ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 196626
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| Date: | Thursday 5 September 1940 |
| Time: | day |
| Type: |  Hawker Hurricane Mk I |
| Owner/operator: | 303 (Warsaw-Koscuisco) Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | P2985 |
| MSN: | RF-Z |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Bonville Farm, Southend Arterial Road, North Benfleet, Wickford -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Northolt, South Ruislip, Middlesex |
Hawker Hurricane Mk.1 P2985 ("RF-Z") of 303 (Polish) Squadron, RAF: Born on 6th November 1913, Waclaw Lapkowski was in the Polish Air Force before the war and was serving with its 112 Squadron at the outbreak of war. On 6th September 1939 he shared a He111 and a Do17 with a He111 destroyed on the 9th.
He subsequently made his way to England, details unknown, and joined 303 squadron on the day it was formed at Northolt – 2nd August 1940. He claimed a Ju88 destroyed on 5th September 1940. On that day, he was himself shot down by a Me109 in combat over Gillingham. Having taken to his parachute, he had sustained a broken arm and burns to his face and leg, landed at Hawkwell and was admitted to Rochford (Southend) Hospital. His Hurricane, P2985, crashed at Bonville Farm, Southend Arterial Rd, North Benfleet, Wickford, Essex.
On September 9th 1978 - 38 years, almost to the day, after it crashed - The Essex Aviation Group began excavating the crash site, and retrieved pieces of wreckage, some of which have since been put on display (see link #3)
Sources:
1. Royal Air Force Aircraft P1000-P9999 (James J. Halley, Air Britain, 1979)
2. "With Great Sacrifice and Bravery": The Career of Polish Ace Waclaw Lapkowski, 1939-41,
3. https://www.facebook.com/PolishEmbassyUK/posts/1167376366612318:0
4. http://www.polishairforce.pl/dyw303straty.html
5. https://www.benfleethistory.org.uk/content/browse-articles/the_armed_forces/second-world-war/battle_of_britain
6. https://www.bonvillefarm.co.uk/
7. http://disc.yourwebapps.com/discussion.cgi?disc=244414;article=10143
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 12-Jul-2017 11:20 | gerard57 | Added |
| 12-Jul-2017 14:15 | gerard57 | Updated [Narrative] |
| 25-May-2019 22:20 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Cn, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 25-May-2019 22:21 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
| 26-May-2019 04:24 | stehlik49 | Updated [Operator] |
| 31-Jul-2019 17:21 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Operator] |
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