The Aviation Historian — Issue 21 (October 2017)

38 THE AVIATION HISTORIAN Issue No 21

were already passing out of radio range. They

were advised that it might be a “friendly” and,

shortly afterwards, that it was thought to be

a Liberator. Neither of these messages was

apparently received by the pilots.

Brzeski and Malinowski were instructed

to steer 330° as the aircraft had passed them,

after which they saw it at a distance of about

ten miles (16km). Further calls were made by

the controller advising that the aircraft was a

Liberator and friendly, but, because he had not

changed to an advanced transmitter on the coast,

these calls were also not received. The Spitfire

pilots identified the aircraft as a Focke-Wulf Fw

200, and as they closed in, one of them saw a

bright flash coming from a “glass turret”. The

transport turned and began to dive into cloud.

Both Spitfires opened fire; one of the

Liberator’s starboard engines was hit and started

smoking, and the aircraft disappeared from

view. Shortly afterwards, emerging beneath the

cloud, the pilots saw a large patch of oil and

disturbed water in the Channel, about five miles

(8km) south-west of the Eddystone Lighthouse.

The aftermath

All five crew and four passengers aboard the

transport were killed and no bodies were

recovered, but among the remains found were

some socks belonging to the First Officer, some

bags of diplomatic mail which should have

sunk but for some reason floated and a leather

bag belonging to one of the passengers, Lt-Col

Townsend Griffiss (see panel on opposite page).

As per usual procedure, a Court of Inquiry

was convened, and, while full details are not

ABOVE Flying Officer Tadeusz Koc stands beside Spitifre Mk VB AD308, one of the first to be delivered to No

317 (“Wileński”) Sqn, in October 1941. It was this aircraft, along with Westland-built Spitfire Mk VB AR279, that

encountered G-AGDR on the latter’s fateful return flight from Cairo in the early hours of February 15, 1942.

Spitfire VB AD308 bore the No 317 Sqn unit code “JH-T”, and was painted in the RAF’s

post-August 1941 day fighter scheme of Dark Green/Ocean Grey camouflage with Sea Grey

Medium undersides. The Polish national insignia was Medium undersides. The Polish national insignia was

applied to the cowling and the unit’s bird motif

was painted behind the cockpit.

ADAM JACKOWSKI COLLECTION VIA WOJTEK MATUSIAK

JUANITA FRANZI / AERO ILLUSTRATIONS © 2017