ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 201094
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| Date: | Thursday 26 February 1942 |
| Time: | 05:45 |
| Type: |  Short Stirling Mk I |
| Owner/operator: | 15 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | N6067 |
| MSN: | LS-E |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 8 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Beck Lodge Farm Mildenhall Suffolk -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Approach |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Mildenhall |
The target was Kiel and the aircraft took off from Wyton at 23:32 hours. Over the enemy coast, on what was a very dark, moonless, night, Squadron Leader Wilson was unable to find the primary target. He subsequently decided to attack the secondary target, which was the town of Sylt. On the run up to the target, the aircraft was damaged by flak and had to take evasive action. As a result of this, they suspected that they might have been off course on their return journey. With the engines failing because of lack of fuel, and with the sincere belief that they might be over either enemy territory or water. Squadron Leader Wilson gave the crew the option of bailing out. Sgt Spalding, the rear gunner, was the only crew member to take up the offer. Shortly after his departure, the pilot decided that he must make a forced landing. It was 05:40 hours and the aircraft had been in the air for over six hours. He put the aircraft down at Beck Lodge Farm, Beck Row. During the course of the landing, the aircraft’s nose stuck a wall on the farm boundary and Lt Murray, the front gunner, was killed. It is a great pity that RAF Mildenhall maintained such a good “black out”. The aircraft was only about 200 yards from the end of the airfield. As soon as the aircraft stopped, the crew deployed the dingy, still in the belief that they were over water. An examination of the Stirling, made on the following day, showed that it was damaged beyond repair. It was scrapped having only completed 18 ½ hours flying time.
Crew
Pilot: Sqn Ldr Matthew Drummond Henderson Wilson
2nd Pilot: Sgt Robert Lorraine Melville RAAF
Flight Engineer: Sgt Ely
Navigator: Fg Off Clifford G Reeve
Bomb Aimer: Sgt Daniel Lammie
Air Gunner: Sgt "Johnnie" Noel Spalding - Baled out.
Air Gunner: Sgt William Edmund Chambers
Air Gunner: Lt Louis Bingham Murray - Stretford Cemetery Lancashire Sec. S. Grave 11. Seconded from 120 H.A.A. Regiment Royal Artillery.
Sources:
Bomber Command Losses 1942
Aircrew Remembered.
http://aircrewremembered.com/wilson-mathew-drummond.html
RAF Feltwell ORB
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 8 August 1941 | N3658 | 15 Sqn RAF | 7 | Kerkstraat street at Overasselt, Gelderland |  |
w/o |
| 7 April 1942 | W7448 | 15 Sqn RAF | 8 | Missing - North Sea | |
mis |
| 28 August 1942 | W7624 | 15 Sqn RAF | 7 | Suetersweg road, Bentelo, Overijssel | |
w/o |
| 17 September 1942 | BF353 | 15 Sqn RAF | 7 | IJsselmeer 10 km NW of Harderwijk, Gelderland | |
w/o |
| 26 June 1943 | BK699 | 15 Sqn RAF | 7 | Waddenzee, Dantziggat, S of Ameland, Friesland | |
w/o |
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 08-Nov-2017 20:34 | Red Dragon | Added |
| 06-Nov-2018 20:26 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Destination airport, Source, Operator] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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