ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 49504
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | Sunday 24 December 1944 |
| Time: | afternoon |
| Type: |  Handley Page Halifax Mk VII |
| Owner/operator: | 408 (Goose) Sqn RCAF |
| Registration: | NP781 |
| MSN: | EQ-U |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 5 / Occupants: 7 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Stürzelberg, Dormagen, Nordrhein-Westfalen -
 Germany
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Linton-on-Ouse, North Yorkshire (EGXU) |
| RAF Linton-on-Ouse, North Yorkshire (EGXU) |
Halifax B.VII NP781 ("BQ-U") of 408 (Goose) Squadron, RCAF, lost on operations on Christmas Eve 1944: Airborne at 11:34 on 23/12/1944 from Linton-on-Ouse to attack the Luftwaffe Airfield at Düsseldorf-Lohausen Airport, which was believed to be a key supply point for the German Army offensive in the Ardennes. The Halifax was brought down by flak/AAA at Stürzelberg, North-Rhine Westphalia. Five of the seven crew were killed. Those killed are buried in the Venray War Cemetery, Limburg, Netherlands.
Crew:-
Pilot : Flying Officer W H Dunwoodie RCAF [PoW]
Flight Engineer : Pilot Officer William Bruce Allan RCAF J/95205 [Killed]
Navigator : Flight Lieutenant Walter Louis Friker RCAF J/13140 [Killed]
Bomb Aimer : Flying Officer David Garfield Kellar RCAF J/38411 [Killed]
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner : Pilot Officer Donald Clifford Tonkin RCAF J/95500 [Killed]
Mid-Upper Gunner : Flight Sergeant J A Chiasson RCAF [PoW]
Rear Gunner : Pilot Officer Gerald Roch D'Amour RCAF J/95221 [Killed]
Flight Sergeant J.A.Chiasson RCAF was interned in Camp L7. PoW No.1318. There is also a report that he evaded. There is also a report that Flying Officer W.H.Dunwoodie escaped from Hospital.
Sources:
1. http://www.nimh.nl/nl/images/1944%20sec_tcm5-7285.pdf
2. http://www.baaa-acro.com/1944/archives/crash-of-a-handley-page-h-p-70-halifax-in-wurzburg-5-killed/
3. https://www.backtonormandy.org/component/mtree/air-force-operations/airplanes-allies-and-axis-lost/halifax/NP7811944-12-24.html
4. http://www.honourthem.ca/masterDetail.cfm?ID=100865
5. https://verliesregister.studiegroepluchtoorlog.nl/rs.php?aircraft=&sglo=T4829&date=&location=&pn=&unit=&name=&cemetry=&airforce=&target=&area=&airfield=
6. Google Maps
7. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2054103/allan,-william-bruce/
8. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2054298/friker,-walter-louis/
9. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2054398/kellar,-david-garfield/
10. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2054682/tonkin,-donald-clifford/
11. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2054243/d'amour,-gerald-roch/
12. Rob Davis Bomber Command Losses Database
Images:
1945 upon liberation by US forces. He is the officer with the eye patch.
Media:
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 17-Dec-2008 11:45 | ASN archive | Added |
| 01-Feb-2010 23:01 | Anon. | Updated [Narrative] |
| 02-Feb-2010 00:04 | Anon. | Updated [Operator] |
| 06-Jul-2014 09:28 | gerard57 | Updated [Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Phase, Narrative] |
| 12-Mar-2017 03:02 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Time, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 12-Mar-2017 03:03 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
| 29-Jun-2018 06:53 | ehren69 | Updated [Location, Narrative] |
| 06-Oct-2018 17:54 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Operator] |
| 26-Oct-2019 15:40 | TigerTimon | Updated [Time, Cn, Other fatalities, Location, Source, Embed code] |
| 27-Oct-2019 19:18 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Other fatalities, Source, Narrative] |
| 20-Aug-2021 08:16 | doug.veitch@gmail.co | Updated [Photo] |
| 24-Dec-2023 07:41 | Rob Davis | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation