ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 346393
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| Date: | Friday 13 August 1943 |
| Time: | 06:00 |
| Type: | Short Sterling III |
| Owner/operator: | 218 (Gold Coast) Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | EF452 |
| MSN: | HA-O |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 7 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | RAF Bone -
 Algeria
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Downham Market |
| Torino, Italy | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Aircraft took off from the UK at 21h35 on a bombing mission to Turino, Italy. At approximately 01h20, it was fired upon by the tail gunner of another Stirling who mistook it for an enemy night fighter. The friendly fire was unfortunately quite accurate, the windshield fragmented and was partially blasted away, 3 engines were hit and one had to be shut down. The Navigator was hit and killed, the pilot was severely wounded taking hits in the face, right arm and chest, the bomb aimer and flight engineer were also wounded. Power to both forward and rear gun turrets was lost and flight controls were damaged. The Flight Engineer pulled the slumped pilot off the controls and managed to pull the aircraft out of its dive at approximately 4000 feet. The Bomb Aimer took over the controls and turned south over the Mediterranean for another allied airfield knowing the aircraft wouldn’t be able to climb back over the Alps. Although grievously wounded, the young Pilot assisted the Bomb Aimer as best he could, slipping in and out of consciousness and scribbling notes as his jaw was broken. The Bomb Aimer managed to crash land with the landing gear up on the airfield at Bone Algeria. The brave young pilot who refused to be treated and rest in the rear of the aircraft succumbed to his wounds later that afternoon.
RAF Pilot Flight Sergeant Arthur Louis Aaron DFM was awarded the Victoria Cross.
RCAF Bomb Aimer Flight Sergeant Alan William Jessup Larden was awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal (Flying).
RAF Flight Engineer Sergeant Malcolm Mitchem was awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal.
Pilot: 1458181 F/Sgt Arthur Louis Aaron VC, DFM (RAFVR) – Died of wounds
Navigator: R/117605 Sgt Cornelius Alfred Brennan (RCAF) – Killed in action
Bomb Aimer: R/90883 F/Sgt Alan William Jessup Larden CGM (RCAF) – Injured
Flight Engineer: 56199 Sgt Malcolm Mitchem DFM (RAFVR) – Injured
Wireless Operator/Air Gunner: Sgt James Guy (RAFVR)
Air Gunner: Sgt TM McCabe (RAFVR)
Air Gunner: Sgt J Richmond (RAFVR)
Sources:
218 Squadron records from The National Archives UK
Personnel files of both RCAF crew members
https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/detail/938190
https://aircrewremembered.com/AlliedLossesIncidents/?q=ef452&qand=&exc1=&exc2=&search_only=&search_type=exact
https://www.rcafassociation.ca/heritage/search-awards/?search=larden&searchfield=lastname&type=all
https://218squadron.wordpress.com/fs-a-aaron-vc-dfm/
https://www.staplesandvine.com/index.php/aircraft/struck-off-charge/struck-off-charge-1-144-scale/short-stirling-mk-iii/
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 09-Oct-2023 21:17 | tachel | Added |
| 09-Oct-2023 21:18 | tachel | Updated |
| 10-Oct-2023 20:48 | tachel | Updated |
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