Jan Witold Lipiński 26/5/58

[noggin]

Any details on the above Polish pilot ex 315 Sqn. Jan Witold Lipiński - Jan Linden Lipinski on the headstone 26/5/58. Buried behind the CWGC , Newark on Trent Cemetery plot next to the same style graves of Jozef Jeka 15/4/1958 and Jan Piotr Izycki 13/4/1958. Both Jeka and Izychi despite what their families were told at the time had been killed 13/4/1958 while engaged in an operation to support Indonesian rebels fighting the regime of President Sukarno , CIA Op Haik . On 13th April 1958 Jeka was piloting a B-26 from the CIA HQ at Mapanget airfield, Manado. One engine failed on takeoff and the aircraft stalled into the ground, killing both men and a Minahasen ( Indonesian ethnic group )radio operator. I'm just wondering if Lipinski was on similar mission as his last Polish unit listed is 315 Sqn which flew P51 Mustangs , another covert aircraft flown by the CIA in Indonesia. He's reported to have died in Germany but then Jeka and Izycki were reported to have died in the US and Denmark.

[Franek Grabowski]

There were various versions of the crash at Mapanget, with either pilot stalling the overloaded aircraft in humid and hot air during night take off, or loss of spatial oientation or vertigo by the pilot. This comes from the other pilot, who took off that night.
As far as I know Jan Linden Lipiński's death was unrelated to operations, but I cannot recall the exact source. No information about lost aircraft as well.

[noggin]

Thanks Franek , just to throw a little more confusion at it. I asked for a grave search and the council have a Rudolph J Floda buried in that grave !!! Although I know their records are not correct on some CWGC plots. As they had several burials listed in one of Sikorski's entourages graves and no exhumations listed. B26's at Mapanget at the time were : B26B 44 34268 painted over all black , 44 34690 bare metal finish fates unknown and 44 34376 used Project Farm Gate 1963 painted over all black.

[Franek Grabowski]

No idea, what is in the burial papers, never researched than. Neither Jeka, Iżycki nor Lipiński were buried on CWGC plot.
There were only two B-26s initially, painted black with I and II painted white on the nose. The third one arrived later. This was their sole mission with Poles, as some conflict erupted between them and Americans.

[noggin]

They are buried behind the CWGC plot towards the central path along with the other post 1947 service burials ( most from RAF Syerston ) and some of the Ransome & Marles bombing casualties. What I've read it said the Polish soon left but didn't elaborate.

[Franek Grabowski]

I would have to tackle the story again. I have lots of stuff, but too busy with other projects to try to cover the history of the Polish airmen in the CIA once more. This time a book and not an article. There was a big fuss after the crash anyway, and it is not clear the actual reason, various accounts suggesting different ones.