ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 268192
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| Date: | Monday 29 September 1941 |
| Time: | Mid day. |
| Type: |  Supermarine Spitfire Mk Ia |
| Owner/operator: | 53 OTU |
| Registration: | N3279 & X4939 |
| MSN: | 491 & 1405 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Llandow (exact location not recorded) -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Unknown |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Llandow |
| RAF Llandow |
53 OTU was a training unit for pupils who had completed their elementary training. Here they were taught everything about flying, navigation, dog fighting, aerobics and formation.
During the two years the unit operated from Llandow they lost over 100 aircraft (not including forced landings and crash landings). Almost all the Spitfires had served in front line Squadrons, fighting in France, over Dunkirk and the Battle of Britain. Only a handful came straight to 53 from the manufacturers. This episode covers two Spitfires that collided. N2379 was a veteran of the early part of the war. X4939 was factory fresh!
N3279:
model: Ia
factory: Eastleigh
engine: Rolls Royce Merlin III
First flew 8th January 1940 24MU 16th January 1940 for fitting out then went to 234 squadron 15th April 1940. She recieved the radio codes 'AZ-Y'.
The Airmen's Stories - P/O J Zurakowski
Janusz Zurakowski was born on 12th September 1914 at Ryzawka, Eastern Poland. He joined the Polish Air Force at Deblin in 1934.
He was commissioned in 1937 and joined 161 Squadron. In early 1939 he was instructing at Deblin and in September he flew with a scratch unit made up of flying instructors to defend Deblin.
Zurakowski reached England in late 1939 and was commissioned in the RAFVR in January 1940. From 1st June 1940 he was at the Polish Wing at 3 School of Technical Training Blackpool to await a posting.
He was at 15 EFTS Redhill in July for testing and grading. Zurakowski went to 5 OTU Aston Down on 21st July. After converting to Spitfires he joined 152 Squadron at Warmwell on 5th August, moving to 234 Squadron at St. Eval on the 12th. He flew his first operational sortie on the 15th, during which he destroyed a Me110.
He was shot down in combat on the 24th and crashed on the Isle of Wight in Spitfire N3239, unhurt.
On 5th September he destroyed a Me109 and on the 6th another. In this action Zurakowski's Spitfire, N3279, was damaged by a Me109 over Beachy Head and overturned on landing back at Middle Wallop.
He shared in the probable destruction of a Me110 on 29th September. Zurakowski was posted to 609 Squadron, also at Middle Wallop, on 4th October.
He was awarded the KW and Bar (gazetted 1st February 1941) and left 609 on 7th March 1941 to go to 57 OTU Hawarden as an instructor. During the course of the next eight months, Zurakowski served at 55, 56 and 61 OTUs, finishing up at 58 OTU at Grangemouth.
He returned to operations on 8th December 1941 when he joined 317 Squadron at Northolt.
Zurakowski moved to 306 Squadron at Church Stanton on 11th April 1942 as a Flight Commander.
He was given command of 316 Squadron at Heston on 6th June and led it until 28th December 1942, when he was posted to SHQ Northolt.
Zurakowski was awarded a second Bar to the KW (gazetted 20th February 1943).
He was appointed Squadron Leader Flying at Northolt on 4th July, holding the appointment until 30th October 1943, going then to HQ Fighter Command.
Zurakowski was awarded the VM (5th Class) (gazetted 20th December 1943).
On 17th May 1944 he went to the Empire Test Pilots School for a course, after which he was posted to the A&AEE Boscombe Down on 18th December 1946 for flying duties in 'A' Squadron, with the RAF rank of Acting Squadron Leader.
In 1950 Zurakowski was a test pilot with Gloster Aircraft and in 1952 he went to Canada to test the CF100 for Avro (Canada). He became a Chief Test Pilot there and settled in Canada.
Disappointed with the cancellation of the CF105, Zurakowski left the aircraft industry in 1959 and moved to a remote forest area of Canada, working in the forestry and construction industries. He built a lake resort centre which he ran for many years.
In 1996 his portrait was on a $20 special coin, minted to commemorate Canada's first supersonic flight that had been made by Zurakowski.
He died on 9th February 2004.
N3279 suffered cat' C damage and was repaired then sent AST 53OTU 25th August 1941.
X4939:
model: Ia
factory: Eastleigh.
engine: Rolls Royce Merlin III.
First flew 21st January 1941 then fitted out with 6MU 2nd February 1941. Flight Lieutenant S P V Bird was injured ferrying X4939 to 53 OTU on the 12th February.
" Dicky" Bird was a regular RAF pilot. First he was in a Blenheim squadron, which was entirely wiped out and then he was a test pilot for Supermarine. He’s flown over fifty types, including Manchesters and Whirlwinds. He was once nearly killed on a Spitfire doing a shoot up and a roll at ground level. He came too low and crashed at 200mph whilst inverted. Thus he is lucky to be alive (he happened, by good fortune, to have been strapped more tightly than he is used to, into his seat. He was injured, of course). Later with a Spitfire squadron he shot down a Ju88 in flames.
Surry Philip Victor Bird 70064 RAFVR, recovered from this accident and returned to flying duties. He joined 148 bomber squadron flying the Handley Paige Halifax. He also recieved the rank of Squadron Leader.
Unfortunately he died with his crew.
With the expansion of the Royal Air Force Special Duties Service the unit was formed in 1943 as No. 148 (Special Duties) Squadron dropping SoE agents into occupied Europe. The unit's Halifaxes also dropped supplies to partisans in southern France, Italy and the Balkans.
Birds mission was an SoE operation but his Halifax was intercepted by a Messerschmitt Bf110 G-4 of Stab III/NJG 6. Flown by Hauptmann Leopold fellerer.
The Halifax crashed 10km from Kaposvar and only the crew of 8 were recovered. The three SoE agents and supplies had already been dropped.
Circumstances of Death Lost in aircraft Halifax II JP286
Death of Death 4th July 1944
Age 24 years.
Served in 148 Sqdn
Burial/Commemoration Details
II. E. Coll. grave 1-8. at Budapest War Cemetery, Hungary
Spitfire X4939 was repaired and finally arrived at
53OTU on the 23rd June 1941.
As for the reason why the two collided, and where. It is not recorded. I assume then because the two pilots survived, they could have been on approach or taking off and came down from a low height.
Now the next unusual fact. X4939 is listed as SOC on the 19th December 1941. N3279 shows nothing after the crash! Not even a scrapping date.
Crew:
Unknown.
Wreckage:
Unknown!
Sources:
www.airhistory.org.uk
http://aircrewremembered.com
www.rafcommands.com
Images:
http://aircrewremembered.com
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 29-Sep-2021 19:15 | Davies 62 | Added |
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