Australian Aircrew Crew Losses - WW2 Files

Bob Wilton
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Re: Australian Aircrew Crew Losses - WW2 Files

Post by Bob Wilton »

Short Stirling & RAF Bomber Command Forum


Stirling I N6001 MG-. RAF 7 Squadron RAF Oakington. Operation Hamburg 29/30 June 1941

The crew of Stirling N6001 took off at 2257 hours on the evening of Sunday 29th June 1941 on
an operation to bomb a target at the German City of Hamburg Germany. At approximately 0210
hours a farmer at the village of Stemmuhlen bei Beverstedt obserrved the Stirling flying very
low and appeared to be hedge hopping trying to avoid anti aircraft fire.All the engines were
observed be running perfectly. Herr Heinrich Rosebrock then saw the aircraft dip and it crashed
into one of his fields and on impact there was a violent explosion which killed all the crew
instantaneously.The crew were recovered from the crash site and were buried at Geestermunde
Cemetery,Wesermunde. In 1946 the crew were reinterred in Becklingen Military Cemetery Soltau.
Dicam ex animo. Sed nostri evocatis, ut debemus eis libertatem.
Bob Wilton
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Re: Australian Aircrew Crew Losses - WW2 Files

Post by Bob Wilton »

Short Stirling & RAF Bomber Command Forum

Halifax III LV943 HD-G.466 Squadron Operation Nantes-le-Jolie 06/07 May 1944.

After satisfactorily bombing the target LV943 turned for home.About 15 minutes before reaching the coast
in the vicinity Forges le-Eaux at about 17000 feet.The pilot corkscrewed starboard to avoid the fighters fire,
but the aircraft did not pull out of its dive but levelled out a little and then continued its descent from 5-10
degrees from normal. Inside the aircraft from the cockpit aft was a mass of reddish white flames.
The fighter had attacked from the fine starboard quarter and its cannon shells burst all along the fuselage.
The mid upper gunners turret was hit,and he was hit by flying perspex and was momentarily dazed. When he
gained his senses he heard the pilot give the order to abandon the aircraft. During the action nothing was
nothing heard from the rear gunner F/S Garske.The crew then started to bail out. W/O Cullen, F/S Perry and
W/O Doherty were all seen to bail out successfully. Meanwhile inside the aircraft the Flight Engineer who had
already donned his parachute was handing the pilot his. The next to jump out was F/S Schulz, and as he did
so he pulled his rip cord and the parachute did no employ, so he tore at the flap and it opened successfully.
As he descended the Halifax was flying straight and level and the port engines and mainplane were well
ablaze. Then the port inner engine fell away from the aircraft, and the wing stalled, then Halifax LV943 went
into a spin and spiralled down to the ground. Sgt Wallace as he descended saw the aircraft start to circle him
trailing sparks as it went down, and he heard it exploded as it hit the ground, and heard the ammunition
exploding.

The Crew:

P/O E.Hourigan RAAF Evader
Sgt J. Dickens RAFVR "
W/O C.R.Cullen RAAF Pow
F/S R.W.Perry RAAF "
W/O O.J. Doherty RAAF "
F/S L.N.Schulz RAAF "
F/S L.J.Garske RAAF "

All the above crew survived WWII

Flight Sergeant Lawrence Nestor Schulz 417524 RAAF Evader

Flight Sergeant Schulz the mid upper gunner made good his escape and evaded capture and
with nine other evaders made their way towards Spain. The party of evaders crossed the
Spanish border at 0500 hours on the morning of Monday 5th June,1944. On crossing the
border they travelled together over the mountains until they reached a small Spanish
village where they were detained by the local police who treated them very well,and
provided them with refreshments. The police then arranged accomodation for them at a
local hotel. The ten airmen pooled their escape money to pay for the hotel, Flight
Sergeant Schulz's contribution being 1,000 French Francs which he took from his escape
kit.

The following day they were taken under police escort to Pamplona, where the met a
representative from the British Consul who gave them 85 Pesetas each. From there they
were taken to a small village called Leiza,which was situated approximately 50 Km from
Pamplona,and it was there that they were given a set of civilian clothes, and toiletries
by the British Embassy. After spending three days at Leiza they returned to Pamplona,and
the same evening were taken under escort of a Spanish Air Force Officer and travelled to
Serragoza arriving there about midnight. At Serragoza the boarded an air force bus which
Alhama,where they stayed for three days,and then they were transported to Madrid, and
spent another three days. From there they took a train under escort to Gibraltar and they
arrived there on Monday 19th June,1944. On Saturday the 24th June, they were flown back
to the UK.
Dicam ex animo. Sed nostri evocatis, ut debemus eis libertatem.
Bob Wilton
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Re: Australian Aircrew Crew Losses - WW2 Files

Post by Bob Wilton »

Short Stirling & RAF Bomber Command Forum


Stirling III LJ442 JN-F. 75 New Zealand Squadron. Operation Leverkusen 19/20 November 1943


The crew of this Stirling took of from their base at RAF Mepal at 1701 hours on the afternoon
of Friday the 19th November 1943.Over Germany,just before the E.T.A. at target expired, the
navigator informed the pilot that they were running three minutes late. At the time the target
was not in sight and there were mo Path Finder idicators to be seen. The pilot proceeded to the
end of his E.T.A.,and then started to orbit.Whilst orbiting he saw flares going down on a divers-
ionary attack on Duisburg, the aircraft started to get struck by predicted flak. He then completed
the orbit, and gave the order to the bomb airmer to jettison the bomb load.Then the navigator
then set course for home,and at that time the aircraft was flyitng at 13,000 feet. Twenty minutes
later the aircraft came under attack by an unidentified night fighter,which attacked four times
with cannon fire,which struck the Stirling starboard petrol tanks. From his position the mid-upper
gunner reported that the starboard wing was on fire near to the wing root, and shortly afterwards
the flames spread along the fuselage.

The order to abandon the aircraft was given by the pilot but,he received no acknowledgement from
his crew,and assumed that they were all putting on their parachutes,and preparing to bail out.
The Stirling at this time had lost altitude and was now flying at 8,000 feet,and the pilot then
observed the bomb aimer leave the aircraft by the front escape hatch. The pilot then put on his
own parachute,and was just adjusting it,when a large explosion occurred,and the next thing that
he knew was coming on the ground. It was hen he discovered that he had a bad laceration behind
his left ear,and his left hand little finger,and his face hadbeen cut too. Discovering that he
had difficulty moving his head,he was later to discover that he had fractured a small bone in
his neck,and that he had suffered three broken ribs on the right hand side. On the ground he
not see any of his fellow crew members from the moment he had been blown out of the aircraft.
With all his injuries,he managed to evade capture and made his way to Spain,arriving there on
Saturday 1st of January 1944.

The crew:

F/S N.N.Parker RAAF Evaded
Sgt S.Watkins RAFVR +
Sgt R.E.Griffith RAFVR Evaded
Sgt J.E.Hyde RNZAF POW
P/O W.R.Kell RNZAF +
Sgt W.Gilfillan RAFVR +
Sgt M.I.R.Day RAFVR +

We Will Remember Them
Dicam ex animo. Sed nostri evocatis, ut debemus eis libertatem.
Bob Wilton
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Re: Australian Aircrew Crew Losses - WW2 Files

Post by Bob Wilton »

Short Stirling & RAF Bomber Command Forum


Lancaster I LM117 LE-J. 630 Squadron. RAF East Kirkby. Operation Revigny France 18/19 July 1944

The crew of this aircraft took off at 2245 hours on the night of Tuesday 18th July 1944, to bomb
came under ant aircraft fire whit and damaged the Lancaster,causing it to be abandoned. All the
seven man crew managed to bale out safely but,when Flight Sergeant Beckhouse landed just outside
the French village of Togny-Aux-Boeufe he was captured by the German military,and according to the
Mayor had been murdered after capture by a single shot to the head. The Germans brought his body
to the Mayor,and presented him with a Mae West bearing the name of F/S Beckhouse.The Mayor made
arrangements for his body to be buried in the village church cemetery.

As for the fate of the other members ofthis crew is as follows: Three managed to evade capture,and
three were captured and became prisoners of war.

Captured German records record Lancaster LM117 as being shot down at 0130 hours on Wednesday the
19th July.

The family of Flight Sergeant Beckhouse RAAF were notified on how he was killed by the Germans.

The Crew:

F/O B.W.Brittain RAAF Evaded
Sgt R.F.Gannon RAFVR POW
F/S S.R.Ashton RAFVR POW
F/S E.Couchman RAFVR Evaded
F/S G.E.Beckhouse RAAF +
Sgt D.A.Grant RCAF Evaded
F/S E.H.Wells RAFVR POW

Flight Sergeant 424354 Gordon Edwin Beckhouse was an Australian. He was the son of Robert Cooper Beckhouse
and Isobel Elizabeth Beckhouse, of Sydney,New South Wales,Australia. He was 20 years old.

" We Will Remember Him"
Dicam ex animo. Sed nostri evocatis, ut debemus eis libertatem.
Bob Wilton
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Re: Australian Aircrew Crew Losses - WW2 Files

Post by Bob Wilton »

Short Stirling & RAF Bomber Command Forum

*Lancaster HK548 KO-. RAF 115 Squadron, RAF Witchford,Operation Massy Palaiseau,France 07/08 June 1944

The crew of this aircraft took of a 0023 hours on the morning of Thursday 8th June to bomb a target at Massy Palaiseau.
whilst over France and on the run in to the target the crew came under attack by two night fighters.The fighters shot
up the port inner engine which caused a fire, which was quickly extinguished.The starboard inner engine had also been
hit during the attack,and the fire spread across the starboard wing and could not be extinguished. The order was given
to abandon aircraft.Flight Sergeant Nurse bailed out at about 6000 feet,and after landing safely was unable to contact
any other member of his crew,except his pilot, Pilot Officer Law, who informed him that Sergeant Parkinson, Flight-
Sergeant Washbourne and Sergeant Russel had all bailed out.

Later on the ground Sgt Parkinson had met up with F/S Washbourne about ten minutes after landing,and both airmen had
spent the night together in a house at Chatenay,which was about six miles from Paris.Flight Sergeant Washbourne was
suffering from a sprained ankle and was unable to move immediately. However,he left the next day with a young French
18 year old Frenchman who was to be his guide and was under the instructions of the French Resistance. Sgt Parkinson was
later advised that F/S Washbourne and his young French guide had been picked up and arrested by a German soldier in
Paris,and that F/S Parkinson hads been wearing civilian clothes when captured. It appears F/S Parkinson had been shot at
some time after being arrested. The British War office made an official enquiry to the German Government as to ascertaining
the circumstances regardin Flight Sergeant Washbournes death whilst in custody but. the Germans did not reply.
There are no prisoner of war details for the six members of this crew who survived,so it can be only assumed that they made
it safely to the allied lines.

The Crew:
P/O E.A.Law RAAF Safe
Sgt A.Russell RAFVR (F/E) Safe
Sgt. J.W.Parkinson RAFVR ( Nav) Safe
F/S J.R.Nurse (WOP) Safe
F/S G.Washbourne RAAF ( B/A) +
Sgt H.Murphy RAFVR ( MUG) Safe
Sgt P.Murphy RAFVR ( A /G) Safe

'We Will Rember Him'

*This aircraft and crew are not listed in BCL 1944
Dicam ex animo. Sed nostri evocatis, ut debemus eis libertatem.
Bob Wilton
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Re: Australian Aircrew Crew Losses - WW2 Files

Post by Bob Wilton »

Short Stirling & RAF Bomber Command Forum

Lancaster III PB471 AR-F2. 576 Squadron. Operation Dortmund 20/21 February,1945

After briefing the crew of this Lancaster took off at 2137 hours from RAF Binbrook.

Lancaster III PB471 AR-F2 had just bombed the target at Dortmund and twenty minutes later it was on its return trip home
when suddenly the rear gunner shouted over the R/T "Corkscrew",but it was too late because an unidentified fighter had
attacked from underneath and hit the Lancaster with an accurate burst of cannon fire.The fighter came in to attack again
but this time the two gunners were ready for it and opened fire but failed to hit the fighter. The second attack hit the
starboard petrol tank and set it ablaze and smoke was now pouring into the fuselage.The pilot had a struggle to keep his
aircraft straight,then an explosion ripped through the aircraft and PB471 turned over on her back and the portside wing
broke away and PB471 went into an immediate spin and started to spiral down to earth. The Flight Engineer was last seen
crawling on his hands and knees along the fuselage, and the pilot believed that he was trying to get his parachute. The Pilot
Flight Lieutenant Jenkins had been saved by the bullet proof shield behind his seat. Now his aircraft was spiralling down to
earth and he sat waiting for the final crash. Then the aircraft started to vibrate and break up as he waited for the end.Then he
noticed a large hole appear in the cockpit fuselage and he thought that he would make a desperate attempt to save himself
from a certain death.He kicked at the hole and made it large enough to get out of. Through the hole he could see a church spire
in a village far below.Then he went out through the hole and pulled his parachute rip chord and to his amazement it opened
and he was drifting down to earth. The chute drifted and carried him about two miles and he came down in the graveyard of the
church he had seen,and landed amongst the tombstones' and quickly hid his parachute. He believed he was in Belgium, and as
it was still dark sought shelter in the church. When he tried to open the door it was locked.He had disturbed an old woman in a
nearby cottage and she had opened her bedroom window,so he shouted up to her "Anglais" at which she shut the window with
such a force that all the glass broke. He thentook off down a narrow road and came across an electric sub station and posted on
the doors were posters in German,and he then realised he was in Germany. He continued down the road and came across some
British Army trucks with large white crosses painted on them. So to get attention he blasted on the horn of one of them,and from
a side street two soldiers came up to him and he was safe from being captured.
As for the rest of his crew,they were all killed when the aircraft had crashed one mile east of Zeelem at 0200 hours 21st February,
1945.

The crew:

F/L A.E.Jenkins RAAF Safe
P/O F.S.Stone RAFVR +
F/O S.C.Swift RAAF +
F/O H.T.Campbell RAAF +
F/O B.M.Clegg RAAF +
F/S B. Braddock RAAF +
SGT A. Graham RAFVR +

"We Shall Remember Them"
Dicam ex animo. Sed nostri evocatis, ut debemus eis libertatem.
Bob Wilton
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Re: Australian Aircrew Crew Losses - WW2 Files

Post by Bob Wilton »

Short Stirling & RAF Bomber Command Forum

Lancaster I DV369 EM-D.RAF 207 Squadron. Operation Braunchweig 14/15 January,1944

This Lancaster took off from its base at RAF Spilsbury Lincolnshire at 1632 hours,on the afternoon of Friday 14th
January,1944. Over Germany this aircraft was seen approaching the village of Lamspringe.And it was local belief
that it had been attacked by night fighters.As it flew low over the village it had exploded over some trees,and had
crashed in a wood two kilometres east of the village. During dalight hours on the Saturday morning a Liftwaffe
salvage unit arrived from Hildesheim to search through the wreckage,and they only found the body of one crew member,
which was that of The pilot Pilot Officer D.C.Balfour RAAF.According to a Herr Harborth who was employed at the local
Burgermeisters office,nocrew members of the aircraft had baled out in the vicinity of the village.Herr Lange the local
grave digger was responsible for the burial of Pilot Officer Balfour who was buried in the village cemetery.

Sergeant J.F.Potter 1213197 RAF the mid upper gunner gave the following statement as a prisoner of war,Stalag Luft 4 B.
POW No:270073.

"I was the last person to leave the aircraft by the front exit and then P/O Balfour was preparing to leave the aircraft.Seeing
myself coming along he returned to his seat.I last saw him at his controls.He appeared to be alright then but, I could not be
positive.Later was told by German interrogating officer that Balfour was found dead by crashed aircraft.Other crew here
cannot offer any more information"

The crew:-

P/O D.C.Balfour RAAF +
SGT E.Colwill RAFVR POW
SGT E.E.L.Richardson RAFVR POW
SGT H.Taylor RAFVR POW
SGT E.V.Yeo RAFVR POW
F/S L.C.Smart RCAF POW
SGT J.F.Potter RAFVR POW
SGT J.H.Fraser RCAF POW
"We Shall Remember Him"
Dicam ex animo. Sed nostri evocatis, ut debemus eis libertatem.
Bob Wilton
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Re: Australian Aircrew Crew Losses - WW2 Files

Post by Bob Wilton »

Short Stirling & RAF Bomber Command Forum

Halifax III MZ370 Z5-L 462 Squadron Operation BS, 8/9th March 1945 Dortmund

The crew of this aircraft took off from their Foulsham base at 1801 hours on Thursday 8th March. After leaving the target area
the aircraft had a direct hit by flak which hit the starboard outer engine causing it to be feathered but,an attempt to feather
the starboard inner proved unsuccessful. The aircraft then started to lose height and dropped from 15,00 to11,000 feet.
The aileron was unserviceable, and the pilot gave then gave his crew the order to bale out and held his aircraft steady to give his
crew a better chance of baling out. When he was sure that they had got out,he himself got out through the cockpit,and in doing
so he was knocked unconscious, and only regained consciousness just before he landed. He, and some other members of his crew
were captured and taken to Blankenstein Police Station, where they all remained for five days locked up in a cell,they were,
Flight-Sergeant Ledwith,Flight Sergeant Hutton,and Flight Sergeant Teede. Flight Lieutenant James had suffered a head when he
had baled out. All the above were then transferred to a Luftwaffe Station near Dortmund, whey they remained for a further three
days.Then they were transferred to Dulag Luft at Wetlar,arriving there on Wednesday 21st of March.Then another move took place,
and this time they were taken to Nuremberg but,due to his head injury Flight Lieutenant James was considered not fit to travel
and remained behind at the Dulag Luft

The crew: All Prisoners of War

F/L. F.H.James RAAF
SGT. S.G.Rother
W/O. T.H.McFarlane RAAF
F/S. N.E.Teede RAAF
W/O. J.D. Fraser RAAF
F/S. R.W.C.Hutton RAAF
F/S. T.P.Ledwith RAAF
W/O. H.W.Calman RAAF




.
Dicam ex animo. Sed nostri evocatis, ut debemus eis libertatem.
Bob Wilton
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Re: Australian Aircrew Crew Losses - WW2 Files

Post by Bob Wilton »

Short Stirling & RAF Bomber Command Forum

*Lancaster HK548 KO-. RAF 115 Squadron, RAF Witchford,Operation Massy Palaiseau,France 07/08 June 1944

The crew of this aircraft took of a 0023 hours on the morning of Thursday 8th June to bomb a target at Massy Palaiseau.
whilst over France and on the run in to the target the crew came under attack by two night fighters.The fighters shot
up the port inner engine which caused a fire, which was quickly extinguished.The starboard inner engine had also been
hit during the attack,and the fire spread across the starboard wing and could not be extinguished. The order was given
to abandon aircraft.Flight Sergeant Nurse bailed out at about 6000 feet,and after landing safely was unable to contact
any other member of his crew,except his pilot, Pilot Officer Law, who informed him that Sergeant Parkinson, Flight-
Sergeant Washbourne and Sergeant Russel had all baled out.

Later on the ground Sgt Parkinson had met up with F/S Washbourne about ten minutes after landing,and both airmen had
spent the night together in a house at Chatenay,which was about six miles from Paris.Flight Sergeant Washbourne was
suffering from a sprained ankle and was unable to move immediately. However,he left the next day with a young
18 year old Frenchman who was to be his guide and was under the instructions of the French Resistance. Sgt Parkinson was
later advised that F/S Washbourne and his young French guide had been picked up and arrested by a German soldier in
Paris,and that F/S Parkinson hads been wearing civilian clothes when captured. It appears F/S Parkinson had been shot at
some time after being arrested. The British War office made an official enquiry to the German Government as to ascertaining
the circumstances regarding Flight Sergeant Washbournes death whilst in custody but, the Germans did not reply.

There are no prisoner of war details for the six members of this crew who survived,so it can be only assumed that they made
it safely to the allied lines.

The Crew:

P/O E.A.Law RAAF Safe
Sgt A.Russell RAFVR (F/E) Safe
Sgt. J.W.Parkinson RAFVR ( Nav) Safe
F/S J.R.Nurse (WOP) Safe
F/S G.Washbourne RAAF ( B/A) +
Sgt H.Murphy RAFVR ( MUG) Safe
Sgt P.Murphy RAFVR ( A /G) Safe

'We Will Rember Him'
Dicam ex animo. Sed nostri evocatis, ut debemus eis libertatem.
Bob Wilton
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Re: Australian Aircrew Crew Losses - WW2 Files

Post by Bob Wilton »

SHORT STIRLING AND RAF BOMBER COMMAND FORUM

Halifax III MZ948 ZA-E RAF 10 Squadron
Operation Chemnitz 05/06 March 1945

The crew of this aircraft took off from RAF Melbourne at 1708 hours in the early evening of
5th March,1945. Their aircraft was hit by enemy action,and only three members of the crew
managed to bale out, the other five members of this crew perished in the crash. The Halifax
came down near the German town of Harreshausen which is situated about 1.5 miles from
Babenhausen.Map reference L50/ M8855.

The three crew members who managed to bale out were Flight Lieutenant Moss, and Flight
Sergeants Fowler and Hodgson,all of whom were captured very soon after landing,and spent
A short time as prisoners of war until they were liberated by the allies.

After the wars end a RAF MREU went to the village of Babenhausen and interviewed the
Burgermeister who stated that Halifax MZ948 had crashed near the town at approximately
1245 hours in the early morning of 6th March 1945.He confirmed that three members of the
crew had baled out, and that five crew members bodies had been recovered from the crash
site.

The crew:

F/L F.D. Moss POW
SGT H.W.Tasker +
F/S R.E. Davenport +
WO2 L.W. Webster RCAF +
F/S R.C. Fowler POW
SGT L.L. Hall RAAF +
F/S F. Fearnley +
F/S S. Hodgson POW

We Shall Remember Them
Dicam ex animo. Sed nostri evocatis, ut debemus eis libertatem.
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