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26/27 March 1942 Wellington Mk III - X3604 - KO-Y |
Crashed between Polweg 1 and 2 at Wichmond, Municipality of Warnsveld.*
A/C was held in a searchlight cone at Toldijk and shot down over Dieren by night fighter Leutnant Manfred Meurer.
(8 September 1919 – 22 January 1944) This was his 1st combat mission.
He was later awarded the Knights cross after shooting down 65 aircraft.
Casualties were buried in Wichmond General Cemetery, with military honour, march 31 at
07.00 h.
3 crewmembers could not be identified individual, they rest in a collective grave.
Info via Karl Lusink, Chairman of ARGA.*
Source: 115 Squadron Roll of Honour by D. Bruce, W. R. Chorley, J. G. J. de Haan.
104 Wellingtons and 11 Stirlings. 10 Wellingtons and 1 Stirling lost.
The bombing force encountered heavy Flak at the target and many night fighters on the routes.
Hits on the Krupps works and fires in Essen were claimed but the raid was actually another failure on this difficult target.
Only 22 high-explosive bombs were counted in Essen, with 2 houses destroyed, 6 people killed and 14 injured.
The bombers had suffered nearly 10 per cent casualties.
Source: .nationalarchives.gov.uk - Bomber Command - Campaign Diary - March 1942.
ORB. 26th. March, 1942.
15 aircraft (7 from 'A' Flight and 8 from 'B' Flight)
took off between 1940 and 1959 hours to attack target ESSEN
and found weather over the target to be excellent.
Bombs were released by visual observation from heights ranging between 14000 and 18000 feet
and although one or two fires were started several fires were observed in the target area.
Photographs were attempted.
A/C. F.X.3589 (Captain Sgt. TAYLOR) Wellington Mk III X3589 KO-F, no survivors.and
A/C. Y.X.3604 (Captain P/O. SOAMES)
failed to return to base from operations.
0125. All the remaining aircraft had returned safely to Base after Operations.
(A/C. H.X.3635 - Captain F/L. SWORD - dropped his flares and bombs at OBERHAUSEN).
(A/C. P.X.3662 - Captain F/L. PATERSDON - HAMSLEDE aerodrome was machine gunned from 1000 feet on return journey).
Soames Geoffrey Gordon - Pilot
P/O - Service No 118096
Age: 23
RAFVR
Son of Ralph Martin Soames and Mary Gooch Soames,
of Emsworth, Hampshire.
Warnsveld (Wichmond) General Cemetery - Plot E. Coll. grave 2-3.
Source: CWGC - Photo via Find a grave, by Wouter Van Dijken
Finch Patrick Austen Gwyer - 2nd Pilot
Sgt - Service No 1280951
Age: 27
RAFVR
Son of Frederick Henry and Dorothy Finch,
of Garruchos, Corrientes, Argentina.
Warnsveld (Wichmond) General Cemetery - Plot E. Grave 4
His brother, Cyril Allan Finch, also died on service, 6 August 1944.
Serv. No 2699226, Bayeux War Cemetery, France. Age: 31.
Source: CWGC - Photo via Find a grave, by Wouter Van Dijken.
Mogford William Lionel - Observer
Sgt - Service No 927587
Age: 25
RAFVR
Son of William Charles and Sarah Jane Mogford.
Husband of Cynthia Mogford, of Risca Monmouthshire.
Warnsveld (Wichmond) General Cemetery - Plot E. Grave 6
Source: CWGC - Photo via Find a grave, by Paul ten Broeke.
Baker Victor Charles Rudkin - W.Op./Air Gnr
Sgt - Service No 1285545
Age: 19
RAFVR
Son of George Frederick Rudkin Baker and Ada Elsie Baker,
of Dartford, Kent.
Warnsveld (Wichmond) General Cemetery - Plot E. Coll. grave 2-3.
Source: GWGC - Photo via Find a grave, by Wouter Van Dijken
Burns Alan - W.Op./Air Gnr.
Sgt - Service No 924900
Age: 20
RAFVR
Son of George Armstrong Burns and Emily Clayton Burns.
Husband of Valerie Joan Burns, of Slough, Buckinghamshire.
Warnsveld (Wichmond) General Cemetery - Plot E. Grave 5.
Source: CWGC - photo via Alan Burns (his Great Great Uncle) -
Find a grave by Wouter Van Dijken.
Freak Roy - RG
Sgt - Service No 1257107
Age: 21
RAFVR
Son of Archibald and Nellie Freak, of Luton, Bedfordshire.
Warnsveld (Wichmond) General Cemetery - Plot E. Coll. grave 2-3.
Source: CWGC - photo via Pete Crouch, thanks - Find a Grave by Wouter van Dijken.