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17/18 May 1942 Wellington Mk III - X3644 - KO-A |
Possibly a/c seen at 0138 hrs to be going down out of control at position 55N 06E.
Source: 115 Squadron Roll of Honour by D. Bruce, W. R. Chorley, J. G. J. de Haan.
Minelaying: 32 Stirlings and 28 Wellingtons of 3 Group to the Frisians and the Heligoland area.
German night fighters were active.
5 Stirlings and 2 Wellingtons were lost.
Source: nationalarchives.gov.uk - Bomber Command - Campaign Diary May 1942.
Claim by Hans-Georg Schutze - Sea North East of Pellworm Island (Probably Auster) at 00:49.
Info via John Jones - Source. Nachtjagd Combat Archives. The Early Years Part 2 - Theo Boiten.
11 aircraft (including one freshman - 6 from "A" Flight and 5 from "B" Flight)
took off between 2229 and 2242 hours to attack target GARDENING and BOULOGNE.
The 10 aircraft on GARDENING operations successfully located the target and dropped their
vegetables in the allotted position from heights ranging from 600 - 700 feet.
Two aircraft reported observing air combats off PELLWORN at 0050 hours,
also another aircraft reported having seen an aircraft crash and burst into flames off PELLWORN at 0045 hours.
The height of combat was estimated at 3/4000 feet.
The aircraft detailed to attack target BOULOGNE was forced to abandon the sortie
due to TR failure and bad visibility, and bombs were brought back.
A/C. A.X.3644 (Captain Sgt. BUTTERWORTH) failed to return from operations.
0405. All the remaining aircraft had returned safely to Base after Operations.
Butterworth Francis Norman - Pilot
Sgt - Service No 1112329
Age: 26
RAFVR
Son of Harold and Catherine Mary Butterworth.
Husband of Margaret Elizabeth Butterworth (nee Ellerton), of Hedon, Yorkshire.
Two childern.
Runnymede Memorial - panel 79
Source: CWGC.
Fisher John - Observer
P/O - Service No 103576
Age: 25
RAFVR
Son of Harry and Elsie Fisher, of Olton, Birmingham.
Hamburg (Ohlsdorf) Cemetery, Hamburg-Nord, Hamburg - 6A. C. 5.
Source: CWGC - Photo via Find a grave, by PupDawg
Lloyd Kenneth Arthur - WOP
Sgt - Service No 1256771
Age: 21
RAFVR
Son of
Runnymede Memorial - panel 88
Source: CWGC.
Wagstaff William Richard - WOP/AG
Sgt - Service No 1309976
Age: 26
RAFVR
Son of Richard and Gertrude Ellen Wagstaff, of Brixton, London.
Runnymede Memorial - panel 95
Source: CWGC.
Ragan Arthur Wilton - RG
Sgt - Service No 931128
Age: 20
RAFVR
Son of John William Ragan, and of Sarah Henrietta Ragan, of Worthing, Sussex.
Runnymede Memorial - panel 92
Source: GWGC.