Vickers Wellington IV (Z1314 GR-M) on a mission to Bremen on 1942-07-03

On Thursday, 02 July 1942, (a part of) the aircraft of the 301 squadron (RAF), took off for a mission to Bremen in Germany from a station (airfield) in or near Hemswell.
One of the crew members was Flying Officer S Atenski PAF. He departed for his mission at 23:12.
He flew with a Vickers Wellington (type IV, with serial Z1314 and code GR-M). His mission and of the other crew members was planned for Friday, 03 July 1942.

First photo: Cf. naw. naw. Stanisław Athenian - photo taken at the turn of 1945/1946.

Fourth photo: October 15, 1938 - Holy Mass on the occasion of the 11th promotion in SPL.

Fifth photo: Major Stanislaw Athenian - photo is from the 80s

Stanisław Athenański ur.01.04.1914 in Warsaw, son of Wacław and Stefania from Jurańczyk’s house.
A graduate of the 11th promotion of the School of Aviation Cadets in Dęblin, with a specialization observer. He graduated from school in 1938 with 71st place. He was incorporated into the 5th Air Regiment - 51 of the Linen Squadron. During the flight on August 31, 1939 to the emergency airport, the Karaś ppor aircraft. The Athenian crammed on the landing and the crew returned to Lida for a new machine. The outbreak of war was absolved a return to its home squadron. In the way of his stay at Base No. 5 - Lida, he made several reconnaissance and bombardier flights.
On 18 September 1939, he evacuated with the subdivisions of the base in Latvia, from where he had entered France through Sweden, to the air base in Lyon, and then to the squadron at the Centre for Earth Training in Andrezeux sur Loire (III - VI 1940).
He participates in the French campaign, fights in the Polish squadron, for his participation in the war against the Germans in France, received the Memorial Medal of War 1939 - 1945 (a hexagonal surface with a galley rooster, on the reverse the inscription Republic of France war 1939-194).

He arrived in the UK on 16.07.1940. - It's Glasgow. In the UK, he underwent training as a navigator (No.1 AONS (III - VI 41), No. 4 AOS (VI-VIII 41) and 18 OTU (IX - XII 41)After these courses, he was assigned to the 301rd Bomber Squadron, where he made 23 combat flights.

On the night of 2 to 3 July 1942, 12 crews of 301 DB took part in the Bremen bombing. At that time, the commander of Squadron 301 was F/O Major Pil. Maximilian Brzozowski number p. P-1059, which only commanded the squadron for a week. That night, the commander was: F/O cf. na navig. Stanislaw Athenian, P/O ab. Michał Benoit number. P-1540, Sgt kpr. r/op. p. Stanislaw Kowalczyk no. 792234 and Sgt st. swarms: scorer Stanisław Kędzierski sł. 780181. Before reaching Vickers Wellington IV No. Z1314 GR-M, he was shot at an hour. 1.25 by ass of the German night fighter fighter colonel (Oberst) from II./NJG2 in Assen near Groningen (Netherlands) As a result of a collision with the earth, the rear shot of the st. sergeant was killed. Stanisław Kędzierski, who had previously died from Messerschmitt missiles. - F.C. Athens was seriously injured, shot in both knees. At the command of the commanders, they left the plane with parachutes successively: leek. Athens (he was helped by his colleagues), ppor. Benoit, kpr. Kowalczyk and at the end of Major Brzozowski. All of them under Bergen (Germany) were captured after four days of an exhausting journey to the west. In the POW camp they were staying until the end of the war.
St. Serge. pp. Stanisław Kędzierski was buried in the cemetery in Borger (Netherlands), in 1963 his ashes were exhumed and moved to the newly created Polish cemetery in Breda (Netherlands) where 25 Polish airmen are buried.

Stanisław Athenian was a Knight of the War Order of Virtuti Militari V of the class - Silver Cross (bronkey No. 9538, evid. P-1147) Decoration Order was personally made by the Commander-in-Chief General Władysław Sikorski - justification - "za darede and full initiative combat action combined with effective and skillful command".
In addition, he was awarded the 3x Cross of the Fight, the Aviation Medal, the Medal for his participation in the War of the 1939 Defence War, the Medal of Victory and Freedom, the Cross of the Battle of the Polish Armed Forces in the West, the Badge of the 301rd Bomber Squadron of the Pomeranian Region and many others.
He was a prisoner of war twice (he escaped from captivity).
After the war he lived in Argentina. He returned to the country in 1960 and initially settled in Warsaw and moved to Gdańsk in the late years 1989/1990. Including a major.
He died in Gdańsk 21-03-1996. The mourning service took place on 26-03-1996 in the Church of Corpus Christi at Morena in Gdańsk, and was buried in the cemetery of Gdańsk - Lostodz
Siblings – Stefania (Imiela), Zofia (Marconi), Maria (Pęczalska), Mieczysław.

The third photo was taken in Toruń where the Linear Squadron of the 5th Air Regiment took at the turn of August and September 1938 the so-called "fire school". The four-week practice of these voys from Dęblin, who soon came to Lida permanently, were directed to the four-week practice. At that time, Bulgarian officers were training in Poland (in Grudziądz?).

In the first series from the left kneel: ppor.obs.Stanisław Pytlakowski,ppor.obs,Bolesław Jarkowski,Bolesław Jarkowski,ppor.pil.Jerzy Gołko,ppor.obs.Kazimierz Kucza,pchor.Czesław Podogrodzka,pchor.Stanisław Ateński, two Bulgarian officers,pc.Zdzisław Jasiński.
They stand from the left:pchor.Nikodem Koziński,p.obs.Edmund Sienkiewicz,ppor.obs.Hieronim Kulbacki,por.obs.Leon Szymkiewicz, preferable.bu.Lublin. (the latter two have swapped headgear),of.bułg.,pt.ppt.pil.Paweł Kaczmarczyk,p.obs.,mjr obs.Władysław Zaczkiewicz,of.bułg.,por.obs.Jan Bednarski,kpt.pil.Wiktor Romiszewski,.of.bułg.,ppor.obs.Edward Kowalski,pchor.Kazimierz Wieliczko,por.obs.

Information about aircraft who did not return from this mission can be found here. Information about the other crew members on this flight can be found at this website (Aircrew Remembered). This website also provides the flight information for this record.

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