St. Illtyds church, Pembrey

St. Illtyds church, Pembrey
credit - findagrave

 27^th of June 1943.

Mosquito DD644 She was taken off flying duties for a major overhaul on her engines which had reached their 240-hour inspection. On the 27^th of June she took off on an air test, piloted by F/O Roman Grzanka and ‘C’ flight chief mechanic Waclaw Oyrzanowski as a passenger to observe the engines.

The squadron records:

“27-6-43. Weather fine. Training continued and 4 patrols totalling 8 hours were flown at night. We regret to have to record a fatal accident. F/Lt Granka was making an engine test with F/Sgt Oyrzanowski, chief mechanic of ‘C’ flight as a passenger. They were testing an aircraft after a major overhaul. The A/C was flying low and crashed a mile south of the airfield, the cause is unknown at present. F/Lt Granka was killed, and F/Sgt Oyrzanowski died the next day at hospital.”

The reason of the crash turned out to have been caused with the port engine catching fire soon after take-off. Granka immediately turned for home and coming in from the sea, crossing the coast near Pwll Ddu. It was seen at 15:20 losing height with the engine on fire, at 15:25 they hit the ground, crashing into a hedgerow on the outskirts of Pennard.

Both men are buried at St. Illtyds church, Pembrey.

Roman Grzanka

Roman Grzanka
credit - findagrave

Roman Grzanka was born at Ujma Duza, Poland on the 8^th of February 1903.  1925, he joined the Polish Air Force, where he studied at the Aviation Officers’ School in Grudziadz.  Following his graduation two years later, Grzanka, was posted to the 14^th Destructive Squadron of the 1^st Air Regiment, before he completed his pilots training at the Aviation Officer Training Center, Deblin, when he was later posted to the 113^th Fighter Squadron. 

Roman Grzanka

St. Illtyds church, Pembrey

credit - findagrave

Grzanka lost his foot in a flying accident; upon his recovery he was attached to the Polish Army.  Following the German invasion of Poland in 1939, Grzanka, made his way to France, before he was evacuated to Britain.  Despite his disability Grzanka was accept into the RAF, where he was posted to the 307 (Polish) Squadron.  The squadron was initially based at RAF Kirton-in-Lindsay.  The squadron was then posted to RAF Jurby, Isle of Man, before it was posted to RAF Clyst Honiton, Devon.

Waclaw Oyrzanowski.

Waclaw Oyrzanowski
credit - findagrave

Waclaw Oyrzanowski
St. Illtyds church, Pembrey
credit - findagrave

Waclaw Oyrzanowski was born on 1^st of June 1903.  When German invaded Poland, Oyrzanowski was serving with the Polish Air Force. Oyrzanowski managed to escape to Britain, he was a skilled aircraft engineer, when he was posted to the 307 (Polish) Squadron. 

Another Polish airman who is also buried at St. Illtyds is Leon Jan Watorowski

Leon Jan Watorowski

Leon Jan Watorowski

Leon Jan Watorowski was born in Chelmno, Poland on 22^nd of March 1920.  Prior to the Second World War served in the Polish Air Force.  Following the invasion of Germany, Watorowski managed to escape to Britain. Watorowski undertook conversation training and was posted to the 317 (Polish) Squadron.

The squadron was formed in 1941, at RAF Acklington, summer 1943, the squadron moved to RAF Heston.  Whilst based here the squadron carried out some offensive sweeps in preparation for the Normandy landings, 1944.  After the landings, the squadron carried out ground attack operations. 

Leon Jan Watorowski
St. Illtyds church, Pembrey
credit - findagrave

Watorowski returned to Britain.  8^th of December 1944, flying from RAF Fairwood, Supermarine Spitfire IX, Watorowski collided with another aircraft soon after taking off and crashed into the sea off Port Talbot.

Also buried at the church is Napoleon’s consort, Josephine’s niece, Adeline Coquelin

Adeline Coquelin, aged 12 lost her life, when the "La Jeune Emma" bound from the West Indies to France and blown badly off course in 21^st of November 1828 and was wrecked on Cefn Sidan.  13 of the 19 on board drowned.  Several of the sailors were found further down the coast and they were buried at Laugharne.