Date:	Saturday 7 September 1940
Time:	17:20
Type:	Hawker Hurricane Mk I
Owner/operator:	303 (Warsaw-Koscuisco) Sqn RAF
Registration:	R4173
MSN:	RF-T
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:	3
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	40 Roding Road, Loughton, Essex -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Northolt, South Ruislip, Middlesex
Destination airport:	RAF Northolt, South Ruislip, Middlesex

Narrative:
The most well known of the local crashes in West Essex is probably that of Hawker Hurricane R4173 ("RF-T" of 303 (Warsaw-Koscuisco) Squadron, RAF) on September 7, 1940 in the afternoon. Although the pilot was to survive, others on the ground in Roding Road, Loughton, were to die.

The Polish pilot, Pilot Officer Marian Pisarek, was on his first mission with the RAF. In a flight of three machines, Pisarek and his colleagues attacked bombers before being attacked themselves by fighters. After hitting and, it appeared, destroying one fighter, Pisarek's own machine was hit and started issuing smoke and went out of control. In spite of attempts to ensure that his crippled aircraft fell in a safe area - away from the housing visible below - the aircraft continued straight down after Pisarek was forced to leave it by parachute.

Inverted, the Hurricane smashed into the rear garden of 40 Roding Road, Loughton, Essex. The great force of its plunge buried it into the lawn and under the family air raid shelter. The fuel tanks exploded with a great roar engulfing the occupants of the shelter. Two died instantly, one in the fire.

Pisarek was floating down towards Alderton Hill, Loughton, watched by a number of residents. He landed in a tree and became entangled in its branches. He had managed to free himself just as he was taken "prisoner" by a member of the local Home Guard (Charles Cranwell) and an approaching angry mob of locals. Pisarek's identity card quickly proved him to be friend rather than foe, but his thick foreign accent made it preferable that the safety of the police station be sought!

Marian Pisarek went on the fly 47 missions with 303 Squadron, shooting down four of the enemy. He went missing whilst flying as Wing Commander with 315 Squadron in April 1942. He has no known grave.

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft R1000-R9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1980 p 26)
2. http://www.polishairforce.pl/dyw303straty.html
3. http://www.nwamuseum.co.uk/WESTESSEXcrashesMishaps3WW2.pdf
4. https://www.battleofbritainmemorial.org/men-of-the-battle-updates-and-additions/
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marian_Pisarek
6. http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Pisarek.htm

Flying Officer Zdzisław Henneberg, Flight Lieutenant John A. Kent "Kentowski" and Flying Officer Marian Pisarek, all from No. 303 Polish Fighter Squadron, standing by Hurricane Mk.I (RF-F, V6684) at RAF Leconfield, 24 October 1940. Note the Squadron's badge over their heads.

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
23-Mar-2008 11:06	Nepa	Added
06-Jan-2012 07:38	Nepa	Updated [Time, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Narrative]
30-May-2013 17:19	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Phase, Source, Narrative]
27-May-2019 21:37	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Date, Time, Registration, Cn, Other fatalities, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Damage, Narrative]