On the night of 2/3 July 1942, Wg/Cdr Knocker's crew took off in Stirling BF313 BU-T, one of 325 bombers to attack the German city of Bremen.
325 aircraft attacked and bombed Bremen in good visibility. A Bremen report states that over 1,000 houses and 4 small industrial firms were damaged. In the port 3 cranes and 7 ships were hit. The 1,736 ton steamer Marieborg was sunk and became a danger to navigation. Five people were killed and four injured.
In all, thirteen aircraft were lost, 8 Wellingtons, 2 Hampdens, 1 Halifax and 2 Stirlings.
BF313 was shot down by a night fighter piloted by Ofw Karl-Heinz Scherfling of II./NJG2 and crashed at 01:50hrs 3rd July 1942 onto mudflats at Westernieland, 22km NNW of Groningen, Holland. All the crew were killed.
The remains of BF313 being examined by the Germans. Source : Ab Jansen in Wespennest Leeuwarden) Permision obtained by Stevin Oudshoorn
An eyewitness in Ten Boer, NE of the city of Groningen, claims that the Stirling was attacked over his hometown. He states: "It was a very busy night were planes are concerned. All of a sudden we heard two bursts of machinegun fire, shortly after each other. Just after that bombs fell just east of St Annen."
A police report states that 29 bombs (27 incendiary) were dropped, of which only three ignited. The fire that was caused could be extinguished quickly. One person was lightly wounded.
The eyewitness continues: "Up in the sky a fire became visible that moved in a northerly direction. A few days later we heard a plane crashed near the dyke at Westernieland."
People in several north Groningen towns heard the loud roar of engines overhead. Those who went outside to look saw a bomber flying North with what appeared to be a light inside. Once over the mudflats the plane caught fire, exploded and crashed.
One eyewitness remembers: "The pieces of the plane were strewn out over a large area, several kilometres across. This was about 1 to 2 kilometeres out into the mudflats from Westernieland."
Three days later, about eight Dutchmen, under command of a German NCO went out to recover the bodies. All they found was pieces of wreckage, no large parts of the plane were found. Most of the crew were found between and under the pieces. They were brought to the dike where they were put into coffins after which they spent two days in a stable of a farmer in Pieterburen. Then they were buried in Westernieland.
Mr van Hoorn was one of the Dutch men that were tasked by the Germans to recover the bodies the next day. He says that the tail was shot off and that they found the crew in their positions in the wreckage. Apparently the pilot had tried to crash-land the plane at high tide. The next day Mr van Hoorn checked the wreck and the day after that they recovered the bodies and put them in coffins which they brought to the farm of Mr Boerma. The coffins were put in a corner of the farm, with black curtains around them. The local population came to the farm to bring flowers.
Two or three days later the Germans buried the crew with military honours at Westernieland. In attendance were the Mayor and the German commander. That same day an unknown soldier was buried that had washed on the shore.
Cas Straatman from Groningen has seen some German documents confirming the crash on 3 July 1942. He writes :
"On July 3, 1942 at 01:27 am, the West-Vlieland battery, recognized by the German authorities on August 8, 1942, fired on a plane. (On the list "Copies from the Bundesarchiv file RM1310 …", in possession of Dirk Bruin and the cultural-historical association of Vlieland)
It must be the Stirling BF313; at 1.50 am a German pilot in the Wadden Sea above Westernieland shoots down the plane, probably already damaged by the Vlieland battery. The distance from Vlieland to the Wad above Westernieland is 106 kilometers - covered in 23 minutes -, which means an average speed of 277 kilometers per hour. The eyewitness who claims that the plane flew over Ten Boer has probably seen another plane. It's off route."
Date of loss : 3 July 1942
Crew of Stirling Mark I BF313 BU-T consisted of :
Sgt Richard Fairhurst, 1057396, Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 3 July 1942, Aged 19
Sgt Peter Frederick Inman, 1108515, Wireless Operator / Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 3 July 1942, Aged 20
Wg/Cdr Kenneth Duke Knocker, 28043, Pilot, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 3 July 1942, Aged 35
Plt/Off Daniel Malofie, J/8596, Air Observer, Royal Canadian Air Force, Nationality : Canadian, KIA 3 July 1942, Aged 31
Sgt Tristam Edward Leonard Palmer, 1212564, Pilot, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, KIA 3 July 1942, Aged 21
FS Robert Hendry Ritchie, 817140, Wireless Operator / Air Gunner, Royal Air Force (Auxiliary Air Force), Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 3 July 1942, Aged 22
Sgt John William Caddick Underwood, 546445, Flight Engineer, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 3 July 1942, Aged 22
FS Ernest George Wilson, R/76046, Wireless Operator / Air Gunner, Royal Canadian Air Force, Nationality : Canadian, KIA 3 July 1942, Aged 23
Source : Many sources including Stevin Oudshoorn and The Bomber Command War Diaries and Chorley and Cas Straatman from Groningen
Date record last updated : 15 January 2021
Stirling (model unknown) BF318
Stirling (model unknown) BF318 (16-Jul-1942)
Bob Brown writes :
'Sgt. R. W. Wilson (WO/AG), who was a member of the crew of BF318, and the only one to lose his life on 16/17 July 1942.
According to the ORB, the aircraft, which was one of three detailed to attack Herrenwyk (Lubeck) that night "was badly damaged by flack and the furthest point reached was Flushing[/Flensburg]. The F/G was killed and the front and rear turrets rendered u/s. . ."'
Crew of Stirling (model unknown) BF318 (16-Jul-1942) consisted of :
Sgt Alexander Shaw Dewar, 931485, Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, KIA 17 August 1942, Aged 25
Sgt A Flemming Sgt J H Jones Sgt Richard Kerry, 936945, Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 18 August 1942, Aged 23
Sgt Godfrey William Pickworth, 1153786, Wireless Operator / Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, KIA 17 August 1942, Aged 22
Plt/Off Kenneth Peter Symes, 111586, Pilot, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, KIA 18 August 1942, Aged 24
Sgt Richard William Wilson, 1108674, Wireless Operator / Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, KIA 16 July 1942
Source : Bob Brown (nephew of Sgt Richard Kerry)
Date record last updated : 15 January 2021
Stirling (model unknown) BF318 (28-Nov-1942)
Attack on Turin "Flat works" Flew out 18:25 hrs. Returned at 23:20 hrs because aircraft had faulty port and starboard inner engines, with bombs still aboard.
There is another crew member listed on this flight on the Squadron ORB. However it is very hard to decipher. It could be either Sgt Harkers or Sgt Barkers and the initial could possibly be a P.
Crew of Stirling (model unknown) BF318 (28-Nov-1942) consisted of :
Date record last updated : 29 December 2008
Stirling (model unknown) BF318 (20-Dec-1942)
The most successful of the autumn attacks on Germany was the raid against Duisberg towards the end of December, when crews found unusually good visibility and were able to deliver a concentrated attack. German police records reveal that many industrial buildings were damaged, the railway hit in many places, and over twenty acres of the town almost completely devastated by fire. In the clear weather, however, the German defences were very active and many crews reported combats with night fighters. The Stirling captained by Squadron Leader Allcock encountered a Junkers 88 when approaching Duisberg in the later stages of the raid. The bomber, silhouetted against flares and searchlights, was a clear target, but the rear gunner got in a first burst and pieces were seen to fall away from the enemy machine. However, the Junkers replied with cannon and machine-gun fire, scoring repeated hits. The starboard tail plane and fin of the Stirling were damaged, a burst behind the inner port engine set the dinghy storage alight, a starboard fuel tank was holed and petrol flowed into the fuselage.
Both the second pilot and wireless operator were wounded, the rear gunner was blinded by a shell which hit the rear turret and exploded on impact, while the flight engineer was folded up in his seat suffering intense pain. His face had been badly scorched by a shell which burst inside the aircraft. Eventually the mid-upper gunner was able to get in an accurate burst and the Junkers fell away, going down in what appeared to be a vertical dive. Wounds were attended to while Allcock continued his run to the target and dropped the bombs. His second pilot, Sergeant Murray, a 20-year- old Londoner, displayed remarkable fortitude. Although his left ankle was shattered, he hobbled to the rear turret and got the injured gunner out. Then he attended to the wireless operator, stopping his bleeding and treating his wounds. It was only when the navigator noticed pools of blood on the floor that the crew discovered that Murray was wounded himself and had collapsed from loss of blood. Meanwhile the fire in the port wing continued to burn so Allcock ordered the crew to be ready to bale out. Fortunately the fire did not spread, and he was able to fly his charred and battered Stirling back across the North Sea only to discover, as he made a landing circuit, that the undercarriage was jammed. He then succeeded in making a belly landing clear of the runway.
Squadron ORB reports:
" On 20 December 1942 at 18:18 hrs this aircraft left to attack Duisburg on a clear moonlit night with very good visibility and dropped several bombs at 19:42 hrs from 15,800 feet. Duisburg was identified visually by pinpoints on docks. Bombs were dropped East of the aimimg point and good fires were seen around the aiming points. Just as the aircraft was about to bomb it was attacked by an enemy fighter JU88 and sustained damage to the starboard tail plane, starboard aileron and elevator and fin and mid upper and rear turrets. Also the port wing was on fire behind the port inner engine from Duisburg to the English coastline. The aircraft crash landed at Chedburgh at 22:09 hrs as the under-carriage had jammed. The 2nd pilot (Sgt JCD Murray), wireless operator and engineer were wounded. The captain wishes to commend the conduct of his crew, especially those who were wounded.".
Crew of Stirling (model unknown) BF318 (20-Dec-1942) consisted of :
On 17 February 1943 they set off minelay in the Bay of Biscay. Port inner u/s before target. After dropping the mines, started for home. On the return, he notes in his log book,"Starboard outer u/s from Brest"
What really happened was that they were wandering about a bit and inadvertantly flew over the submarine pens. They were received with an enormous ammount of flak, which is how the Starboard outer went u/s. Unable to maintain height over the channel, by dint of throwing overboard every thing they could unscrew, they scraped into Exeter.
The next day BF444"n" was sent to collect them.
Crew of Stirling Mark I BF326 (17-Feb-1943) BU-X consisted of :
Flight had a port inner engine failure on the outward leg and returned to base.
4 x 2000lb bombs, 03:20hrs1 x 1000lb bomb and 1 x 500 lb bomb were jettisoned at sea from 8000ft.at 02:21hrs.
Crew of Stirling Mark I BF330 (07-Aug-1942) BU-H consisted of :
Plt/Off Andrews Sgt George Davison, 954272, Rear Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, POW 4 September 1942
Sgt Elwyn Meredith, 568070, Air Gunner / Flight Engineer, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 5 September 1942, Aged 22
Plt/Off David Nasmyth Osborne, 1016738 -110609, Navigator, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, POW 4 September 1942
Sgt Sharp Plt/Off John Gordon Smith DFC, Can/J.6960, Pilot, Royal Canadian Air Force, Nationality : Canadian, POW 4 September 1942
Sgt Iain Menzies Robertson Stewart, 949942, Wireless Operator / Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 5 September 1942, Aged 20
Sgt William Bassington Watt, 1110178, Front Gunner, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, POW 4 September 1942
Source : Richard Maddox (researcher) and 214 Squadron ORB
Date record last updated : 31 March 2023
Stirling Mark I BF330 (17-Aug-1942) BU-H
Took off from Stradishall on an operation to Osnabruck.
Shot down by a night fighter (oblt Ludwig Becker, 6./NJG2) operating off the Dutch Frisian Islands and crashed at 01:40 hrs some 30 km North of Terschelling. Plt/Off Symes and Sgt Kerry have no known grave; the rest were washed ashore, mainly onto United Kingdom beaches.
Date of loss : 17 August 1942
Crew of Stirling Mark I BF330 BU-H consisted of :
Sgt Alexander Shaw Dewar, 931485, Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, KIA 17 August 1942, Aged 25
Sgt Andrew Fleming, R/77881, Pilot, Royal Canadian Air Force, KIA 18 August 1942, Aged 23
Sgt Adrian Harold Cooper Gill, 404024, Wireless Operator / Air Gunner, Royal New Zealand Air Force, KIA 17 August 1942, Aged 24
Sgt William Henry Jones, 571733, Flight Engineer, Royal Air Force, KIA 17 August 1942, Aged 21
Sgt Richard Kerry, 936945, Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 18 August 1942, Aged 23
Sgt Godfrey William Pickworth, 1153786, Wireless Operator / Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, KIA 17 August 1942, Aged 22
Plt/Off Kenneth Peter Symes, 111586, Pilot, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, KIA 18 August 1942, Aged 24
Source : Chorley and Eric Utley and Janet Utley (niece of Sgt Richard Kerry)
Date record last updated : 31 March 2023
Stirling Mark I BF337 BU-B
Stirling Mark I BF337 (04-Sep-1942) BU-B
4 September 1942. Take of 00:04hrs from Stradishall. Operation to Bremen.
Badly shot up by a night fighter, near Gronigen and later blew up and crashed at 03:59hrs at Rouveen, 13km NNE of Zwolle, Holland. Those who died are buried in Staphorst (Rouveen) New General Cemetery. It is reported that the night fighter was flown by Oblt Herbert Lutje, III.NJG1.
Crew of Stirling Mark I BF337 (04-Sep-1942) BU-B consisted of :
Sgt George Davison, 954272, Rear Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, POW 4 September 1942
Plt/Off Arthur McCarthy, 411222, Air Gunner, Royal New Zealand Air Force, KIA 5 September 1942, Aged 23
Sgt Elwyn Meredith, 568070, Air Gunner / Flight Engineer, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 5 September 1942, Aged 22
Plt/Off David Nasmyth Osborne, 1016738 -110609, Navigator, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, POW 4 September 1942
Flt/Lt John Gordon Smith DFC, Can/J.6960, Pilot, Royal Canadian Air Force, Nationality : Canadian, POW 4 September 1942
Sgt Iain Menzies Robertson Stewart, 949942, Wireless Operator / Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 5 September 1942, Aged 20
Sgt William Bassington Watt, 1110178, Front Gunner, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, POW 4 September 1942
Source : Chorley and Teunis Schuurman (researcher The Netherlands) and Richard Maddox (researcher)
Date record last updated : 24 February 2023
Stirling Mark I BF357
Stirling Mark I BF357
No further information available yet.
Source : Unknown
Date record last updated : 10 June 2020
Stirling Mark I BF381 BU-P2
Stirling Mark I BF381 BU-P2
Lost over Duisburg on a raid there on the night of 12-13 May 1943. They took off from Chedburgh at 00.26. Crashed at Duisburg-Ruhrort. All rest in the Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, having been brought there from the Nordfriedhof at Dusseldorf.
Date of loss : 13 May 1943
Crew of Stirling Mark I BF381 BU-P2 consisted of :
Plt/Off Harold Broadbent, 143698, Pilot, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, KIA 13 May 1943, Aged 29
Sgt John Arthur Brown, 1303478, Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, KIA 13 May 1943, Aged 20
Plt/Off Henry Catch, 142892, Navigator, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, KIA 13 May 1943, Aged 21
Sgt Stanley Frederick Dean, 1445870, Flight Engineer, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, KIA 13 May 1943, Aged 27
Sgt Norman Douglas, 1411154, Air Bomber, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, KIA 13 May 1943, Aged 21
Sgt William Duthie, 1349970, Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, KIA 13 May 1943, Aged 20
Sgt William Frederick Walter Hards, 1332273, Wireless Operator / Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, KIA 13 May 1943
Take off 16:00 hrs on a ferry flight from Exeter. After picking up a Squadron crew from Stirling BF 326 the aircraft swung violently and left the runway. While taking action to avoid a collision with a parked Typhoon, the starboard oleo collapsed and the Stirling slid to stop, damaged beyond repair.
Accoding to the log of one of the crew of BF326 :
" On take off it developed a big swing. The undercarriage collapsed and the fuselage broke of aft of the trailing edge.The unfortunate Pilot was F/O Hewitt from New Zealand, probabley the shortest Pilot in the RAF ! We went home on the train."
Date of loss : 18 February 1943
Crew of Stirling Mark I BF444 (18-Feb-1943) BU-N consisted of :
Operation to Berlin. Took off at 19:40 from Chedburgh. Reported crashed in marshes at Finkenwerder, a town on the south bank of the Elba and some 8 km SW from the centre of Hamburg. However they were not discovered until many years later in September 1949. The crew are buried in Hanover War Cemetery. A book listing German nightfighter claims only lists one Halifax claimed on the night of 27/28 March 1943, so there is a fair chance that Plt/Off Challis's plane was brought down by flak.
Crew photograph taken by Sgt Eric Greenhalgh - Wireless Operator / Air Gunner, from the left :
Sgt Donald James Rae - Air Gunner, Sgt Alfred Stanley Woodrow - Air Gunner, Bob Anderson - Navigator, Sgt Reginald George Martin - Flight Engineer, Crawford Kier Phin - Navigator, Plt/Off Eddie Challis - Pilot
Date of loss : 27 March 1943
Crew of Stirling Mark I BF453 BU-L consisted of :
Sgt Robert Anderson, 942664, Navigator, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 27 March 1943, Aged 25
Plt/Off Edward Challis, 140914, Pilot, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 27 March 1943, Aged 22
Sgt Eric Greenhalgh, 1379905, Wireless Operator / Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 27 March 1943
Sgt Reginald George Martin, 1171555, Flight Engineer, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 27 March 1943
Sgt Crawford Kier Phin, 1349598, Navigator, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 27 March 1943, Aged 21
Sgt Donald James Rae, 406681, Air Gunner, Royal Australian Air Force, Nationality : Australian, KIA 27 March 1943, Aged 21
Sgt Stanley Alfred Woodrow, 933968, Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 27 March 1943, Aged 22
Source : Eric Matthews (relative of Eric Greenhalgh) and Ian Hunt and Chorley
Date record last updated : 30 September 2020
Stirling Mark III BF469 BU-M
Stirling Mark III BF469 (11-Mar-1943) BU-M
BF469 took off from RAF Chedburgh, Suffolk, at 20:02hrs on 11 March 1943 on an operational flight to Stuttgart. It was shot down by a night-fighter, Oblt Hans Autenreith, and crashed at Fagnieres, Marne, 2km ENE of Chalons sur Marne.
Tyrell managed to bail out and was taken POW and later repatriated. The other 6 members were all killed in action and are laid to rest at in the town's East cemetery.
Date of loss : 11 March 1943
Crew of Stirling Mark III BF469 (11-Mar-1943) BU-M consisted of ::
FS Basil Carnell, 798585, Wireless Operator / Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 12 March 1943, Aged 21
Plt/Off Alexander 'Alex' Carruthers, J16064, Pilot, Royal Canadian Air Force, Nationality : American, KIA 12 March 1943, Aged 28
Sgt Edgar Louis Eaglen, 629071, Flight Engineer, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 12 March 1943, Aged 23
Sgt Brian Roland Jennings, 1215579, Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 12 March 1943, Aged 19
Sgt Percy Pugh Oakes, 1201575, Air Bomber, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 12 March 1943
Sgt Eric Parker, 655812, Navigator / Observer, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 12 March 1943, Aged 26
FS A J Tyrell, Rear Gunner, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, POW 11 March 1943
Arial view of Chalons sur Marne
Source : CWGC and Nightjar Newsletter Spring 2004 and Les Parker (nephew of Sgt Eric Parker)
Date record last updated : 20 November 2020
Stirling Mark III BF478 BU-G
Stirling Mark III BF478 BU-G
Sgt R V Street is shown front far right. Can anyone identify any other members of the crew?
Angela Shannon has identified her uncle, FS Harold Ward shown back left.
Delivered by Short & Harland Contract No.774677/38 to No.214 Sqdn on 13 March 1943.
Mission on 23/24 May 1943 was to Dortmund. Airborne at 23:06 on 23 May 1943 from Chedburgh. Bombing took place between 01.03hrs and 02.10hrs and caused devastation to the centre and outlying districts of the city.
BF478 was one of three Stirlings lost on this operation. (also BF528 & MZ261).
Crashed in the sea off the Dutch Friesian islands after being shot down by Ofw. Karl-Heinz Scherfling og 10.NJG1 over the North Sea some 10Km east of Terschelling at 02.14hrs. Combat took place at 3,600 metres.
Sgt Street's body was washed ashore; his six comrades are commemorated on the Runnymede memorial.
Crew of Stirling Mark III BF478 BU-G consisted of :
Sgt Ernest Douglas Ager, 646478, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 24 May 1943, Aged 23
Sgt Roy Craven Child, 968999, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 24 May 1943, Aged 25
Plt/Off John Wesley Evans, J/18037, Royal Canadian Air Force, Nationality : Canadian, KIA 24 May 1943, Aged 22
Sgt Zanwel Goldfinger, 1330847, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 24 May 1943, Aged 24
Sgt Ronald Victor Street, 1575811, Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 24 May 1943, Aged 19
Sgt Victor Norman Walker, 1380192, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 23 May 1943, Aged 23
FS Harold Ward, 1060035, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 24 May 1943, Aged 20
Source : Nightjar Newsletter Summer/Autumn 2003 and CWGC and Martin Alford and Air Ministry letter dated 6 January 1944 and Angela Shannon (niece of FS Harold Ward)
Date record last updated : 21 May 2021
Stirling Mark III BF481 BU-M
Stirling Mark III BF481 BU-M
Crew of Stirling Mark III BF481 BU-M consisted of :
BF516 was a Stirling Mk III of 214 Squadron lost on the way back from a raid on Nuremberg by 653 aircraft on the night of 10 / 11 August 1943. The aircraft was coded 'PX-E' which was a little unusual as most 214 Squadron aircraft were coded 'BU-'. PX was the 'C' Flight Squadron code.
They were based at Chedburgh in Suffolk. The port outer engine cut when they were 5 miles west of Nuremberg and nearly caught fire when the pilot attempted to re-start it so the propellor was feathered (blades turned to reduce drag). The aircraft then strayed off course on the way home and they lost a 2nd engine over France. The crew questioned if they should bale out but decided against that, instead they would try to get home.
They then ran out of fuel and had to ditch into Pevensey Bay off Bexhill. All were rendered unconscious in the crash but FS Hall was the first to recover and immediately began to try to get his crew out. Two crewmen (Sgts Buckle and Smith) were killed and the other five men were subsequently rescued by a Sea Rescue dinghy and brought ashore. Robert Moorby was taken to Naval Sick Quarters in Lewes, where he stayed for 2 weeks. The rest of the crew went back to the Squadron.
There is a letter of thanks to the Air Sea Rescue Launch Captain from Robert Moorby in a small museum at Breznett, near New Romney in Kent, along with parts of the Stirling.
Date of loss : 11 August 1943
Crew of Stirling Mark III BF516 PX-E consisted of :
Sgt Kenneth Ronald Buckle, 1686318, Flight Engineer, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 11 August 1943, Aged 19
FS Harry Ernest Hall BEM, 1436050, Pilot, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 22 September 1943, Aged 21
Sgt J Hanna, Mid Upper Gunner
Sgt Robert Victor Moorby, NCO 1287570 COM 185918, Wireless Operator, Nationality : United Kingdom
Sgt Geoffrey Parnell, 1579972, Mid Upper Gunner, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, POW 22 September 1943
Sgt A F Short, Bomb Aimer
Sgt Eric Ronald Smith, 1331063, Navigator, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 11 August 1943, Aged 23
Source : Nightjar Newsletter Autumn 2003 and Robert Moorby and Shirley Whitlock and Ian Hunt and Chorley
Date record last updated : 19 July 2019
Stirling Mark III BF528 BU-L2
Stirling Mark III BF528
Delivered by Short and Harland to 214 Squadron on 21 April 1943.
Mission on 23/24 May 1943 was to Dortmund. BF 528 was one of three Stirlings lost on this operation. (also BF478 and MZ261).
It took off at 23.35hrs from Chedburgh. The cause of loss has not been established. It crashed near Munchengladbach. 2 airman died instantly and the rest were taken POW.
Date of loss : 24 May 1943
Crew of Stirling Mark III BF528 consisted of :
Sgt W S Clifton-Moggs, Royal New Zealand Air Force, Nationality : New Zealand, POW 23 May 1943
Sgt Lionel Gerald Freeman, 1322558, Air Bomber, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 24 May 1943, Aged 21
FS E T Hutchinson, Royal Air Force, Nationality : British, POW 23 May 1943
FS B A Kennedy, Royal Air Force, Nationality : British, POW 23 May 1943
FS W A Leslie, Royal Air Force, Nationality : British, POW 23 May 1943
Sgt A Mason, Royal New Zealand Air Force, Nationality : New Zealand, POW 23 May 1943
Sgt Jack Kenneth Wilkins, 416581, Pilot, Royal New Zealand Air Force, Nationality : New Zealand, KIA 24 May 1943, Aged 21
Source : Dave Pointer and "Footprints in the sand of time" by Oliver Clutton-Brock, Martin Alford
Date record last updated : 7 February 2008
Stirling Mark III BF562
Stirling Mark III BF562 (11-Jun-1943)
Attack on Dusseldorf
Up 23:50hrs
Down 01:30hrs.
This A/C failed to complete its mission to attack DUSSELDORF owing to the Captain's and Navigator's Air speed Indicators becoming unserviceable on take off. The following bomb load was jettisoned in the sea at 0045hrs. At 52 26N 02 31E. : 1 x 1000 (safe), 1 x 1000 LD 845.37 Mk. IV (safe), 1190 x 4lb. Incend (live), and 70 x 4lb. 'X' incend. (live).
Route: SOUTHWOLD - 52 26N 02 31E. - SOUTHWOLD.
Crew of Stirling Mark III BF562 (11-Jun-1943) consisted of :
Date record last updated : 10 March 2023
Stirling Mark III BF562 (19-Jun-1943)
Attack on Le Creusot
Up 22:20hrs
Down 05:00hrs
This A/C attacked LE CREUSOT from 8000ft. At 0159hrs. With 5 x 1000GP., 1 x 1000LD 845.37 Mk.IV on a heading of 300 degrees N. It was a moonlight night with no cloud, smoke causing visibility to be fair. Target was identified visually and bombs are believed to have fallen in factory buildings between the two lakes. One long low factory building was showing a strange blue light continuously, definitely not exploding - in area 'Z'.
One photo attempted. Route as ordered.
Crew of Stirling Mark III BF562 (19-Jun-1943) consisted of :
Date record last updated : 10 March 2023
Stirling Mark III BF562 (22-Jun-1943)
Attack on Krefeld
Up 00:15hrs
Down 04:15hrs
This A/C attacked KREFELD at 01:56hrs. From 10500ft. With 88 x 30lb., 1105 x 4lb., 65 x 4lb 'X'. Incend. And 2 x G. 10 Nickels on a heading of 080 degrees N. It was a moonlight night with no cloud and good visibility apart from smoke. Target was identified by red markers, and visually by a built up area. Bombs were aimed at red markers but results were not observed. The whole town was seen to be well ablaze with columns of smoke up to 12000ft. The wing bomb doors of this A/C failed to open, but this did not affect the operation.
One photo attempted. Route as ordered.
Crew of Stirling Mark III BF562 (22-Jun-1943) consisted of :
Date record last updated : 10 March 2023
Stirling Mark III BF562 (23-Jun-1943)
Attack on Mulheim
Up 00:15hrs
Down 04:15hrs
This A/C attacked Mulheim at 0136hrs. From 11000ft. With 88 x30lb., 1105 x 4lb., 65 x 4lb. 'X' incend and 1 x G.24 Nickels on a heading of 180 degrees N. It was a moonlight night with thin scattered cloud below and fairly good visibility. Target was identified by Green markers and built up areas. No red markers were dropped at the time, so bombs were aimed at a concentration of green. Results were unobserved but incends. were seen burning North of the town, the main fires being concentrated in the target area.
One photo attempted. Route as ordered.
Crew of Stirling Mark III BF562 (23-Jun-1943) consisted of :
Date record last updated : 10 March 2023
Stirling Mark III BF562 (24-Jun-1943)
Attack on Wupental
Up 23:35hrs
Down 04:10hrs
This A/C attacked WUPPERTAL at 01:26hrs. From 12000ft. with 1080 x 4lb., and 88 x 30lb. Incends. and 1 x G.33 Nickels on a heading of 062 degrees N. It was a bright night with small patches of cloud, ground detail being obscured by smoke. Target was identified by red markers and built up areas, and bombs were aimed at estimated position of marker, which could not be seen on ground owing to fires. Many bombs were seen to have been jettisoned between DUSSELDORF and COLOGNE, and some incends. were seen burning in open country S.E. of WUPPERTAL.
One photo attempted. Route as ordered.
Crew of Stirling Mark III BF562 (24-Jun-1943) consisted of :
Date record last updated : 10 March 2023
Stirling Mark III BF562 (25-Jun-1943)
Attack on Gelsenkirchen
Up 23:50hrs
Down 03:50hrs
This A/C attacked GELSENKIRCHEN at 01:35hrs. From 14500ft. with 1080 x 4lb. and 88 x 30lb. Incend. On a heading of 194 degrees N. It was a light night, 10/10ths. Cloud, visibility good above cloud. The target was identified by the sky markers, which were red and white with green stars. The centre of bunch of sky markers in bombsight were bombed. Incendiaries were very scattered, and many undershoots seen. One packet of Nickels was released in the middle of Zuider Zee.
No photo attempted. Route as ordered.
Crew of Stirling Mark III BF562 (25-Jun-1943) consisted of :
Date record last updated : 10 March 2023
Stirling Mark III BF562 (29-Jun-1943)
Attack on Cologne
Up 00.05hrs
Down 03:55hrs
This A/C attacked COLOGNE at 02:03hrs. from 14500ft. with 1020 x 4lb., 88 x 30lb. and 60 x 4lb. 'X' incends. and 2 x G.40 nickels on a heading of 030 degrees N. It was a light night with 10/10ths. Cloud below and good visibility above. Target was identified by T.I. markers which were in bombsight when bombs were dropped. No results were observed but scattered fires were seen beneath cloud and one small explosion in the target area.
One photo attempted. Route as ordered.
Date record last updated : 10 March 2023
Stirling Mark III BF562 (24-Jul-1943)
Attack on Hamburg
Up 22:30hrs
Down 03:55hrs
This A/C was unable to complete its mission to HAMBURG owing to port outer engine failure. 90 x 4lb. 'X', 720 x 4lb. and 72 x 30lb Incends were jettisoned live at 54 11N. 08 50E from 10000ft. just South of yellow markers. Fires were seen to start and remained burning for a considerable time. One photo attempted. Route as ordered as far as furthest point reached and return.
Crew of Stirling Mark III BF562 (24-Jul-1943) consisted of :
Date record last updated : 10 March 2023
Stirling Mark III BF562 (27-Jul-1943)
Attack on Hamburg
Up 22:25hrs
Down 04:25hrs
This A/C attacked HAMBURG at 01:21hrs. from 13000ft on a heading of 241 degrees N, with 756 x 4lb., 54 x 4lb. 'X', and 64 x 30lb. Incends. There was 4/10ths cloud tops at 10000ft with moderate smoke and haze. The target was identified by Green T.I's and built up area. The river and docks were seen after the bombing. Bombs were aimed at centre of concentration of Green T.I, Markers. There was a large concentration of fires and what appeared to be warehouses south of markers were burning fiercely. 78 bundles of windows were dropped between 00:35 and 02:02hrs, from 13000/11000ft.
One photo attempted. Route as ordered.
Crew of Stirling Mark III BF562 (27-Jul-1943) consisted of :
Attack on Essen
Up 22:25hrs
Down 03:35hrs
This aircraft attacked ESSEN at 00:50hrs from 14,000 feet with 2x 3000 H.C. and 1 x 1000 H.C. on a heading of 160 (M). Weather was good apart from smoke over the target, which was identified by yellow and red markers and ETA. Bombs were aimed at red markers but no results were observed.
One photo was attempted. Route as ordered.
Crew of Stirling Mark III BF574 (25-Jul-1943) consisted of :
NOTE: The following research on the actual crash site has been done by Nils Hempel of Germany.
Nils is one of the few researchers in the world, that travels in search of the actual crash sites of the aircraft. The difficulties in finding these sites would present enormous challenges.
Upon locating a site, and obtaining permission of the land owner, he then goes over the site with a metal detector and carefully documents each piece of the aircraft he finds. Also, by recording each piece found on a GPS he can map an accurate path that the crash took. Later the site is photographed as it is today.
Once this is done he has the long hard task of researching the crew and also trys to find photographs or anyone who witnesed the crash.
An extrodinary and near impossible task after 60 years. He does all this at his own expense and without asking for any reward or recognition.
For his selfless effort, we and all the families of those who died, extend our sincerest gratitude.
"On Tuesday, 13 October 1942 at 18:45hrs the crew of this Stirling aircraft lifted off from Chedbrugh on bombing operations over Kiel Germany. The bomber formation was approaching Kiel from the direction of Rendsburg when it was attacked by German fighters . BK599 was attacked and hit by one of the fighters and at approximately 22:00hrs the other aircraft in the formation lost radio and sight contact with them. About this time, with the radio & hydraulics shot away and the aircraft on fire, Sgt Melrose and Sgt Cameron baled out. Everyone else stayed for reasons unknown. The plane was subsequently reported missing."
"With the statements of a few people, I can tell you the last minutes of the BK599:
Already in the area of Rendsburg some German fighters attacked the formation of English aircraft. One of the bombers was coned and followed by German search lights - units Sehberg (7.M.Fla.Abt.251) and T¸ttendorf (10.Mar.Fla.Abt.211)
The AAA-unit in Hohenschulen (6.Mar.Fla.Abt.251 / 4 x 10.5cm) then began shooting at the aircraft in the search light - stream. Due to heavy hits, the aircraft lost altitude and was seen to stagger past on the right of the little village of Bredenbek, only a few hundred metres over the forest Rolfhrn".
"In the little village of Felde nearby, they had already been given the Fliegeralarm (fighter-alarm). The plane lost more and more altitude as it flew over Felde and was shooting over the village at rooftop height toward the direction of an estate, beyond which there was a clearing and a large lake, the Westensee. The giant Stirling, now rapidly loosing altitude, roared over the roof of the estate so low it knocked one of the chimneys off the house, then sheered off the crown of a big tree, finally slamming into the ground in the orchard of the estate. The wreckage, leaving a trail of derbis, then ploughed a huge trench in the orchard untill finally came to a halt only 40 metres beyond the house. They had almost made it, only 100 metres in front of the smoking wreckage lay the lake Westensee."
It seems almost certain FS Davison, showing skill and presence of mind, was trying to reach the safety of the lake to crash land his damaged aircraft.
According to Nils, "the line of the flight shows that the aircraft was under control of the pilot. The first sighting of the Stirling was about 8-10 KMSs away. It is the direct line to the crashpoint. I think, the aircraft was too damaged..."
It would appear that the pilot FS Davison was trying to find a clearing to crash land and maybe was hoping to reach the lake that can be seen in the distance.
PHOTO COPYRIGHT Nils Hempel
An elderly eyewitness to the crash stated:
"At that time, I was 10 years old. About 10.00 p.m. I heard the siren of the Fliegeralarm". We were laying in bed, than we must very fast get out of the house. Suddenly we heard the buzz and saw then the large staggering plane over us first flying in the direction of the estate. Than we heard the big, loud bang.
My big brother are running over the fields to the crashed plane. We could see that it was burning on the estate. I was tense waiting for my brother, but he came back a lot of hours later ..."
Probably the aircraft threw his bombs away before the crash, otherwise the estate would be totally destroyed.
Five of seven crew members were killed.
Sergeant Cameron had baled out of the aircraft earlier. He hid away in the area until captured on the estate (Mr. Lubinus). Later he was taken into captivity as a prisoner of war.
The following is a quote from Sgt J Cameron
"We were coned by searchlights and a night fighter finished us off. The whole front of the aircraft was ablaze, no intercom or hydraulics. I had been hit in the foot, to what extent, I didn't know and with the aircraft on fire, I hit the silk."
It is not known how Sgt Melrose escaped. He was taken POW.
A picture of the estate in 1942, note the tree which was knocked over and how very close it came to the house. If the crew had not jettisoned its bombs, the explosion would have blown the house to bits.
PHOTO COPYRIGHT NILS HEMPEL
In September 2004 the search for aircraft parts in the garden of the estate turned up a lot of mainly aluminium parts, many of which have yet to be identified.
The picture is of the cylinder heads to one of the engines which remain buried on the estate and were found by Nils.
PHOTO COPYRIGHT NILS HEMPEL
The estate today in 2004, photo taken by Nils Hempel during the course of his research
PHOTO COPYRIGHT NILS HEMPEL
The headstone of the original grave of Davison, Dempsay, Miller and Murray.
Date of loss : 13 October 1942
Crew of Stirling Mark I BK599 BU-R consisted of :
Sgt Jack G Cameron, Royal Canadian Air Force, Nationality : Canadian, POW 13 October 1942
FS Ronald William Davison, 1204001, Pilot, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 13 October 1942, Aged 22
FS Ronald Dempsay, R/69265, Air Observer, Royal Canadian Air Force, Nationality : Canadian, KIA 13 October 1942
Sgt John D F 'Jack' Melrose, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, POW 13 October 1942
Sgt Stuart Alexander Miller, 634701, Flight Engineer, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 13 October 1942, Aged 30
FS George Douglas Murray, R/93062, Air Bomber, Royal Canadian Air Force, Nationality : Canadian, KIA 13 October 1942, Aged 20
FS Gerard Francis Joseph Phalempin, R/86743, Wireless Operator / Air Gunner, Royal Canadian Air Force, Nationality : Canadian, KIA 13 October 1942
Source : Nils Hempel (German researcher - see www.spurensuchesh.de) and Chorley and Sgt J Cameron and Chris Capewell (relative of Ron Davison)
Date record last updated : 1 March 2010
Stirling Mark I BK600
Stirling (model unknown) BK600
23/24 October 1942. Attack on Genoa. Flew out from Chedburgh at 18:20 hrs and returned at 02:20 hrs
FS C K Johnston DFM is listed as part of this crew in his log book but not on the squadron ORB.
Crew of Stirling (model unknown) BK600 consisted of :
Source : 214 Squadron ORB and Janet Whitham (researcher)
Date record last updated : 2 August 2019
Stirling Mark I BK612 BU-Z
Stirling Mark I BK612 BU-Z
On the 11th April 1943 the crew took off from Chedburgh, Suffolk at 20:52 in Short Stirling BK612 on a minelaying operation in the Gironde estuary and the Deodars mining area. The aircraft was presumed lost in the target area. The bodies of 2 of the crew were washed ashore and are buried at the Royan Roman Catholic Cemetery, France and the remaining 5 crew members were declared missing in action and are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
Date of loss : 11 April 1943
Crew of Stirling Mark I BK612 BU-Z consisted of :
FS Arthur Bowers, 1452264, Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, KIA 11 April 1943
FS Leonard Copley, 638850, Wireless Operator / Air Gunner, Royal Air Force, KIA 11 April 1943, Aged 23
WO George Alexander Davie, 1005717, Pilot, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, KIA 11 April 1943, Aged 21
Sgt Derek Oswald Dowson, 975343, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, KIA 11 April 1943
Sgt Thomas Frank Richardson, 951197, Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, KIA 11 April 1943, Aged 21
Sgt Alan Cartwright Wade, 943745, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, KIA 11 April 1943, Aged 25
Sgt Joseph Byrne Woods, 1330321, Navigator, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 11 April 1943, Aged 21
Source : Cheryl Garner, Great Niece of Thomas Frank Richardson and Chorley
Date record last updated : 30 January 2011
Stirling Mark III BK653 BU-A
Stirling Mark III BK653 BU-A
Stirling BK653 took off from Chedburgh at 21:50hrs. It's target was Mannheim. It was badly shot about by three Me 109s and abandoned, crashing at Bonneuil les Eaux, (Oise), 28km NNW of Beauvais, France.(Northern France).
Date of loss : 17 April 1943
Crew of Stirling Mark III BK653 BU-A consisted of :
Source : Dave Wallace (son of Flt/Lt A. Wallace) and Janet Trinder (wife of Flt/Lt Frederick Trinder) (via friend Bob Goodenough)
Date record last updated : 22 June 2018
Stirling Mark III BK659 (14-May-1943) BU-N
Up: 00.09Hrs. Back 05:50 hrs. Target was Bochum.
Target attacked at 02:15hrs. 1105 x 4lb bombs, 65 x 4lb X bombs and 88 x 3lb incendaries were dropped from 9500 ft on a heading of 300 M.
It was a moonlit night with no cloud and very good visibility.
Target was identified by red and green markers and a built up area. Bombs were aimed at the red markers. One explosion was seen and fires were well concentrated.
One photgraph was attempted. Route as ordered.
Crew of Stirling Mark III BK659 (14-May-1943) BU-N consisted of :
Source : Alan Beevor (son Flt/Lt Arthur Beevor DFC) and 214 Squadron ORB
Date record last updated : 25 September 2020
Stirling Mark III BK659 (26-May-1943) BU-N
The target was Dusseldorf. Take off was at 00:04hrs from Chedburgh. The aircraft was believed to have been shot down at 02:48hrs by a night-fighter operating over the North Sea, some 25 km north west of Den Helder, Holland. Only one body, that of Sgt Pooley was recovered from the water. The rest of the crew are remembered at the Runnymede Memorial. Their average age was 23.
Date of loss : 26 May 1943
Crew of Stirling Mark III BK659 (26-May-1943) BU-N consisted of :
Sgt Ronald Sydney Blake, 1220818, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 26 May 1943, Aged 32
Sgt Gwynn Towyn Davies, 1314365, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 26 May 1943, Aged 29
Sgt Brian McMahon Jubb, 1315154, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 26 May 1943, Aged 21
FS Robert Albert Kerr, 409144, Royal Australian Air Force, Nationality : Australian, KIA 26 May 1943, Aged 21
Sgt Denys Littlewood, 1670565, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 26 May 1943, Aged 23
Fg/Off Ronald Paisley, 127105, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 26 May 1943, Aged 21
Sgt Frank Henry Edward Pooley, 1456718, Flight Engineer, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 26 May 1943, Aged 19
Source : CWGC and Geoff Swallow (Australian researcher) and Chorley
Date record last updated : 30 April 2011
Stirling Mark III BK662 BU-K
Stirling Mark III BK662 BU-K
According to Chorley the aircraft took off at 19:35 hrs from their base at Chedburgh, Suffolk on a raid to Essen. They were shot down by flak and crashed into the sea west of Ijmuiden, Holland at 22:10 on 5 March 1943. All the crew were killed. Only the body of William Hedley Trotter was found. Chorley also notes that this aircraft was 214 Squadron's first Mark III Stirling loss. Previously they had been flying Stirling Mark I's.
Date of loss : 5 March 1943
Crew of Stirling Mark III BK662 BU-K consisted of :
FS Alphe Baptiste Amirault, R/88416, Royal Canadian Air Force, Nationality : Canadian, KIA 5 March 1943, Aged 24
Sgt Harry William Baldock DFC, 657240, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 5 March 1943, Aged 23
Fg/Off Hugh Terence Etienne, 129058, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 5 March 1943, Aged 21
Sgt Peter Roy Kimber, 1336307, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 5 March 1943, Aged 21
Sgt William Taylor, 1458100, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 5 March 1943
Sgt William Hedley 'Billy' Trotter, 1128255, Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 5 March 1943, Aged 31
Sgt Ernest Albert Wright, 526692, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 5 March 1943
Source : Richard Trotter nephew of William Hedley Trotter and Ian Hunt and Nightjar Newsletter and Chorley
Date record last updated : 5 January 2014
Stirling Mark III BK663 BU-T
Stirling Mark III BK663 BU-T
Crew of Stirling Mark III BK663 BU-T consisted of :
Date record last updated : 25 January 2015
Stirling Mark III BK663 (29-Mar-1943) BU-T
Delivered by Austin Motors Ltd between December 1942 and February 1943. Contract No.B982939/39. BK663 was initially issued to No.214 Squadron on 9 March 1943.
29 March 1943:
Only the crews' second Stirling trip gardening, dropping mines near Texel (an island off the Dutch coast). They had instructions to be sure to positively identify their target from nearby landmarks or bring the mines back apparently they had on board two mines of a very important new type which were not to be dumped anywhere other than on target. When they got near to the target all they could see was fog, so they bought their mines back. On return to base, and whilst in circuit at 2000 feet over Chedburgh, they collided in the dark with another Stirling losing their port tailplane and rear gun turret. The aeroplane went into a dive, Jack Dixon and Bob Jewsbury both had hold of their control columns with feet braced on the control panel trying to lever the columns back and pull the plane out of its dive! The base put up a red flare to say don't land but they didn't have much choice! They did succeed in regaining some control and crash landed on the grass alongside the runway. Apparently Jack Dixon sat at his controls for a moment after the landing thinking how lucky they were to survive. The peace was short lived however as, Paddy Mc Shane appeared with a blackened face shouting "For Gods sake get out, we're on fire and there are still mines on board".
Walter Rowley says that as soon as the plane stopped he scrambled out of the upper escape hatch standing on Jack Dixonwho was enjoying his moment of contemplation and still at his station under the hatch. The crew sprinted from the aircraft fearing an imminent explosion and indeed Bob Jewsbury said he remembered someone swearing he had overtaken a rabbit in the process! Ground staff standing some way from the wreckage then instructed the crew to return to the plane to evaluate damage which they did with some caution. The cause of the fire was a flare which had ignited within its chute.
After this they were all rather shaken up and were sent on leave to recover, Jack getting a Green Endorsement in his log book for safely bringing the Stirling back to Terra Firma. The lost tail turret was discovered the following day just to the east of the airfield near to Rede Farm. Apparently a young farmers' daughter found the sad wreckage with Sgt Burts' body still in the smashed turret. The plane Stirling BK663 was repaired and flew again from Witchford with 196 squadron. She finally came to grief on 28th September 1943 whilst returning to base with problems, flying into the ground near Ely with bombs still on board. There was just one injury. A large scale model of the aeroplane is on show at the Witchford museum.
The crew of the other Stirling involved, EF362N, managed to bail out and survived except for the pilot (Fg/Off W G Cooper from Solihull) who stayed with his plane and died in the subsequent crash.
Crew of Stirling Mark III BK663 (29-Mar-1943) consisted of :
Date record last updated : 25 January 2015
Stirling Mark III BK686 (29-Mar-1943) BU-C
A photo of a shell that entered his cockpit and smashed the instruments on the night of 29/30-Mar-1943.
Up 21:30hrs Back 02:40hrs
Target was Attack on Berlin "B"
This A/C returned early owing to damage by flak, and 425 x 4lb. + 25 x 4lb. "X" + 64 x 30lb. Incends. Were jettisoned at 2342hrs. 10 miles North of FLENSBURG. Base plug of heavy flak shell entered fuselage above front turret, cut lighting cables, smashed instrument panel, and buckled aileron control.
Route as ordered to FLENSBURG.
Crew of Stirling Mark III BK686 (29-Mar-1943) BU-C consisted of :
Sgt A H Bradley, Royal New Zealand Air Force, Nationality : New Zealand
Sgt H Brookfield, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom
Sgt Francis Herbert Dix MiD, 411069, Wireless Operator / Air Gunner, Royal New Zealand Air Force, Nationality : New Zealand, KIA 24 February 1945, Aged 24
Sgt Ralph Reginald Shipley, Air Gunner, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom
Flt/Lt Bruce Gibb Wallace DFC and Bar, 403482, Pilot, Royal New Zealand Air Force, Nationality : New Zealand
Sgt R A Windram Sgt Frank Richard Woodger, 52114, Flight Engineer, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 24 February 1945, Aged 32
Source : Don Wallace (son of Sqn/Ldr Bruce Gibb Wallace) and 214 Squadron ORB
Date record last updated : 11 March 2022
Stirling Mark III BK686 (26-Jul-1943) BU-C
T.o.C No.10 M.U 29 January 1943
T.o.C No.214 Sqdn 09 March 1943
CAT 'E' (Missing) 26 July 1943
S.o.C 31.07.1943
Total Flying Hours 169hrs 30 minutes
BK 686 BU-C 214 Squadron, 25 sorties. Failed to return Essen 26 July 1943
Crashed at Essen-Borbeck.
All of the crew were originally buried in Dusseldorf, Germany.
Date of loss : 26 July 1943
Crew of Stirling Mark III BK686 (26-Jul-1943) BU-C consisted of :
FS Eric Norman Bird, 1386978, Air Bomber, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 26 July 1943, Aged 20
Fg/Off John Sinclair Clements, 124440, Pilot, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 26 July 1943, Aged 23
Fg/Off John Henry Clarence Davie, 405678, Royal Australian Air Force, Nationality : Australian, KIA 26 July 1943, Aged 25
FS Gordon Brown Fielder, 755751, Wireless Operator / Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 26 July 1943, Aged 28
Sgt Samuel John Greer, 611098, Flight Engineer, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 26 July 1943, Aged 22
Fg/Off George Frederick McCleary, J/20104, Air Gunner, Royal Canadian Air Force, Nationality : Canadian, KIA 26 July 1943, Aged 24
Sgt Hugh Owen, 538488, Air Gunner, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 26 July 1943, Aged 24
Fg/Off Denis Max Weddell, 137107, Navigator, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 26 July 1943, Aged 25
This aircraft jettisoned live 80 x 30 lb, 765 x 4 lb. and 45 x 4 lb. "X" Incends. over flak and S/L concentration at believed Mannheim at 02:48 hrs from 10,000 feet, heading 278 degrees N. owing to port outer engine cutting. The Rear Gunner saw glow of a believed large fire reflected on the cloud after jettisoning.
No photo attempted. Route as ordered to believed MANNHEIM.
Crew of Stirling Mark III BK717 (11-Apr-1943) BU-U consisted of :
Date record last updated : 10 March 2023
Stirling Mark III BK717 (04-Jul-1943) BU-U
Take off 23:51hrs from Chedburgh. The operation that night was to Cologne. Shot down by a night-fighter (Uffe Frank, I./NJG3), crashing 01:06hrs at Zaamslag (Zeeland), 5km ESE of Terneuzen, Holland.
Wim de Meester writes :
Stirling Mk.III (BK717) of No. 214 Squadron - started at 23.51 from Chedburgh Suffolk - was shot at 00.46 by Oblt. Heinz-Martin Hadeball (2./NJG 1).
The machine exploded at approximately 7000-8000 m altitude, after which the remains crashed about one kilometer northwest of the tiny village of Zaamslag (Oost-Zeeuws- Vlaanderen) on the land of farmer Mr. P.de Deurwaarder.
There was only one survivor (who jumped before the crash).
All those killed were buried on 7 July at the Noorder cemetery in Vlissingen.
Kees Stoutjesdijk and Wim de Meester are publishing details of the airwar over Zeeland during WW2 (the southwestern part of The Netherlands) and they have already punlished two volumes about this. See www.ww2research.nl for further information. They would like to contact the families of the crew and possibly obtain photograohs of them. Please contact the website administrators if you can help.
Date of loss : 4 July 1943
Crew of Stirling Mark III BK717 BU-B consisted of :
Sgt Francis Field, 1320541, Air Bomber, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, KIA 4 July 1943
Sgt L L Kelley, POW 29 July 1943
Fg/Off James Kinnell Paterson, 127471, Navigator, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 4 July 1943, Aged 27
Sgt George Edward Patrick, 1216471, Wireless Operator / Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 4 July 1943, Aged 22
Sgt John Sellers, 1529258, Flight Engineer, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 4 July 1943, Aged 32
Sgt Robert Erle Thallon, 1385945, Pilot, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 4 July 1943, Aged 20
Sgt Paget Derick White, 1405182, Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 4 July 1943, Aged 20
Source : Chorley and Wim de Meester of The Netherlands and Martien van Dijk (Wings to Victory in the Netherlands)
Date record last updated : 30 January 2020
Stirling Mark III BK767 BU-L
Stirling Mark III BK767 BU-L
Operation to Gelsenkirchen.
Take off was at 23:48hrs from Chedburgh. Shot down by a night fighter (Oblt Ludwig Meister I./NJG4) and crashed at 01:45am on 26 June 1943 at Aalten (Gelderland), 46km ESE of Arnhem and a mere 4km N of Holland's border with Germany at the village of Hemden. Those who died rest in Aalten (Berkenhove) General Cemetery alongside 12 British soldiers, killed in the last days of March 1945.
The above photograph shows the graves of the airmen who died.
These photographs show a wreath which was put at the graves. The wreath was secretly put at the graves by some people of the resistance within some days after the burial but the Germans ordered them to take it away immediately. The text on the wreath reads : BROKEN WINGS; IMMORTAL GLORY.
Peter Rhebergen from Aalten, The Netherlands says that a memorial service is conducted at the memorial in IJzerlo in the town of Aalten in The Netherlands every year on 26 June which is the annversary of the crash. Peter has pictures of the airman except Sgt William Harris Thompson. He would like to obtain a picture before 26 June 2022 when the next memorial service is held. If you have a picture of Sgt Thompson then please contact the site administrators and we will pass it on to Peter. Thank you.
Date of loss : 26 June 1943
Crew of Stirling Mark III BK767 BU-L consisted of :
Plt/Off Bernard Henry Church, 148123, Pilot, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : British, KIA 26 June 1943, Aged 21
Sgt William Thomas Davis, 1384993, Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : British, KIA 26 June 1943, Aged 21
Sgt Frederick Mills, 1048627, Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : British, KIA 26 June 1943, Aged 20
Fg/Off Keith Allan Neilson, 411092, Wireless Operator, Royal New Zealand Air Force, Nationality : New Zealand, POW 25 June 1943
FS Edwin Griffiths Taylor, 1600154, Navigator, POW 25 June 1943
Sgt William Harris Thompson, 1476771, Flight Engineer, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : British, KIA 26 June 1943, Aged 21
Fg/Off John Frederick Tritton, 133803, Air Bomber, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : British, KIA 26 June 1943, Aged 28
Source : Chorley and Peter Rhebergen from Aalten, The Netherlands and Richard Holyhead (researcher)
Date record last updated : 11 April 2022
Stirling (model unknown) BK800
Stirling (model unknown) BK800
Target : Attack on Marienehe
Take off : 2150
Down : 0700
214 Squadrom ORB says :
This A/C attacked the HEINKEL works at MARIENEHE, dropping 1 x 2000HC,1 x 1000GP, 1 x1000LD(37 Mk IV E) at 0140hrs., from 10000ft, heading 180M. The night was fine with moonlight, no cloud and visibility good. A thick smoke obliterated the ground detail. The target was identified by run up river, and a fire in factory was seen through smoke screen, and town was identified on run out. Large fire in works and one large and several small fires seen in ROSTOCK. The rear turret was hit by flak from flakship West of P???HEAD, and rear gunner was killed. Soon after fuselage raked by fighter.
One photo attempted. Route as ordered.
It seems that Sgt Benjamin Oldroyd was the rear gunner and was killed on this mission.
According to Sgt Rollings :
"On returning, flying very low over sea east of Kiel Canal when fired at (almost horizontally) and rear gunner killed - had 120+ bullet holes in aircraft when back on squadron."
Crew of Stirling (model unknown) BK800 consisted of :
Source : David Smith (grandson of WO Rollings) and 214 Squadron ORB
Date record last updated : 15 January 2021
Stirling Mark I DJ973 BU-A
Stirling Mark I DJ973 BU-A
Operation to St-Nazaire (according to Martin Middlebrook's 'Bomber Command War Diaries' this was only a small raid by just 21 aircraft)
Took off from Stradishall but turned back before reaching the target with engine problems and crashed at 03:49 while approaching base, coming down at Bears Farm, Hundon, 5 miles NW of Haverhill, Suffolk.
Date of loss : 25 June 1942
Crew of Stirling Mark I DJ973 BU-A consisted of :
Sgt R B Appleby, KIA 25 June 1942
Sgt Horace Sydney 'Chic' Barker, 646994, Flight Engineer, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 25 June 1942, Aged 23
Sgt Peter Grenville Brothers, 1250057, Wireless Operator / Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 25 June 1942, Aged 22
FS Eddy Hester Brown, R/83258, Air Gunner, Royal Canadian Air Force, Nationality : Canadian, KIA 25 June 1942, Aged 20
FS William Neilson Craig, 996848, Pilot, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 25 June 1942
Sgt Gilbert James Mugford, 1265929, Observer, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 25 June 1942, Aged 29
Sgt Douglas Edward Shrimpton, 1183690, Wireless Operator / Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 25 June 1942, Aged 21
Source : Chorley 1942 and Neil Leveratt nephew of Sgt Brothers and Ian Hunt
Date record last updated : 20 August 2009
Stirling Mark III EE882 BU-J
Stirling Mark III EE882 BU-J
Take off from Chedburgh on a gardening operation. Mission was for mine laying duties in the Nectarines region. Lost without trace. All are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
Date of loss : 4 July 1943
Crew of Stirling Mark III EE882 BU-J consisted of :
Sgt Ronald George Armsworth, 1390997, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 4 July 1943, Aged 21
Sgt Henry Alan Clark, 1093765, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 4 July 1943, Aged 22
Sgt Alfred Ross Dixon, R/181570, Royal Canadian Air Force, Nationality : Canadian, KIA 3 July 1943, Aged 20
Sgt Richard Mailey, 1045726, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 4 July 1943, Aged 20
Sgt Francis William Morrell, 1750577, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 4 July 1943, Aged 35
Sgt Francis Elliot Pilkington, 1474216, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 4 July 1943, Aged 39
Sgt Alan Leonard Warren, 1385391, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 4 July 1943, Aged 27
Source : Chorley
Date record last updated : 22 August 2019
Stirling Mark III EE883 BU-
Stirling Mark III EE883 BU-T
According to Chorley, 214 Squadron Stirling Mark 3 EE883 BU-T was lost on the night of 24-25 June 1943 on a raid by 630 Bomber Command aircraft on Wuppurtal in the Ruhr. The crew of 7 were all killed.
Chorley notes that they took off from Chedburgh at 23:30 and were reported to have been shot down by a combination of flak and night fighters, crashing into the sea at 03:09 off the Dutch coastal town of Noordwijk aan Zee. Five of the crew have no known graves but Sgt Jones rests in a cemetery in Noordwijk while Solomon Seward lies in Bergen.
Date of loss : 24 June 1943
Crew of Stirling Mark III EE883 BU-T consisted of :
Sgt Roland Graham Akers, 1536320, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 24 June 1943
Sgt John Alfred Hitchins, 1323326, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 24 June 1943, Aged 19
Sgt Thomas Jones, 1622196, Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 24 June 1943, Aged 33
Sgt Charles Kenneth Miller, 1497411, Pilot, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 24 June 1943, Aged 21
Sgt Solomon Seward, 1356712, Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 24 June 1943
Sgt Ronald Albert Hurworth Smith, 1333412, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 24 June 1943
Sgt Peter David Straton, 1396511, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 24 June 1943
Source : Steve Abbott grandson of Solomon Seward, Ian Hunt and CWGC
Stirling Mark III EE885
Stirling Mark III EE885
No further information available yet.
Source : Unknown
Date record last updated : 10 June 2020
Stirling Mark III EE899
Stirling Mark III EE899 (24-Jul-1943)
Attack on Hamburg
Up 22:25hrs
Down 04:40hrs
This A/C attacked HAMBURG at 01:21hrs, from 13000ft on a heading of 164 degrees N., with 90 x 4lb. 'X', 720 x 4lb. and 72 x 30lb. Incends. It was a dark night, with smoke and haze and fairly good visibility, target being identified by yellow markers in the way in. Bombs were aimed at the centre of a cluster of red markers and were seen to burst. A good concentration of fires was seen around red markers, which were bombed and many other scattered fires all round.
One photo attempted. Route as ordered.
Crew of Stirling Mark III EE899 (24-Jul-1943) consisted of :
This A/C attacked AACHEN at 01:51hrs. from 12000ft. on a heading 0f 226 degrees N., with 1020 x 4lb., 60 x 4 lb. 'X', and 88 x 30lb. Incend. It was a moonlight night with 8/10ths. broken cloud at 8000ft. and good visibility. Yellow markers were seen on the way in. One single red marker was bombed. Some green markers fell round this red one. A second concentration of green markers was seen. Fires did not appear to be concentrated. Incendiaries concentrated, but had not yet caught hold. Cloud obscured most of the detail. One packet of nickels was dropped 5 miles N.W. of Noordwijk to fall on HOLLAND.
One photo attempted. Route as ordered.
Crew of Stirling Mark III EE902 (14-Jul-1943) consisted of :
Date record last updated : 10 March 2023
Stirling Mark III EE902 (25-Jul-1943) BU-P
Take off from Chedburgh on a mission to Hamburg. Shot down by a night-fighter and crashed at Barchel. Of those who died, five are buried at Becklingen War Cemetery, whilst Sgt Crowe lies in Hamburg Cemetery, Ohlsdorf. Details of Plt/Off Belshaw's award were not Gazetted until 28 July 1944.
Date of loss : 25 July 1943
Crew of Stirling Mark III EE902 BU-P consisted of :
Sgt William Barnes, 1266491, Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 25 July 1943, Aged 34
Plt/Off Richard Watt Belshaw DFM, 147743, Pilot, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 25 July 1943, Aged 21
Sgt W L Clements, POW 24 July 1943
Sgt Edward James Crowe, 1206970, Wireless Operator / Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 25 July 1943, Aged 24
Sgt George Leash Gibb, 1559476, Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 25 July 1943
FS G Gosling, Royal New Zealand Air Force, POW 24 July 1943
FS Leslie Francis Morris, 414887, Navigator, Royal New Zealand Air Force, Nationality : New Zealand, KIA 25 July 1943, Aged 35
Sgt Leslie Thomas Sowerby, 637314, Flight Engineer, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 25 July 1943, Aged 23
Source : Chorley
Date record last updated : 22 August 2019
Stirling Mark III EE959 BU-E
Stirling Mark III EE959 BU-E
Photo is probably of the crew of EE959. Photo was rescued from the Marquis Cornwallis pub, opposite RAF Chedburgh which closed in 2016. Click on this link regarding the refurbishment
(Dave) may have been Sgt C W Davis who was Mid Upper Gunner on a lot of the missions about the time of the photo and before Edgar Hartland was performing that role on the night BU-E was lost.
Take off from Chedburgh at 20:29hrs. The operation was to Berlin. The aircraft was intercepted by a night-fighter roughly five minutes after leaving the target area. A fierce fire developed in the centre part of the fuselage and the order to abandon was given. The pilot engaged the auto pilot and left the Stirling by the forward escape hatch.
Date of loss : 31 August 1943
Crew of Stirling Mark III EE959 BU-E consisted of :
Sgt Maurice Butler, 985083, Flight Engineer, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 1 September 1943, Aged 24
Fg/Off Ian Crichton, Navigator, Royal Air Force, POW 31 August 1943
Sgt Leslie Charles Gale, 1384752, Rear Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 1 September 1943, Aged 21
FS Edgar Edward Hartland DFM, 1195242, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, POW 31 August 1943
Sgt William Albert 'Bill' King, 1384545, Wireless Operator / Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 1 September 1943, Aged 28
Flt/Lt Frank Lee, Pilot, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, POW 31 August 1943
Plt/Off Harold George Pete Mounsey, 148050, Air Bomber, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 1 September 1943, Aged 33
Source : Adrian Lee (son of Frank Lee) and Chorley
Date record last updated : 9 July 2021
Stirling Mark III EE970 BU-B
Stirling Mark III EE970 BU-B
The mission was to Berlin. Take off was at 20:34hrs from Chedburgh.
Whilst over Berlin, the aircraft was hit by flak, caught fire, and while going down in flames the pilot ordered the crew to bail out The aircraft crashed at Charlottenfelde, 5km north east of Neukloster.
Frank Edge writes: "I have been researching Stirling bomber EE970 for the daughter and granddaughter of one of the crew - the radio operator Sargeant George Daulby who successfully bailed out along with the rest of the crew apart from the pilot - Pilot Officer KJ Simpson who stayed in the plane and died when the plane crashed. Sadly another crew member DC Houghton died as well when his parachute failed to open. A good account of what happened was published in Canadian papers The Sunday Star Metro and The Toronto Star on 7 11 1999. The pilot's body was never recovered and he has no known grave and the family of George Daulby say this fact haunted him for the rest of his life. There is a good chance his body was pulled from the wreckage of the plane and buried but the crash site was in the Soviet sector after the war and not accessible."
Date of loss : 1 September 1943
Crew of Stirling Mark III EE970 BU-B consisted of :
Sgt W R Case, Royal Canadian Air Force, Nationality : Canadian, POW 31 August 1943
Sgt J E Chisholm, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, POW 31 August 1943
Sgt G Daulby, Wireless Operator, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, POW 31 August 1943
Sgt H M Diebel, Royal Canadian Air Force, Nationality : Canadian, POW 31 August 1943
Sgt J A E Giblin, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, POW 31 August 1943
FS Douglas Conway Houghton, 420469, Rear Gunner, Royal Australian Air Force, Nationality : Australian, KIA 1 September 1943, Aged 20
Plt/Off Kenneth John Simpson, 413675, Pilot, Royal Australian Air Force, Nationality : Australian, KIA 1 September 1943, Aged 22
Source : Ian Hunt and Chorley and Geoff Swallow (Australian researcher) and Frank Edge (researcher)
Date record last updated : 7 August 2010
Stirling Mark III EF115
Stirling Mark III EF115 (12-Oct-1943)
Up 17:50 hrs.
Down 01:30 hrs.
Gardening mission Silverthorn 12.
This aircraft laid 2 x H802 and 1 x D404 in alloted position, at 20:48 hrs from 5000 ft. It was a starlight night, no clouds and good visibility.
Weather on return route was very base.
Crew of Stirling Mark III EF115 (12-Oct-1943) consisted of :
Take off was at 18:19hrs from Chedburgh. The target was Hamburg. Hit by flak and crashed at 22:10hrs at Leeste, 9km South of Bremen.
Date of loss : 3 March 1943
Crew of Stirling Mark I EF329 BU-C consisted of :
Sgt Ronald Sidney Allen, 901540, Air Bomber, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, KIA 3 March 1943, Aged 24
Sgt Alfred Victor Gordon Cridge, 412867, Royal New Zealand Air Force, Nationality : New Zealand, KIA 3 March 1943, Aged 22
Sgt Hugh Morris Felce, 1161980, Flight Engineer, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 3 March 1943
Sgt F Manglesen, Royal New Zealand Air Force, Nationality : New Zealand, POW 3 March 1943
Plt/Off Charles William Valentine Pepper, 138308, Pilot, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 3 March 1943, Aged 23
Sgt John William Rider, 1219496, Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 3 March 1943, Aged 21
Sgt John Neville Unsworth, 1073810, Wireless Operator / Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 3 March 1943, Aged 19
Source : Chorley
Date record last updated : 21 June 2011
Stirling Mark I EF331 BU-H
Stirling Mark I EF331 BU-H
Took off from Chedburgh at 21:26 on an operation to Stuttgart. Shot down by a night-fighter and crashed at Sept-Saulx (Marne), 19km SE of Reims, France. All lie in Sept-Saulx Churchyard. Sgt Dent's parents lived in Guatemala City.
Date of loss : 15 April 1943
Crew of Stirling Mark I EF331 BU-H consisted of :
Sgt Harold Charles Dent, 1384029, Wireless Operator / Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, KIA 15 April 1943, Aged 26
Sgt Robert Ernest Dutton, 1338700, Air Bomber, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, KIA 15 April 1943, Aged 27
FS Eric Harold Ingram, R/119142, Air Gunner, Royal Canadian Air Force, KIA 15 April 1943, Aged 23
Plt/Off Leslie Powell, 144037, Pilot, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, KIA 15 April 1943, Aged 22
Fg/Off Edward Henry Scott, 127266, Navigator, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, KIA 15 April 1943, Aged 30
Sgt Thomas Shepherd, 573650, Flight Engineer, Royal Air Force, KIA 15 April 1943, Aged 21
Sgt John William Williams, 1094029, Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, KIA 15 April 1943, Aged 31
Source : Chorley
Date record last updated : 17 December 2010
Stirling Mark I EF331 (03-Mar-1943) BU-H
Target was HAMBURG
Flight went up at 18:10hrs and returned 00:10hrs
Crew of Stirling Mark I EF331 (03-Mar-1943) BU-H consisted of :
Flight left at 21:25 hours for Osnabruck. At 23:50 hours, from 14,000 feet, incendary bombs were dropped and were seen to explode. Flight returned at 02:20 hours.
Crew of Stirling (model unknown) EF337 (17-Aug-1942) consisted of :
This aircraft attacked Stuttgart, dropping 680 x 4 lb, 40 x 4 lb "X" and 64 x 30 lb incends at 00:55 hrs from 9000 feet on a heading of 204 degrees N. It was a moonlight night with no cloud and good visibility and target was identified by P.F.F. markers and built up area. Numerous incendiaries were seen and R/G saw 2 large concentrated fires from 50 miles away after leaving. It was a very successful attack, also P.F.F. technique was considered very good. At 5019N 0100E a double red star was seen fired from sea and small white light was also seen flashing intermittently from same position at 0321 hours, 6000 feet heading 353 degrees N.
One photo attempted. Route as ordered.
Crew of Stirling Mark I EF358 (14-Apr-1943) BU-Q consisted of :
Date record last updated : 10 March 2023
Stirling Mark I EF358 (16-Apr-1943) BU-Q
Attack on Mannheim
Up 21.45hrs
Down 04:35hrs.
MANNHEIM was attacked at 00:57hrs. from 11000ft. heading 330 degrees N. It was moonlight no cloud some haze and visibility was fair when 680 x 4lb., 40 x 4lb. 'X' and 64 x 30lb. Incends were released on red T.I. Markers. No results of our bombing were observed and no fires had started when A/C arrived. Observation on leaving was impossible owing to severe evasive action as A/C was hit by flak. The port tyre hydraulic system was hit by flak and the rear turret was U/S. A/C crashed on landing and the Captain was injured.
One photo attempted. Route as ordered.
Crew of Stirling Mark I EF358 (16-Apr-1943) BU-Q consisted of :
EF362 Crew 30 March 1943.
From the left is Sgt Kearns, Sgt Logan, Sgt Dyde, Fg/Off Cooper, Sgt Smith, Sgt Lovegrove and Sgt Boosma on the right.
Delivered by Short Brothers Ltd between January 1943 and April 1943. Contract No.763825/38. Delivered to No.214 Squadron on 18 March 1943.
The last flight of Bill Cooper's Stirling bomber on 30 March 1943 had been beset with problems from the start. Ahead of the crew lay a dangerous mission known as a 'Big Run', so called because it involved wave after wave of allied bombers attacking the German capital at night.
Shortly after take off, engineer Fred Smith advised Bill that the plane had engine trouble but the crew flew on to their rendezvous point with 50 other allied bombers over the English Channel.
By this stage of the war, Stirling bombers were frequently used as path-finders before a bombing raid, which meant they would fly ahead and drop incendiary bombs on the target, to cause massive fires which would act as a beacon to the main wave of bombers flying ten minutes behind.
Once the Stirlings completed their task they would re-group and then join the tail end of the main wave of bombers to drop further bombs on the target, in this case, Berlin.
Having survived German anti-aircraft guns and night-time fighters, what was left of the bombing group returned home to England. In addition, to flying with a faulty engine, Bill Cooper's crew then suffered the cruellest twist of fate when a fellow Stirling bomber, BK663,also on its way back to base, collided with Bill's plane in the dead of night. The impact stripped 6ft off the wing off BK663.
Of the seven-man crew who took off the night before only Bill remained in the cockpit having ordered his men to bail out and save their lives somewhere over the Suffolk countryside. He struggled valiantly to keep control of the mammoth aircraft but despite his desperate efforts to nurse the plane back to base, the 29-year-old knew he was too low and it was too late for him to bail out of the plane. He also knew there was a village beneath him so he flew away from the sleeping villagers in an effort to save lives.
The time was 2am and it was a foggy and icy night. The plane, now in its final moments, was still 15 miles from its base at RAF Chedburgh in Suffolk where it took off five hours earlier.
Vital seconds were left and RAF pilot Bill Cooper made one of the most important decisions of his life; he skilfully steered his crippled Second World War Stirling bomber away from the village of Semer, in Suffolk.
Bill had no choice but to crash land in a farmer's field near to the village and the explosion scattered wreckage across the field and nearby coppice.
The last person to see Bill alive was the plane's engineer Fred Smith, from Liverpool, who, before he bailed out, shouted to his fellow crewman and friend: "Are you coming, skipper?' Bill replied: "I'm right behind you." But he wasn't with Fred and he stayed with his plane to the very end.
Fg/Off William George Cooper was the only fatality. Sgt A T Boosma and Sgt C R Logan were injured.
Jeremy Kearns writes:
"I remember my father telling me of this incident and how he was involved in a mid-air collision with another Stirling bomber whilst in in "the circuit" waiting to land, he told me that he was probably the last one to leave the virtually uncontrollable aircraft apart from the brave pilot Bill Cooper who told him in no uncertain terms to get out quickly whilst he struggled with to control the stricken aircraft.
Unfortunately Bill Cooper himself did not manage get out in time and did not survive the subsequent crash.
My father bailed out of the aircraft at an approximate height of 1,000 feet and praised his good fortune of having the chute open for him at such a low height - he earned his caterpillar pin for this lucky escape."
Michael Smith writes :
"My father was Fl Sgt Frederick Edmondson Smith (usually known as Eric or "FE") He was the flight engineer in this aircraft when it crashed and pilot Bill Cooper lost his life.
He left me a copy of the photo (above) with the names of his colleagues on a separate piece of paper.
My father died in 1984. I knew that he had bailed out in an emergency and I have his gold Caterpillar Club badge. Your website has added a lot to the story for me."
Source : Ian Hunt and Nightjar Newsletter Spring 2004 and Joyce Birch (cousin of WG Cooper) and Jeremy Kearns (son of Robert Kearns) and Stratford Herald and Michael Smith (son of FFS Frederick Edmonson Smith)
Date record last updated : 8 May 2020
Stirling Mark I EF368
Stirling Mark I EF368 (17-Oct-1943)
Up 23:55 hrs.
Down 03:45 hrs.
Special duty mission to France.
Successful Mission.
Crew of Stirling Mark I EF368 (17-Oct-1943) consisted of :
Delivered to No.214 Sqdn 1 August 1943.
Plane was airborne at 21:53 on 12/13 August 1943 from Chedburgh. The target was Torino in Italy.
Stirling EF390 was damaged by flak and finally shot down by Capt. Hans Wolfgang Niebelschütz. The aircraft crashed at La Bussière-sur-Ouche, which is a village 26 kilometres south-west of Dijon in the Department of the Côte d'Or, and all the crew perished.
The 7 members of the crew are all buried in the local cemetery. Every year there is a memorial ceremony to mark the occasion which is organised by a French Parachutist Association and the Royal Air Force Association.
Translation from French of an extract of the official report of the incident can be found here :
Sgt Kenneth James Cork, 1331079, Wireless Operator / Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 13 August 1943, Aged 21
FS Albert Douglas Harris, 415529, Air Gunner, Royal New Zealand Air Force, Nationality : New Zealand, KIA 13 August 1943, Aged 23
Fg/Off Frank Wilfred 'Dutch' Holland, 132094, Air Bomber, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 13 August 1943, Aged 32
Sgt John Geoffrey Knight, 963535, Flight Engineer, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 13 August 1943, Aged 27
Plt/Off Frederick George Matthews, 412465, Pilot, Royal Australian Air Force, Nationality : Australian, KIA 13 August 1943, Aged 25
Sgt Henry George Ott, 1333605, Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 13 August 1943, Aged 19
FS Alistair Frederick Rose, 416542, Navigator, Royal New Zealand Air Force, Nationality : New Zealand, KIA 13 August 1943, Aged 20
Source : J. Michael Townsend, Chairman of the RAFA French Riviera Branch and Peter Clarke
Date record last updated : 5 August 2009
Stirling Mark I EF393 BU-R
Stirling Mark I EF393 BU-R
The raid was on the night of 22 September 1943. A mixture of 711 heavy bombers, including 214 Squadron Stirlings, were detailed to attack Hannover. The aircraft took off from RAF Chedburugh at
19:10 hrs but failed to return.
The story that has been relayed to John Fowler was that the bomber was critically hit and was going out of control. The pilot held the plane steady while the other members of the crew bailed out. Unfortunately the pilot could not bail out as he could not release the controls without the plane spinning. This was told by members of his crew who became POWs to the next of kin either through letters or after the war was over.
Date of loss : 22 September 1943
Crew of Stirling Mark I EF393 BU-R consisted of :
Sgt Dennis Lawrence Dean, 576664, Flight Engineer, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 22 September 1943, Aged 19
FS Harry Ernest Hall BEM, 1436050, Pilot, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 22 September 1943, Aged 21
Sgt Joffre Liege Morgan, 1403486, Rear Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 22 September 1943, Aged 29
Plt/Off Ronald Herbert Nelson, 413339, Navigator, Royal New Zealand Air Force, Nationality : New Zealand, KIA 22 September 1943, Aged 26
Sgt Geoffrey Parnell, 1579972, Mid Upper Gunner, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, POW 22 September 1943
Sgt William Charles Thomas, 1331876, Wireless Operator / Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 22 September 1943, Aged 22
Sgt James Cheyne Todd, 657154, Air Bomber, Nationality : United Kingdom, POW 22 September 1943
Source : John Fowler (relative of Harry Hall)
Date record last updated : 5 August 2009
Stirling Mark III EF401 BU-Y
Stirling Mark III EF401 BU-Y
Take off was at 20:34 hrs from Chedburgh. The mission was to Berlin. The aircraft was shot down by a night-fighter and crashed at Brandenburg. Four of the crew were killed and 3 were taken POW.
Date of loss : 1 September 1943
Crew of Stirling Mark III EF401 BU-Y consisted of :
FS Raymond Colin Chislett, 1384670, Pilot, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 1 September 1943, Aged 21
Sgt Andrew Cowan, 1077677, Wireless Operator / Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 1 September 1943, Aged 21
Sgt J W Dales, R/110805, Royal Canadian Air Force, Nationality : Canadian, POW 31 August 1943
Sgt Stanley Harold Hopkins, 1604617, Flight Engineer, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 1 September 1943
Sgt W E Humphreys, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, POW 31 August 1943
Plt/Off N A Parsons, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, POW 31 August 1943
Sgt Alfred Arthur Poulton, 1397028, Navigator, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 1 September 1943, Aged 34
An account of of the aircraft EF401 being shot down by Sgt Jack Dales (rear gunner) as published in the book "Canadians in the Royal Air Force" by Les Allison. Click on this link to see the account.
David Humphreys has done some further research and recently went on a trip to Berlin to meet some German "aircraft hunters", who were extremely helpful.
This is the information about the crash that he has discovered :
1) 622 bombers left the UK on 31/8/43, 47 failed to return of which 46 were credited to the Nachtjagd including 16 Stirlings. Of those that returned, 14 had fighter attack damage (8 seriously damaged) and 31 had flak damage. "The fighters were also assisted by strings of brilliant white flares that were dropped by illuminator aircraft along the route which lit up the night sky like day"
Reference: Nachtjagd Combat Archive 1943 Part 2 - Theo Boiten.
2) The damage inflicted by the mission was relatively light for the scale of the operation (circa 60 German fatalities) as due to fog, the initial "pathfinder" bombs were dropped to the NW of Berlin significantly off target and this then became the target area.
Reference: Frank Brekow
3) The crew of EF401 were relatively inexperienced on their second or third combat mission (the previous mission was a less risky mine laying / gardening mission).
4) They had dropped their incendiaries from 12000 feet and on their return shortly afterwards at 0105hrs on 1/9/43 they were shot down by Lt Heinz Rolland 12./NJG1 flying an ME110 nightfighter... the location given was 4km W.Brandenburg 4000m
Reference: Nachtjagd Combat Archive 1943 Part 2 Theo Boiten.
It is suspected that they were shot down somewhere to the NW of Berlin when they may have been heading towards Brandenburg to get an H2S (radar) fix which would have been the normal route. It is considered very unlikely that flak had any involvement in the crash, as it wasnt used when nightfigters were in the vicinity.
5) There was an explosion at the rear of the aircraft which shattered the rear gunners gun-sight and when the rear gunner then looked along the aircraft fuselage he "saw a glimmer of flames upgront and then felt a blast of heat". He believed that "a shell had hit the nose section and had likely killed the Pilot, Flight Engineer and Navigator".
Reference: Canadians in the Royal Air Force" by Les Allison.
There is a possibility that a bullet hit an oxygen pipe in the vicinity of the cockpit that might have caused the fire.
6) Shortly after being hit, Jack Dales (the rear gunner) decided to bale out but had some trouble exiting through the rear exit with his parachute. "He knew the aircraft was going down fast so pulled the ripcord ring and the chute opened. But the strap tightened with a snap and hit his jaw and cheeks, but almost immediately he hit the marsh". He landed up to his waist in a marsh and later made it to a nearby unguarded railway bridge, visible from where he landed. He surrendered 4 days later almost blind from glass in his eyes. He spent the rest of the war in the camps at Klouster Hiennar at Bad Salva, Stalag V1B and POW camp 357.
Reference: Canadians in the Royal Air Force" by Les Allison.
Due to the short time before leaving the aircraft and landing, it is wondered if he was quite close to the crash site when he bailed out ?
7) Immediately prior to being hit, the wireless operator (Sgt Cowan), mid upper gunner (Sgt Humphreys) and bomb aimer (P/O Parsons) were working together presumably in the main fueselage to throw window (aluminium foil) from the aircraft to confuse the radar. Very shortly after the aircraft was hit, Sgt Humphreys and P/O Parsons jumped and both survived. Sgt Humphreys was captured shortly after landing and then imprisoned in Stalag 4B until the end of the war. Sgt Cowan however unfortunately did not have his parachute when the aircraft was hit and "tried to go up front through the flames to get it. He didnt make it". It is tragically possible that Sgt Cowan was still alive when the aircraft crashed. There is currently not much info as to what happened to P/O Parsons after landing, although we know that he was imprisoned in camp L3 (POW number 2481)
Reference: Canadians in the Royal Air Force" by Les Allison and "Footprints in the Sands of Time" by Oliver Clutton-Brock
8) The aircraft crashed at the location shown by the photos below, just at the point where the tram tracks cross the road... a witness advised a few years ago that the tram was out of action for at least 24 hours after the crash. The four fatalities were recovered from the aircraft during this period.
9) The bodies were initially buried at the Alstadertischer Friedhof cemetry in Brandenburg an der Havel probably with full military honours (there was a Luftwaffe airfield within a couple of miles of the crash site) very likely in the area shown below.
10) After the war, the burial site was in East Germany. In 1947 it was agreed that the bodies could be repatriated to a cemetry in the West and the bodies were exhumed and spent a brief period in the house below (with the sign) where a small number of British were briefly based.
11) On 11/1/1947 they were reburied at the Berlin Heerstrasse British Cemetry in West Berlin where they remain.
12) Grave position by the red dot shown.
13) Graves of the crew.
Source : Chorley and David Humphreys (son of Sgt Humphreys)
Date record last updated : 24 January 2025
Stirling Mark III EF402 BU-E
Stirling Mark III EF402 BU-E
Take off was at 20:13hrs from Chedburgh. Mission was to Hanover. The aircraft was hit by flak and the autopilot was selected on before the crew left the plane in parachutes between Almelo in Holland and the German port of Emden. Left to it's own devices the Stirling flew on and eventually came down at Galtho, about 18km NE of Varde in Denmark, in a field belonging to farmer Jens Jensen.
When the Germans were not able to find the crew, they behaved rather rudely to the local population, who, they were convinced, must have knowledge of where the crew hid.
Eventually all of the crew were taken as Prisoners of War.
Date of loss : 27 September 1943
Crew of Stirling Mark III EF402 BU-E consisted of :
FS A H E Bamsey, Nationality : United Kingdom, POW 27 September 1943
Sgt R G Bentley, Nationality : United Kingdom, POW 27 September 1943
FS C Brown, Nationality : United Kingdom, POW 27 September 1943
Sgt E A Harvey, Nationality : United Kingdom, POW 27 September 1943
Sgt J D Musgrove, Nationality : United Kingdom, POW 27 September
Sgt W E Warren, Nationality : United Kingdom, POW 27 September 1943
This A/C attacked Hamburg at 01:07hrs from 14000ft with 672 x 4 lb., 48 x 4lb. 'X', and 64 x 30lb. Incend. on a heading of 185 degrees N. It was a dark night with no cloud but haze and smoke. The target was identified by concentration of T.I. Green and built up area. Bombs were aimed at built up area and centre of concentration of fires in the target area. Several very large fires could be seen 150 miles away. Explosions seen 90 miles away. 72 bundles of windows dropped between 00:31 and 01:46hrs. from 14000 - 13000ft. Dummy T.I. red markers seen dropping in outlying districts to W. of town.
One photo attempted. Route as ordered.
Crew of Stirling Mark III EF403 (27-Jul-1943) BU-G consisted of :
Date record last updated : 10 March 2023
Stirling Mark III EF403 (18-Sep-1943) BU-G
In September, 3 Stirling crews from 214 were selected for attachment to 161 Squadron Tempsford to assess how the aircraft performed in what were to be low level clandestine ops. One of these was EF403 BU-G
"Ops as ordered"
Flying at 5000 feet. Compasses and all nav aids U/S except H2S downward radar. They were lost but found an enormous glow in the sky which they reckoned must be Paris. The crew headed north, found the coast and subsequently made it across the Channel making an emergency landing at Ford (again) whilst very low on fuel. The engines petered out at the end of the runway, even before they were able to get to their "pan" - now that really was low!!
Crew of Stirling Mark III EF403 (18-Sep-1943) BU-G consisted of :
The operation was to Hamburg. The aircraft took off at 22.27hrs from Chedburgh. It is believed that it was shot down by a night-fighter, crashing into the North Sea. Only one body was recovered, the rest are remembered on the Runnymede Memorial.
Date of loss : 30 July 1943
Crew of Stirling Mark III EF407 BU-A consisted of :
Sgt Charles Bernard Brown, 411576, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 30 July 1943
Sgt John Noel Thomas Chandler, 1313346, Wireless Operator / Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, KIA 30 July 1943, Aged 20
FS Basil Hyman, 778292, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : Rhodesian, KIA 30 July 1943
Sgt Thomas George Lewis, 1653157, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 30 July 1943, Aged 19
Sgt Albert Edwin Newman, 1600295, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 30 July 1943, Aged 21
Plt/Off Thomas Sandham, 138793, Pilot, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 30 July 1943, Aged 25
Fg/Off Harry Pritchard Shann, J/21901, Royal Canadian Air Force, Nationality : American, KIA 30 July 1943, Aged 28
Source : Chorley
Date record last updated : 30 April 2011
Stirling Mark III EF409 BU-V
Stirling Mark III EF409 BU-V
On 3 August 1943, Sgt McGarvey while piloting EF409 on an operation to Hamburg, ran into severe icing and electrical storms. Abandoning the aircraft off Wilhemshaven, five crew were lost. Sgt McGarvey, a Glaswegian Policeman, swam one and a half miles to shore towing Sgt A B Grainger to safety. Both survived as POW's And Sgt McGarvey won the George Medal for his incredible feat. Although the POW dates are the 2 August 1943, the plane is listed as being lost on 3 August 1943.
In the book "Battle of Hamburg" by Martin Middlebrook, 1980, on pages 377/378 there is reference to a book or article called "Rescued from the sea" which describes the event above.
Date of loss : 3 August 1943
Crew of Stirling Mark III EF409 BU-V consisted of :
Sgt Albert Samuel Biffin, 1313932, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 3 August 1943, Aged 21
Sgt Charles Dennis Curtis, 549252, Air Gunner, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 3 August 1943, Aged 23
Sgt John James Evans, 619407, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 3 August 1943
Sgt A B Grainger, Navigator, Nationality : United Kingdom, POW 2 August 1943
Sgt Gundon Dalton Loveridge, 1388965, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 3 August 1943, Aged 21
WO Alexander Alistair Robert McGarvey GM, 1345818, Pilot, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : British, POW 2 August 1943
Sgt John Peter Taylor, 1434892, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 3 August 1943, Aged 21
Source : Norman Loveridge (brother of Sgt G D Loveridge) and CWGC
Date record last updated : 22 March 2008
Stirling Mark III EF445 BU-J
Stirling Mark III EF445 BU-J
Crew from left to right, Sgt Wilf Sweeney (Rear Gunner), Flt. Sgt George Atkinson (Pilot), Sgt Jock Wilson (Wireless Op.), Sgt Des Hughes (Engineer), Sgt Bruce Edwards (Navigator), Sgt Ronny Bousted (Bouttell?)(Mid-Upper Gunner) and Flt. Sgt Johnny Friend (Bombardier).
Steve Palmer writes : Friend and Wilson and Hughes are pictured on the boundary of RAF Waterbeach when they formed part of the Chopping crew on 514 Squadron
Took off from Chedburgh. Operation was to Berlin. Hit by flak E of Hanover. Encountered severe icing and further damaged after engagement with a Fw 190. Short of fuel, the Stirling ditched 0034 in the North Sea. The two airman who died are commemmerated on the Runymede Memorial; the survivors were rescued and brought to safety.
Note. This was the last Stirling Mark III to be written off by 214 Squadron while engaged on bombing duties.
The following is a copy of the despatch commending George and his crew:
....................................................................................................................................................................
Headquarters Bomber Command,
Serial Nos A .212
ROYAL AIR FORCE
Page No 1
COMMAND ROUTINE ORDERS
by
AIR CHIEF MARSHAL SIR A.T.HARRIS, O.B.E., A.F.C.
PART I - ADMINISTRATIVE
A.21.2
The Commander-in-Chief wishes to bring to the notice of all ranks in the Command the fortitude, courage and perseverance of the under mentioned N.C.Os. of No.214 Squadron:
The above-named formed the crew of a Stirling aircraft (Stirling III, EF445, BU-J) detailed to bomb Berlin on the night of 22nd/23rd November 1943. Just before they reached the target area the oil pressure on the port outer engine began to drop and the captain noticed that the propeller was revolving at excessive speed. He decided to complete the bombing run and the Bomb-Aimer sighted and released the bombs correctly one minute after E.T.A. dangerously low and the propeller was feathered to prevent a seizure wit the result that the aircraft was losing height. At 9,000 ft. it was dropping into icing cloud and the pilot restarted the engine to gain more height for crossing a bad front. The engine started but had to be stopped almost immediately to prevent it catching fire and the propeller then failed to refeather but continued to "windmill". The aircraft lost height steadily until it was only 1500 ft. above ground at a position given by the Navigator as 20 miles east of Hanover. Near this place, the aircraft was engaged by "flak" which wounded the Rear-Gunner in the right leg but he refused to leave the turret.
The Wireless-Operator sent out an S.O.S. at about 21.45 hours and repeated it until it was acknowledged. It was picked up at 22.30 as a very faint signal and he was given a fix. From then onwards, although reception was very bad, he maintained communication with the ground sending the height, speed, course and D.R. position, obtained from Navigator, at intervals.
Near the Zuider Zee, the aircraft was picked up by the searchlights which were attacked by the gunners and, crossing the island at about 50 ft. the aircraft was again engaged by flak and searchlights; fifteen to twenty five of the latter were shot at by the gunners and doused. A F.W. 190 intercepted the Stirling but was shot down in flames by the Rear-Gunner.
When the Flight-Engineer reported there was only 10 minutes of fuel remaining, the captain ordered the crew to take up their ditching stations. Because of icing, a head wind and the wind-milling airscrew, the speed had been very low. Information of their plight was signaled to the ground station and the aircraft was fixed accurately as the Operator pressed his key down when the aircraft ditched halfway across the North Sea at 00.34 hours. Prior to ditching , the Captain called out the height of the aircraft as it approached the water and the Navigator gave him a surface.........(illegible)
The aircraft bounced off a swell and then made a very heavy impact with the water which caused the nose to sink in and the fuselage to break in half. The pilot was trapped in the nose and went under as the aircraft broke in two. The Navigator jumped into the dinghy and dragged in the Mid-Upper Gunner from the water. They heard the Wireless Operator calling, paddled up to him and helped him on board. The Rear-Gunner, who had been observed to jump into the sea was also heard to call but they failed to find him and he was not picked up. After drifting for about an hour blowing their whistles, they heard an answering whistle, in the darkness, and eventually picked up the Flight Engineer from his "K" type dinghy. When the Stirling hit the sea, the Bomb-Aimer got out of the astro hatch but was swept into the sea by the waves. The Flight Engineer passed him a "K" dinghy which was swept away. The Bomb-Aimer re-entered the almost submerged fuselage, found another "K" dinghy, held his breath and swam out again as the aircraft sank, three minutes after ditching. He inflated the dinghy and climbed in, but although he heard other members of the crew shouting and answered, he was too weak to paddle towards the sound and lost touch with them. After sunrise, he hoisted a red sail and fired a star cartridge when an Air-Sea Rescue Hudson approached.
The Hudson crew dropped smoke floats alongside and he was shortly after taken on board a high speed launch which continued the search and picked up the other four surviving members of the crew from the big dinghy about 40 minutes later. The Captain and Rear-Gunner could not be found.
This crew excercised very strong determination to inflict as much damage on the enemy as possible in spite of their difficulties and they showed an excellent team spirit. It was this good team work and initiative that made possible the long and difficult flight to the point when the aircraft finally ditched and the successful rescue of five members of the crew after attacking their target successfully.
Left to Right: David Laming-Flight Engineer; Cam Wallace-Navigator (far right back row); Bud Dickinson-Rear Gunner; Geoff Shattock-Pilot (5th from left back row); A.R "Smitty" Smith-Wireless Operator; Frederick "Tommy" Trinder-Mid Upper Gunner (third from right back row); Howard Hunt- Bomb Aimer. Others unkown.
From L-R David Laming, Cameron Wallace, Bud Dickinson, Geoff Shattock, John Smith, Frederick Trinder and Howard Hunt
Wallace & Hunt were RCAF, Dickinson was an American in the RCAF who later transferred to the USAAF. The others were all RAF. They were posted to 214 Squadron from Feb 28th to July 29th 1943.
See Articles ("N" for nuts section) for a story written by Flt/Lt Wallace about one of the crews Ops over Germany when their Stirling was shot up by another Stirling injuring the pilot Geoff Shattock.
Sarah Bond would like to make contact with any relatives of the above crew. Please contact her via the website administrators.
The latin name vaguley translates as "always in the sh*t". Note the upside down potty!!
The crew knicknamed the aircraft as the "Krappen Kracker".
** This crew also flew Stirling Mark III BK659 BU-N **
Crew of Stirling Mark III EH699 BU-X consisted of :
Source : Dave Wallace (son of Flt/Lt Wallace) and Sarah Bond (daughter of Plt/Off Shattock)
Date record last updated : 22 June 2018
Stirling Mark III EH882 BU-O
Stirling Mark III EH882 BU-O
The target that night was Mulheim. The aircraft took off at 23:52 hrs from RAF Chedburgh. The aircraft crashed at Essen (it is not clear if this was before or after the mission), falling onto the Laubendahlerhauptstrasse. Of the 7 crewmen, 3 were taken POW and the 4 that died were taken to Dusseldorf for burial in Nordfriedhof. Later on their remains were taken to the Reichswald Forest War
Cemetery.
Date of loss : 23 June 1943
Crew of Stirling Mark III EH882 BU-O consisted of :
Sgt Kenneth Sidney Gillard, 751698, Air Gunner, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 23 June 1943, Aged 24
FS P E Goldsmid, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, POW 22 June 1943
FS G S Graveson, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, POW 22 June 1943
Flt/Lt Werner John Hein, 118668, Pilot, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 23 June 1943
WO/II Roderick McNeil, R/88342, Air Gunner, Royal Canadian Air Force, Nationality : Canadian, KIA 23 June 1943, Aged 23
FS S G Morrison, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, POW 22 June 1943
Sgt Geoffrey Michael Phillips, 577156, Observer, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 23 June 1943
Source : Chorley
Date record last updated : 20 June 2010
Stirling Mark III EH895 BU-G
Stirling Mark III EH895 (12-Aug-1943) BU-G
Attack on Turin
Up 21:40hrs
Down 06:10hrs
This A/C attacked TURIN at 01:20hrs. from 14000ft. on a heading of 030 degrees N, with 1 x 2000HC and 32 x 30lb. Incends. It was a moonlight night with nil cloud and a slight haze. Target was identified by built up area and green markers, at which bombs were aimed. No results were seen but a big orange flare up and smoke was seen and many starting to burn.
One photo attempted. Route as ordered.
Crew of Stirling Mark III EH895 (12-Aug-1943) BU-G consisted of :
Date record last updated : 10 March 2023
Stirling Mark III EH895 (16-Aug-1943) BU-G
Attack on Turin
Up 20:35hrs
Down 04:50hrs
This aircraft attacked Turin at 00:14.5hrs from 13,000 feet with 3 x 1000MC and 1 x 1000 LD 37 Mk IV. There was no cloud but much haze, target being identified by Built up area visible in the light of flares and by Green TI's Bombs were aimed at the Green TI's and 3 were seen to burst.
One photograph attempted. Route as ordered.
Crew of Stirling Mark III EH895 (16-Aug-1943) BU-G consisted of :
Date record last updated : 10 March 2023
Stirling Mark III EH895 (23-Aug-1943) BU-G
Attack on Berlin
Up 20:43hrs
Down -
Nothing was heard from this aircraft after take off and it is missing. Bomb load 425 x 4 lb 25 x 4 lb and 32 x 30 lb Incendiaries.
The operation as to Berlin. Take off from Chedburgh at 20:43hrs. Shot down by a night fighter. The rear gun turret was set on fire. After abortive attempts to extinguish the fire it was noted that the wing was also on fire and the order to abandon the aircraft was given. Preparing to leave the aircraft they were shot at again and three were injured. Maurice Cooper risked his own life ensuring they bailed out carrying Ken and Bob. He was saved by his parachute. The aircraft crashed at 01:45hrs at Gross Belitz, 12 Km NNW of Butzow, Germany. All of the crew were taken as POW. FS Chapman and Sgt Adamson were very badly injured and each had to have a leg amputated, which led to their eventual repatriation.
"In 1945 Russian "Cossack Like" soldiers arrived on mules, all tooled up with swathes of ammunition and liberated the camp".
Date of loss : 24 August 1943
Crew of Stirling Mark III EH895 (23-Aug-1943) BU-G consisted of :
Up 17:05 hrs.
Down 20:45 hrs.
Gardening mission Nectarines.
This aircraft laid 3 x A108 and 3 x B200 in allotted position. At 18:47 hrs from 1,500 feet.
Very dark with 3/10ths cloud and poor visibility. Nothing see. Quite uneventful.
Route as ordered.
Crew of Stirling Mark III EH953 (26-Oct-1943) consisted of :
Date record last updated : 20 September 2008
Stirling (model unknown) FEN959 (22-Nov-1943) BU-?
Mission to Berlin. Hit by barrage and the aircraft was heavily damaged. The pilot's ear drums were damaged and he was removed from operational flying and the crew stood down waiting for a replacement pilot.
Crew of Stirling (model unknown) FEN959 (22-Nov-1943) BU-? consisted of :
Delivered by Short & Harland in May 1943. Contract No.774677/38.
On the 23 May 1943 at 23.15, Stirling MZ261 coded BU-T lifted off from Chedburgh, in Suffolk on the nights operations. The target for the night was a bombing raid on Dortmund . MZ261 was one of three Stirlings lost on this operation (also BF478 & BF528).
It is unknown exactly what happened, possibly flak or a nightfighter, but Stirling MZ261 crashed at Unna about 15km ENE of Dortmund. Initially the crew were buried in the Haupftfriedhof (Am Gottesacker) but they were later re-interred in the Reichswald Forest War Cemetery.
Date of loss : 23 May 1943
Crew of Stirling Mark III MZ261 BU-T consisted of :
Sgt Donald Eric Alford, 1393222, Air Bomber, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 24 May 1943, Aged 20
Sgt Victor Harry Archer, 641651, Air Gunner, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 23 May 1943, Aged 23
Sgt John Dodd, 1107057, Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : New Zealand, KIA 24 May 1943, Aged 22
FS John Joseph Egan, 415126, Royal Australian Air Force, KIA 24 May 1943, Aged 25
Fg/Off Peter Harold Liddle, 129581, Navigator, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 24 May 1943, Aged 21
Sgt Lionel Martin, 1294190, Wireless Operator / Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 24 May 1943, Aged 21
Sgt Frederick James North, 1231672, Flight Engineer, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 23 May 1943, Aged 22
Martin Alford has created a Facebook group dedicated to his uncle Donald Eric Alford and the crew of MZ261 BU-T. The link to the group is : https://www.facebook.com/groups/1440001079623580/ It is a closed group, so you have to click "join" to gain full access to the page.
Source : Martin Alford (nephew of Sgt Donald Alford) and CWGC
Date record last updated : 19 February 2021
Stirling (model unknown) N3674
Stirling (model unknown) N3674 (01-Aug-1942)
Flight left at 01:07 hours for Dusseldorf. At 03:01 hours, from a height of 12,500 feet they could clearly see the Rhine, docks and the town so bombs were dropped, but they could not confirm action as many large fires were already reported, and could be seen from 100 miles away.
Crew of Stirling (model unknown) N3674 (01-Aug-1942) consisted of :
Plt/Off Robert Joseph 'Bobby' Cartmell, J/15883, Pilot, Royal Canadian Air Force, Nationality : Canadian, KIA 14 September 1942, Aged 24
Sgt D N de Silva Sgt Ronald Dicks, 1121218, Flight Engineer, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 14 September 1942, Aged 29
Plt/Off Philip (aka Tim) 'Snowy' Fussey, Air Observer, Royal Air Force, Nationality : British, POW 14 September 1942
Plt/Off Harry Edward Orr, J/15865, Wireless Operator / Air Gunner, Royal Canadian Air Force, Nationality : Canadian, KIA 14 September 1942, Aged 19
FS Joseph George Spouler, R/71030, Wireless Operator / Air Gunner, Royal Canadian Air Force, Nationality : Canadian, KIA 14 September 1942
Sgt Stanley Watson, 1133624, Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 14 September 1942, Aged 30
Source : 214 Squadron ORB
Date record last updated : 8 February 2019
Stirling Mark I N3729 BU-R
Stirling Mark I N3729 (07-Aug-1942) BU-R
Attack on Duisburg
Up 01:15hrs
Down 02:45hrs
Furthest point reached was 51.40N 03.06E owing to the aircraft being unable to rise any further than 9000ft. The aircraft struggled as far as the Dutch coast before the crew made the decision to return to base.
2160 x 4lb incends were brought back to base.
A/C was damaged considerably. N3729 undershot the flare path during landing. As it touched down the undercarriage failed, severely damaging the fuselage and potentially all four engines.
Initial damage assessment was Cat ‘E’.
Unfortunately GUNNER CRISTOPHER HUGHES, Army number 1782614, of No. 470 Battery, No. 138 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, was killed as N3729 crash landed. This unit was assigned to airfield defence at Stradishall.
Married, with children, Christopher Hughes was 36. He is buried in Liverpool (Ford) Roman Catholic Cemetery.
Official Squadron records held at the UK National Archives (AIR 27/1321/15 and AIR 27/1321/16) only mention that the aircraft was ‘damaged considerably on landing’.
Date of loss : 7 August 1942
Crew of Stirling Mark I N3729 (07-Aug-1942) BU-R consisted of :
On the night of 27 June 1942 Stirling N3751 coded BU-P set out for operations to Bremen. After bombing the target the crew encountered Luftwaffe nightfigters who often frequented the bomber routes home. Enduring an unforgettable night of horror N3751 and crew, although severely damaged by flack, attacked by five enemy fighters and shot at over the sea managed to bring their aircraft home. At 0500 be it a miracle or skill, N3751 returning to base, skidded down the runway wheels up and came to a rest. Although not officially verified yet it is almost certain that Stirling BU-P never flew again. Sgt Sewell died, all surviving crew members were awarded the DFM. The citation as follows tells the harrowing story :
3196 SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 21 JULY 1942
These airmen were members of the crew of an aircraft detailed to attack Bremen on 27 June 1942, Sergeant Griggs was acting as captain. The objective was successfully bombed, but over the target area the aircraft sustained much damage from anti-aircraft fire. One of the starboard engines was hit and put out of action. Shortly afterwards the bomber was subjected to an attack by an enemy fighter, fire from which caused further damage. Almost immediately a second fighter opened fire and Sergeant Wildey, the 1st wireless operator, was wounded in the arm. The first fighter then returned to the attack but was met with a long and vicious burst from Sergeant Waddicar's guns which sent the enemy aircraft spinning towards the ground, where it exploded on impact.
Some time later, after crossing Holland, Sergeant O'Hara, the navigator, who had 'skilfully guided his captain' thus far, observed 2 enemy fighters closing in. Sergeant Watson, who was tending the injured wireless operator, immediately attempted to man his turret but it was jammed. With the assistance of Sergeant O'Hara, who held his legs, he managed to reach his guns and he then delivered an effective burst at the leading fighter, which caused it to dive towards the sea completely out of-control. Meanwhile, Sergeant Waddicar, with commendable ingenuity, had temporarily repaired one of his guns which had failed and opened fire at the second aircraft from close range. The attacker dived away and exploded before hitting the water! The bomber was not yet out of danger, being subjected to machine gun fire from the sea. A few minutes later another fighter appeared opening fire with a long burst but Sergeant Waddicar's return fire caused it to break off the engagement.
Sergeant Griggs, displaying fine airmanship, eventually flew his severely damaged aircraft safely back to base where he made a crash landing. Throughout the operation, these airmen displayed unflinching courage, great fortitude and splendid team work in foiling the attacks of 5 enemy fighters, 3 of which were shot down. Their conduct upheld the highest traditions of the Royal Air Force.
Stirling N3751 Incident Report. This document is from the NATIONAL ARCHIVES. It contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Crew of Stirling Mark III N3751 BU-P consisted of :
Source : 214 Squadron ORB and Chorley and CWGC and citation from London Gazette and National Archives and Simon Esplen and John Sutton and Richard Maddox (researcher) and Imperial War Museum
Date record last updated : 17 March 2023
Stirling Mark I N3761 BU-E
Stirling Mark I N3761 BU-E
On 6 June 1942, Flt/Lt Turtle and his crew were to fly a mission against the German city of Emden.
Their plane was shot down by a Bf110 night-fighter flown by Oblt Prinz Egmont zur Lippe Weissenfeld of 11./NJG2 and crashed at 01.47 off Terschelling. Five are buried in various island cemeteries off the coast of Holland, while Flt/Lt Harrison, Plt/Off Holdsworth and Plt/Off Marks have no known graves.
Most members of this crew had survived a serious crash three days prior to this event. Regarding this crash no information is known at this point but it was most likely a emergency landing after their mission to Bremen on 4 June 1942.
Date of loss : 7 June 1942
Crew of Stirling Mark I N3761 BU-E consisted of :
FS Wilfred Barham, 755880, Wireless Operator / Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 7 June 1942, Aged 24
Plt/Off Barry Phillip Cardinal, J/7197, Air Gunner, Royal Canadian Air Force, Nationality : Canadian, KIA 7 June 1942, Aged 21
Flt/Lt Norman Harrison, 116554, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 7 June 1942, Aged 31
Plt/Off John Barry Holdsworth, 115722, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 7 June 1942, Aged 21
Plt/Off Edward Michael Marks, J/15139, Air Gunner, Royal Canadian Air Force, Nationality : Canadian, KIA 7 June 1942
Sgt Allan Randall Scott, 573717, Flight Engineer, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 7 June 1942, Aged 19
Plt/Off Leonard Treppass, 108005, Observer, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 7 June 1942, Aged 29
Flt/Lt Reginald William Arthur Turtle DFC, 40866, Pilot, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 7 June 1942, Aged 26
Source : Kate Bretell (niece of Flt/Lt Turtle) extracted from the ORB at the PRO and Chorley and Stevin Oudshoorn
Date record last updated : 22 June 2014
Stirling Mark I N3762 BU-C
Stirling Mark I N3762 BU-C
Squadron Leader Peter Nixey and his crew took off in Stirling Mark I N3762 BU-C from Stradishall (Suffolk). What happened after is not known but BU-C was shot down by a night fighter over Holland. It crashed near De Driehoek, 5km NorthEeast of Ommen, Holland. Four crew members, Nixey, Melville, Pearson and Buckley died. The four other crew members were taken POW.
The operation consisted of 185 aircraft of which 8 were lost. Only part of the bomber force identified the target. Emden reported about 100 houses damaged and 1 person injured.
131 crews claimed to have bombed Emden. Bombing photographs showed that part of the flare force started a raid on Osnabrück, 80 miles from Emden, in which 29 aircraft eventually joined. Emden recorded only 5 high-explosive bombs and 200-300 incendiaries with no damage or casualties.
Fg/Off Noble was later awarded the MBE for "escaping activities":
Date of loss : 20 June 1942
Crew of Stirling Mark I N3762 BU-C consisted of :
Sgt J H Bailey, Nationality : United Kingdom, POW 19 June 1942
Sgt Arthur Buckley, 614046, Air Gunner, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 20 June 1942, Aged 23
WO L R Burgin, Nationality : United Kingdom, POW 19 June 1942
Sgt Douglas Archer Melville, 913638, Wireless Operator / Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 20 June 1942
Fg/Off R McD Mitchell, Royal Canadian Air Force, Nationality : Canadian, POW 19 June 1942
Sqn/Ldr Peter Nixey DSO, 42257, Pilot, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 20 June 1942, Aged 22
Fg/Off C D Noble DFC, MBE, Royal Canadian Air Force, Nationality : Canadian, POW 19 June 1942
Sgt Wilfred Ernest Pearson, 568448, Flight Engineer, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 20 June 1942
Source : Chorley and Ian Hunt and Stevin Oudshoorn
Date record last updated : 22 June 2014
Stirling (model unknown) N3767
Stirling (model unknown) N3767 (11-Jul-1942)
Flight left at 21.35 on a "gardening" mission
Planted 2 x assembly 14, 1 x assembly 67 and 2 x assembly 13. Setting 4 and 10 at 5420 N, 0744 E at 00:22 hours from a height of 2,500 feet.
The area was found by navigational aid only. One parachute was seen to drop, the visibility being too poor for further observation.
Flight returned at 03:50 hours.
Crew of Stirling (model unknown) N3767 (11-Jul-1942) consisted of :
Attacked Bremen at 2:20 hours from 17,900 feet, dropping 1620 x 4lb incendaries. Bremen was identified by T.R . 1335 and buildings seen through gaps in the cloud. Bombs dropped on built up areas and were seen to light up.
Crew of Stirling (model unknown) N3769 (25-Jun-1942) consisted of :
Date record last updated : 8 February 2019
Stirling (model unknown) N3769 (29-Jun-1942)
Flight left 23:50 hours. Target was Bremen. At 01:40 hours incendaries were dropped on target from a height of 18,000 feet. Flight returned at 04:40 hours.
Crew of Stirling (model unknown) N3769 (29-Jun-1942) consisted of :
Training flight. Took off from Stradishall at 12:07, swung and came to rest with a collapsed undercarriage. This accident occurred approximately one week into the Stirling conversion programme.
Note. This was 214 Squadron's first accident during the Stirling conversion programme. In the first two months of operation, with their new aircraft, 214 Squadron had the misfortune to write off nine of their Stirlings, mainly as a result of damage sustained on operations.
Main target was spotted by E.T.A. and 3 bundles of flares were seen. 4 x 2000 and 1 x 1000 were dropped on Duisburg at 03:08hrs from 14,000 ft, magnetic braring 120 degrees, and 4 bombs were seen to explode believed slightly S of aiming point. Small scattered fires were seen on arrival. 1 x 500 was jettisoned safe in sea at 04:25 hours from 5000 ft, owing to a hang up. R/G was hit by flack, but there was no serious damage was done so far as is known. There was 0/10 cloud, darkness and hazy visibility.
One photograph was attempted.
Crew of Stirling Mark I R9145 (07-Aug-1942) BU-K consisted of :
Date record last updated : 5 December 2021
Stirling Mark I R9145 (01-Mar-1943) BU-K
Take off was from Chedburgh at 18:45hrs on an operation to Berlin. Hit by flak and abandoned at 21:44hrs, crashing near Konigreich on the south bank of the Elbe, 6km NNE of Buxtehude.
Crew of Stirling Mark I R9145 (01-Mar-1943) BU-K consisted of :
Sgt N G Etherden, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, POW 1 March 1943
Fg/Off Bryan Frank Robert Hotson, 405276, Navigator, Royal New Zealand Air Force, Nationality : New Zealand, KIA 1 March 1943, Aged 27
Sgt J G Jack, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, POW 1 March 1943
FS J M Lyall, Royal Canadian Air Force, Nationality : Canadian, POW 1 March 1943
Sgt J E Powell, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, POW 1 March 1943
Sgt D B Scoble, Royal New Zealand Air Force, Nationality : New Zealand, POW 1 March 1943
Sgt R H Thom, Royal New Zealand Air Force, Nationality : New Zealand, POW 1 March 1943
Source : Chorley and "Footprints on the sands of time" by Oliver Clutton-Brock and 214 Squadron ORB and Gerd Weise
Date record last updated : 11 November 2023
Stirling Mark I R9146 BU-S
Stirling Mark I R9146 (15-Oct-1942) BU-S
Took off at 20:00 on a mission to Cologne. Shot down by a night fighter and crashed at 22:56 roughly 1 km South of the railway station of Oss (Noord Brabant), Netherlands. All are buried at Uden War Cemetery.
An article was prepared by Mr Joop Thuring for the regional newspaper about 25 years ago to publish details for the locals / eye-witnesses in view of the circulating rumours. Occasionally Joop visits their graves at Uden.
Date of loss : 15 October 1942
Crew of Stirling Mark I R9146 (15-Oct-1942) BU-S consisted of :
FS Raymond Gerard Brasnett, R/86619, Wireless Operator / Air Gunner, Royal Canadian Air Force, KIA 15 October 1942
Sgt Joseph Ferris, 1381860, Air Bomber, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, KIA 15 October 1942
Sgt Harold Hancocks, 1314850, Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, KIA 15 October 1942, Aged 21
Sgt Jack Holmes, 996754, Flight Engineer, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, KIA 15 October 1942, Aged 30
Sgt Leslie Frank Meadows, 1381714, Navigator / Bomber, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, KIA 15 October 1942, Aged 28
Fg/Off John Mitchell Paape, 411932, Pilot, Royal New Zealand Air Force, KIA 15 October 1942, Aged 28
Sgt Kenneth Penwill Stibbs, 1182389, Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, KIA 15 October 1942, Aged 20
Source : Joop Thuring, Air War Researcher in The Netherlands and Chorley and 214 Squadron ORB
Date record last updated : 31 March 2023
Stirling (model unknown) R9152
Stirling (model unknown) R9152 (07-Aug-1942)
Attack on Duisburg
Up 01:05hrs
Down 04:05hrs
Pilot and crew were struggling against handling problems caused by jammed ailerons, possibly from being hit by flak as they crossed the Dutch coast.
Unable to reach Duisburg they bombed a flak position some 16 miles west of Monchengladbach.They dropped 2160 x 4lb incendaries from 14,500ft at 02:30hrs.
Crew of Stirling (model unknown) R9152 (07-Aug-1942) consisted of :
Source : 214 Squadron ORB and Richard Maddox (researcher)
Date record last updated : 31 March 2023
Stirling (model unknown) R9152 (11-Aug-1942)
Flight left at 23:15 hours. The target was Mainz which was identified by islands and the River Rhine.
Crew of Stirling (model unknown) R9152 (11-Aug-1942) consisted of :
Plt/Off Robert Joseph 'Bobby' Cartmell, J/15883, Pilot, Royal Canadian Air Force, Nationality : Canadian, KIA 14 September 1942, Aged 24
Sgt Ronald Dicks, 1121218, Flight Engineer, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 14 September 1942, Aged 29
Plt/Off Philip (aka Tim) 'Snowy' Fussey, Air Observer, Royal Air Force, Nationality : British, POW 14 September 1942
Sgt R G Newman Plt/Off Harry Edward Orr, J/15865, Wireless Operator / Air Gunner, Royal Canadian Air Force, Nationality : Canadian, KIA 14 September 1942, Aged 19
FS Joseph George Spouler, R/71030, Wireless Operator / Air Gunner, Royal Canadian Air Force, Nationality : Canadian, KIA 14 September 1942
Sgt Stanley Watson, 1133624, Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 14 September 1942, Aged 30
Source : 214 Squadron ORB
Date record last updated : 8 February 2019
Stirling (model unknown) R9152 (16-Aug-1942)
Taken on 2 September 1942 with Stirling R9152 in the background
From left to right Johnny (John Harlan Stickell), Jim Harris, Horace (Horace Gordon Bennett), Harry Shapiro, Harry Head, Pete Temple, Jock Ness
This is the opposite of the description on the back of the photograph. The names on the back of the photo were to correspond with the name on their back of the photo.
They are pictured here in the Chicago Tribune, who ran a weekly article on the crew, as Stickell was from Chicago.
Aircraft left at 01:06 hours and attacked Dusseldorf from a height of 15,000 feet, dropping incendaries. A glimpse of the river and the built up area was obtained.
The flight returned at 04:36 hours.
Crew of Stirling (model unknown) R9152 (16-Aug-1942) consisted of :
Source : 214 Squadron ORB and Adam Morris (Nephew of Sqn/Ldr Horace Gordon Bennett)
Date record last updated : 25 July 2023
Stirling Mark I R9155 BU-Q
Stirling Mark I R9155 (27-Aug-1942) BU-Q
Attack on Kassel
Up 20:59hrs
Failed to return
On 27 August 1942 three hundred and six aircraft were sent by Bomber Command to attack mainly the aircraft factories at the German city of Kassel situated some forty miles to the north east of the `Dams' which had been attacked in May 1942 by the `Dambusters'. The Command lost thirty-one aircraft, 10.1% of the force sent. One squadron, No 142, lost five of its fifteen Wellingtons taking part in the raid. It is believed that the German Night-Fighter Controllers were `spot on' in assessing just where the target was, hence the heavy casualties.
There was very little cloud cover over Kassel and it was well illuminated by the Pathfinders. Widespread damage was caused, particularly in the south west of the city, with over seventy large fires being started and severe damage being done to all three of the Henschel aircraft factories.
214 Squadron sent twelve aircraft on this raid, including Stirling Mark 1 R9155 BU-Q which took off from Stradishall at 2029 hours. On this occasion Plt/Off Dunckley took the place of the regular navigator Sgt S. Newcombe.
Nothing was heard of them again. It has been established that they were one of the twenty-five bombers shot down by Luftwaffe fighters out of a total loss of thirty-one. They had bombed their target and were on the way back when, shot down by a night fighter, crashed at Issum ten miles to the north west of Moers with no survivors. They were all buried temporarily, in the local cemetery and are now buried in the Reichswald Forest War cemetery.
Date of loss : 27 August 1942
Crew of Stirling Mark I R9155 (27-Aug-1942) BU-Q consisted of :
Sgt William James Bushell, 1310132, Wireless Operator / Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : British, KIA 27 August 1942, Aged 29
FS Robert Arthur Colehan, 632891, Wireless Operator / Air Gunner, Royal Air Force, Nationality : British, KIA 27 August 1942
Plt/Off Raymond Harold Dunckley, 404344, Observer, Royal New Zealand Air Force, Nationality : New Zealand, KIA 27 August 1942, Aged 22
FS Robert Reid Gray, R/93121, Wireless Operator / Air Gunner, Royal Canadian Air Force, Nationality : Canadian, KIA 27 August 1942, Aged 22
Sgt Jack King, 626528, Flight Engineer, Royal Air Force, Nationality : British, KIA 27 August 1942, Aged 21
Sgt Cyril Lyle, 1379354, Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : British, KIA 27 August 1942, Aged 22
Fg/Off Alan Raymond Collier Skone, 68186, Pilot, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : British, KIA 27 August 1942, Aged 22
Source : Arthur Skone and Chorley and 214 Squadron ORB
Date record last updated : 31 March 2023
Stirling Mark I R9163 BU-C
Stirling Mark I R9163 BU-C
Whilst returning from minelaying, the crew abandoned their aircraft after crashing near Alton in Hampshire when very low on fuel and in poor weather. All survived except the pilot, who tragically was hit by a propeller, his body was found in woodland near Marks village in Hampshire.
Date of loss : 18 February 1943
Crew of Stirling Mark I R9163 BU-C consisted of :
Sgt J C Chalmers, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom
Sgt H G Claridge, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom
WO John E Flack DFC, Air Gunner, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom
Plt/Off John Reginald Rundle, 414346, Pilot, Royal New Zealand Air Force, Nationality : New Zealand, KIA 18 February 1943, Aged 24
Sgt H A Wilson, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom
Sgt T J Wilson, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom
Sgt L G Wright, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom
Source : John Jewsbury (son of R F Jewsbury) and Walter Rowley and Nightjar Newsletter Spring 2004
Date record last updated : 4 July 2009
Stirling (model unknown) R9165 BU-Y
Stirling (model unknown) R9165 BU-Y
Crew of Stirling (model unknown) R9165 BU-Y consisted of :
Date record last updated : 25 January 2015
Stirling Mark I R9165 (20-Nov-1942) BU-Y
Attack on Turin
Up 18:55hrs from Chedburgh
Down 02:10hrs
Turin "D" was attacked at 22:00hrs from 16,300ft. There was fair visibility, no cloud or haze.
1 x 2000lb, 540 x 4lb incendiaries and 3 1/3 packages of Nickels were dropped. These fell on the middle of the town and the large bomb was seen to hit a block of buildings, which disintegrated.
Two more runs were made, one to take photo and second to manually drop flares as they did bot leave chute.
Glow of fires were seen as they flew over the Alps on return.
During the operation problems were experienced with the exactor controls on two engines.
Star board outer motor oil pressure failed as they returned over the French coast.
Upon return to base aircraft swung and then as the Stirling landed the port inner unit suddenly surged, causing a crash.
There were no serious crew injuries.
Crew of Stirling Mark I R9165 (20-Nov-1942) BU-Y consisted of :
Crew of Stirling Mark I R9165 (20-Nov-1942) BU-Y consisted of :
FS Alphe Baptiste Amirault, R/88416, Royal Canadian Air Force, Nationality : Canadian, KIA 5 March 1943, Aged 24
Sgt Ronald Frank Evans, 635327, Flight Engineer, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 3 February 1943
Plt/Off John Irvine McKenzie WO/II William McKenzie Murdoch, R/79291, Air Observer, Royal Canadian Air Force, Nationality : Canadian, KIA 3 February 1943, Aged 21
Plt/Off Daniel O'Neill, J/93043, Air Gunner, Royal Canadian Air Force, Nationality : Canadian, KIA 3 February 1943
WO/II William Obediah Powell, R/71536, Wireless Operator / Air Gunner, Royal Canadian Air Force, Nationality : Canadian, KIA 3 February 1943, Aged 22
Plt/Off Denis Hedley Smith, 134995, Pilot, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 3 February 1943
Source : Chorley and 214 Squadron ORB
Date record last updated : 28 April 2023
Stirling Mark I R9166 BU-H
Stirling Mark I R9166 (14-Sep-1942) BU-H
Operation to Bremen. Took off at 00.37 from Stradishall (Suffolk). Crashed at Barrien, 16km S of Bremen.
Plt/Off Fussey was the only crew member to survive and was taken POW.
FS Cartmell is buried in Sage War Cemetery, the others lie in Rheinberg War Cemetery.
Crew of Stirling Mark I R9166 (14-Sep-1942) BU-H consisted of :
FS Robert Joseph 'Bobby' Cartmell, J/15883, Pilot, Royal Canadian Air Force, Nationality : Canadian, KIA 14 September 1942, Aged 24
Sgt Ronald Dicks, 1121218, Flight Engineer, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 14 September 1942, Aged 29
Plt/Off Philip (aka Tim) 'Snowy' Fussey, Air Observer, Royal Air Force, Nationality : British, POW 14 September 1942
Plt/Off Harry Edward Orr, J/15865, Wireless Operator / Air Gunner, Royal Canadian Air Force, Nationality : Canadian, KIA 14 September 1942, Aged 19
Sgt Roy Frederick Reynolds, 1265583, Wireless Operator / Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 14 September 1942
FS Joseph George Spouler, R/71030, Wireless Operator / Air Gunner, Royal Canadian Air Force, Nationality : Canadian, KIA 14 September 1942
Sgt Stanley Watson, 1133624, Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 14 September 1942, Aged 30
Source : Penelope O'Neill and husband Timothy Lundell (family connection) and Nightjar Newsletter Winter / Spring 2004 and Chorley and Hilary Morphy (daughter of Plt/Off Tim Fussey) and 214 Squadron ORB
Date record last updated : 5 December 2021
Stirling Mark I R9186 (15-Dec-1942) BU-F
Sent out to search in 4 legs of Area 1. Flew out from Chedburgh at 14:50 hrs and returned at 17:05 hrs.They only managed to search the furthest leg. At 15:50 hrs they had to return back to Chedburgh as the port inner engine was blowing back and visibility was bad.
Crew of Stirling Mark I R9186 (15-Dec-1942) BU-F consisted of :
Date record last updated : 25 January 2015
Stirling (model unknown) R9191 (28-Nov-1942) BU-O
On 28 November 1942 Bill flew as "second dickie" to the experienced Ted Youseman in Stirling R9191 on the long haul to attack the Fiat works in Turin, and witnessed visual identification, PFF flares, runs over the target, a successful attack and, after a six-hour flight, a safe return.
Crew of Stirling (model unknown) R9191 (28-Nov-1942) consisted of :
Hervé Savary is a French Gendarmerie officer (Major) and organised crash remembrance ceremony for R9194 Short Stirling in Aisne department (North France) on 25 May 2013. Cyril Penna, the last English veteran (who escaped and returned to the UK) and Arthur Gatland, son of New Zealand pilot Frank Gatland (who was captured by Germans 10 days after the crash) attended.
An emotional ceremony was held at Couvron et Aumencourt cemetery where three of the crew are buried. Then a memorial was unveiled near the crash area at Viry Noureuil. A lot of people, witnesses, resistance members and families attended. In the afternoon Hervé presented a history of R9194 in the Picardie Resistance and Deportation Museum at Fargnier, to an audience of 150.
The next day Hervé drove Cyril Penna to several escape places near Chauny. He showed Cyril the field where the aircraft had landed and the two farms where he had been hidden. Then they travelled near Arras in Pas De Calais. In Warlus village, Cyril met his French friend Gilbert Biguet who took him in with his parents during the two weeks before Cyril was entrusted to the French resistance network.
Source : Arthur Gatland (son of Frank Gatland) and Capitaine Herve Savary (French Gendarmerie Officer) and CWGC and Nightjar Newsletter and Flypast magazine.
Date record last updated : 1 December 2017
Stirling Mark I R9197 BU-V
Stirling Mark I R9197 (03-Feb-1943) BU-V
At 18:37hrs on the 3rd February 1943 R9197 took off from Chedburgh, Suffolk on operations to Hamburg. The aircraft was shot down by a night fighter and crashed at 20:04 hours at Leudsen (near Utrecht) in a wood between the Valleikanaal and the old railway track 4km SSE of Amersfoort-Kesteren, Holland. There were 16 bombers lost this night.
The pilot of the fighter was HPTM Reinhold Knacke. The incident happened NNW of Tiel from a height of 3300 metres at 20:05hrs.
On 3rd February 1943, after a spell of bad weather, HQ Bomber Command signaled a major raid on Hamburg, and No. 214 Squadron responded by detailing eleven crews. At around 18.00hrs, after all the usual hectic preparations, ten Stirlings (one withdraw!) prepared for take-off, each with its load of 1710x4lb and 90x4lb'X' incendiaries packed into the belly and wing bays.
After two "early returns" due to technical problems, Chedburgh waited. Six Stirlings returned safely between five and six hours later, their captains reporting successful attacks all seemingly made within a short time of each other, but two dispersals remained empty, one of them being R9197, the other being R9282.
Both these aircraft were finally listed as "missing". Of the 263 aircraft dispatched to Hamburg, sixteen bombers (6.1%) were lost including eight of the sixty-six Stirlings sent by No.3 Group. The attack on Hamburg ultimately proved to be of only limited success. Chedburgh eventually learned that its two Stirlings had been shot down over Holland, and that all of PO Smith's crew had been killed. But unless some information filtered back via survivors, little could ever be known of the actual circumstances concerning the loss of an aircraft.
CiJay ter Kuile is researching the crash of 214 Sqdn Short Stirling Mk 1 R9197 (BU-V) on 3 February 1943 in the Netherlands. Purpose is to erect a memorial at the crash site. In order to get information about the crew members all of whom were killed in action, he would dearly like to get in contact with relatives of all the crew members.
The researcher can be contacted at caju.terkuile@atpi.com or by snail mail to the Netherlands at :
50, Arnhemseweg, NL-3832 GM Leusden.
Extract from The Intelligencer 27 August 2015. Author Luke Hendry
Albert Schothorst still remembers the night the airmen fell from the sky. Now he and his fellow Dutch historians are hoping that the airmen's families can help them honour eight men who died in this crash.
"The goal is to erect a monument at the place of the crash and to honour the brave men who gave their lives for our freedom.
I was sitting at the table with my mother in the kitchen of our farmhouse, sorting beans. I was 6 at the time. There was the tremendous noise and the suddenly quiet. Probably we were so afraid that we did not go out but stayed inside. My father was among those who saw the burning wreckage. Villagers tried to approach the plane but Nazi troops surrounded it. The next day I watched as troops salvaged the engines and other parts."
The crash site is now a meadow near a trail that was once a railway near the border of Leusden and Woudenberg.
Albert Schothorst has sent a further update:
"During the last years we were able to collect much information about the crash of the R 9197 of the squadron 214. Now we are able to send you an update of our results.
One of the most interesting facts that we discovered is also very interesting for the RAF squadron 214. In short; We found and translated the book of the German officer Bundrock who was the navigator/shutter of the Messerschmit who has shot down the RAF Stirling R 9197 above Leusden at 3 February 1943. He described in detail the airfight and the crash of his own Messerschmit .
From this story we can conclude that the gunner O'Neill of the RAF Stirling has shot the last salvo's of the Stirling which were fatal for the Messerschmit and killing for its pilot the German "famous" kaptain Knacke. This whole story is described in detail in our brochure that we are preparing
I am not aware of a special award or decoration for bomber-airmen who have shot down a German nightfighter, but I am sure it is described in the literature as very rare! (may be you know?)
May be there is somebody of the veterans of the squadron who is specially interested in this very special heroic fight? If so, I am prepared to correspond about this matter.
I hope I have informed you more up to date of our findings and plans.
At 3 February 2018, just 75 years after the crash, a delegation of the squadron is welcome at the ceremony."
Crew of Stirling Mark I R9197 (03-Feb-1943) BU-V consisted of :
Plt/Off Derek Gordon de Garis, 138197, Pilot, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 3 February 1943, Aged 21
Sgt Ronald Frank Evans, 635327, Flight Engineer, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 3 February 1943
Fg/Off John Irven MacKenzie DFC, J/9770, Navigator, Royal Canadian Air Force, Nationality : Canadian, KIA 3 February 1943, Aged 26
WO/II William McKenzie Murdoch, R/79291, Air Observer, Royal Canadian Air Force, Nationality : Canadian, KIA 3 February 1943, Aged 21
Plt/Off Daniel O'Neill, J/93043, Air Gunner, Royal Canadian Air Force, Nationality : Canadian, KIA 3 February 1943
WO/II William Obediah Powell, R/71536, Wireless Operator / Air Gunner, Royal Canadian Air Force, Nationality : Canadian, KIA 3 February 1943, Aged 22
Plt/Off Denis Hedley Smith, 134995, Pilot, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 3 February 1943
FS Arley Henry Thiessen, R/122988, Air Gunner, Royal Canadian Air Force, Nationality : Canadian, KIA 3 February 1943
Source : Nightjar Newsletter Spring 2008 and Chorley and Albert Schothorst and Ernst-Jan Jonkers and "Nachtjagd Combat Archives 1943 Part 1" by Theo Boiten
Date record last updated : 28 April 2023
Stirling Mark I R9242 BU-O
Stirling (model unknown) R9242 BU-O
Crew of Stirling (model unknown) R9242 BU-O consisted of :
Date record last updated : 25 January 2015
Stirling Mark I R9242 (14-May-1943) BU-O
The take-off was at 00:01 hrs from Chedburgh. The mission was to bomb Bochum. The aircraft was shot down by a night-fighter (Lt Schön, I./NJG1) and crashed at 02:18hrs at Heerlen, the Netherlands. Of those who died, none could be identified in the post war years, so all are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
From Jan Bardoul:
"In the early hours of 14 May 1943 a burning plane crashed into a house in my hometown of Heerlen, The Netherlands, setting the house on fire. At a few miles' distance a wounded airman was found and taken to hospital. He was reported to be severely wounded., he suffered from a fractured pelvis. A search was started by the local police to find the rest of the crew, but in vain. The Germans were more successful, probably because they tried harder!
Three of the occupants of the burning house, the 56 year-old mother, an 18-year-old son and a 14-year-old daughter died of their wounds that same day.
The hospitalized airman appeared to be Leslie Sutcliffe, born in Eccles on 27 July 1921. Address: 99 Grasmare Crescent.
On the local cemetery I found the grave of "A Sergeant Royal Air Force 14th May 1943. Known unto God". He must be one of the crew members that didn't survive the crash.!"
Date of loss : 14 May 1943
Crew of Stirling Mark I R9242 (14-May-1943) BU-O consisted of :
Sgt Raymond Mordue Gibbney, 1527965, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 14 May 1943, Aged 24
FS R F Gullick, POW 13 May 1943
Sgt Lawrence Leake, 1699563, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 14 May 1943, Aged 19
Fg/Off Arthur Reginald Minton, Navigator, Nationality : British, POW 13 May 1943
Sgt Francis Donald Stannard, 903139, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 14 May 1943, Aged 24
FS L Sutcliffe, POW 13 May 1943
Sgt Sidney Richard Tinkler, 1320307, Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 14 May 1943, Aged 21
Source : Chorley and Jan Bardoul (of Heerlen, the Netherlands) and Bruce Minton (son of AR Minton)
Click on the image for a larger version on the IWM website.
Source : Richard Maddox (researcher) and Imperial War Museum
Date record last updated : 17 March 2023
Stirling (model unknown) R9257
Stirling (model unknown) R9257
No further information available yet.
Source : Unknown
Date record last updated : 10 June 2020
Stirling Mark I R9258 BU-W
Stirling Mark I R9258 BU-W
Take off was at 18:58 from Chedburgh. The mission was to Hannover. Crashed at Bemerode in the SE suburbs of Hanover, where all are buried in the city's War Cemetery.
Date of loss : 22 September 1943
Crew of Stirling Mark I R9258 BU-W consisted of :
Sgt Reginald Sydney Bayly, 1393907, Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, KIA 22 September 1943
FS Geoffrey Heath, 1214771, Pilot, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, KIA 22 September 1943, Aged 27
Sgt Ronald Arthur Metcalfe, 1459019, Air Bomber, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, KIA 22 September 1943
Sgt Simon Hughes Weakner, 1032406, Wireless Operator / Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, KIA 22 September 1943
Sgt Laurence Henry Victor Wiles, 1334775, Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, KIA 22 September 1943
Sgt Hamer Rex Wynn, 1625511, Navigator, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, KIA 22 September 1943
Date record last updated : 25 January 2015
Stirling Mark I R9282 (03-Feb-1943) BU-Q
Delivered by Short Brothers Ltd (Rochester & Bedford). Contract No.763825/38. Delivered to No.214 Squadron on 2 January 1943.
On 3rd February 1943, after a spell of bad weather, HQ Bomber Command signaled a major raid on Hamburg, and No. 214 Squadron responded by detailing eleven crews. At around 18.00hrs, after all the usual hectic preparations, ten Stirlings (one withdraw!) prepared for take-off, each with its load of 1710x4lb and 90x4lb'X' incendiaries packed into the belly and wing bays.
Bill was first away at 18:27hrs, with the last Stirling leaving just twenty-three minutes later. After two "early returns" due to technical problems, Chedburgh waited. Six Stirlings returned safely between five and six hours later, their captains reporting successful attacks all seemingly made within a short time of each other, but two dispersals remained empty, one of those being R9282, the other being R9197. Both these aircraft were finally listed as "missing".
Of the 263 aircraft dispatched to Hamburg, sixteen bombers (6.1%) were lost including eight of the sixty-six Stirlings sent by No.3 Group. The attack on Hamburg ultimately proved to be of only limited success. Chedburgh eventually learned that its two Stirlings had been shot down over Holland, and that three of Sqn Ldr Clarke?s crew (including the captain) had been killed ,with four men being made prisoners of war. But unless some information filtered back via survivors, little could ever be known of the actual circumstances concerning the loss of an aircraft. Fortunately, a report made by WO T A Burke, Bill's Australian wireless operator (see WO Burke's personnel record) upon his release from captivity in 1945, describes exactly what befell Stirling R9282 on that night, and readers are left in no doubt, not only of the terrible moments for the crew following the attack but even more so, of the outstanding selfless courage of their pilot.
Airborne 18:27hrs on 3 March 1943 from Chedburgh. Shot down by a night-fighter (Uffz Christian Koltringer, 3/NJG1) The aircraft came burning from the Vianen direction via Lopik, in a big curve towards Benschop, 14 km South West of Utrecht, crashing 300 metres behind the farm of the Oskam family at 23:30hrs.
The sound of aero engines was nothing new to the Dutch people who also soon became able to recognise aircraft in trouble. At 23.30 hrs on 3 February 1943, members of the Oskam family, who farmed near Benschop, ran out of their house at the sound of engines only to see a large downward curving flame followed by the sound of an explosion and a large fire. On reaching the scene some minutes later they saw that the aircraft had impacted into marshy ground behind the farm. (A local police officer also reported hearing gunfire.) The devastation was enormous, with a large area littered with pieces of burning wreckage, incendiary bombs, and exploding ammunition and with barely identifiable remains of crew members lying adjacent to the main part of the aircraft most of which was embedded deep in the soil. After a number of curious onlookers had been moved away by the Burgomaster, German soldiers arrived, detailed to guard the wreckage. Next morning when the son of the family and a local police official went out to where most of the remains of the crew lay, they could clearly see Bill Clarke?s body still at the controls.
German salvage attempts were delayed for several days due to bad weather but, after recovering a wing, probably one engine and most of the larger pieces of surface wreckage, they departed almost certainly leaving the remaining engines and other wreckage buried deep in the ground where they may still remain. Whilst the delay in removing the wreckage due to bad weather was understandable, the action taken by a German officer in charge, that of forbidding the removal of the crew remains for several days "This is your faith for helping the enemy" was looked upon with contempt by the Dutch, who thought it just a further attempt to humiliate the enemy. However, the sad remains of the three crew members were finally collected by local people and later buried by the Germans who treated them with "military honour", which was usually the case.
Two days later the Oskam family were visited by some Germans, very likely the night-fighter crew who had shot the Stirling down. There were few real victors in those deadly night skies for this German officer met his death just two months later on 30 March 1943.
The three comrades lie together in the General Cemetery at Benschop in Holland close to where they fell and although their headstones are in the familiar official style, the small carefully tended plot remains a permanent reminder for the local Dutch people of the terrible price paid for their liberation and freedom. The children always help, well understanding the significance of it all.
The Historical Society of Leusden is conducting research on this crew :
We, the Historical Society of Leusden will investigate and describe this crash and erect a monument to honour the crew of the Stirling of the 214 Squadron.
We have therefore interviewed eye-witnesses of the crash, investigated diaries ,visited the graves as well as we collected information about the Squadron 214.
However an important subject in our search is the information about the crew and their relatives. Untill now it we could find the relatives of only one airman of this Stirling.
Therefore I write this letter to ask you if it is possible to co-operate with this search. We can provide more information about the crash of this Stirling and probably you can provide us more information about the crew?
We, The Historical Society of Leusden are prepared to provide any further information, if needed.
Date of loss : 3 February 1943
Crew of Stirling Mark I R9282 (03-Feb-1943) BU-Q consisted of :
Sgt John Caldwell Adam, 1340346, Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 3 February 1943, Aged 28
WO T W Burke, Wireless Operator, Royal Australian Air Force, Nationality : Australian, POW 3 February 1943
Sqn/Ldr William 'Bill' Clarke MiD, 70132, Pilot, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 3 February 1943, Aged 32
Sgt D J Connearn, Flight Engineer, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, POW 3 February 1943
Sgt R F Crawley, Mid Upper Gunner, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, POW 3 February 1943
Sgt George Eric Johnson, 1124496, Navigator, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 3 February 1943, Aged 21
Sgt J A Lawson, Bomb Aimer, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, POW 3 February 1943
Source : Nightjar Newsletter Spring 2004 and Spring 2008 and extracts from reports by the Oskam family and the Municipal Police at Willeskop and Chorley
Date record last updated : 27 September 2015
Stirling (model unknown) R9288
Stirling (model unknown) R9288
No further information available yet.
Source : Unknown
Date record last updated : 10 June 2020
Stirling Mark I R9289 BU-O
Stirling Mark I R9289 BU-O
Delivered by Short Brothers (Rochester & Bedford) between October 1942 and January 1943. Contract No.763825/38. Delivered to No.19MU 21 January 1943, to 32MU 1 April 1943, to No.7 Sqdn 19 April 1943, to No.214 Sqdn 23 August 1943.
This was the last Stirling 1 written off by 214 Sqdn and probably the last Mk.1 written off by a Bomber Command Squadron. Airborne 21:09hrs on 10 December 1943 from Tempsford and crashed almost immediately following a violent swing. No injuries. No other crew names appended.
Source : Roy Tebbutt (Carpetbagger Aviation Museum, Harrington, UK.)
Date record last updated : 3 August 2008
Stirling Mark I R9317
Stirling Mark I R9317 (03-Jun-1942)
Take off 23.30hrs from Stradishall on an operation to Bremen but returned with technical problems. While trying to land, the port inner engine failed and the Stirling crash landed at 02.06hrs finishing up in the overshoot area.
Crew of Stirling Mark I R9317 (03-Jun-1942) consisted of :
Sgt William James Bushell, 1310132, Wireless Operator / Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : British, KIA 27 August 1942, Aged 29
Plt/Off Barry Phillip Cardinal, J/7197, Air Gunner, Royal Canadian Air Force, Nationality : Canadian, KIA 7 June 1942, Aged 21
Plt/Off John Barry Holdsworth, 115722, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 7 June 1942, Aged 21
Plt/Off Edward Michael Marks, J/15139, Air Gunner, Royal Canadian Air Force, Nationality : Canadian, KIA 7 June 1942
Plt/Off Leonard Treppass, 108005, Observer, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 7 June 1942, Aged 29
Flt/Lt Reginald William Arthur Turtle DFC, 40866, Pilot, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 7 June 1942, Aged 26
Source : Kate Bretell (niece of Flt/Lt Turtle) extracted from the ORB at the PRO and Chorley
Date record last updated : 22 June 2014
Stirling Mark I R9319 BU-S
Stirling Mark I R9319 BU-S
Mission to Emden
Up 23:15
Down 23:45
Owing to complete cut out on inner port engine jettisoned 1620 x 4 lb. and 48 x 30 lb. incendiaries in a field 10 miles N.W. of Stradishall at 23.35 hours from 200 ft.
Was forced to turn back to Stradishall with engine failure and crashed into another Stirling. All members of the crew survived.
Crew of Stirling Mark I R9322 (01-Jun-1942) BU-C consisted of :
Sgt Arthur Buckley, 614046, Air Gunner, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 20 June 1942, Aged 23
Sgt Burley Sgt King Sgt Douglas Archer Melville, 913638, Wireless Operator / Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 20 June 1942
Sqn/Ldr Peter Nixey DSO, 42257, Pilot, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 20 June 1942, Aged 22
Sgt Wilfred Ernest Pearson, 568448, Flight Engineer, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 20 June 1942
Source : Don MacDonald
Date record last updated : 22 June 2014
Stirling Mark I R9322 (03-Jun-1942) BU-C
Destroyed by fire at 18.45hrs while being prepared for bombing operations from Stradishall.
Source : Chorley
Date record last updated : 22 June 2014
Stirling (model unknown) R9323 BU-R
Stirling (model unknown) R9323 BU-R
Crew of Stirling (model unknown) R9323 BU-R consisted of :
The crew of R9326 were filmed as part of a Pathe News Gazette wartime film called 'Take it on the Chin' about the bombings raids over Germany, which they took part in. This can be viewed by visiting
https://www.britishpathe.com/asset/81738/
On 11 June 1942 while on a minelaying op over the Friesian Islands, the aircraft, hit by flak from Borkum, disabling the rear turret, crashed on the beach of a small island called Memmert immediately to the north of Borkum Island. In 1942 the island was a bird sanctuary (still is apparently) with only a warden's hut.
This was confirmed by Dr Theo Boiten, who was researching The RAF Anti Shipping Campaign in the Friesian Islands. He had been corresponding with Geoffrey Ransome, the Second Pilot around 1994.
The front gunner who sustained a broken leg during the crash, was the only injury. They walked around the island which was quite small and discovered that there was only a small hut and no way off. When it became light they roused the old warden from his slumbers and after reassuring him he wasn't about to be harmed, got him to contact the mainland and advise of their presence.
After a while a guard detail arrived and took them off the island and from there they went to the interrogation centre at Oberussel, ie Dulag Luft. Following their interrogation the crew spent almost the next 3 years at a variety of camps including Stalug Luft 3, Heydelkrug & Fallingbostel until liberated on the forced marches.
PLEASE NOTE:
Sgt Richardson and Sgt Hoskins are listed in the Nightjar Newsletter Summer/Autumn 2004 but are not listed in the book "Footprints on the sands of time" by Oliver Clutton-Brock.
Sgt Ballentine and FS Beagles are listed in the book "Footprints on the sands of time" by Oliver Clutton-Brock and mentioned by Ian Tonkin but are not listed in the Nightjar Newsletter Summer/Autumn 2004.
Have they somehow got muddled??
Geoff Ransome recalls this event in 2011 aged 91:
"On a May afternoon in 1942, our crew was briefed for that night to lay mines in the German shipping lanes that lay off the Dutch/German coast. We took off at night. We set course for the mine laying point, arriving by dead reckoning in total cloud. We flew a square pattern for some considerable time waiting for the cloud to break. Suddenly a flare path lit up and we recognised a German airfield on the island of Borkum and were thus able to pinpoint our position and head for the mine laying position. Having laid the mines, we decided to fly back to the airfield under their radar level and drop the four 250lb bombs. As we were running up to the island, the aircraft bottomed on the sandy beach and slid into the sea. The bombs were left lying on the beach. We hastily unfastened our harnesses and opened the top hatch and activated the dingy. Because of the rapidly changing tides in that area, we were by then on sand. We were unhurt apart from the front gunner who suffered a broken leg. We burnt all documentation and attempted, unsuccessfully, to set fire to the aircraft. There was a fishing boat moored in the channel but there was not sufficient depth to float it. We opened the rations in the dingy and drank a quantity of rum! After a while, we were approached by armed German soldiers who took us prisoners. We were taken to the only cottage on the island which was the home of a fisherman who gave us meal of black bread and gulls' eggs. Very unpalatable, but we were grateful. Later, we were collected by German escorts from the mainland and taken to a POW reception camp for debriefing and thence on to a POW camp, Stalag Luft III."
"During the time in Germany, we were moved every few months to a different POW camp, usually in cattle trucks in difficult conditions. In early 1945, we were marched out of the camp, escorted by elderly German guards. On one of the marching days, our column of men was shot up by our own fighter planes. There were many casualties. Eventually, by standing and waving our airforce greatcoats, showing the white inner lining, to the attacking planes, they appeared to recognise the signal and flew off. The march continued and the routine was that we would be locked up in one of the very large two storey barns that appeared to be common in north Germany. Each morning, we were wakened by the German guards shouting "rous, rous!" and banging on the corrugated sides of the barn. One morning the guards did not make themselves known and eventually, after waiting some while, we managed to break out of the barn. Since there was not a German in sight, we set off to explore. We came to a German hospital with no sign of anybody about but parked outside was a military ambulance. On the fuel guage, it showed virtually no fuel. George, the flight engineer in my crew, was an experienced driver and we set off, driving towards what we hoped were the British lines. In fact, we met with an American advance jeep. They said they were unable to assist except to give us some white bread, which we found difficult to swallow after being used to German black bread, and that we should carry on towards our own advancing forces. It became obvious that there was some other fuel system as the ambulance kept running. Finally we arrived at a British base. We were told to lose ourselves in the outfield until it was possible to transport us back to England. VE Day passed without our knowledge and we were eventually flown home a few days later. "
Date of loss : 11 June 1942
Crew of Stirling Mark I R9326 BU-G consisted of :
Sgt Alex Ballentine, Rear Gunner, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, POW 11 June 1942
FS L C Beagles, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, POW 11 June 1942
Sgt Stanley George Goodey, Air Gunner, POW 11 June 1942
FS Charles Cyril Honychurch, Observer, Royal Canadian Air Force, Nationality : Canadian, POW 11 June 1942
Sgt W D Horne, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, POW 11 June 1942
Sgt B F Hoskins, POW 11 June 1942
Sgt G D Morton, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, POW 11 June 1942
Sgt Geoffrey Herbert Ransome, Co-pilot, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, POW 11 June 1942
Sgt L D Richardson, POW 11 June 1942
Sgt Len R Tonkin, Pilot, Royal Australian Air Force, Nationality : Australian, POW 11 June 1942
Len Tonkin, L C Beagles and Stan Goodey 1942
Source : Ian Tonkin (son of Len Tonkin) and Geoff Ransome and Richard Miller (son of Stan Goodey) and Ian Hunt and Dr Theo Boiten and Nightjar Newsletter Summer/Autumn 2004 and Len Lane (nephew of FS L C Beagles) and Geoffrey Ransome
Date record last updated : 10 July 2011
Stirling Mark I R9350 BU-T
Stirling Mark I R9350 (07-Aug-1942) BU-T
Attack on Duisburg
Up 01:23hrs
Down 04:33hrs
Good visibility.
192 x 30lb incendiaries were dropped at 02:47hrs from 13,000ft on the west part of the town.
A huge fire 4 miles long was seen to the North West edge of the town.
Crew of Stirling Mark I R9350 (07-Aug-1942) BU-T consisted of :
Source : 214 Squadron ORB and Richard Maddox (researcher)
Date record last updated : 31 March 2023
Stirling Mark I R9350 (17-Sep-1942) BU-T
The aircraft took off at 20:58 hours from Stradishall.
The overall mission consisted of 369 aircraft of which 40 in total failed to return including 21 Wellingtons, 9 Lancasters, 5 Stirlings, 2 Halifaxes and 1 Whitley. Average loss for the mission was 10.6%, high compared to the average rate of 5% but the target (Essen) was heavily defended. Damage caused: 33 large and 80 medium fires; 8 industrial and 6 transport premises hit, including the Krupps armament works; and much housing damage causing at least 79 fatalities in Essen, Bochum, Wuppertal and Cochem.
Their aircraft a Short Stirling Mark I bomber R9350 BU-T aircraft was shot down on the homeward-bound leg of a bombing mission against the Krupp’s Steel Works at Essen in Germany just after midnight on 17 September 1942 at Bomal (Brabant), 16 miles SSE of Leuven, Belgium. R9350 BU-T was shot down by night fighter pilot Hauptmann Walter Ehle of the Stab II./NJG 1, who was flying a Messerschmitt Bf 110 F-4 from St Trond (Sint-Truiden) airfield. The two rear gunners of R9350 BU-T survived. The five other crew of R9350 BU-T were killed in action and are buried at Heverlee war cemetery Belgium.
Date of loss : 17 September 1942
Crew of Stirling Mark I R9350 (17-Sep-1942) BU-T consisted of :
Sgt Gordon Archibald Barrow, Mid Upper Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : Barbados, POW 16 September 1942
Sgt R J Cox, Rear Gunner, Nationality : United Kingdom, POW 16 September 1942
Sgt William James Davies, 1266757, Wireless Operator / Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 17 September 1942, Aged 34
WO Stephen Austin Levenson, 745292, Pilot, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 17 September 1942
Sgt George Bullimore Melton, 1014741, Flight Engineer, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 17 September 1942, Aged 29
FS Stuart Spencer Newcomb, 999799, Observer, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 17 September 1942, Aged 29
Sgt Laurence Charles Tillin 1939-1945 War Medal, 1939 - 1945 Star Air Crew, Europe Star, 1186959, Wireless Operator / Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 17 September 1942, Aged 28
Source : Nightjar Newsletter Spring 2004 and Robert Sharp (son of George Bullimore Melton) and Chorley and Graham Melton (Nephew of Sgt George Bullimore Melton) and https://www.caribbeanaircrew-ww2.com/?p=324
Date record last updated : 31 March 2023
Stirling Mark I R9355
Stirling Mark I R9355 (02-Jul-1942)
2 July 1942 Operation to Bremen.
Bomber Command sent three hundred and twenty-five aircraft to attack the city. Thirteen were lost.
It is believed that the main attack fell outside the Southern Borders of the city but German reports state that more than a thousand houses and four industrial firms were damaged with three cranes and seven ships, in the port, being hit with one actually sinking. Only five people were killed and four injured in a population which had become very air-raid shelter conscious.
214 Squadron sent seven aircraft, losing one, BF313 BU-T
At 2201 hours Short Stirling Mk I R9335 took off from Stradishall.
They attacked at 0137 from 17,950ft dropping 1620 x 4-lb incendiaries and 8 x 40lb incendiaries. There was no cloud with a bright moon and good visibility. Bremen was identified by the river and docks being closely seen. The bombs seemed to burst to the South of the docks. Fires were visible 80 miles away and seemed to be well spread. One photograph was attempted without a flash bomb. Strangely, their landing time at Stradishall was not recorded.
Crew of Stirling Mark I R9355 (02-Jul-1942) consisted of :
Date record last updated : 22 June 2014
Stirling Mark I R9355 (07-Jul-1942)
This was a "GARDENING" mission.
One hundred and two aircraft were sent `Gardening', a term used for minelaying, without loss.
The mines were, likewise, called `Vegetables' and the areas in which they were to be dropped were also code named following general horticultural association implied by gardening and vegetables.
On this occasion 214 Squadron sent four aircraft without loss.
R9355 was the Stirling which took off at 23:59 to the destination `Nectarine' (The Frisian Islands) with three `vegetables'.
The `vegetables' were planted at 53.39N x 0541E at ten second intervals from 2,000ft at 01:29 hours. The results were not seen because it was pitch dark. They landed at 03:15.
Crew of Stirling Mark I R9355 (07-Jul-1942) consisted of :
Sgt Eric Harold Cooper, 1223659, Rear Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 24 July 1942, Aged 21
Sgt Denis Frank Dobson, 539408, Flight Engineer, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 24 July 1942
Sgt John Brown Fleming, R/123282, Air Gunner, Royal Canadian Air Force, Nationality : Canadian, KIA 24 July 1942, Aged 21
Plt/Off Harry Edward Orr, J/15865, Wireless Operator / Air Gunner, Royal Canadian Air Force, Nationality : Canadian, KIA 14 September 1942, Aged 19
Plt/Off Jack Dempsey Peel, 115123, Pilot, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 24 July 1942
Fg/Off Alan Raymond Collier Skone, 68186, Pilot, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : British, KIA 27 August 1942, Aged 22
Sgt Frederick Arthur William Thorne, 550874, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 24 July 1942, Aged 22
FS Peter John Withers, 924720, Observer, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 24 July 1942, Aged 20
Source : Arthur Skone and 214 Squadron ORB
Date record last updated : 26 July 2015
Stirling Mark I R9355 (09-Jul-1942)
Take off 23:50hrs. Return 04:30hrs
Attacked Wilmshaven at 1.50hrs from 16,000 ft, dropping 3 x 2000 and 3 x 500. Identification was made by the light of flares and navigational aid. Bombs fell a little short of aiming point on dock buildings but were not seen to burst. Scattered fires of medium size were observed in the docks and town.
Crew of Stirling Mark I R9355 (09-Jul-1942) consisted of :
Sgt Eric Harold Cooper, 1223659, Rear Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 24 July 1942, Aged 21
Sgt Denis Frank Dobson, 539408, Flight Engineer, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 24 July 1942
Sgt John Brown Fleming, R/123282, Air Gunner, Royal Canadian Air Force, Nationality : Canadian, KIA 24 July 1942, Aged 21
Plt/Off Harry Edward Orr, J/15865, Wireless Operator / Air Gunner, Royal Canadian Air Force, Nationality : Canadian, KIA 14 September 1942, Aged 19
Plt/Off Jack Dempsey Peel, 115123, Pilot, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 24 July 1942
Sgt Frederick Arthur William Thorne, 550874, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 24 July 1942, Aged 22
FS Peter John Withers, 924720, Observer, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 24 July 1942, Aged 20
Source : 214 Squadron ORB and Richard Hallam (nephew of Eric Cooper)
Date record last updated : 26 July 2015
Stirling Mark I R9355 (08-Sep-1942) BU-D
Attack on Frankfurt
Up 21:00hrs
Back 02:45hrs.
At 02:48hrs from 15,000 ft a drop of 1710 x 4lb incediaries was made.
Bursts were observed just north of some burning buildings and at least one new red fire was started.
The aircraft was hit by flak, which caused the port inner engine to fall from it's frame. The starboard outer engine was also damaged, and later failed completely.
On return an emergency landing was made on Manson airfield, during which the Stirling was wrecked.
Date of loss : 8 September 1942
Crew of Stirling Mark I R9355 (08-Sep-1942) BU-D consisted of :
Crew of Stirling Mark I R9355 (08-Sep-1942) BU-D consisted of :
Attacked Duisburg at 01:45hrs from 16,500 feet dropping 4 x 2000 and 1 x 500 bombs. Identified Duisburg by means of flares, concentration of searchlights and built up area. Bombs fell in the centre of the city and one burst was seen. Numerous fires were seen on arrival and leaving.
Crew of Stirling Mark I R9356 (22-Jul-1942) consisted of :
Sgt Eric Harold Cooper, 1223659, Rear Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 24 July 1942, Aged 21
Sgt Denis Frank Dobson, 539408, Flight Engineer, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 24 July 1942
Plt/Off Raymond Harold Dunckley, 404344, Observer, Royal New Zealand Air Force, Nationality : New Zealand, KIA 27 August 1942, Aged 22
Sgt H C Fairhall, POW 23 July 1942
Sgt John Brown Fleming, R/123282, Air Gunner, Royal Canadian Air Force, Nationality : Canadian, KIA 24 July 1942, Aged 21
Plt/Off Jack Dempsey Peel, 115123, Pilot, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 24 July 1942
Sgt Frederick Arthur William Thorne, 550874, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 24 July 1942, Aged 22
Source : 214 Squadron ORB and Richard Hallam (nephew of Eric Cooper)
Date record last updated : 26 July 2015
Stirling Mark I R9356 (20-Sep-1942) BU-U
Operation to Munchen. Take off 20:20 from Stradishall. Crashed at Hader, Germany. Those who died are buried in Durnbach War Cemetery.
Date of loss : 20 September 1942
Crew of Stirling Mark I R9356 (20-Sep-1942) BU-U consisted of :
WO/II Russell Thomas Joshua Collett, R/77329, Wireless Operator / Air Gunner, Royal Canadian Air Force, Nationality : Canadian, KIA 20 September 1942, Aged 28
Fg/Off G W Findlay, Royal Canadian Air Force, POW 19 September 1942
Sgt Colin Leslie Hanna, 407642, Royal Australian Air Force, Nationality : Australian, KIA 20 September 1942, Aged 27
Sgt James Holland, 948335, Flight Engineer, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 20 September 1942, Aged 21
WO P J McNamara, POW 19 September 1942
FS W M Thompson, Royal Canadian Air Force, POW 19 September 1942
Fg/Off Clifford John Whittingham, 46402, Navigator, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 20 September 1942, Aged 26
Date record last updated : 5 December 2021
Stirling Mark I R9358 (09-Mar-1943) BU-A
9th March 1943. FS Delbert (Dinty) Moore RCAF was detailed to take a spare crew (his own having been shot down whilst he was hospitalised) on a trip to Munich in Stirling R9358. After a couple of aircraft had left with no problems, a new pilot on a night navigation exercise swung on take off , collapsed the undercarriage of his Stirling and so blocked the main runway. (No clue as to why he was not held until the operational boys had all got away). It was decided to use one of the shorter runways (SSE/NNW) and Dinty duly prepared to leave whilst not very happy as they had experienced their own undercarriage problems whilst on air test.
The laden Stirling lumbered into the air but, with the u/c only partially retracted, clipped some trees, took the roof off a newly built house and finally ploughed in near Chevington about a mile away. Miraculously the bomb load did not explode and the crew scrambled out of the burning aircraft. A head count revealed one missing, John Flack and, without hesitation, Dinty and Sgt Hamish Wilson, their New Zealand rear gunner, went back into the aircraft to find John trapped and upside down in his straps. They got him out suffering severe burns in the process later to be awarded the GM for their gallantry. At a 214 re-union do Dinty was re united with his WAAF nurse and ambulance driver.
Crew of Stirling Mark I R9358 (09-Mar-1943) consisted of :
Attack on Berlin
Take off 22:20hrs from Stradishall.
On return the aircraft stalled and crashed at 06:00hrs at Mile End Farm, Hartest, 7 miles SSW of Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England. The bomber collided with trees. There was no fire. One crew member was hurt. The crew returned to base riding in a farmer's cart.
Date of loss : 3 June 1941
Crew of Wellington Mark II W5450 (03-Jun-1941) BU-? consisted of :
Stirling(model unknown) W7534 BU-E
On the 30 May 1942 the crew of Stirling W7534 BU-E lifted off the runway at Stradishall heading toward Cologne Germany. After long planning and several delays, the excitement and tension of the crew would have been running high this day as they were about to make history. This was to be no ordinary raid! Operation Millenium, as it was called, was the largest bomber raid ever attempted with over 1000 aircraft taking part. Timing and precision flying were critical. Following a highly successfull raid, early in the morning of the 31st the last of the returning aircraft touched down at Stradishall. Sadly Stirling BU-E was not among them.
It was later reported that the aircraft had crashed near Munchengladbach killing all 8 crew. They were reportedly buried at Gelsenkirchen Huellen but further reports suggest the aircraft may have crashed near Giesenkirchen, a few miles to the South of Munchengladbach.
A report from Flt Lt Brian Frow flying a Hamden from 408 Squadron stated that shortly after passing Munchengladbach he had seen two aircraft collide. He stated that he had seen a Wellington climbing, possibly to avoid flak, and collide with a Stirling from below severing the Stirlings tail. Both aircraft had plunged downwards, the Wellington exploding in mid-air whilst the Stirling exploded on impact with the ground.
It is likely that the aircraft involved were W7534 of 214 Squadron and X3670 from 101 Squadron based at RAF Bourn whose crew of 5 were lost without trace. They were:
PO Anthony De Faye Gardner
Sgt W H Arnold
Sgt R E Hart
SgtDenis Pearson
Sgt I B H Spooner
They are commemorated on the RAF Memorial at Runnymede.
OPERATION MILLENIUM. On the 26th May with the full moon approaching, preparations for this historic raid were complete and the force stood ready waiting on favourable weather. Harris had initally chosen Hamburg as his preferred target but the weather over Germany was unfavourable for three consecutive days so the target was changed to the third largest German city, Cologne. The RAF lost 41 aircraft, two of these being Stirlings of the 88 Stirlings supplied by 3 Group. The picture below depicts the devastation to Cologne following this raid.
(excerpt from Bomber Command War Diaries)
Date of loss : 31 May 1942
Crew of Stirling (model unknown) W7534 BU-E consisted of :
Sgt Geoffrey Charles Bunning, 932988, Wireless Operator / Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 31 May 1942
Sgt Richard Sweet Cruise, 523187, Flight Engineer, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 31 May 1942, Aged 26
Plt/Off William Davies, 109519, Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 31 May 1942, Aged 31
Plt/Off Harry Dent, 109483, Pilot, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 31 May 1942, Aged 23
Plt/Off Sydney Stephen Dimond, 112742, Observer, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 31 May 1942, Aged 32
Sgt Patrick Gerald McGrath, 1081837, Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 31 May 1942
FS Clarence Henry Muir, 400481, Co-pilot, Royal Australian Air Force, Nationality : Australian, KIA 31 May 1942, Aged 22
Sgt John Henry Munday, 1375601, Wireless Operator / Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 31 May 1942
Source : Emrys Jones and CWGC and R Conybear (great nephew of Sydney Dimond)
Date record last updated : 14 June 2009
Stirling Mark I W7537 BU-H
Stirling Mark I W7537 BU-H
Chorley says : Take off was from Stradishall. Shot down by a night-fighter from 11./NJG2 and crashed at Sustedt, 25km SSE of Bremen.
Nachtjagd War Diaries Volume 1 - Theo Boiten says : Claim by Uffz Heinz Vinke 5/NJG2 - Susted 25km SSE of Bremen at 02:03/16. This was shared with 8th Motorised Flak Division.
WO James McDade Brown, 945996, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, POW 3 June 1942
Sgt Edward Docherty, 1101593, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 4 June 1942, Aged 26
FS Ronald John Finch, 931408, Pilot, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 4 June 1942, Aged 22
FS Leonard Stanley Hill, 638698, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, POW 3 June 1942
Sgt J F P Knight, Nationality : United Kingdom, POW 3 June 1942
Sgt Sidney Edgar Saunders, 646213, Flight Engineer, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 4 June 1942
Sgt James Henry Spinks, 1310580, Wireless Operator / Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 4 June 1942, Aged 28
WO William Wall, 565802, Pilot, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 4 June 1942, Aged 25
Source : Chorley and Andrew Whittle (grandson of Sgt Spinks) and John Jones (Nachtjagd War Diaries Volume 1 - Theo Boiten) and and Richard Maddox (researcher) and The National Archives
Date record last updated : 24 February 2023
Stirling Mark I W7538 BU-T
Stirling Mark I W7538 (29-May-1942) BU-T
On 29 - 30 May 1942 W7538 Attacked Gnome Rhone works up 00:30 down 05:30
Crew of Stirling Mark I W7538 (29-May-1942) BU-T consisted of :
Source : Kate Bretell (niece of Flt/Lt Turtle) extracted from the ORB at the PRO and Chorley
Date record last updated : 29 December 2010
Stirling Mark I W7538 (26-Jun-1942) BU-T
Attack on Bremen
Up : 23:25
Down : 04:55
Bombs were dropped about 20 miles N. E. of Bremerhaven at 01:45 hours from 17,000 ft. Dropped 1620 x 4 lb. incendiaries but no results were observed. This A/c was shot up by an M.E 110 and M.E. 110. The front gunner and Engineer were injured. The port outer airscrew fell of and the undercarriage and two turrets were u/s. Landed at Coltishall.
Badly shot about by night fighters, this Stirling crash landed at Coltishall and was written off. Two members of the crew were wounded during the fighter engagements.
The port outer engine was damaged (the propeller and reduction gear being shot away) and the Flight Engineer (631478 Sgt. McCoy, W.C.) and Front Gunner (1175876 Sgt. Williams, J.) were injured.
The aircraft returned on three engines and as the undercarriage failed to lower, crash landed at Coltishall
Crew of Stirling Mark I W7538 (26-Jun-1942) BU-T consisted of :
Sgt George Davison, 954272, Rear Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, POW 4 September 1942
FS C K Johnston DFM, 625298, Rear Gunner
Sgt W C McCoy, 631478, Flight Engineer
Plt/Off David Nasmyth Osborne, 1016738 -110609, Navigator, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, POW 4 September 1942
Sgt J J Perry, 1261701, 2nd Pilot
Plt/Off John Gordon Smith DFC, Can/J.6960, Pilot, Royal Canadian Air Force, Nationality : Canadian, POW 4 September 1942
Sgt William Bassington Watt, 1110178, Front Gunner, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, POW 4 September 1942
Sgt S J Williams, 1175876, Front Gunner
Source : Nightjar Newsletter Autumn 2004 and 214 Squadron ORB and Richard Maddox (researcher) and The National Archives
Date record last updated : 24 February 2023
Stirling Mark I W7560 BU-C
Stirling Mark I W7560 BU-C
Take off at 22:37hrs from Stradishall. Operation to Hamburg. Shot down by a fighter, believed to have been a ME 109, and crashed at Westerdeichstrich, 3 km NNE of Busum, Germany.
Date of loss : 27 July 1942
Crew of Stirling Mark I W7560 BU-C consisted of :
FS D W Attwood, Royal New Zealand Air Force, Nationality : New Zealand, POW 26 July 1942
Sgt R G Cartwright, POW 26 July 1942
Sgt C L De Freitas, POW 26 July 1942
Sgt A T B Jackson, Royal New Zealand Air Force, Nationality : New Zealand, POW 26 July 1942
Sgt D L Knibb, POW 26 July 1942
Plt/Off B M Sheppard, Royal New Zealand Air Force, Nationality : New Zealand, POW 26 July 1942
Flt/Lt G R Simich, Royal New Zealand Air Force, Nationality : New Zealand, POW 26 July 1942
Source : Source : "Footprints on the sands of time" by Oliver Clutton-Brock and Chorley
Date record last updated : 20 January 2023
Stirling Mark I W7567 BU-S
Stirling Mark I W7567 (24-Jul-1942) BU-S
Take off from Stradishall. Target was Duisburg, Germany.
Shot down by a night-fighter and crashed at Werkendam (Noord Brabant), 18km NW of Waalwijk, Holland. 6 were KIA and 1 was taken POW.
Date of loss : 24 July 1942
Crew of Stirling Mark I W7567 (24-Jul-1942) BU-S consisted of :
Sgt Eric Harold Cooper, 1223659, Rear Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 24 July 1942, Aged 21
Sgt Denis Frank Dobson, 539408, Flight Engineer, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 24 July 1942
Sgt H C Fairhall, POW 23 July 1942
Sgt John Brown Fleming, R/123282, Air Gunner, Royal Canadian Air Force, Nationality : Canadian, KIA 24 July 1942, Aged 21
Plt/Off Jack Dempsey Peel, 115123, Pilot, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 24 July 1942
Sgt Frederick Arthur William Thorne, 550874, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 24 July 1942, Aged 22
FS Peter John Withers, 924720, Observer, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 24 July 1942, Aged 20
Source : Nightjar Newsletter Autumn 2004 and Eric Hallam and Richard Hallam and Chorley
Date record last updated : 31 August 2020
Stirling (model unknown) W7569
Stirling (model unknown) W7569 (19-Jul-1942)
Flight took off at 23:33 Hours. The mission was to attack Vegesack.
At 02:02 hours, from 18,000 feet, incendaries were dropped on T.R. and no results were observed.
Flight returned at 05:43 hours
Crew of Stirling (model unknown) W7569 (19-Jul-1942) consisted of :
Flight left at 22:45 hours. Visibility was poor but when there was a break in the clouds Mainz was bombed at 01:21 hours, from 11,000 feet. One photo was attempted.
Flight returned at 05:10 hours.
Crew of Stirling (model unknown) W7575 (12-Aug-1942) consisted of :
Date record last updated : 25 January 2015
Stirling (model unknown) W7577 (07-Aug-1942) BU-P
Attack on Duisburg
Up 01:45hrs
Down 05:23hrs
Weather was 8/10 cloud and ground hazy.
4 x 2000, 1 x 1000 and 1 x 500 bombs were dropped from 15,500 ft at 03:24 hrs.
4 flashes were seen by the crew after the drop. This attracted the attention of the flak batteries. Hits were received on the wings and the fuselage of the aircraft.
Crew of Stirling (model unknown) W7577 (07-Aug-1942) BU-P consisted of :
Date record last updated : 31 March 2023
Stirling Mark I W7584 (07-Aug-1942) BU-D
Attack on Duisburg
Up 01:01hrs
Down 04:21hrs
Weather dark with clouds and low visibility. 2160 x 4lb incendiaries were dropped from 13,000ft, at 02:34hrs, magnetic bearing 090 degrees. They dropped and exploded on the town, which had been identified by navigational aids. Numerous other incendiaries and HE bombs from other aircraft were seen to burst on leaving.
Crew of Stirling Mark I W7584 (07-Aug-1942) BU-D consisted of :
Source : 214 Squadron ORB and Richard Maddox (researcher)
Date record last updated : 31 March 2023
Stirling Mark I W7584 (21-Nov-1942) BU-D
The op was to Torino. Take off was 18:44hrs frrom Chedburgh.
It was moonlight with good visibility but a light haze when this aircraft attacked Turin at 22:00hrs from 12,000ft, dropping 1 x 2000lb HC and 630 x incendiaries. Bombs fell on centre of town and were seen to burst. Good fires were seen as aircraft left area.
Throughout the flight the crew had experienced failure of the port inner and starboard outer screw exactors and on return there was poor visibility at base. With fuel low the pilot ordered his crew to bale out, after which the aircraft crashed at 03:42hrs at Thurlow, Suffolk. Five of the crew were uninjured, but FS Corlett, the pilot, died and Sgt Wigglesworth was injured.
Date of loss : 21 November 1942
Crew of Stirling Mark I W7584 (21-Nov-1942) BU-D consisted of :
Sgt A H Bradley, Royal New Zealand Air Force, Nationality : New Zealand
Sgt H Brookfield, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom
FS Edmund Murray Corlett, 412207, Pilot, Royal New Zealand Air Force, Nationality : New Zealand, KIA 21 November 1942, Aged 33
Sgt Ralph Reginald Shipley, Air Gunner, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom
Sgt G E Webber, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom
Flt/Lt Frank Richard Woodger, 52114, Flight Engineer, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 24 February 1945, Aged 32
Sgt Edmund Joseph Wrigglesworth, Royal Air Force, Nationality : United Kingdom
Source : Nightjar Newsletter Spring 2004 and Ian Hunt and Chorley and www.rafcommands.com and 214 Squadron ORB
Date record last updated : 31 March 2023
Stirling (model unknown) W7610
Stirling (model unknown) W7610 (26-Jul-1942)
Flight took off at 00:35 hours. The target was Duisburg. At 02:06 hours from, 17,000 feet, bombs were released into the centre of a fire whose glow could be seen below the clouds. Heavy smoke could be seen afterwards.
Flight returned at 04:35 hours.
Crew of Stirling (model unknown) W7610 (26-Jul-1942) consisted of :
Date record last updated : 8 February 2019
Stirling (model unknown) W7610 (28-Jul-1942)
Flight left at 23:30 hours. The target was Hamburg. They were unable to identify Hamburg as the T.R. was u/s after 7 degrees E so the furthest point they reached was 25 miles NW of Hamburg. Other aircraft reported icing conditions and poor visibility so they returned back to base with the bombs at 05:45 hours .
Crew of Stirling (model unknown) W7610 (28-Jul-1942) consisted of :
Date record last updated : 8 February 2019
Stirling (model unknown) W7610 (01-Aug-1942)
Flight left at 01:05 hours for Dusseldorf. At 02:40 hours bombs were dropped from 16,800 feet. Identification was made by Navigational Aid and identification of docks on the East bend of the river. Cofirmation of the action could not be confirmed as the town was thick with fires.
Flight returned at 05:11 hours.
Crew of Stirling (model unknown) W7610 (01-Aug-1942) consisted of :
Date record last updated : 8 February 2019
Stirling (model unknown) W7610 (07-Aug-1942)
Attack on Duisberg
Up 01:19hrs
Down 04:28hrs
Scattered fires were sen on arrival. Visibility was very hazy, black sky and no clouds.
192 x 30lb. Incendiaries dropped at 02:48hrs from 14,000ft. And were seen to explode.
Crew of Stirling (model unknown) W7610 (07-Aug-1942) consisted of :
Plt/Off Robert Joseph 'Bobby' Cartmell, J/15883, Pilot, Royal Canadian Air Force, Nationality : Canadian, KIA 14 September 1942, Aged 24
Sgt Ronald Dicks, 1121218, Flight Engineer, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 14 September 1942, Aged 29
Plt/Off Philip (aka Tim) 'Snowy' Fussey, Air Observer, Royal Air Force, Nationality : British, POW 13 September 1942
Sgt R G Newman Plt/Off Harry Edward Orr, J/15865, Wireless Operator / Air Gunner, Royal Canadian Air Force, Nationality : Canadian, KIA 14 September 1942, Aged 19
FS Joseph George Spouler, R/71030, Wireless Operator / Air Gunner, Royal Canadian Air Force, Nationality : Canadian, KIA 14 September 1942
Sgt J Watson
Source : 214 Squadron ORB and Richard Maddox (researcher)
Date record last updated : 31 March 2023
Stirling (model unknown) W7610 (11-Aug-1942)
Flight left at 22.55 hours for Mainz. The target was identified visually. PetersAuc Island and town were clearly seen. Bombs were dropped at 01:08 hours from a height of 12,500 feet, magnetic bearing 130 degrees. They were seen to explode. One flare was dropped. The aircraft was damaged by flak. Weather was dark with wispy cloud and fair visibility. One photograph was attemted. The flight returned at 03:55 hours.
Crew of Stirling (model unknown) W7610 (11-Aug-1942) consisted of :
On the night of 4th April 1943 about 8:21pm during a raid to Kiel Germany, Stirling W7621, coded BU-G was shot down by a fighter plane at Schlesen, 20 km east of Kiel. The pilot of the aircraft attempted a landing on a field near the lake Dobersdorfer See. The aircraft slid approx 300 metres over the field, then flipped over and continued on into the lake where it stopped about 100 metres from the shore. The crew were aparently all killed but not all as a result of the crash.
THE MYSTERY: One of the crew (Sgt. Broderick) was found on the little island Amrum in the North Sea, all other crew members are missing. The Dobersdorfer See is an inland lake not connected to the North Sea so it is a mystery how his body came to be found on Amrum. If you study the maps, the only possible explanation is that he baled out of the aircraft and made his way overland to the North Sea. This theory does not explain how he came to be drowned in the sea.
RESULT OF RESEARCH
After the war, the people of the little village Schlesen began to recover some parts of the aircraft. The first attempt, to take the parts out of the lake with a rope of steel and a tractor, failed. The cause was a steep edge in the 5 metre deep area in the lake. After clearing away the edge, some parts were recovered.
The cover reads "REMOVE WHEN LOADING BOMBS"
Unknown part
In the spring and summer of 2004, I (Nils Hempel) searched and found numerous little parts in the area on the field and the shore. The location of all the parts I found, were saved on my GPS. I was a lot of hours searching and found many little and bigger parts of aluminium. After the transfer of the GPS-Data on a grid, the line of the crash was recognized. (See on the map)
The red arrow on the map indicates the direction the Sturling crashed.
Later, together with some friendly divers, I searched the area into the lake. We then found a lot of bigger parts of the aircraft (See pictures). A second search into the lake, with a lot of detectors, failed. The mud in the lake very deep. (2-3 metres).
For a long time I didn't know if I had found the right aircraft, I was unsure. But one of the parts from the lake (the fuel gauges) showed, I am on the right track. On the same date of this crash, there was another Stirling which crashed too, but this place is in Danmark.
The gauges are now in the property of the lake owner for permiting my search of his ground.
The small inset map shows the relation of the crash site to Kiel.
Lamp Housing
Turret motor
All of the above photos and information is a result of the amazing and difficult research of Nils Hempel. Nils searches out the actual crash sites and using various technology from scuba divers, metal detectors to Satelite tracking, he carefully reconstructs the final moments of the aircraft.
All pictures and research Copyright Nils Hempel of Kiel Germany.
Crew of Stirling Mark I W7621 (04-Apr-1943) BU-G consisted of :
Sgt John Broderick, 1254086, Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 4 April 1943, Aged 22
Sgt Kenneth Reginald Burton DFM, 1385331, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 4 April 1943, Aged 20
Sgt George Henry Joseph Cash, 1334740, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 4 April 1943, Aged 21
Sgt Albert John Gordon, 1376471, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 4 April 1943, Aged 29
Sgt Edward McGloin, 1560563, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 4 April 1943, Aged 20
Sgt Harry Michael Parsons, 1332551, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, Aged 25
Sgt James Hill Strathearn, 996460, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality : United Kingdom, KIA 4 April 1943, Aged 23
Source : Nils Hempel of Kiel Germany and Nightjar Newsletter Spring 2004
Date record last updated : 24 March 2009
Stirling Mark I W7626 BU-J
Stirling Mark I W7626 (05-Oct-1942) BU-J
Attack on Aachen
Up 19:44hrs from Chedburgh
Almost immediately crash-landed after the pilot had been temporarily blinded by a flash of lightning.
Three men were injured, Robson, Potter and Tunwell.
This accident prevented seven Stirlings, that were waiting to take off, from participating in action that night. This may have been a blessing as 4 other crews from various Squadrons around the country all crashed due to bad weather and severe thunderstorms after take off on the same evening.
There is no mention of this accident in the 214 Squadron ORB.
Date of loss : 5 October 1942
Crew of Stirling Mark I W7626 (05-Oct-1942) BU-J consisted of :
Date record last updated : 29 December 2008
Stirling Mark I W7631 (23-Oct-1942) BU-G
Attack on Geneva
Up 19:15hrs from Chedburgh
Attacked on Geneva at 22:38hrs from 8,000ft. There was moonlight and fair visibility but 7/10ths cloud over the town.The inner harbour and Porto Nuevo were recognised on the run in and blocks of buildings and streets were visible through breaks in the clouds. 2 x 2000 and 1 x 500 HC were not seen to burst but explosions were felt in the aircraft and believed to have dropped between the inner harbour and aiming point. Two large fires were seen on leaving, as well as many smaller fires scattered throughout the town.
The aircraft was sluggish in climbing and ran out of fuel and crashed at 04:46hrs while trying to land at base. The pilot suffered with bruised ribs and shock. Two other members suffered cuts and shock.
Date of loss : 23 October 1942
Crew of Stirling Mark I W7631 (23-Oct-1942) BU-G consisted of :
A photograph of a crew of W7637 BU-W has been provided by Andrew Frank, who believes it was taken in 1942 and his relative, Sgt Charles Ransom is possibly seated on the left. However he is not certain that is correct, but he does know Sgt Ransom is in the photo. Can anyone help with names please?
Took off from Chedburgh at 18:26hrs on a mission to Lorient. Lost without trace. All are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. Sqn/Ldr Carlyon was a Canadian serving in the Royal Air Force.
This crew flew over thirty times together according to Jason Carr.
Source : Christopher Jary, Author - Portrait Of A Bomber Pilot.
Date record last updated : 28 June 2009
Stirling (model unknown) Mackett crews
Stirling (model unknown) Mackett crews
Crew formed at RAF 26 OTU Wing Beds in April 1943 and stayed together for quite a while.
Stanley Newton joined the crew in July 1943 just before the crew moved to 214 Squadron at RAF Chedburgh
Douglas Houghton flew with Robert Mackett's crew until, on 1 September 1943, he volunteered to fill the place of a sick airman with Stirling EE970 BU-B and lost his life in a flying battle over North West Europe.
Bert Waugh joined the crew after the death of Douglas Houghton.
RAF LAKENHEATH early 1944 with 149 Squadron
Back row L-R
Gordon Lowe (W/op / AG) Bert Waugh (RG) Bruce Taggart (MUG)
Front Row L-R
Al Deadman (NAV) Bob Mackett (Pilot) Bill Wilkinson (BA)
By the Autumn of 1943,Mackett and his crew had completed six operations when the Stirling bomber aircraft were withdrawn from front line service; the loss rate of these aircraft on the main bombing raids had become unsustainable. They were then one of six crews detached to augment No 161 Squadron at RAF Tempsford dropping supplies to resistance groups and underground agents in occupied Europe. A major advantage of the Stirling was that it was able to carry 24 containers, a greater number then those carried by other aircraft employed on this task.
These night moon light operations were conducted at times depending on the phases of the moon to dimly lit dropping areas, usually only illuminated by torchlight. The aircraft would be flown low over the Channel, to keep below the German radar screen, climbing up to 6000ft to be above the light coastal flak then, when safely clear, dropping back down to a transit height of around 400ft.
When out of range of the Gee navigational system, Bill Wilkinson took over the navigation by map reading from the front turret until the dropping zone was sighted. On some operations, drops would be made at two or even three dropping zones, always dropping into wind and at precisely 400ft to avoid scatter of the stores.
By March 1944, Bob Mackett and his crew had completed their required tour of 30 operations. Most of these had been supply dropping ops from Tempsford, but a number had also been on bombing/mining operations. Over this period, as the Stirling was progressively withdrawn from service and replaced, usually, with the B17 Flying Fortress, so the crew were variously parented with the remaining Stirling equipped squadrons - 218 at RAF Downham Market; then, in January 1944, 149 at RAF Lakenheath.
Crew of Stirling (model unknown) Mackett crews consisted of :
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Stirling Mark I BF313 BU-T
