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This story was submitted to the People's War website by Louise Angell of the CSV Action desk at 麻豆官网首页入口 Radio Derby on behalf of Stanislaw Jozefiak. The author understands the sites terms and conditions.

on the night 27/28th May 1941 our Wellington Bomber went on a bombing mission bombing the French port of Boulogne which was occupied by the German army preparing for the invasion of Britain. The port was very heavily defended with guns and aircrafts over the target. Our aircraft was badly hit, one engine damaged. and the Wellington bomber went out of control downwards. The pilot gave the order to bail out but only rear gunner Sgt. Jozef Drodz managed to do this. His body has never been found. The pilot managed to recover control and on one engine only we managed to cross the channel. but over the water the second engine went on fire and the pilot gave the second order to bail out. I was already out from my turret position and was not far from the navigator which had been removed in case the aircraft wasn't able to reach land and were were forced to ditch. I only managed to pull myself half out and I pulled my parachute cord handle. The parachute opened and pulled me out of the burning aircraft. After a few seconds i dropped into a tree and hit some brances which broke my left leg. I was in a lot of pain an unable to move. I shouted for help which arrived after a while with forks and sticks as they thought I was a German parachutist. As soon as they found out I was Polish and fighting for the British they sent me to Tunbridge Wells hospital where the doctors and nurses were waiting for me.

The man that rescued me, Mr. Frederick Lade was a member of the Hathfield Fire Brigade. But I only found this out during my problems with my broken leg which took 9 months in hospitals and convalescent homes. I returned to 314 Squadron where I completed other missions flying with different crews as a wireless operator or front or rear gunner depending on whether they were off sick or on holiday or absent for other reasons.

On the 60th anniversary of the accident I built a monument to the crew who died, unable to escape. This year, 2005, I had the pleasure to meet Mr.Frederick Lade. he had given me help as a fireman when I needed it most, 64 years ago.

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