 |
 |
 |
26/27 July 1942 Wellington Mk III - BJ670 - KO-K |
Hit by flak after bombing and leaving the target.
A/C crashed in the North Sea, 10 km North of Schiemonnikoog, Netherlands.
The dinghy was u/s and the survivors clung to a box from the a/c.
In every Wellington bomber there is a loose wooden box-like structure situated on the floor below the Astro Dome.
It is for the crew member stationed in the Astro Dome to stand on. This had floated out of the open hatch just before the aircraft sank.
They swam towards it. Each grabbed a corner with one hand and clung to it. The other hand held on to the adjacent crew member.
So they drifted with the waves breaking over them continually.
It was 0340 hours. The Wing Commander and his crew were dead.
The crews of Sgts Howells and Burtt-Smith were drifting in the relative safety of their dinghies.
This was a luxury and a lifesaver denied the crew of Wellington BJ670 - KO-K.
Sgt Clerides and Sgt Shoesmith both wounded.
Sgt Clerides baled out and landed in the outskirts of a town (Bremen?) and was rushed to hospital.
Info by: Memory 7 - Don Bruce -115 Squadron - 1942
Sgt Fereday and Lindley died from exposure before a German ASR floatplane rescued Sgts Fereday and Lindlet.
This was found by a fisherman in 2012.
Source: 115 Squadron Roll of Honour by D. Bruce, W. R. Chorley, J. G. J. de Haan.
403 aircraft - 181 Wellingtons, 77 Lancasters, 73 Halifaxes, 39 Stirlings, 33 Hampdens dispatched in what was probably a full 'maximum effort' for the regular Bomber Command squadrons.
Crews encountered a mixture of cloud and icing at some places on the route but clear weather at the target. Good bombing results were claimed.
Hamburg reports show that severe and widespread damage was caused, mostly in housing and semi-commercial districts rather than in the docks and industrial areas. At least 800 fires were dealt with, 523 being classed as large. 823 houses were destroyed and more than 5,000 damaged. More than 14,000 people were bombed out. 337 people were killed and 1,027 injured.
Source: .nationalarchives.gov.uk - Bomber Command - Campaign Diary July 1942.
OBR. 26th. July, 1942.
14 (8 from 'A' Flight and 6 from 'B' Flight) aircraft took off on operations between 2253 and 2327 hours to attack target HAMBURG.
9 of the aircraft successfully located and attacked target and bombing from heights ranging between 13000 and 16000 feet dropped
their bombs on or close to the aiming point, enormous fires were started and the whole of the town was reported to be ablaze.
Leaflets were dropped and photographs attempted.
One aircraft (R.Z.1605 - Captain Sgt. GLAUSER) was forced to return early owing to engine trouble.
A/C. G.B.J.615 (Captain W/C. DIXON-WRIGHT) Wellington Mk III BJ615 KO-G - No survivors
A/C. B.B.J.723 (Captain Sgt. SMITH)
A/C. K.B.J.670 (Captain Sgt. FEREDAY) and
A/C. L.X.3412 (Captain Sgt. HOWELLS) failed to return from operations, 2 of these being reported down in the sea.
0530. All the remaining aircraft had returned safely to Base after Operations.
Fereday Baden B. - Pilot
Sgt - Service No 1312583
Age:
RAFVR
POW - No 25062
Source: 115 Squadron Roll of Honour by D. Bruce, W. R. Chorley, J. G. J. de Haan.
Lindley G. Harry - Observer
Sgt - Service No 1381240
Age:
RAFVR
POW - No 25063
Source: 115 Squadron Roll of Honour by D. Bruce, W. R. Chorley, J. G. J. de Haan.
Clerides Glafkos - WOP
Sgt - Service No 924202 - Mentioned in dispatches
°Nicosia, April 24, 1919 - +Nicosia, November 15, 2013
RAFVR
POW - No 27163 Stalag VIIIB 344
After the war he became a prominent poltician in Cyprus and in 1995 was President of the Greek Cypriots.
Source: 115 Squadron Roll of Honour by D. Bruce, W. R. Chorley, J. G. J. de Haan. - Photo: Cyprus-mail.com/2013/11/15/obituary-glafcos-clerides/
Skelley Frank - W.Op./Air Gnr
Sgt - Service No 1071281
Age: 19
RAFVR
Son of Alfred and Margaret Skelley, of Whalley Range, Manchester.
Texel (Den Burg) Cemetery, Netherlands - Plot K. Row 5. Grave 105.
Source: CWGC - Photo: Airwar over Denmark by Nico Kwakman - Find a Grave.
Shoesmith Kelvin Hewer - RG
Sgt - Service No 403655
Age: 21 - °29th December 1920 in Wingham, NSW
His body was recovered in Oksby, Denmark on 21 August 1942.
RAAF
Son of William Stanley Boyde Shoesmith and Ella Maude Greaves.
Ebsjerg Fourfelt Cemetery, Denmark - AIII. 10. 18.
Source: CWGC - Photo: Airwar over Denmark by Nico Kwakman - Find a Grave.