Coming October 15 - Biography of Polish Wellington Crew Shot Down over The Netherlands - June 1942

[Edward]

Polish Liberators over Raalte: The Crew of Wellington Z8339, 20 June 1942
(Nedvision Publishing, an imprint of Casemate - 15 October 2026)
by Krzysztof Kowalkowski
284 pages - paperback (6.69" x 9.61")
$30 US

"In the early hours of 20 June 1942, a Vickers Wellington bomber of the Polish 305 Squadron was shot down near Raalte in the Netherlands while returning from a bombing mission over Germany. Of the five crew members on board, four lost their lives and one survived, only to become a prisoner of war. Their story is one of courage, sacrifice, and unwavering determination in the fight against Nazi occupation.

Polish Liberators over Raalte tells the remarkable story of these five Polish airmen who, after the invasion and occupation of their homeland, continued their struggle for freedom as part of the Royal Air Force. Through detailed historical research, the book reconstructs their personal backgrounds, military service, final mission, and the tragic events that led to the crash.

The work is based largely on the extensive research of Polish historian and genealogist Krzysztof Kowalkowski, who painstakingly documented the lives of the crew members and their families. Adding a unique and personal dimension to the narrative, the author is directly connected to the story through family ties to the pilot.

More than a wartime history, this book is also a tribute to remembrance. It explores how the crew has been commemorated in the decades since the crash and highlights the enduring connections between Poland, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Combining historical accuracy with personal insight, Polish Liberators over Raalte preserves an important chapter of Second World War history and honours the men who gave their lives in the cause of freedom.

This is a story of bravery, loss, and memory—a story that deserves to be remembered."

Contents
Note on the Translation
Part One: Alojzy Paweł Gusowski
Introduction
Early Years
Service in the 4th Air Regiment
3 September 1939
In Romanian Captivity
France 1940
Training Period 1940–1941 in Great Britain
Combat Flights in 305 Squadron
The First Joint Flight
The Last Flight
Funeral
The Crew of "Nana"
Commemorations in Raalte
Raalte
Cemetery in Raalte
Allied Airmen Buried in Raalte Cemetery
Alojzy Kowalkowski, Chaplain to the Polish Airmen
Poems by Alojzy Gusowski
Afterword

Part Two: Flight Lieutenant Stefan Bolesław Madejczyk
Early Life
The First Months of the Second World War
In Great Britain
No. 305 Squadron
The Last Flight
In German Captivity
The End of the War and Return to England
In Exile in Argentina and Canada
Back in England
Visits to the Netherlands

Part Three: Flying Officer Henryk Aleksander Jankiewicz

Part Four: Sergeant Kazimierz Jan Ardelli

Part Five: Commemorations Through the Years

Appendix A: September 1939 Diary of Alojzy Gusowski
Appendix B: Lest We Forget
Appendix C: Gerrit van der Kolk – Eyewitness to the Crash
Trails of Hope Raalte 2025
Notes

The Author
"Krzysztof Kowalkowski (born 1950 in Gdańsk, Poland) is a historian, genealogist, and award-winning author specializing in the history, culture, and heritage of the Kociewie and Kashubia regions. He has published numerous books, genealogical studies, and historical articles, and has been actively involved in regional cultural organizations for decades. His work has earned several literary and cultural distinctions, including the Bronze Cross of Merit and the Kociewskie Pióro Award. He lives in Gdańsk with his wife and family."

https://www.casematepublishers.com/9...s-over-raalte/

[Edward]

Three books on Polish Wellington Squadrons published by Mushroom Model Publications

Vickers Wellington I & II Part 1
Polish Wings No. 41 - English edition
MMP Books 29
(Mushroom Model Publications - September 2025)
By Grzegorz Korcz - illustrated by Andrzej M. Olejniczak
Date 2025-09-29
68 pages - paperback (A4)
£16.81

"The Polish Wings series presents the history of the Vickers Wellington bombers in the Ic and II versions in Polish Air Force service in exile between 1940 and 1942.

Part 1 covers Nos. 300 and 301 Squadrons and 18 OTU.

The medium twin-engined Vickers Wellington bomber was regarded as the true “workhorse” of RAF Bomber Command in the early stages of the Second World War. Between 1939 and 1942, alongside the Handley Page Hampden and Armstrong Whitworth Whitley, it was the Wellington that carried the main weight of the RAF’s growing bombing offensive against the Third Reich. The type also served in Coastal Command units in the fight against U-boats and enemy shipping, and was extensively used for training RAF bomber crews. Production continued until October 1945, with a total of 11,462 built.

The Wellington also became the backbone of all four Polish bomber squadrons – 300, 301, 304 and 305 – as well as the OTU training establishments, where Polish crews gained their combat proficiency.

https://mmpbooks.com/en_GB/p/Polish-...on-I-I-ENG/792

https://www.casematepublishers.com/9...i-and-ii-pt-1/

Vickers Wellington I & II Part 2
Polish Wings No. 42 - English edition
(Mushroom Model Publications (MMP Books) - October 2025)
By Grzegorz Korcz - illustrated by Andrzej M. Olejniczak. Cover art by Marcin Górecki
108 pages w/ b&w photos and colour profiles - paperback (A4)
£20.21

Part 2 describes the combat operations of Nos. 304 and 305 Squadrons.

https://mmpbooks.com/en_GB/p/Polish-...I-pt.-2-EN/811
___________________

Bomber Aircraft of 305 Squadron [OOP]
MMP Books 22
(Mushroom Model Publications - September 2014)
by Lechosław Musiałkowski. Illustrated by Marek Radomski
192 pages - hardcover (A4)
£35.96

"The illustrated history of the successful Polish bomber squadron flying for the RAF during WW2. No.305 'Weilkopolski' Squadron was a Polish bomber squadron, which originally served as a night bomber squadron, then in 1943 converted to daylight operations and ended the war as a low-level specialist bomber squadron. The book covers the history of the squadron and history of the aircraft used - Vickers Wellingtons, B-25 Mitchells and De Havilland Mosquitos. It also details of the squadron's markings and camouflage changes throughout the war. These are described with many previously unpublished photographs and newly commissioned colour profiles.

https://mmpbooks.com/en_GB/p/Polish-...I-pt.-2-EN/811

Review by Bill O'Malley for IPMS/USA
"Each chapter of the book includes many photographs of the featured aircraft, often with the flight crew and ground crew posed in front. Many of the aircraft are shown after forced or crashed landings. There are nice photographs of the aircrew with their uniforms. In addition, many detailed photographs of the ground crews maintaining aircraft equipment, including arming the aircraft, are featured. . . . "

https://reviews.ipmsusa.org/review/b...t-305-squadron