Date:	Wednesday 12 August 1942
Time:	03:30 approx
Type:	Vickers Wellington Mk II
Owner/operator:	57 Sqn RAF
Registration:	BJ830
MSN:	DX-E
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 5 / Occupants: 5
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Philippshöhe, Hagen, Nordrhein-Westfalen -   Germany
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Feltwell, Norfolk
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Takeoff at 22:50 hrs local time for an operation to Mainz in Rheinland-Pfalz.
The aircraft was hit by Flak and crashed on the Philippshöhe above the Hagen central station. The pilot and the navigator, were still in the remnants of the completely destroyed cockpit. The rear gunner was hurled from the aircraft by the force of the impact. The two other crew members were found in the wreckage during the following days by German soldiers, however because of their serious injuries and missing dog tags they could not be identified by name. The tail of the a/c remained relatively undamaged, while the remaining parts of the a/c were completely smashed on impact with the steep slope of the Philippshöhe. The a/c had not exploded on impact which is probably and indication of empty fuel tanks (2).

Crew:-
Pilot : Flight Sergeant Robert Riddell RNZAF NZ/411449 [Killed]
Observer : Pilot Officer William Nisbet RAFVR 118449 [Killed] (NCO:1109498 Commission Gazetted : Tuesday 04 August, 1942)
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner : Sergeant Ronald Cust Cockayne RAFVR 952486 [Killed]
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner : Sergeant Thomas Henderson RAFVR 1185491 [Killed]
Air Gunner : Flight Sergeant Stanley Lloyd George Buchanan RCAF R/92487 [Killed]

The crew rests in the Reichswald Forest War Cemetery.

1. http://www.aircrewremembered.com/AlliedLossesIncidents/?q=BJ830
2. Compessed Translation Extract from Archäologie des Zweiten Weltkriegs Flugzeugabstürze in Hagen/Archaeology of the Second World War Air crashes in Hagen
3. Nachtjagd Combat Archive The Early Years part three
4. Google Maps
5. Rob Davis Bomber Command Losses Database

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
15-May-2020 19:24	TigerTimon	Added
11-Aug-2023 06:54	Rob Davis	Updated