Not much is known about Jan Wierchowicz. He was a spitfire pilot with 303 (Polish) Squadron. 

he was mentioned on the squadron's roster of July 1944. He flew several sorties in September and October. On 30 September he flew a Big Ben patrol; one hour sorties off the Dutch coast to spot enemy activity. On this day he flew with P/O Z. Krzeptowski.  Sgt. J. Wierchowicz set off at 16.45 and returned at 19.30 without incident.

On the 1st October 1944 he again flew a Big Ben Patrol with P/O Z. Krzeptowski. They took off at 09.00 and returned at 11.10.

On the 7th October 1944, nine Spitfires led by F/Lt. Kedzierski set off at 06.20 on a Ranger Mission. F/Lt Z. Zmigrodzki, P/O Krzeptowski, Sgt. Jan Wierchowicz, and Sgt. L Bisanz make up blue Section.

303 (Polish) Squadron

Blue Section sighted two trains south of Leeuwarden. One was on the mainline and the other in marshalling yards. Also there was a passenger train South east of Leeuwarden.  Two aircraft from the Blue Section attacked the passenger train twice with the train stopping on the tracks after the first attack. White smoke was seen from the train and light flak was sent up from the train’s tender. These attacks typically started at 6,000ft and the pilots would pull out at around 500 – 1,000ft above the ground. Blue Section returned to base and landed at 09.05.

On 1 November 1944 Sgt Wierchowicz flew another Ranger mission. His section attacked boats on a canal between Haarlem and Amsterdam. Sgt Wierchowicz was shot down by a German fighter near Amsterdam. His plane crashed near the Veldweg close to the Hem-bridge.

Sgt Jan Wierchowicz is buried at Amsterdam New Eastern Cemetery.

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Sources:
www.cwgc.org
www.polandinexile.com

See also:
Other casualties of 303 Squadron buried in the Netherlands

Directions to Amsterdam New Eastern Cemetery

posted 24 July 2006

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This website is dedicated to the men and women who died and/or are buried in The Netherlands during World War II.

 

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