Zbigniew Stanislaw Lewoniec

24/25 June 1941 Wellington W5723 305 Sqn. Take off from RAF Syerston with another Wellington to attack the docks at Boulogne. Wellington W5723, coded 'F', had an inexperienced crew and Squadron Leader Kielich was flying with them as an additional but experienced pilot.

Over the target there was no cloud, but it was misty and very dark. Squadron Leader Kielich's aircraft made its attack and then turned for home. About 15 miles west of Calais the Wellington was hit by anti-aircraft gunfire from an unidentified ship. The port engine stopped shortly afterwards and the starboard engine soon showed signs of overheating, so the pilot altered course to make for RAF Stradishall in Suffolk. As the Wellington reached the coast near Clacton, Squadron Leader Kielich ordered the crew to parachute stations. The rear gunner, Sergeant Frankowski, baled out and came down safely at Great Holland, but the aircraft turned out to sea (the squadron's records speculate that it was perhaps to avoid the damage that a bomber crashing on land would cause) and the remaining crew apparently baled out over the water; the squadron's records add that the Wellington was seen to dive steeply into the water.

At 2:25 a.m. on 25th June, the Coastguards reported that the bomber was believed to be down in the sea several miles to the east of Clacton and the Clacton lifeboat was launched at 3:15 a.m. A light south-east wind was blowing and the sea was smooth. Two miles south-east of Holland Haven the lifeboat found the aircraft's navigator, Pilot Officer Idzikowski, swimming in the water and afterwards picked up the bomber's empty dinghy. As the navigator was unhurt, the lifeboat continued the search for the other airmen, but without success. After two hours the lifeboat returned to Clacton to land Pilot Officer Idzikowski and then put to sea again and continued the search until 8:30 a.m.

Later in the day Squadron Leader Kielich's body was found in the sea off Walton-on-the-Naze. A week later, on 2 July, the body of Sergeant Lewoniec (Wireless Operator) was recovered from the sea off Holland-on-Sea attached to an opened parachute; the military authorities pronouncing the cause of death as apparently head injuries and drowning. The body of Sergeant Januszkiewicz (2nd Pilot) was also subsequently found in the sea off Clacton, but Sergeant Witczac (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner) remained missing. The squadron's records state that the wreckage of Wellington W5723 was salvaged.

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