PZL.P.11c

a  PZL.P.11c

PZL.P.11c

On the 1st September 1939 at a few moments after 05.15 this aircraft flown by Captain Mieczyslaw Medwecki became the very first allied aircraft to be shot down during the war . Indeed it was shot down before the 'allies ' had even formed  . Although I suppose it is a mute point as to if the allies formed on the Nazi invasion or the declaration of war by  the British and French .

After bombing attacks on Krakow air base by He111's ,  Ju87's and later by  Do17's a number of these gullwinged fighters took off in an   attempt to repel the attacks .
The Polish aircraft  clashed with a flight of Ju87's  unfortunately Captain Medwecki's aircraft was shot down a few kilometres from the airbase under what is now the new JohnPaulII terminal building for Krakow Airport.

The location is now marked with a plaque just by the entrance to the terminal building .
The actual number of the aircraft involved is not known at this present time .

Captain Mieczyslaw Medwecki

Short Stirling LK147

 The crash site just outside the perimeter of Gardermoen airport,Oslo can still be visited . In the dense undergrowth aircraft parts can still be seen .....the most poignant sight though is the temporary graveyard , picketfenced off and still maintained, the outline of the graves can still be clearly seen from the subsequent excavation and reinterment to Vestre Gravlund  Cemetery in Oslo in November the same year as the crash .

Stirling undercarriage frame, looking more fragile than ever

 Two days after VE Day on the 10th May 1945 .Due to adverse weather conditions  Short Stirling LK147 crashed into a steep sided ravine close to the Southern end of the runway at Gardermeon aerodrome north of Oslo in Norway.
The 20 men on board were all killed in the crash .
They were taking part in Operation Doomsday (the liberation of Norway) . Part of the 30000 men sent in case the 350000 German troops in Norway put up some resistance to the unconditional  surrender that was being imposed on them .
 It was a black day, for two other aircraft on the operation also crashed with loss of life . In total 58 men died tragically at the wars end in those crashes.

The men who died on LK147 were

Aircrew:
 F/O John L. Breed Pilot
W/O Hugh J. Kilday
Flt Sgt Harold A. Bell
Flt Sgt David Welch
W/Op Flt Sgt Lionel J.D.Gilyead
W/O Raymond C. Impett Nav


Soldiers:
Lt Frederick G. Saville
Pte Frederick Brown
Pte Thomas D. Brown
Cpl Charles Gavaghan
Pte Thomas Laycock
Pte George A. Little
Pte Robert McKeown
Pte Horace Newby
Pte Joseph Pagan
Pte George T. Phipps
L/Cpl Thomas E. Richardson
L/Sgt Frank R. Seabury
Pte Joseph Smethurst
L/Cpl Alexander B. Todd

The site itself can be visited and aircraft parts can still be seen insitu in the ravine.
This memorial is located very close to the crash site at the Forsvarets Flysamling aircraft museum.