spitfire Mk V R7161 ?

[Eric Larger]

Hello

I have seen a large piece of a spitfire shot down 10km from home in 16or 17 August 1943 . It was piloted by a polish pilot who was killed at the controls .

It crashed in a meadow at Maulevier Sainte Gertrude , near Caudebec en Caux , alongside the river Seine between Le Havre and Rouen .

My friend shows me also a photos cut in a newspaper dated on 27 September 1943 . It was printed : 5 weeks after combat the 200 french civilians transported the coddin of the polish pilot up to the cemletery on 26 September 1943 .

It seems that on that day 308 polish Sqn lost a pilot and a Sptifire Mk V R7161 .

Can anyone of you confirms the date and the name of the pilot as well as the aircraft serial number?

Does anyone of you have the story of this aircraft , was it a brand new machine or a maichne posted to this squadron after being used in another fighter unit .

To sum up any information on the aircraft , the pilot , the unit , the mission and the oppents is wellcome .

Many thanks

Eric

[Alex Smart]

R7161 308 Sqdn F/O Olgierd. Ilinski on a Ramrod mission in the am engaged EA over Mavlevrier in the Bernay area, KIA.
Date 16th August 1943.

From FCL vol 2 and Polish Squadrons remembered website
Alex

PS I now have the revised/ updated version of Fighter Command Losses Vol 1

[Fairlop]

Hi Eric,

Look at this web. There is a few of words about that airman.

http://www.geocities.com/skrzydla1/308/308_part4.html

http://www.geocities.com/skrzydla1/308/308_scores.html

http://www.geocities.com/skrzydla1/308/308_losses.html

Regards,
Michal

[Eric Larger]

Many thanks for these datas

Malevrier is on the way between Fécamp to Bernay , aloside the river Seine .

The part I have seen , was the wall behind the seat of the pilot . Sme areas of the aluminium are damaged by fire .

Less than one month later (11.9.1943) , some 10 kilometers east from this crash location, a Me 190 G-6 of 12./Jg2 crashed At Jumièges , 200 meter from my meadows . I have found fragments of this machine . The machine was on fire , and the pilot killed at the controls was still firing when shuting down in flames .

Do you have any information this fight ?

Can anyone of you give me the building date of Spitfire R7141 , and the other squadrons its was posted to ?

Many thnaks

Eric

[Fairlop]

Eric,

R7161 "Mombasa" had first flight on 6/3/41 as Mk I. She was used by the 92 Sqn from 8/4/41 and in March 1943 modificated to Mk VB version.

Bf 109G-6 of 12./JG 2 crashed at Jumièges on 11/9/43 could be a victim of F/O Downing of the 403 Sqn. He claimed one 109 destroyed in Barentin area at 1810. And you know sure well that Jumièges is only 17km from Barentin.

Regards,
Michal

[Eric Larger]

Many thnaks for these precisions .

Downing victory corresponds to the time the event happened.

All witnesses in my village , remember that the aircraft crashed circa 17:00 (French time) , there was always a 1 hour gap between UK and France . The direction the aircraft came from is from North (corresponding to Barentin) as well as the direction the wrecks were found . All witnesses said it was followed by allied spitfires .

Up to now I was not able to locate any identification plate of Me 109 G-6 , but I keep on digging ....

So both seem to correspond .

Many thansk for your help .

Eric

Many thanks .

[VoyTech]

R7161 was built as a Mk I and converted to Mk VB in early 1941.
From early April 1941 it was used in No. 92 Sqn, coded QJ-J. There is a well known official photo of the Spitfire from that period (ref. no. CH3549).
On 7 August 1941 it crash-landed near Deal, Sgt G. P. Hickman was injured.
Repaired, R7161 was delivered to No. 315 (Polish) Sqn at Northolt in late 1941. It was coded PK-Y. On 13 March it was damaged cat. B in a taxiing collision with Sgt M. Cwynar at the controls (uninjured). There are photos of that collision in the book "315 Squadron" published by MMP.
Its subsequent fates are obscure until mid-1943 when it was probably in storage at No. 6 MU. In mid-July it was delivered to No. 3501 SU at Cranfield for modification, and subsequently delivered to No. 308 (Polish) Sqn.
(Some publications claim it also served with No. 303 Sqn as a Mk I, but that is a confusion with R7162.)

Olgierd Ilinski (P.0389) was born on 16 July 1914 in Russia. He was commissioned from the Polish Air Force College on 1 September 1939. Following the Polish campaign he reached France (via Rumania and the Mediterranean). He was posted with a group of Polish pilots to the observer school at Versailles, and then to the school at Bussac near Bordeaux. Following the French surrender he was evacuated to Britain. In May 1941 he was posted to No. 55 OTU. Upon completion of training he was posted to No. 605 Sqn RAF in June, and in July 1941 reposted to No. 302 (Polish) Sqn, moving to No. 303 Sqn a week later. In August 1941 he was reposted again, to No. 308 Sqn. In February 1942 he was injured in a car accident and hospitalised, returning to No. 308 Sqn in May 1942. Upon completion of a combat tour in December 1942 he was posted to No. 58 OTU as an instructor. In June 1943 he rejoined No. 308.

[Franek Grabowski]

Additionally, a cap of the pilot was found in the wreck and subsequently exhibited in Maulevier. Somehow it got to Britain and, in 1980, together with documents, handed over to Polish Institute and Sikorski Museum. Perhaps you can suggest the owner to hand them the piece of aircraft as well?