Polish pilots’ remembrance service Dungeness
Jonathan Kellett on the right with his sister and brother at the Dungeness Memorial for 303Sqn pilots P/O Mieczysław Waszkiewicz and P/O Bogusław Mierzwa both shot down and killed in the same combat on 16 April 1941. Photo courtesy Michael Golding
P/O Mieczyslaw Waszkiewicz was shot down and killed in combat in 303Sqn MkIIA Spitfire P8039 on 16 April 1941 and crashed into the Channel near Dungeness. His body was never recovered. He was 24 years old and only served with 303Sqn for three weeks. Commissioned in August 1939, he saw combat over Poland in 1939 and over France in 1940. In Britain he was originally posted to 307Sqn on Defiants but, like many of his colleagues, he applied for a re-posting to day fighter units.
This 303sqn MkIIA Spitfire P7819 code RF-S with pilot P/O Bogusław Mierzwa was shot down and crashed on the shore at Dungeness close to where the memorial is sited. He is buried in Northwood cemetery grave H290.
Jonathan Kellett on the right with his sister and brother at the Dungeness Memorial for 303Sqn pilots P/O Mieczysław Waszkiewicz and P/O Bogusław Mierzwa both shot down and killed in the same combat on 16 April 1941. Photo courtesy Michael Golding
Friday, 2 May 2025
Polish pilots’ remembrance service Dungeness
The New Romney Branch of The British Legion held a service of remembrance on Sunday 27 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 in combat on the 16 April 1941. Following the service wreaths were placed at the pilots’ Memorial on the nearby Dungeness Estate close to where they were killed. The Polish Air Force Memorial Committee (PAFMC) was represented by Jonathan Kellett, who together with his brother and one of his sisters, laid a wreath on its behalf. Their father W/C Ronald Kellett commanded 303Sqn at Northolt during the Battle of Britain.
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 MkIIA Spitfire 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 MkIIA Spitfire 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 H290. The wreckage of Spitfire P7819 was later recovered in 1982.
The original memorial was created by Lance Corporal Jack Stratfield who was based at Dungeness during the war and came across the remains in 1942. Colin Clayton later resurrected it about 20 years ago and together with Michael Golding they have since maintained and cared for the memorial. 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. The PAFMC recently donated a flower vase which was kindly installed at the Memorial by Michael Golding.
What3Words links at Dungeness.
The parking spot for easier access to the Memorial
trump.widest.little https://what3words.com/trump.widest.little
The site of the Memorial
goals.toasted.aboard https://w3w.co/goals.toasted.aboard