Date:	Thursday 6 June 1940
Time:
Type:	Vickers Wellington Mk IA
Owner/operator:	9 Sqn RAF
Registration:	P9232
MSN:	WS-M
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 6
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Geervliet near Simonshaven, Zuid-Holland -   Netherlands
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Honington, Suffolk (EGXH)
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Wellington Mk.1A P9232 "WS-M" of 9 Squadron, RAF: Airborne from Honington at 21:25 hours. Target Duisburg Railway Freight Terminal. Shot down by Flak soon after crossing the Dutch coast. Crashed near Simonshaven (Zuid Holland) in the commune of Geervliet, 16 km SW of Rotterdam, Holland.

According to local records this plane crashed within or in an area belonging to the community of "Geervliet" and not "Simonshaven". It was probably somewhere in between those two villages. The exact location has not been identified yet.

B.A. James: 'I was shot down over the Dutch coast in 1940 over Holland. I was the pilot of a Wellington, operating in 9 Squadron from Honington, Suffolk. We were caught in a searchlight cone at about 10,000 feet and shot down by heavy anti-aircraft fire. I walked all night and tried to get to the coast but at that time it was full of Germans. They invaded as everybody knows on 10th May, so I was caught in the morning and taken to various places and interrogated.'

As soon as they were over Holland every gun on the ground seemed to have them in their sights. The sky lit up like a Christmas tree. Flak came soaring up at them, rattling against them like hail on a iron shed. And for some reason the pilot, instead of making the usual manoeuvre - a quick vertical nose-dive towards terra firma in order to try and break out of the searchlight cone - continued to plug on heavenwards. They never reached it. Soon the port engine cascaded in flame after being hit. That was one engine gone and they only got two. With a full bomb-load and a fire on board, the situation was split-second hazardous. The pilot George Peacock soon gave the order, 'Bail out! Bail out!'

The pilot stayed at the controls for a few more seconds to allow the crew to escape but was unable to leave the plane in time - the whole plane exploded, raining pieces of metal down. The navigator also seem to have left the plane too late and trailed down with his parachute in flames.
Coned by Flakscheinw Regt 1 and hit by Flak just after crossing the Dutch Coast, exploded near Simonshave, 16km South West of Rotterdam.
Sgt Hargrave awarded DFM whilst with 9 Squadron. Gazetted 31 May 1940.
Sqn Ldr Peacock awarded DFC whilst with 9 Squadron. Gazetted 22 April 1941.
Citation
Squadron Leader George Ernest Peacock (33067). When leading a formation of aircraft on a raid on enemy warships at Bergen, this officer displayed remarkable courage and determination. After the original attack by his formation he returned alone and repeated his run over the target in the face of heavy anti-aircraft fire. When on the return flight to his base he again turned back to attack a hostile flying-boat which was shot down into the sea.
Plt Off James awarded Military Cross. Gazetted 17 May 1946.
Citation
Military Cross. Flight Lieutenant Bertram Arthur JAMES (42232), Royal Air Force, No. 9 Squadron. On the night of 5th June, 1940, Flight Lieutenant James was the 2nd pilot of a Wellington aircraft which was hit by enemy anti-aircraft fire and had to be abandoned whilst over Holland. He made a successful parachute descent some 25 miles south of Rotterdam, disposed of his equipment, and evaded some people who were approaching, but subsequently was captured by the Germans. He was held at Qberussel for four days for interrogation. Later he was °sent to Stalag Luft I at Barth from which camp he made an attempt to escape during an air raid on 21st October, 1941. His attempt, which was made after a tunnel had been constructed, was unsuccessful and as a punishment he received 14 days solitary confinement. In November, 1941, he was discovered whilst engaged in the construction of a second tunnel, and was sentenced to another 14 days solitary confinement. While at Stalag Luft I, he worked on the construction of at least five other tunnels, all without success. His next attempt was made whilst at Stalag Luft III (Sagan) in July, 1942, when he, with another prisoner, managed to slip away from a sick parade and hide in a cow shed. Here they began to construct another tunnel, but were discovered when it was 21 feet long. For this, Flight Lieutenant James served a sentence of 14 days in the cells. In April, 1943, he, with others, commenced the construction of a tunnel which resulted in .the escape of 76 officers, but unfortunately 50 R.A.F. officers were shot by the Germans whilst endeavouring to get away. Flight Lieutenant James, however, managed to leave with civilian clothes and forged documents and, together with eleven others, entrained for Boberohrsdorf, arriving there the next morning. Here the party decided to split up into pairs. Flight Lieutenant James and his companion walked across country towards Hirschberg, but were apprehended 'by German Police. Flight Lieutenant James was eventually sent to Saohsenhausen Concentration Camp where, with others, in May 1944, he commenced the construction of a tunnel some hundred 'feet in length, and 10 feet below the surface. On 23rd September, 1944, he and four others escaped through this tunnel. F/Lt James and a companion made their way towards Rostock, but were arrested by members of the German Home Guard who returned them to the Concentration Camp where they were put in cells. F/Lt James remained in the cells from 6th October, 1944, until fifth February, 1945. He was ultimately liberated by the Allied forces on the 6th May1945.
Crew
Pilot: Sqn Ldr George Ernest Peacock DFC - killed
2nd Pilot: Plt Off Bertram Arthur James - PoW
Observer: Sgt Ronald Charles Hargrave DFM - killed
543756 Sgt Archibald Kenneth Griffiths - PoW
Plt Off Sedgwick Whiteley Webster - PoW
509661 LAC Charles Murton - PoW

1. Air Britain: RAF Aircraft P1000 - R9999, published 1996
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/775: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14502384
3. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2635445/peacock,-george-ernest/
4. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2635444/hargrave,-ronald-charles/
5. http://www.nimh.nl/nl/images/1940%20sec_tcm5-7281.pdf
6. http://aircrewremembered.com/sqrldr-george-ernest-peacock.html
7. http://www.militarian.com/threads/squadron-leader-jimmy-james-rip.1545/
8. http://www.rafcommands.com/archive/03677.php
9. http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/9_squadron.html
10. https://sites.google.com/site/wo2vpr1/home/1940-06-06-wellington
11. http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showthread.php?p=225857
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bertram_James
13. Nachtjagd Combat Archives The Early Years Part 1 - Theo Boiten

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
17-Dec-2008 11:45	ASN archive	Added
02-Jan-2012 11:52	Uli Elch	Updated [Aircraft type, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
09-Jan-2012 07:23	Nepa	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator]
07-May-2015 19:11	Anon.	Updated [Narrative, Photo, ]
29-Feb-2016 14:41	gerard57	Updated [Operator, Other fatalities, Source, Narrative]
15-Jan-2017 22:41	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
15-Jan-2017 22:42	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
04-Jun-2019 17:59	TigerTimon	Updated [Time, Cn, Other fatalities, Location, Source]
09-Sep-2019 21:42	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Other fatalities, Location, Source, Narrative]
22-Jun-2022 18:47	Anon.	Updated [Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
18-Aug-2022 21:52	Nepa	Updated [Time, Destination airport, Narrative, Operator]