ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 239144
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| Date: | Monday 5 October 1942 |
| Time: | 22:47 LT |
| Type: |  Handley Page Halifax Mk II |
| Owner/operator: | 103 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | W1216 |
| MSN: | PM-Q |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 8 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Rosmeer, Bilzen, Limburg -
 Belgium
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Elsham Wolds, Lincolnshire |
Takeoff at 19:00 hrs local time for an operation to Aachen in Germany.
The aircraft was intercepted by the night fighter crew of Leutnant Autenrieth & Unteroffizier Adam of the Stab II./NJG 1, who were flying a Bf 110 F-4 from St Trond (Sint-Truiden) airfield.
The Halifax crossed the Somme estuary at about 10 000 feet and set course for Aachen. Once there, it flew over the target area for the first time, to actually recognize it. This was followed by a second 'bomb run', in which the bomb load was dropped from 9500 feet. As the crew left the target area in a north westerly direction, the rear turret gunner shouted that there was a Bf 110 above and below. Both gunners opened fire and the Bf 110 responded with accurate cannon fire, after which it turned away. The pilot tried to escape the cannon fire and dropped to 7000 feet. This was followed by a second attack, from below, in which the tail gunner, Sgt MacMaster, was wounded. The tail gunner couldn't point his weapons at the attacker. A third attack followed, from below, and again the back turret gunner could not shoot. Two long salvos hit the Halifax. The rear turret gunner left his post to control the tail turret, but in the meantime the starboard wing and three engines were transformed into a blazing torch and W/O Edward gave the order to leave the machine. Sgt George Green (onboard meccano) jumped, but was already too low. His parachute opened only partially. He hit a house and died.
The navigator, Sgt. Mellor, gave his pilot the parachute, and left the plane. However, it was too late for the pilot, P/O Kenneth F. Edwards, and the wounded turret gunner, Sgt Norman T. McMaster, who died at Rosmeer in Limburg. It is possible that Kenneth Edwards tried to ground his aircraft to save the life of his badly wounded gunner.
The three crew members of the 'PM-Q' who were killed rest today at Heverlee. Three more pilots were captured: Sgt Mark A. Mead (co-pilot), Sgt Douglas G. Giddens RNZAF and F/Sgt Robert G. Hawthorn.
On returning to Elsham, Mellor said "Has anyone seen my greatcoat? I left it hanging here the night we went missing."
Gordon Mellor was later commissioned, and was President of the Elsham Wolds Association, and died aged 99 in 2018.
Sources:
https://luchtvaartgeschiedenis.be/content/halifax-w1216-bij-rosmeer
Nachtjagd Combat Archive The Early Years part three
http://www.aircrewremembered.com/AlliedLossesIncidents/?q=W1216
Google Maps
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 05-Aug-2020 20:08 | TigerTimon | Added |
| 19-Sep-2021 19:02 | Rob Davis | Updated [Narrative] |
| 15-Dec-2023 15:23 | Rob Davis | Updated [Narrative] |
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