"Unknown" Polish Airman at Longuenesse

[Andy Saunders]

Last year I photographed a bronze plaque newly fixed to the headstone of an unknown airman who's date of death is shown as 7 August 1941. The new addition bore the name of Zdzislaw Brozda of 308 Squadron, lost in Spitfire P8573. After I raised a query with the CWGC the plaque was removed as it had been placed without their permission and "....no information concerning a possible positive identification of the remains".

Does anyone know by whom, or why, this plaque was fixed to the headstone and what grounds there might have been for positively associating this casualty to this particular unknown burial?

Maybe Wojtek Matusiak might have a view?

[kaki3152]

From th e308th Squadron Website
"-Aug-41. Spitfire II P8573. Sgt Brozda. KIA
Evening sweep: shot down over France, his body couldn't be identified and he was buried as "unknown"."

[Andy Saunders]

I agree that he may well have been buried as "Unknown" and, as such, this is quite possibly his grave at St Omer. However, there seem to be other possible candidates for this particular war grave and so the question remains as to how, or why, this specific grave was linked to Brozda? If conclusive evidence could be found then it might be possible to convince the CWGC to replace the stone.

[Fairlop]

Andy,

Czech ace P/O Plzak of the 19 Sqn is other candidate.
When I was at Longuenesse last time no plaque was there.

Michal

[Andy Saunders]

Yes, I agree that the other candidate is Plzak. I am just curious as to how, why and by whom the plaque was fixed to the stone? It was very elaborately made and engraved and had been screwed onto the headstone. Maybe someone has evidence to make a link with Brozda? If so, one hopes they will share the information with the CWGC/MOD so that a proper decision can be made. Possibly there is some local evidence. The question is: what?!

[Fairlop]

Andy,

I will contact my colleagues in that area if they know something more.

Michal

[Andy Saunders]

Michal

Did you ever get any more feedback on this mystery?

Andy

[Rob Philips]

Andy,

Source is Cumft & Kujawa. Text send to you by PM. Other candidates are L. Stapel & Plzak. Translation of quote: Brozda remains buried as unknown in Longuenesse, as his body could not be identified.

Regards,

Rob

[Andy Saunders]

Rob

One wonders what was the source of the rather definitive statement that Brozda was buried as "unknown" in Longuenesse when there are clearly other candidates for that particular unknown airman.

Andy

[Rob Philips]

Andy,

Sure. I do not have the answer. Clues may be buried in the Casualty Files. The plaquette producer may not have had more data than present in this thread, and may have wished to make a statement to MoD/CWGC. A statement of this kind, regarding an Allied aviator buried as unknown, being quite possibly a certain PAF aviator, has been seen in Holland too. These events do not seem to be connected, but I shall dig into that some more.

Regards,

Rob