Tadeusz Józef Kołoszczyk

Born:

22 November 1919, Grzymaczów powiat Sieradz

Death:

27 September 1944, Bij Veghel

Number:

P/794927

Rank:

Corporal

Department:

Polish Air Force, 306 Polish Fighter Squadron

Cemetery:

Veghel, Rooms Katholieke begraafplaats

Section/row/number:

Grave 2

During a ‘ramrod’ mission, pilot Kołoszczyk experiences technical problems with his Mustang Mark III, FZ196 UZ-D of the 306 squadron. His plane crashes near eghel (map reference E434387) and the pilot is killed. (Loss chart: T4401).

A Ramrod mission means that fighters or fighter-bombers fly low in search of ‘targets of opportunity’ such as German troops, positions or transport.

The website of the Dutch ‘war graves foundation‘ states: “Koloszczyk crashed with his plane just past the Veghel caravan camp on September 27, 1944. Farmer Van de Crommert took care of the crashed pilot and saw the opportunity to make a temporary grave and registered some information which later turned out to be crucial. In 1946 the field grave was transferred to the cemetery of the Lambertus parish.”

There, in the parish churchyard Kołoszczyk lay until 2014 in an anonymous grave. After it was determined that it was Tadeusz Józef Kołoszczyk, his grave in Veghel was rededicated in September 2014 and received a gravestone with his name on it. After seventy years, his grave was given a name and with it the pilot also got a face.

The image shows a comparable Mustang of the Polish 306 squadron “City of Torun” at RAF Andrews Field, Essex in October 1944.