F/O Nebojsa Kujundzic RAFVR and crew – 103 Squadron – RAF Elsham Wolds – 1943
Crashed during training – 3rd March 1943 – Avro Lancaster I – W4788 – Duty Daylight Cross Country Flight
Nebojsa Kujundzic ( pictured above ) hailed from Belgrade and pre-war came to England to study Engineering at Leeds University. He graduated in 1941 and was a founder member of the Leeds University Air Squadron.
Leeds Uni Air Squadron. Kujundzic back row 3rd from left. Louis Aaron middle row extreme left
Amongst the other cadets with the LUAS at this time was a future VC recipient, Louis Aaron, who was a student at the Leeds School of Architecture. He joined the RAF and trained as a pilot in the USA. On return he was posted from 1656 HCU at Lindholme to 103 Squadron at Elsham Wolds on the 3rd March 1943. Tragically he was killed on a daylight cross country flight the next day.
It is thought that Flying Officer Kujundzic’s crew consisted of:-
Flying Officer N Kujundzic RAFVR
Sergeant Bowen RAFVR
Sergeant E Weare RAFVR
Pilot Officer Marnock
Sergeant Petts
Sergeant S Mosley RAFVR
Sergeant Collins
On the morning of the 4th March Flying Officer Kujundzic and crew boarded Lancaster W4333 PM-B for a training flight from Elsham Wolds. During this flight one of the Lancaster’s engines caught fire causing serious damage and Neb gave the order for his crew to bale out. All did so successfully. Flying Officer Kujundzic remained at the controls and the aircraft crashed near Peterborough. It is thought that he stayed with his aircraft to prevent it crashing onto houses in the area below. The aircraft crashed in an orchard at Yaxley near Peterborough. Flying Officer Kujundzic was sadly killed and is buried at Peterborough Eastfield Cemetery.
His crew were devastated upset at the loss of their captain and were full of praise for the way he had handled the aircraft to enable them to escape. Neb’s father and brother were also killed during the war.
F/O Nebojsa Kujundzic RAFVR - Pilot – 24 – 103 Sqn - Son of Vladimir and Mila Kujundzic – Peterbrough Eastfield Cemetery, Northamptonshire
The surviving crew was broken up. The air bomber Sergeant Eric Weare flew 4 operations with Pilot Officer A S Cook and was then transferred to 156 Pathfinder Squadron. He was shot down over Belgium later in the war but baled out and with the help of the Belgian escape organisation evaded for several weeks. He was eventually moved to Paris where he was betrayed and captured by the Germans. He was taken to the notorious Fresnes prison in Paris for what must have been a very difficult interrogation. Later he was transferred to a normal prisoner of war camp.
He survived the war but passed away in 1990.
Sergeant S Mosley flew 1 operation as mid upper gunner with Sergeant S Burton and crew and 4 operations with Flight Lieutenant E C Lee-Brown. On his 5th with this crew to Spezia they were shot down and all killed. He is buried in the Le Mans Cemetery.
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Lancaster – W4333
By the time of its loss this machine was something of a veteran and was the regular aircraft of Geoff Maddern and crew who were sorry to lose it.
02-Dec-42 – Frankfurt – Lancaster – W433 – Sgt GM Maddern RAAF - Diverted to Middleton-St-George.
20-Dec-42 – Duisburg – Lancaster – W4333 – Sgt GM Maddern RAAF
21-Dec-42 – Munich – Lancaster – W4333 – Sgt GM Maddern RAAF – Did not take off - Blind flying panel unserviceable.
04-Jan-43 – Essen – Lancaster – W4333 – Sgt GM Maddern RAAF – Early return - Rear gunner's oxygen pipe severed.
09-Jan-43 – Essen – Lancaster – W4333 – Sgt GM Maddern RAAF
11-Jan-43 – Essen – Lancaster – W4333 – Sgt GM Maddern RAAF
12-Jan-43 – Essen – Lancaster – W4333 – Sgt GM Maddern RAAF – Early return - Engine unserviceable.
13-Jan-43 – Essen – Lancaster – W4333 – Sgt GM Maddern RAAF – Early return - Conrod broke in port outer engine on take off.
16-Jan-43 – Berlin – Lancaster – W4333 – F/S EH Burgess – Early return - Late take off & pilot felt he was unable to reach target with main force.
17-Jan-43 – Berlin – Lancaster – W4333 – F/S EH Burgess - Diverted to Croft.
21-Jan-43 – Essen – Lancaster – W4333 – Sgt GM Maddern RAAF
23-Jan-43 – Dusseldorf – Lancaster – W4333 – F/S JV Roper
27-Jan-43 – Dusseldorf – Lancaster – W4333 – Sgt GM Maddern RAAF - Cookie hung up but was immediately jettisoned. Undertook Sq reconnaissance over target
30-Jan-43 – Hamburg – Lancaster – W4333 – Sgt GM Maddern RAAF – Early return - Rear turret froze up.
02-Feb-43 – Cologne – Lancaster – W4333 – Sgt GM Maddern RAAF - Incendiaries hung up.
04-Feb-43 – Turin – Lancaster – W4333 – Sgt GM Maddern RAAF
11-Feb-43 – Wilhelmshaven – Lancaster – W4333 – Sgt GM Maddern RAAF - Combat. Attacked by and shot down a single engined night fighter while nearing the target.
13-Feb-43 – Lorient – Lancaster – W4333 – Sgt GM Maddern RAAF
14-Feb-43 – Milan – Lancaster – W4333 – Sgt GM Maddern RAAF
16-Feb-43 – Lorient – Lancaster – W4333 Sgt GM Maddern RAAF
18-Feb-43 – Wilhelmshaven – Lancaster – W4333 – Sgt GM Maddern RAAF - Undertook Sq reconnaissance report
26-Feb-43 – Cologne – Lancaster – W4333 – Sgt KLW Lay
03-Mar-43 – Hamburg – Lancaster – W4333 – F/O WR Crich
11-Mar-43 – Stuttgart – Lancaster – W4333 – F/S GM Maddern RAAF
Item compiled and written by David Fell. Photos courtesy of the late Mr Hanson, formerly Leeds Uni Air Squadron, Wim Govaerts and my own archive.
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