Stefan Chmielewski                                                                              Updated: 01 APR 2022

Airman: o888296.htm Surname: Chmielewski Init: S Rank: Sgt Service: PAF Sqdn: 300

P_link: p123.htm Plane: WEL Z1343 Operation: Minelaying Crash_site: Vejle Fjord

Crash_d: d081142 Buried_d: o888 C_link: o888.htm At_Next: POW

Den 8. november 1942 styrtede WEL Z1343 i Vejle Fjord omkring her. Denne artikel er fra Flyvehistorisk Tidsskrift:

"Flere danskere hørte braget, og fra nordkysten sejlede Hilmar Andreasen og Niels Nielsen ud i en pram. Der var nogen vind, men i mørket kunne de to redningsfolk høre nødråb. Efter 20 minutters kraftig roning nåede de ud midtfjords og sejlede ind i en samling »pindebrænde«, som flød rundt. Det var rester af flyet. Her fik de pludselig øje på en flyver, som iført flydevest holdt en såret kammerat oppe. Det var piloten, Sgt Stefan Chmielewski, og bombekasteren, Sgt M. Dadej, begge fra det frie polske flyvevåben (se links sidst i engelsk version). Andreasen og Nielsen fik hurtigt de to flyvere op i prammen. Piloten havde krampagtigt holdt en blikbeholder med en brevdue, men duen var død, så beholderen gik over bord sammen med diverse papirer. Sgt Dadej havde ret svære læsioner på den ene side af hovedet og måtte holdes fast, da han på grund af smerte og uklarhed var ret ustyrlig.

Da de nåede i land, blev piloten ført til fyrpasserens hus, hvor han blev forsynet med varmt tøj, et par store snapse og adskillige kopper skoldhed te. Senere på aftenen blev han ført til Sanatoriet (her - Sanatorievej 26, 7140 Stouby), hvor en tilkaldt ambulance allerede havde bragt hans sårede kammerat. Tyskerne kørte rundt i området den pågældende aften men fandt intet spor af de to polakker. Først næste dag fandt tyskerne ved hjælp af en anonym telefonopringning frem til Sanatoriet (se Vejlefjords historie og Vejlefjord). Overlægen nægtede at udlevere Dadej, og tyskerne posterede et par vagter på gangen udenfor flyverens sygestue. Kurgæsterne tog en hjertelig afsted med Chmielewski, og da tyskerne kørte bort med ham, fik han et rungende hurra. Denne sympatitilkendegivelse blev taget meget unådigt op af de tyske vagter, og da en tysk officer senere overfor overlægen udtrykte sin misbilligelse af hurraråbene fik han det salomoniske svar: »Her får patienterne altid et hurra, når de rejser«. Efter en halv snes dages forløb tog de tyske vagter af sted med Dadej, der ret hurtigt var kommet til hægterne. Et par uger senere modtog personalet på Sanatoriet et takkekort fra Stalag Luft I. Fangenummer 879 Dadej var nået frem til sit midlertidige logi." (FT 90-46-7) Se hele historien ved WEL Z1343. p123MACR * Minelægningsområder.

1 flyver fra WEL Z1343 blev begravet i Esbjerg. 2 har ingen kendt grav og 2 blev ført til Tyske krigsfangelejre.
Se 21 polske flyvere begravet i Danmark ud af 36 polske flyvere skudt ned over Danmark. 5 flyvere. 

On 8 November 1942 WEL Z1343 crashed into Vejle inlet about here. This article from (Danish) Aviation Historical Review is translated by KK.

"Several Danes heard the bang, and from the northern shore Hilmar Andreasen and Niels Nielsen rowed out in a barge. It was windy, but the two rescuers could hear cries for help in the dark. After twenty minutes' heavy rowing they reached the middle of the inlet and sailed into a heap of "kindling wood", the remains of the plane. Here they suddenly caught sight of an airman in a safety jacket who was keeping a wounded comrade afloat. They were the pilot, Sgt Stefan Chmielewski, and the bomb aimer, Sgt M. Dadej, both from the free Polish airforce (see links at the bottom). Andreasen and Nielsen quickly got the two airmen into the barge. The pilot had been clasping a tin containing a carrier pigeon, but the pigeon was dead so the tin went overboard together with various papers. Sgt Dadej had severe injuries on one side of his head and had to be held tightly since he was rather unmanageable because of pain and grogginess.

When they reached land, the pilot was taken to the house of the lighthouse keeper where he received warm clothes, a few drinks and several cups of scalding hot tea. Later in the evening he was taken to the sanatorium (here - Sanatorievej 26, 7140 Stouby) where a summoned ambulance had already taken his wounded comrade. The Germans drove around in the area on the evening in question, but they found no sign of the two Poles. Not until the next day did the Germans find the trace to the sanatorium - by means of an anonymous call (Tuberculosis was the main focus in the buildings. See Vejlefjords historie and Vejlefjord. Now health care and hotel guests are in focus). The chief surgeon refused to deliver Dadej up, and the Germans placed some guards in the corridor outside the airman's ward. The patients took a warm leave of Chmielewski, and when the Germans drove away with him, he got a resounding cheer. The German guards strongly disapproved of this demonstration of sympathy, and when a German officer later expressed his displeasure at the cheers to the chief surgeon, he got the Solomonic answer, "Here patients are always cheered when they leave."

After about ten days the German guards left with Dadej, who had recovered fairly quickly. A few weeks later the staff of the sanatorium received a postcard of thanks from Stalag Luft I. Prisoner number 879 Dadej had arrived at his temporary lodgings." (FT 90-46-7) See all of the story at WEL Z1343.

1 airman from WEL Z1343 was buried in Esbjerg. 2 have no known grave and 2 were taken to German POW-Camps. See also Thanks to Niels Nielsen Rasmussen.
See No. 300 Polish Bomber Squadron * Polish War Memorial * See 21 Polish airmen buried in Denmark out of 36 Polish airmen shot down over Denmark.

Polish Air Forces in France and Great Britain. This Wellington took off from the airfield at Ingham. See RAF-Lincolnshire about RAF Ingham. See Minelaying areas.
Wellington IV Z1343 BH-L took off from RAF Ingham at 18:54 on a Gardening operation.
(Source: Aircrew Remembered has this.) p123MACR  5 airmen.