13's.... (1 Viewer)

De Havilland Mosquito FB Mark VI, HX913 'SB-N', of No. 464 Squadron RAAF based at Hunsdon, Hertfordshire, in flight.


Group Captain P C "Pick" Pickard (centre), Commander of No. 140 Wing, No. 2 Group, flanked by Wing Commander I G E "Daddy" Dale, Commanding Officer of No. 21 Squadron RAF (to Pickard's right), and Wing Commander A G "Willie" Wilson, Commanding Officer of No. 487 Squadron RNZAF, visit No. 464 Squadron RAAF at Hunsdon, Hertfordshire, prior to a daylight raid against flying-bomb sites in the Pas-de-Calais. No. 464's De Havilland Mosquito FB Mark VIs have been loaded with 250-lb MC bombs for the operation: HX913 'SB-N' can be seen in the background.

Good stuff

deHavilland Mosquito FB.Mk.VI, TA113, No. 487 (NZ) Squadron, took off from B.87/Rosières-en-Santerre, France , missing from a sweep 11th of April 1945,
Crew:
F/O (NZ416208.) Gordon Leonard PEET (?) RNZAF - killed
F/O (NZ421838.) Lawrence Albert GRAHAM (?) RNZAF - killed

Handley Page Halifax B.II, L9613, NF-V, of No 138 (Special Duties) Squadron took off from Tangmere with agents Josef Gabcik and Jan Kubis on board on their mission to assassinate SS Obergruppenfuhrer Reynhard Heydrich in Prague.

On 27th April 1942, the crew of Halifax W1013 MP-E from 76 Squadron took off at 2004 hrs from RAF Tain on the North East coast of Scotland to participate in an attack on the German Battleship Tirpitz which was moored at the time in Fættenfjord in Norway.
The crew reported that visibility was extremely good and that the sky was clear making it possible to map read right up to the target area. Smoke and haze were observed over the target but the crew distinctly saw Tirpitz as the bombs were released and also observed some bomb bursts which they believed to be very close to the ship.

The aircraft and crew returned safely to RAF Tain landing at 0424 hrs on 28th April 1942.

S/Ldr IVESON Pilot
Sgt LLOYD Navigator
P/O CRAINE W/Op Air Gunner
Sgt ELLIOTT W/Op Air Gunner
Sgt MORRELL Tail Gunner
Sgt HOLMES Flight Engineer:

Crew: Halifax Mk.II - W1113 - LQ-G - 30 Jun 1942 - Mission: Bremen
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
402223 - Pilot Officer - Pilot - Henry Adolphus Echin - RAAF - Age 22 - KIA

R/83419 - Flight Sergeant - Co-Pilot - William Jessup Harrell - RCAF - Age 21 - KIA

759300 - Flight Sergeant - Air Gunner - Reginald Thomas Adams - RAFVR - Age 21 - KIA

1284966 - Sergeant - W.Operator / Air Gunner - Walter Percy Beare - RAFVR - Age 27 - KIA

R/64880 - Warrant Officer - Air Observer - James William "Sammy" Bell - RCAF - Age 28 - KIA

R/84563 - Flight Sergeant - W.Operator / Air Gunner - Winston James Dickinson - RCAF - Age 25 - KIA

R/56246 - Flight Sergeant - W.Operator / Air Gunner - Paul Patrick Augustus Oneson - RCAF - Age 26 - KIA

571779 - Sergeant - Flight Engineer - Alexander Simpson - RAF - Age 21 - KIA

405 (RCAF) Squadron. HP Halifax II W7713 LQ-T. T/O Pocklington 23:46 for Essen. Crashed near Krefeld. (Second 1,000 bomber raid.)

Mission: Frankfurt, Germany
Date: 2/3rd December 1942
Unit: No. 102 Squadron
Type: Halifax II
Serial: W7913
Coded: DY-C
Base: Pockilington, Yorkshire
Location: Between Resteigne and Grupont (Luxembourg)

Pilot: Fl/Sgt. Harry Morrissey R/100533 D.F.M. R.C.A.F. Age. 25 Killed
Pilot 2: Sgt. Robert Francis Hughes Kenyon 139871 R.A.F.V.R. Age. ? Killed
Fl/Eng: Sgt. John Martin Beart Albrecht 56906 R.A.F. Age. 23 Killed
Air/Bmr: F/O. Donald Edward Pike 120581 R.A.F.V.R. Age. 27 Killed
Obs: Sgt. Erlin Leslie Ross Brown 1263694 R.A.F.V.R. Age. 30 Killed
W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. George Allen Robson 1002130 R.A.F.V.R. Age. 27 Killed
Air/Gnr: Sgt. John William Taylor 1390639 R.A.F.V.R. Age. 21 Killed
Air/Gnr: Sgt. Thomas McCallum 965300 R.A.F.V.R. Age. 22 Killed

Reason for loss:
Took off at 01.45 hrs from the R.A.F. base in Pocklington, Yorkshire. Part of a 112 aircraft raid on Frankfurt, Germany. The force was made up with 48 Halifaxes, 27 Lancasters, 22 Stirlings, 15 Wellingtons. Weather for the raid was a thick haze and the pathfinders were unable to establish the location of Frankfurt. Most of the bombing fell in country areas south - west of the city, it is possible that a decoy fire was operating.
3 Halifaxes, 1 Lancaster, 1 Stirling and 1 Wellington were lost.
Halifax W7913 was shot down by Uffz. Dieter Erichsen of 2./NJG4 over Resteigne at a height of 4.500 mtrs. at 03.35 hrs. This was the first of his 4 kills until he was shot down and wounded on the 18/19th March 1945 on finals to Gerotzhofen airfield by an 85 squadron Mosquito crewed by Fl/Lt F.D. Winn and F/O T. P Ryan. It is not known if Ofhr. Erichson survived the war.

Halifax BB313, No. 138 Squadron, crashed 12/13 May 1943. Crashed W of Troyes (Aube), hit by flak....

Halifax B.III MZ913 'JANE', No. 462 Squadron RAAF.

Mission: Essen
Date: 03/04th April 1943 (Saturday/Sunday)
Time: 21.45 hrs.
Unit: No.408 Squadron (Goose) R.C.A.F.
Type: Halifax II
Serial: HR713
Coded: EQ-F
Location: Lake Ijssel, north east of Amsterdam.
Pilot: F/O (Acting Fl/Lt) Robert Hodgson Perry Gamble J/9337 R.C.A.F. Age 23. Missing
Fl/Eng: Sgt. Robert Walton Barker 9889712 R.A.F.V.R. Age: ? Missing
W/Op/Air gunner: P/O Charles Noola Black 405437 R.A.A.F. Age 23. Missing
Nav/Bomber: Sgt. Albert James (Jimmie) Hawkins 919537 R.A.F.V.R. Age 25. Missing
Nav/Bomber: W/O 11 Donald Leslie Jarrett T/90781 R.C.A.F. Age 23. Missing
W/Op/Air/Gnr: P/O Kenneth Septimus McColl 401712 R.A.A.F. Age 30. Missing
Air/Gnr: F/O Edmond Rothwell Ray J/11851 R.C.A.F. Age 26. Missing

Reason for loss:
Shot down by a German night fighter.
Update: Part of a huge raid on Essen. 325 Lancaster's, 113 Halifax's - led by 10 OBOE Mosquito's. HR713 was shot down by Oblt. Eberhard Garddiewski (3 victories) from 12./NJG1 at a height of 4000 metres.
The aircraft reported to crash into the North Sea 60 km's North West of Vlieland at 00.47hrs.

Mission: Bochum, Germany
Date: 14/15th May 1943
Unit: No. 419 Squadron
Type: Halifax II
Serial: JD113
Code: VR-Z
Base: Middleton St. George, Co. Durham
Location: Dalen (Overijssel), Netherlands
Pilot: Fl/Sgt. Walter Herbert Secretan Buckwell R/120100 R.C.A.F. Age 22. Killed
Fl/Eng: Sgt. Frederick William Walkerdine R/63806 R.C.A.F. Age 2,4. Killed
Nav: Sgt. R. W. Lowery. R.C.A.F. P.O.W. No. 1332 Camp: Stalag Luft Sagan and Belaria
Air/Bmr: Sgt. W. M. Reid. R.C.A.F. P.O.W. No. 1268 Camp: Stalag Luft Barth Vogelsang
W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. W. J. N. Duggan. R.C.A.F. P.O.W. No. 259865 Camp: Stalag Mühlberg-Elbe
Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Alfred Eugene Hurteau R/149121 R.C.A.F. Age 24. Killed
Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Walter Le Roy Bovaird R/113737 R.C.A.F. Age 21. Killed

Reason for loss:
Took off at 23.57hrs. from Middleton St. George for a raid on Bochum. Returning to base and at 18.000 feet the aircraft was attacked by a night fighter (Hptm Herbert Lutje, III./NJG1) and crashed at 03.30am near Dalen 14km South West of Emmen, Holland.

Mission: Hannover
Date: 8/9th October 1943 (Friday/Saturday)
Unit: No. 429 Squadron (Bison)
Type: Halifax II
Serial: JD213
Code: AL-S
Base: R.A.F. Leeming, North Yorkshire.
Location: Siebenhofen, south west of Blomberg, Germany
Pilot: Fl/Sgt. Kenneth Williams 1394555 R.A.F.V.R. Age 21. Killed
Fl/Eng: Sgt. Leslie Ronald Head 1603770 R.A.F.V.R. Age 19. Killed
Nav: Sgt. Ernest Harrington Chapman 1585448 R.A.F.V.R. Age 21. Killed
Air/Bmr: Sgt. Ronald William Henry Board 1319146 R.A.F.V.R. Age 22. Killed
W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Valentine Richard Bucksey 1199615 R.A.F.V.R. Age 24. Killed
Air/Gnr: Sgt. Maurice Walter Hitchin 1890009 R.A.F.V.R. Age 31. Killed
Air/Gnr: Sgt. William Walter Kozicki R/16600 R.C.A.F. Age 20. Killed

Reason for loss:
Took off at 22.45 hrs from R.A.F. Leeming. Joining a force of 504 aircraft (282 Lancaster, 188 Halifaxes, 26 Wellingtons and 8 Mosquitoes, the final operation that Wellingtons took part in Bomber Command operations. 119 of these were sent to Bremen as a diversionary operation.
The conditions over the target were described as clear and the pathfinders were able to mark the city centre accurately. Thought to have been the worst attack on hannover of the war with extensive damage to the telephone and electricity systems. Huge fire storms swept through the city as the mains water supply had been broken.
On the ground 1,200 people were killed, 3,345 injured. Up to 8,000 people suffered eye injuries due to the heat and smoke. Damage to buildings amounted to 3,932 completely destroyed with a further 30,000 damaged. The Continental tyre factory and the Hanomag machine works were also badly hit.
The bomber force was intercepted over the target area by the Luftwaffe night fighters that had to return from Bremen thinking that was the main target. Most of the bombers had already dropped their bombs but some 35 allied aircraft lost on this operation. 161 crew members killed with a further 55 taken pow.

Halifax B.II W7813 KN-C lost 26-May-43 on Ops to Dusseldorf, Pilot, Rees
Halifax B.II JD213 KN-V lost 23-Jun-43 on Ops to Mulheim , Pilot, Sims
Halifax B.II. JD413 KNG lost 01-Sep-43 on Ops to Berlin, Pilot, Wilson

LW313 EY-U
Airborne 23.48 hour from Breighton.
Cause of loss not established. Crashed into a bridge spanning the River Nahe at Bad Munster am Stein, 3 km SSW of Bad Kreuznach on his way back to England.
Those killed are buried in Rheinberg War Cemetery. At 18, Sgt. Regan was amongst the youngest airmen to lose his life on bomber operations.
F/S G.R.L.Gunningham KIA
Sgt K.Hughes PoW
F/S H.Hiley PoW
Sgt H.R.Wright RCAF KIA
Sgt G.A.Kennaby PoW
Sgt E.Evans KIA
Sgt P.J.Regan KIA
F/S H.Hiley was interned in Camps 4B/L3, PoW No.263685.
Sgt K.Hughes in Camp 4B, PoW No.263683 with Sgt G.A.Kennaby, PoW No.267165.

27/28 May 1944 Bourg-Leopold

331 aircraft - 267 Halifaxes, 56 Lancasters, 8 Mosquitoes - to attack the military camp.
9 Halifaxes and 1 Lancaster lost. 3.0 per cent of the force.
1 Oboe-aimed target indicator fell right on the target and the bombing which followed caused severe damage to the camp. No further details are available.

424 Sqn Halifax III HX313 QB-B Op: Bourg-Leopold
F/L B L Mallett RCAF evd (pilot)
F/O W J Elliott RCAF evd (2nd pilot)
Sgt M Muir RAF evd (flight engineer)
F/O R A Irwin RCAF + (navigator)
WO2 K C Sweatman RCAF evd (air bomber)
Sgt W G Wakely RCAF + (wireless operator)
Sgt G F Freeman RCAF + (mid upper gunner)
F/S V Poppa RCAF pow (rear gunner)

Shot down by Oblt.Hans-Heinz Augenstein of 12./NJG1
On the night of 27/28 May 1944 he had three claims:-

Over Bourg-Leopold: 2.300 m 02.13 420 Sqn MZ502, 424 Sqn HX313 and 432 Sqn LK811.

LV813
Airborne 00.45 hour, 21 February '44 from Breighton.
The primary target was attacked and bombed at 04.04 hours from a hight of 22.000 feet.
On return, diverted to RAF Dunsfold, Surrey owing to shortage of petrol and trouble with undercarriage.
On touchdown at 06.10 hour swung through 90 degrees to starboard. The pilot attempted to get airborne again, but crashed into trees near the boundary.
No crew injure

LW413, KW-Q

"F/O Earl Kirk (pilot), F/O Harold G Facey navigator known as Harry, or by the crew as Abe, F/O H D Hagen radio operator, F/O E F Bush air bomber, Sgt Clifford Adams flight engineer, Sgt C E Robertson rear gunner known as Robby, Sgt D R McEvoy mid-upper gunner known as Don).


KW-Q known as "Q for Queenie"


Halifax Mk III MZ813 of 424 Squadron - coded QB-B.

Mission: Acquet
Date: 18/19th July 1944 (Tuesday/Wednesday)
Unit: No. 78 Squadron
Type: Halifax III
Serial: NA513
Code: EY-O
Base: R.A.F. Breighton, Yorkshire
Location: Neufmoulin, France
Pilot: W/O. George Henry Stratford 642061 R.A.F. Age 30. Killed
Fl/Eng: F/O. Robert Hay Duncanson 52798 R.A.F. Age 24. Killed
Nav: F/O. Ian David Henry Clarson 169318 R.A.F. Age 19. Killed
Air/Bmr: F/O. Walter Thomas Harding 152513 R.A.F.V.R. Age ? Killed (1)
W/Op/Air/Gnr: F/O. Michael Patrick Moreton 169313 R.A.F.V.R. Age 18. Killed (1)
Air/Gnr: Sgt. George Allenby 1590978 R.A.F.V.R. Age 19. Killed
Air/Gnr: Sgt. David Robert Brown 993434 R.A.F.V.R. Age 23. Killed (1)

Reason for loss:
Took off at 22.30 hrs from R.A.F. Breighton, Yorkshire to bomb the flying bomb facility. 62 aircraft from 4 and 8 group taking part. 51 Halifaxes, 9 Mosquitoes and 2 Lancasters. Reports state that no new damage was done to the works.
Two aircraft were lost on this operation the other also a Halifax III from 76 Squadron flown by Fl/Lt. Paul Sinclair D.F.C. R.A.A.F. killed with 6 other crew members. Both aircraft fell victim to Oblt. Werner Hopf (2) of 8./NJG5.
Halifax III NA513 shot down at 00.34 hrs - combat taking place at 2.300 m
Halifax III LK873 shot down at 00.32 hrs - combat taking place at 2.500 m

Great stuff

Thanks, learn alot looking for '13'....
Forgot to answer your question earlier....find this here and there on the web.
Usually putting up a aircraft type and serial number get you something, sometimes not....

Bf109G 13(Slow.)/JG52

Jan that page....

Source compliments of Erik Mombeek and his publication of LuGa 4

F8F

Cheers Wayne, appreciated!
Nice finds Taktik, keep them coming!

Handley Page Hampden Mk.I, L4113, RAF 61 Sqn.
Minelaying mission to Elbe estuary 15th of April 1940. Lost without trace.
Crew:
Sgt 563099 Victor Emanuel 27 RAF killed.
Sgt 565877 Ronald Etheridge 35 RAF killed.
Sgt 515180 James Atkinson RAF killed.
AC1 531827 Peter Gladstone Graham 19 RAF killed.

29 July 1942
Hampden AT113 (408 Squadron)
Operation: Air test

Squadron Leader L. B. B. Price DFC RCAF killed.
Sergeant I. Hughes killed
Cadet G. Hughes ATC killed.
Cadet K. R. Cousin Wood ATC killed.

Crashed 1516 while being tested in readiness for the Saarbrücken operation, coming down in a field cropped with oats some 2 miles SE of the airfield. The two Air Training Corps cadets, both aged sixteen, had been taken on the flight for air experience.

Date: 13.4.1942
Aircraft: Wellington Mk IV, Z 1213, code BH-H, 300 Sqdn
Took off from: Hemswell, Lincolnshire
Target: Essen, Germany
Cause Hit by nightfighter
Crashed: 01.50 hrs., at Venhorst, the Netherlands
Crews fate:

Buried at Eindhoven:
kpt. obs. Pajer Piotr_
sierż. pil. Żalejko Władysław
kpr. strz. Bałucki Józef
kpr. r/op. strz. Lubojański Konrad
kpr. strz. Strzelczyk Władysław

Prisoner of War:
sierż. pil. Kuczak Jan 782926

Helmut Lent's 18th kill:
15.7.1941, 0:49.
Veendam.
Wellington II (W5513) "EP-P" of 104 Sqn, RAF flown by P/O WG Rowse.

From: Officer Commanding, No. 109 Sqdn
RAF Tempsford. Beds.

To: Air Ministry (P.4. Casualties) No. 3 Group.
Air Officer i/c Records, Gloucester/
109 Sqdn. Detachment, Stradishall

Date: 30.3.1942

Ref: 109S/353/28/P.1.

Circumstantial Report
Wellington X.9913 missing from Operational
Flight 28/29.3.1942

With reference to this Unit's signal A.9 dated March 29 1942 and in accordance with A.P. 1922, Section X, para. 102 (a), the following report is forwarded.

2. The crew of Wellington X.9913 was composed as follows:

Captain - 100639 P/O G.J. Maygothling
2nd Pilot - AUS. 404933 Sgt. P.J. Cassells
Observer - J.6161 P/O L.J. Convey (RCAF)
W/Op. AG - 106075 P/O R.J. Cussen
W/OP. AG - AUS. 4044078 Sgt. F.G. Bower
Air Gunner - 535972 T/F/Sgt. R.A. Walker
Special Operator - 67252 P/O B.E.P. Sadler
Special Operator - 1305046 LAC R. Rendell

3. The aircraft took off from STRADISHALL at 19.50 hours on March 28th 1942, to carry out a special duty flight for Air Ministry (A.I.4.(a)). It was due to return to base at 03.50 hours on March 29th 1942.

4. The route ordered was from STRADISHALL to a point 60 miles north of TERSCHELLING and then coastwise at a range of 60 miles along the FRIESIAN ISLANDS, the west coast of Germany and the west coast of Denmark to SKAGEN. The return trip was along a parallel track but at a distance of 30 miles from the coast.

5. It is not possible to give any account of the occurrence since no communication was made with the aircraft after takeoff and no information relating to it has been received. It will be appreciated that the aircraft was routed close to enemy night fighter zones and an error in navigation on the return trip may have made interception by enemy night fighters possible. Reports indicate that weather conditions for night fighters were excellent.

6. The aircraft was fitted with long range tanks and, for this operation, carried 1030 gallons of fuel. This provided a safe endurance of nearly 15 hours and ample margin for such a flight.

7. The aircraft was installed with Special Wireless Investigation equipment and two special operators were carried to work the equipment.

C.M. Mullen
Wing Commander
Commanding No. 109 Squadron

Wellington III BK313 KO-B
115 Squadron
Op. Osnabruck
6-7th of October
Took off from Mildenhall at 1901 hrs. All rest in the Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. Tragedy stuck on two more occassions for the parents of P/O. Albery with the news that their sons Henry Charles and Victor George had died on active service.

Crew.

F/O. L I. Smith RCAF killed
P/O. R L. Albery killed
Sgt. R C. Loombe killed
P/O. D W. Lennard killed
Sgt. J. Hockenhull killed

Details for: Loss of Wellington IC (Reg. T2613 KO-R)

Location:

Their aircraft, a Wellington IC (Reg. T2613 KO-R) crashed at 0100 after flying into a balloon barrage cable near Iver, Buckinghamshire while on a ferry flight to Malta. All five crewmen were killed.

Thu 27/Fri 28 Aug 1942
Bomber Command

Raid on Kassel, Germany (by 306 aircraft - 33 lost)...
...156 Squadron, RAF (Warboys, Huntingdonshire - [PFF] 3 Group)
Wellington III Z1613 - took off at 2039 captained by Plt Off J W Longhurst, RAF, shot down over the Netherlands by a night-fighter at 2323, crashing near Elsendorp, 25km NE of Eindhoven. All six crew are buried at Eindhoven.
2nd Pilot: NZ412201 Plt Off Robert William BYERS, RNZAF - Age 21. 255hrs. 2nd op.
Navigator: NZ412363 Sgt Joseph William STUART, RNZAF - Age 25. 253hrs. 2nd op.

Wellington Mark II R1613 BU-G
The crew of R1613 Coded BU-G consisted of:
P/O J.G. (Gordon) Crampton
P/O T. Jenkins *(WR Chorley records as J.C. Jenkins)
Sgt R. Kent
Sgt Marshall A Johnson
F/Sgt H. E *Jones
F/Sgt R. Instone

14 - 15/07/1941 four aircraft R1613, R1614, R1341 and T2913 left Stradishall on operations. Of the four aircraft sent by 214 Squadron this night, two returned to base which ultimately saved them from the disaster that lay ahead. R1341 piloted by P/O Guild returned claiming bad weather and icing conditions and the aircraft would not climb. T2913 piloted by Sgt Gwilliam returned claiming engine trouble. The remaining two R1613 piloted by P/O Crampton and R1614 piloted by P/O Brown continued on to the target but never returned.

14/07/1941 While at 10,000 feet over the city of Bremen in Germany, BU-G, R1613 was attacked by a german fighter aircraft who came from above and to the side. According to pilot Crampton, Marsh who was rear gunner at the time, calmly announced over the intercom, as if he were talking about the weather, "down the phones, we are under attack" and promptly sent up a hail of gun fire to meet his attacker. The German fighter raked the forward section of BU-G killing their second pilot Jenkins and the aircraft immediately exploded in flames. The rest of the crew managed to bale out safely with only minor injuries but Sgt Kent's chute caught and tangled on the tail of the flaming aircraft and he was pulled down with it to his death. All of the surviving members were captured by the germans, two of whom were sent to a german hospital and the rest off to prison camp where they spent the rest of the war.

Sergeant-Pilot Mason John FRASER - NZ40224. His parents were Donald William and Marion Beasley Fraser, of Napier, Hawkes Bay. Sgt-Pilot Fraser (Pilot) was aboard Wellington Ic bomber R1713-V with 218 Sqdn (Royal Air Force), which had taken off from Marham at about 2220 (20 June 1941) on raid on Kiel to identify and bomb the 'Turpitz'. Lost without trace after sending a message asking for help. He is presumed to have died on Saturday, 21 June 1941 at the age of 23.

14 Apr Vickers Wellington Z1213 (BH-H) Mission to bomb Essen. Shot down by night fighter near Boeckel. F/O Pajer, Sgt Lubojanski, Sgt Zalejko, Sgt Strzelczyk, Sgt Balucki all KIA Sgt Kuczak POW

Mission: Frankfurt

Date: 10/11th April 1943 (Saturday/Sunday)
Unit: No: 431 Squadron
Type: Wellington X
Serial: HE213
Code: SE-F
Base: R.A.F. Burn, Yokshire
Location: Sea, Jersey
Pilot: Sgt. W.E. Bidmead Surived P.O.W. No: 978 Camp: Stalag Heydekrug (Memelland, now in Lithuania)
Obs: Sgt. Abraham Holden 591390 R.A.F. Age 22. Killed
W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. E.A. Odling Survived P.O.W. No: 1024 Camp: Stalag Kopernikus (Torun, Poland)
Air/Gnr: Sgt. Bolke Survived P.O.W. No: 42727 Camp: Stalag Kopernikus (Torun, Poland)
Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. George Arnold Booth R/135580 R.C.A.F. Age 30. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

Took off on an operation to Frankfurt at 23.15 hrs from R.A.F. Burn in Yorkshire and ditched roughly 3 miles south west of the Channel Island of Jersey after a call was made by Sgt. Odling for assistance.

The body of observer Sgt. Holden was eventually washed up on St Quens Bay in Jersey on the 3rd June 1943.

On the 5th June his and the body of a Sgt. Denis Charles Butlin from 1663 H.C.Unit lay in state in the Hospital Chapel with hundreds of islanders visiting the coffins to pay their last respects, prior to a service on the morning of 6th June.

The coffins were then draped with the Union Jack before being taken to the cemetery. Again, hundreds of people lined the route but the Luftwaffe prevented them entering the gates of the cemetery.
Sadly the body of Fl/Sgt. George Booth was not recovered and he is remembered on the Runnymede Memorial.

7 May 1942 Z 1413 (Radio Call Sign UV-X)
RAAF 402362 FO Kennedy, W J Captain (Pilot)
RAAF 406180 PO Keys, I F (2nd Pilot)
RAAF 402913 PO Train, H R (Observer)
RNZAF Sgt Sharp, S H
RAAF 400762 Sgt Stephenson, J M (Wireless Operator Air Gunner)
RAAF 406089 PO Ferry, R R (Air Gunner)

Stuttgart, Germany

Looks like will have to do a New Zealand Mustang at some point....



Edit:45-11503 to RNZAF (NZ2413) to No. 1 Sqdn 29.07.52 - 30.09.55; sold as scrap, Tender 5926....