I recently found that a couple of Mustang’s crashed in 1945 after a mid-air collision over o bear to the town I live in. I am unsure if there was ever a memorial created to the two pilots who died but I suppose I have a curiosity to see the location (s) that the aircraft crashed at.
The details are as follows:
20/08/1945 Mustangs KM113 and KM201 of 303 Squadron collided near Bromsgrove. W/O A Rutecki and F/Sgt S Magdziak, both Polish, were killed.
Is there a list of location kept in records that would show ordetail where the aircraft came down so I can begin researching this?
Thanks for any help.
By: Worcs Aviation - 23rd March 2018 at 07:55
I remember visiting the site many years back and talking to a eyewitness, he pointed out the spot where the one aircraft went in, the farmer Mr Harris had helped clear the wreckage with his tractor and trailer. Although the aircraft crashed into a sand pit the area he pointed out was possibly undisturbed and not mined out, Mr Harris believed the aircraft engine was not recovered, we’ve heard that before ! However this chap was 16 at the time and may be correct or not, i never went any further on investigating.
I did however find a Valiant Radome in a garden nearby !
By: nightdriver - 22nd March 2018 at 15:16
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By: fighterace - 17th March 2018 at 23:04
To answer your question you won’t find them, the one is now under the motorway and the other mined out. I was shown where they crashed years ago. Come on ian even your memory cannot be that bad!
By: antoni - 17th March 2018 at 20:10
During bomber escort practice W/O Alojzy Rutecki, KM113 PD-F, & F/Sgt Stanisław Magdziak, KM201 PD-Z, collided in clouds. Aircraft crashed at Lickey End Bromsgrove.
By: Ossington - 17th March 2018 at 18:24
Olojzy Rutecki (26) is buried at Bath (Haycombe) Cemetery. Stanislaw Magdziak (24) is buried at Hucknall Cemetery. I’m guessing that the Bath location suggests a familial link, maybe he was married? I have photos of the Hucknall plot if you are interested.
By: ian_ - 17th March 2018 at 17:50
Being post war, there should be newspaper accounts of the accident. That should give you a better location than Bromsgrove.
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March 17, 2018 at 5:21 pm