Short stirling I N3754 MG-O RAF 7 Squadron

[Bob Wilton]

Members of a Stirling Bomber crew standing under the wing of an aircraft. Identified third from the left is 402795 Flight Lieutenant (Fl Lt) Erroll Edward Green RAAF, who was a pilot attached to No. 7 Squadron RAF. His Stirling aircraft N3754 was shot down by a German night fighter whilst on a mission to bomb Bremen on the night of 25/26 June 1942. Four of his crew were killed in the air crash. The other three crew members became prisoners of war (POWs) of the Germans. Fl Lt Green spent nearly three years as a POW, with most time spent in Stalag Luft III. He participated in preparations for escape by dispersing soil taken from the tunnel, but was moved on to another camp by the Germans before the escape took place on the night of 24/25 March 1944. Shifted from camp to camp, Fl Lt Green eventually escaped captivity with some other prisoners. After being picked up and fed by the American Army, Fl Lt Green and his fellow escapees were able to board a plane bound for Britain, arriving a few weeks before D-Day.

GREEN.jpg (226.73 KiB) Viewed 6129 times

[K4KittyCrew]

Many thanks for your efforts, Bob.
John

[Karacho]

Hello Bob,

Stirling N3754 / MG-O was shot down by Oblt. August Geiger from 8./NJG 1 . ( 2.00 time / night )
Mission on this night : bombing Bremen
The Stirling crashed ca. 6 Km north of Nordhorn / Am Lugthook.
The crew on this mission:
E. Green POW 402795
T. Morris POW 1194833
R. Ketchell KIA 900301
J.R. Mason POW 1154558
E.L. Hynd KIA 404404
R.C. Williamson KIA 646510
R.E. Little KIA 628631

The killed crewmembers are buried at Reichswald-Cemetry , Coll.-grave 15.C. 1-4

regards
Karacho

[Karacho]

Hello,

is this MG-O....starting on 6th of june 1941....???
In front...Winston Chuchill..., by visit a airbase on this day...
regards
Karacho

[Davenport7]

Karacho,

This is a famous picture and in fact it is the earlier version of MG-D N3641 taken taken 6th June 1941. It was first received to the Squadron in August 1940. It took part in the first raid of 7 Squadron to Rotterdam. N3641 went to 26 CF (Conversion flight) and they then brought in N6022 MG-D.

http://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-WINSTO ... 75416.html

My grandfather (who you have done alot of work for us Davenports) had flown in MG-D N6022 the later version July 1941. N6022 was lost on 15th July 1941 when they returned from bombing Hannover and used vast amounts of fuel returning and had to abandon her over Newton Flotman, Norfolk. Dennis Witt DFM DFC had 'borrowed' MG-D from usual pilot Gerry Blacklock when he was on leave and he came back to find that Witt had 'Pranged' her!

I have found the crash site of N6022 a number of years ago in the village and have wrecked parts from my grandfathers first plane he bailed out of. (The second you know well N6046! MG-Y).

The crew on that night on N6022 was:

Pilot Dennis Witt DFM DFC (passed away in 60s, one of 4 Bomber command pilots to do over a 100 ops)
Co Pilot Les Bolton (passed away Feb 2014, in touch with his wife)
Navigator Douglas Keith Deyell (passed away few years ago now, in touch with his family)
Front Gunner Leslie Davenport (my grandfather)
Rear Gunner John Lionel Abel Mills (died on ops on Manchesters)
Wireless Op Arthur Burrows (died on ops with 7 Squadron)
Observer John Prentice (alive in New Zealand)


Many thanks

Ian

[Davenport7]

Hello all,

After doing some digging I was able to email and get a reply from Erroll Greens daughter!! She lives in Australia.

Here is part of the dialogue I have had:

my Dad Errol Edward Green died in 1998 two days before his 82nd birthday. My Mother is still alive and will soon be 91,
My Mother worked at Oakington bomber base and they met when one of Dad’s missions was cancelled and he was told with his crew to serve the WAAF’s Christmas dinner 1941.

Dad was released not on D day but VE day this is an error with the report.

Amazing stuff!!

Such a small world.

Ian

[Davenport7]

All,

Here is a picture of Erroll Green if it loads!

Regards

Ian

[jamesinnewcastle]

Hi Ian

Errol Greens wife may well have been working at Oakington at the time that my A/C of interest crashed in May 1941.

I'd love to see if she remembers anything about it, OK it was a long time ago but I suspect not many a/c crashed off the base, she may remember if there were any rumours about the incident.

Any chance you could put me in contact with her daughter?


Cheers
James

[Davenport7]

James,

Hello Buddy, As its a relatively knew contact (couple of emails), actually still awaiting a response from my last. Let me ask the question and probe first before I go sharing contact details, thats probably the best approach.

As they are in Australia I am dealing with a time difference, so please bare with me mate. I know the one you mean we had dialogue about it many a time.

Be in touch on here buddy.

P.S I still need to take some good pictures of bits located in Germany of N6046 to use your expertise at identification of the better bits.

Ian Davenport

[Davenport7]

All,

Is anyone off to Kew Archives any time soon, I have a favour to ask the daughter of Errol wanted to see if we could obtain a copy of his Liberation Questionnaire scanned in a PDF format so it can be emailed to her.

I am happy to facilitate the emailing of this and let her know who got it for her, it would be a nice touch, she has been viewing the thread as a guest.

Details of Errol Edward Green RAAF attached to 7 Squadron (POW number - 402795) are in the first post on this thread.

Let me know,

Regards

Ian