25. The monument commemorating the crew of the Polish bomber PZL.37B Moose (Łoś) in Wólka Radzymińska near the junction of Szkolna and Topolowa streets
On the 7th of September 1939, in a mission
aimed at bombing the German armoured
columns near Łódź and Piotrków, the crew
of the 16th Bomber Squadron fell in defence
of their homeland, shot down above the village
of Wólka Radzymińska as a result of air
combat with German Me-110 fighter planes.
- pilot officer Władysław Kołdej - born on 7 July 1915, graduate of the Pilot Officer Cadet School in Dęblin (11th promotion), after being promoted to the rank of pilot officer on 15.10.1938, was assigned to the 1st Aviation Regiment and took part in the campaign of September 1939 as a spotter pilot of the 16th Polish Bomber Squadron fighting as part of the Bomber Brigade. On the 7th of September 1939, at 15.45, he took off from the Popielewo airport as the crew commander on board the PZL.37B Moose (“Łoś”) bomber and did not return from this sortie.
- pilot officer cadet Wacław Cierpiłowski – born on 23 November 1915 in Lida, graduate of the Pilot Officer Cadet School in Dęblin, in June 1939 assigned for practice to the 1st Aviation Regiment, took part in the campaign of September 1939 as a pilot of the 16th Polish “Moose” Bomber Squadron. On the 7th of September 1939, at 15.45, he took off from the Popielewo airport as the pilot on board the PZL.37B Moose bomber and did not return from this sortie;
- leading aircraftman shooter Karol Pysiewicz– born on 19 July 1917, graduate of the Polish Air Force N.C.O.’s Training School in Bydgoszcz, assigned to the 1st Aviation Regiment, took part in the campaign of September 1939 as a shooter of the 16th Polish “Moose” Bomber Squadron. On the 7th of September 1939, at 15.45, he took off from the Popielewo airport as the shooter on board the PZL.37B Moose bomber and did not return from this sortie;
- leading aircraftman shooter Kazimierz Wielgoszewski – born on 4 August 1919, graduate of the Polish Air Force N.C.O.’s Training School in Bydgoszcz, assigned to the 1st Aviation Regiment, took part in the campaign of September 1939 as a shooter of the 16th Polish “Moose” Bomber Squadron, fighting as part of the Polish Bomber Brigade. On the 7th of September 1939, at 15.45, he took off from the Popielewo airport as the shooter on board the PZL.37B Moose bomber and did not return from this sortie.
During Autumn 2011, the place of the plane crash was discovered and confirmed by the excavations of large pieces of the aircraft. In order to commemorate this tragic event the territorial government authorities and the inhabitants of the Nieporęt commune founded the memorial monument. It is in the form of a granite plaque of irregular shape with a 1:1 replica of the propeller of the PZL.37B Moose plane.
- pilot officer Władysław Kołdej - born on 7 July 1915, graduate of the Pilot Officer Cadet School in Dęblin (11th promotion), after being promoted to the rank of pilot officer on 15.10.1938, was assigned to the 1st Aviation Regiment and took part in the campaign of September 1939 as a spotter pilot of the 16th Polish Bomber Squadron fighting as part of the Bomber Brigade. On the 7th of September 1939, at 15.45, he took off from the Popielewo airport as the crew commander on board the PZL.37B Moose (“Łoś”) bomber and did not return from this sortie.
- pilot officer cadet Wacław Cierpiłowski – born on 23 November 1915 in Lida, graduate of the Pilot Officer Cadet School in Dęblin, in June 1939 assigned for practice to the 1st Aviation Regiment, took part in the campaign of September 1939 as a pilot of the 16th Polish “Moose” Bomber Squadron. On the 7th of September 1939, at 15.45, he took off from the Popielewo airport as the pilot on board the PZL.37B Moose bomber and did not return from this sortie;
- leading aircraftman shooter Karol Pysiewicz– born on 19 July 1917, graduate of the Polish Air Force N.C.O.’s Training School in Bydgoszcz, assigned to the 1st Aviation Regiment, took part in the campaign of September 1939 as a shooter of the 16th Polish “Moose” Bomber Squadron. On the 7th of September 1939, at 15.45, he took off from the Popielewo airport as the shooter on board the PZL.37B Moose bomber and did not return from this sortie;
- leading aircraftman shooter Kazimierz Wielgoszewski – born on 4 August 1919, graduate of the Polish Air Force N.C.O.’s Training School in Bydgoszcz, assigned to the 1st Aviation Regiment, took part in the campaign of September 1939 as a shooter of the 16th Polish “Moose” Bomber Squadron, fighting as part of the Polish Bomber Brigade. On the 7th of September 1939, at 15.45, he took off from the Popielewo airport as the shooter on board the PZL.37B Moose bomber and did not return from this sortie.
During Autumn 2011, the place of the plane crash was discovered and confirmed by the excavations of large pieces of the aircraft. In order to commemorate this tragic event the territorial government authorities and the inhabitants of the Nieporęt commune founded the memorial monument. It is in the form of a granite plaque of irregular shape with a 1:1 replica of the propeller of the PZL.37B Moose plane.