kpl Franciszek Ciaston PAF, aged 27, buried Fulford Cemetery, York.
Pilot - Sierz Wladyslaw Ostrowski PAF, aged 27, buried Fulford Cemetery, York.
WOp / AG - Kpl Boleslaw J Swieca PAF, aged 28, buried Fulford Cemetery, York.
WOp / AG - Kpl Boleslaw Rychel PAF, aged 21, buried Fulford Cemetery, York.
AG - Kpl Jan Czyzewski PAF, aged 23, buried Fulford Cemetery, York.
WOp / AG - Sierz Abram Kawenocki PAF, aged 22, buried Liverpool.
Josef Wolnik was born on the 4th March 1912 at Maszkienice, in the Brzesko`s region of Poland.
He joined the Polish Airforce as a Cadet in 1932 and went on to train and serve as an observer in
light bombers in August 1934. Still serving in Poland he escaped to Romania in September 1939 and via France he arrived in the UK some months
later. He joined 309 Sqdn as an Observer flying Lysanders in an Army Co-Op unit near Perth in 1940-41. In September 1941 he trained at 18 OTU
and in April 1942 he was posted to 304 Sqdn as a navigator on Wellington bombers. He completed a Tour with 304 Sqdn and was posted to none
operational unit, 6 OTU, to effectively rest from operational flying. He probably acted as an instructor here until his death.
He was awarded the Polish Silver Cross Militari at (an as yet) unknown date.
He had married an English girl, Josaphine, only three weeks prior to his death and lived on Cavendish Road in Blackpool.
His widow later remarried and Mrs Stebbing still lives in the town.
Abram Kawenocki was born on 9th March 1922 in Wasilkow, in the Bialysto`s region of Poland. Whilst nothing is yet known of his life in Poland
it is thought most of his family were killed in the Holocaust. He arrived in the UK at an as yet unknown date and was eventually posted in 6 OTU for training.
Though efforts from Messers Whitaker and Hartley, some of his family have been traced in the UK, the photograph of his headstone above comes from them.
The remaining five members of the crew are believed to have been buried in a joint grave in Fulford Cemetery, York. Though having seperate headstones.
The memorial close to the crash site.
The original memorial at the crash site.
