Date:	Monday 4 May 1942
Time:	01:58 LT
Type:	Handley Page Halifax Mk II
Owner/operator:	78 Sqn RAF
Registration:	W7662
MSN:	EY-
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 6 / Occupants: 7
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Südergellersen, Niedersachsen -   Germany
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Croft, Cheshire
Destination airport:	operation - Hamburg

Narrative:
Hit by 1. & 3./Reserve-Flak-Abteilung 602 and 2./Reserve-Flak-Abteilung 165; crashed.

Sgt Hanna later reported : “The aircraft was hit during enemy action and Sgt Hewitson was wounded. I heard the Captain tell PO Copeland to attend to the wounded man. Hewitson was badly wounded in two places. Soon after one of the engines caught fire and the Captain gave the order to adjust Hewitson’s chute and get him clear of the aircraft. Shortly the Captain ordered abandon A/c which I did. I saw the aircraft crash and I think I saw one of the wings come off, which may account for the others failing to escape.”

Crew
Pilot: 400588 PO Alfred William Hedge - Hamburg Cemetery Coll. grave 10A. H. 12-13.
2nd Pilot: 1208196 Sgt Dennis Waterman Drew - Hamburg Cemetery 10A. H. 11.
Flight Engineer: 182913 Sgt Frederick Roberts Hipwell - Hamburg Cemetery 10A. H. 10.
Observer: 1180812 Sgt J Hewitson - Hamburg Cemetery Coll. grave 10A. H. 12-13.
Wireless Operator/Air Gunner:1256600 Sgt John Archibald Lloyd - Hamburg Cemetery Coll. grave 10A. H. 12-13.
Air Gunner: 406548 Plt Off Gerald Ware Copeland RAAF - Hamburg Cemetery 10A. H. 9.
Air Gunner: 115854 Sgt J E Hanna PoW Stalag Luft 3 Zagan & Belaria. PoW Number 773.

RAAF FATALITIES IN SECOND WORLD WAR AMONG RAAF PERSONNEL SERVING ON ATTACHMENT IN ROYAL AIR FORCE SQUADRONS AND SUPPORT UNITS
Nachtjagd Combat Archive The Early Years part two
Bomber Command Losses 1942
CWGC
Google Maps

Other occurrences involving this aircraft

23 April 1942	R9427	78 Sqn RAF	0	RAF Pocklington, East Riding of Yorkshire, England		w/o
31 May 1942	W1013	78 Sqn RAF	2	near March, Cambridgeshire, England		w/o
Mid-air collision
2 June 1942	R9364	78 Sqn RAF	4	North Sea, off Dutch coast (at 52.02N,03.51E)		w/o
5 June 1942	W7669	78 Sqn RAF	3	RAF Croft, North Yorkshire, England		w/o
20 June 1942	BB200	78 Sqn RAF	7	North Sea SW of Danish Coast		mis
30 June 1942	W1062	78 Sqn RAF	1	RAF Docking, Norfolk, England		w/o
17 April 1943	DT773	78 Sqn RAF	1	crashed into empty Max Eyth Lake, Stuttgart-Hofen, Baden-Württemberg		w/o
5 May 1943	JB903	78 Sqn RAF	7	North Sea 20 km SW of Harlingen or 20 km NW of Vlieland, Friesland		w/o

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
17-Dec-2017 17:35	Red Dragon	Added
11-Nov-2018 13:53	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Operator]
02-May-2022 18:01	TigerTimon	Updated [Time, Other fatalities, Location, Phase, Destination airport, Narrative]
02-May-2022 18:02	TigerTimon	Updated [Source]