ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 193034
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| Date: | Saturday 23 January 1943 |
| Time: | 03:10 |
| Type: |  Vickers Wellington Mk IC |
| Owner/operator: | 38 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | HX785 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 6 / Occupants: 7 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Aegean Sea, by 38.10N, 24.10E -
 Greece
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | |
The Wellington IC HX785 of 38 Sqn RAF, left Gambut, Libya, at night on 22/23 January 1943, on a mine-laying operation off the coast of Greece. The aircraft was last heard from in the Gulf of Pentalion at 0310 hrs on the 23rd when a message was received "hit flak going down target area". It was assumed that the aircraft had ditched in approx position 38.10N, 24.10E.
In a later statement the only survivor, Flg Off DeVilliers, the second pilot, reported that “after coming down they all got out safely, but as they had no dinghy they all had to swim in their mae wests. Land was visible some miles away. It was agreed that DeVilliers the strongest swimmer should try and make land and try to get a boat. Some 6 or 7 hours later he hailed a boat just off shore. He was picked up and they set out to look for the others. Three hours later they found the bodies of Sgt Lidiard and Sgt Wrigglesworth who had died from the cold. They failed to find any of the others. They were later stopped by an Italian gunboat and the 2 bodies were taken off. They were later told that they 2 were buried by the Germans in Athens, to whom he was handed over.”
It was later recorded that the remaining four crew members unaccounted for had lost their lives at sea, whilst the grave of Sgt Lidiard could not be located.
Crew:
Flg Off Leonard Arthur West RAFVR (pilot) KIA
Flg Off John Maurice DeVilliers RAF (2nd pilot) POW (L3/121)
Sgt William Frederick O’Bierne RAFVR (navigator) KIA
Wt Off Douglas Charles Bell RAAF (wireless operator/air gunner) KIA
Sgt Dudley St John Lidiard RAFVR (wireless operator) KIA
Sgt Robert Wrigglesworth RAFVR (air gunner) KIA
Flt Lt James Geddes Johnston RAF (passenger, of 233 or 235 Wing RAF) KIA
Bell, Lidiard, O’Bierne, West and Johnston are commemorated on the Alamein Memorial. Wrigglesworth is buried in The Phaleron War Cemetery, near Athens, Greece.
Sources:
http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?7793-430123-Unaccounted-airmen-23-1-1943
https://www.awm.gov.au//catalogue/research_centre/pdf/rc09125z017_1.pdf
https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1810388/JOHNSTON,%20JAMES%20GEDDES
https://www.mapquest.com/?utm_source=classic&utm_campaign=winston_sunset&utm_medium=urltrans_unsupported
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 23-Jan-2017 21:34 | Laurent Rizzotti | Added |
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