Looking for photo(s) of Polish seaplane that landed in Sweden during the Polish Campaign

[Larry Hickey]

Hello,

For the EoE Project, I need a photo of a Polish seaplane that evacuated to Sweden on 13 Sept 1939? Here is our a/c loss entry for this incident:

"Pluton Lacznikowy DOWL. RWD-13 (216). Evacuated to Sweden and landed in Visborgslaett near Visby 15.40 hrs. Ppor. Edmund Jereczek and his passenger Por. Tadeusz Nowacki both interned. Aircraft “SP-BML” a write-off, interned in Sweden."

I'm presuming that some Swedish expert may hold photos of this a/c and/or its crew, which we need to illustrate this incident.

Who can help?

Regards,

Larry Hickey
EoE Project Coordinator

[Stig Jarlevik]

Larry

I don't have any photograph myself of the aircraft in question, but I can put you in contact with one who does.

However I am puzzled by the use of 'seaplane'. As far as I know this RWD 13 never came close to having floats and quite frankly I doubt the aircraft type ever was intended to use any. I can also assure you the aircraft was certainly not any write off when landed.

All photos I have seen shows it in perfect shape and it was operated during the war by Skandinaviska Aero AB who used it for target towing duties. It has previously been stated to have been operated by the Swedish AF but that is not true. Since it had forcelanded and its legal owner was no longer possible to fix (Poland had by then been totally occupied by Germany) the aircraft was requisitioned by the Chief of Staff of Kungliga Arméförvaltningen and it was formally owned by its Intendenturavdelning. It did however get a new camouflage and marked with the Swedish National roundel in six places (standard) but no serial number or civil registration. Possibly the designation Tp 11 was reserved for this type, but so far no proof of that has been found.
However when the war ended it was put on the civil register as SE-AOF on Nov 1st, 1945 and ownership now formally transferred to its operator. If any legal procedures regarding its aquisition in 1940 then was taken is unknown by me. It met its fate on May 3rd, 1952 at Örebro when it crashed.

Cheers
Stig

[Larry Hickey]

Stig,

Thanx for taking the time to research this and answer my query. You are correct about the a/c type not being a seaplane. I extracted this from the history of a seaplane unit, and I made an assumption without researching the type. Not OK. I'm sure our Polish Campaign research team will take all of your information into account.

Regardless, I still need photos of this a/c, as we're doing profiles of every a/c type of every Polish Air Force unit during the PC for the EoE Project, and this could very well be one of our subjects if I can get enough information for the artist to work from.

Regards,

Larry Hickey
EoE Project Coordinator

[udf_00]

SP-BML & SP-ATB :
http://jimbaotoday.blogspot.fr/2011_08_21_archive.html
Red & Silver ? :
http://www.karaya.pl/en/ardpol/0/rwd-13-a72-064.html

[Stig Jarlevik]

Thanks for the blog Udf

From the interviews with the crew it is quite certain that the escape was to Sweden and not to Vilnius.

The aircraft was painted in standard RWD 13 colour scheme, ie red fuselage (including top and bottom) and landing gear. Silver (or grey) flash-cheatline, fin-rudder, wings (both top and bottom) and stabilizer. The struts were a mix of these two colours.

The aircraft had belonged to the Gdansk Aeroclub but in late Aug had been requisitioned for use by a para-military Group called Grupe Towarzystw Naftowych Malopolska.

Nowacki-Norwid who was dressed in military uniform was interned, while Jereczek who was dressed in civilian clothes was taken to Stockholm, where the Polish Consulate arranged for his release. He left Sweden on October 2nd 1939 via France to England where he continued the fight with RAF. Jereczek seems to have stayed in Britain since he died in Birmingham on 26.8.1984. I have no further details about Nowacki-Norwid unfortunately.

Cheers
Stig

[Larry Hickey]

Hello,

Thanx. Is the post here by 'udf-00' in Swedish? Is there someone who can give me a summary of what it says? Excellent material on this incident and the RWD-13. This apparently really nails this one. Does anyone know how i can obtain a photo of the RWD-13 with copyright claimed in this post?

Stig, thanx for your direct email. Would Bo Widfeldt have a copy of this photo?

Regards,

Larry

[Larry Hickey]

Hello,

The report referred to above is in Swedish, and I've now received a good translation of this material into English. So, I don't need someone to do this for me.

Thanx for the help on this one so far.

Regards,

Larry Hickey
EoE Project Coordinator