Accident Vickers Wellington Mk IC R3202,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 53851
 
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Date:Saturday 3 August 1940
Time:02:00 LT
Type:Silhouette image of generic well model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Vickers Wellington Mk IC
Owner/operator:115 Sqn RAF
Registration: R3202
MSN: KO-J
Fatalities:Fatalities: 6 / Occupants: 6
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Location:Waddenzee near Rottumeroog, Groningen prv -   Netherlands
Phase: Combat
Nature:Military
Departure airport:RAF Marham, Norfolk (KNF/EGYM)
Destination airport:
Narrative:
On the night of 2/3 August 1940 Wellington IC R3202 (KO-J of 115 Sq., RAF) took off from RAF Marham, Norfolk at 21:24 hours local time. Their mission was to bomb the oil refinery in Hamburg. The plane ditched at 02:00 local time 100 NM NE of the English Coast. A search was mounted by 3 aircraft from RAF Marham and Coastal Command. But to no effect.

The crew of six consisted of...
P/O Reginald Torrance Gerry, from Canada - KIA
Co-pilot P/O Ronald William Pryor, Observer - KIA
Flight Sergeant Richard James Ruffell - Hazell, DFM, wireless operator - MIA
Air Gunner Sgt Jack Millen Croft - MIA
Air Gunner P/O Sidney Wilde - KIA
Air Gunner Sergeant James Dempsey - KIA

All were KIA (Killed in Action), but two remain MIA (Missing In Action). Sgt. Dempsey's body was found at sea on 23 August 1940 and buried at Delfzijl General Cemetery. P/O Wilde is also buried in Delfzijl. P/O Pryor, who was found three days earlier, is buried in Uithuizen. P/O Gerry washed ashore the same day Sgt. Dempsey was found at sea. He is buried in Oldebroek General Cemetery. The bodies of the other two crew were never found.

Sources:

1. https://verliesregister.studiegroepluchtoorlog.nl/rs.php?aircraft=&sglo=T0768&date=&location=&pn=&unit=&name=&cemetry=&airforce=&target=&area=&airfield=
2. http://www.basher82.nl/Data/Delfzijl/dempsey.htm
3. http://www.teunispats.net/t768.htm
4. http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?14837-RAF-WWII-bombing-mission-mystery
5. http://www.lostoverholland.nl/wellington-R3202-3-august-1940/

History of this aircraft

Other occurrences involving this aircraft
12 April 1940 P9284 115 Sqn RAF 6 Stavanger-Sola Airfield, Stavanger, Rogaland w/o
21 May 1940 R3152 115 Sqn RAF 6 near Le Havre, Seine Maratime w/o
4 June 1942 X3635 115 Sqn RAF 5 1 km south of Adelheide, Delmenhorst, Niedersachsen w/o
26 July 1942 Z1606 115 Sqn RAF 5 near Krefeld, Nordrhein-Westfalen w/o
14 September 1942 BJ693 115 Sqn RAF 6 North Sea off Niedersachsen w/o
28 September 1942 Z1663 115 Sqn RAF 3 IJsselmeer 8 km SW of Urk, (modern Flevoland) w/o

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
17-Dec-2008 11:45 ASN archive Added
08-Jan-2015 02:59 Dr. John Smith Updated [Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative]
08-Jan-2015 03:00 Dr. John Smith Updated [Time, Embed code]
27-Apr-2015 19:01 ABBA Updated [Aircraft type, Operator]
28-Jun-2016 11:51 Anon. Updated [Source, Embed code, Narrative]
29-Jul-2019 17:41 TigerTimon Updated [Cn, Other fatalities, Location, Phase, Source]
15-Jun-2022 15:59 Ron Averes Updated [Location]

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