ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 202647
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| Date: | Thursday 16 April 1942 |
| Time: | 04:45 |
| Type: |  Vickers Wellington Mk III |
| Owner/operator: | 156 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | X3697 |
| MSN: | GT- |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 6 / Occupants: 6 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | 1.5 km W of Vlissegem, De Haan, West Flanders -
 Belgium
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Alconbury |
| Dortmund, Germany |
Shot down by 2 & 3/Res Flak Abt 252 1.5km West of Vlissegem at 04:45. Vlissegem was startled by a huge blow on the land between the farms of the farmers Bodez and Demeulenaere. The next morning, five heavily mutilated bodies were recovered from the still smouldering wreckage by the Germans, and transferred to the morgue of Vlissegem. The entire neighbourhood was examined for a sixth crew member, but without result. Four days later, the five crew members with military honours were in the presence of a German chaplain and the pastor buried in the municipal cemetery. After a short speech by the chaplain, German soldiers who formed an honorary fire fired a salvo, after which the dead were ordered to the earth. After about ten days the wreckage was taken away by the Germans, and they found the sixth victim under the rubble. It was given a final honour in the same way as his comrades.
Crew
Pilot:J/15231 Plt Off Allan George Griffith RCAF - Vlissegem Cemtery Grave 6.
Pilot:1180424 Sgt Oliver Raymond East - Vlissegem Cemtery Joint grave 4.
Observer: 281125 Sgt Roy Charles Edgar Willingham - Vlissegem Cemtery Joint grave 4.
Wireless Operator/Air Gunner: 1170645 Sgt Graham Donald Randall - Vlissegem Cemtery Grave 3.
Air Gunner: 1181845 Sgt Alexander Charles Frederick Digby - Vlissegem Cemtery Grave 2.
Air Gunner: 1377475 Sgt Eric George Andrew Stevens - Vlissegem Cemtery Grave 5.
Sources:
Nachtjagd Combat Archive The Early Years part two
CWGC
Bomber Command Losses 1942
https://luchtvaartgeschiedenis.be/content/wellington-te-vlissegem
Google Maps
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 8 March 1942 | X3333 | 156 Sqn RAF | 0 | RAF Alconbury |  |
w/o |
| 20 April 1942 | X3708 | 156 Sqn RAF | 6 | RAF Warboys | |
w/o |
| 30 April 1942 | Z1571 | 156 Sqn RAF | 5 | Cne de Gennevilliers |  |
w/o |
| 19 May 1942 | X3671 | 156 Sqn RAF | 6 | Hargnies, Ardennes | |
w/o |
| 6 June 1942 | X3339 | 156 Sqn RAF | 6 | near Eversael, Rheinberg, Nordrhein-Westfalen |  |
w/o |
| Mid-air collision | ||||||
| 7 June 1942 | HF918 | 156 Sqn RAF | 5 | Westerstede, Niedersachsen | |
w/o |
| 26 June 1942 | BJ594 | 156 Sqn RAF | 1 | Near Southwold | |
w/o |
| 28 June 1942 | Z1619 | 156 Sqn RAF | 5 | Westrum, Herzlake, Niedersachsen | |
w/o |
| 7 July 1942 | X3345 | 156 Sqn RAF | 5 | Missing off Lorient | |
mis |
| 7 July 1942 | Z1576 | 156 Sqn RAF | 5 | Missing - Lann Bihoue 4km NW of Lorient | |
mis |
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 07-Dec-2017 20:53 | Red Dragon | Added |
| 03-Nov-2018 10:15 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Destination airport, Operator] |
| 03-May-2019 17:51 | Anon. | Updated [Time, Destination airport, Narrative] |
| 18-Apr-2020 09:50 | TigerTimon | Updated [Other fatalities, Location, Phase, Destination airport, Source] |
| 18-Apr-2020 09:51 | TigerTimon | Updated [Location] |
| 06-Nov-2022 12:50 | Ron Averes | Updated [Location] |
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