Polish pilots’ remembrance service

Polish pilots’ remembrance service

The New Romney Branch of The British Legion held a service of remembrance on Sunday 16 April at St Peter’s Church, Greatstone, Kent for two 303 Squadron pilots P/O Mieczysław Waszkiewicz and P/O Bogusław Mierzwa, both shot down and killed on the 16 April 1941.  About 30 attended the service and wreaths were initially laid in the church and subsequently placed at the pilots’ Memorial on the nearby Dungeness Estate close to where they were killed. The Polish Air Force Memorial Committee was repreented by Trustee Rodney Byles who laid a wreath on its behalf.

P/O Mieczysław Waszkiewicz and P/O Bogusław Mierzwa, flying from RAF Northolt, were escorting Blenheim bombers on a raid to Berck-sur-Mer in the Pas-de-Calais region of the French coast. On their return they were attacked by German fighters and both shot down and killed.

P/O Mieczysław Waszkiewicz in Spitfire IIA P8039 with the code RF-R went into the Channel near the Dungeness coast and his body was never recovered. P/O Bogusław Mierzwa in Spitfire IIA P7819 with code RF-S crashed on the shore at Dungeness close to where the memorial is sited. P/O Bogusław Mierzwa is buried in Northwood cemetery grave H209.  The wreckage of Spitfire P7819 was later recovered in 1982 and is planned to be rebuilt to flying condition with the registration G-TCHZ.

The Memorial was originally constructed and placed by Colin Clayton and together with Michael Golding they have maintained and cared for the Memorial for many years. It was subsequently replaced by a new memorial in 2021, generously funded by EDF Energy, which owns the Dungeness Estate, and was commemorated on the 80th Anniversary of the pilots’ death.

What3Words links at Dungeness.  

The parking spot for easier access to the Memorial

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The site of the Memorial

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