Operation: Koln (Cologne)

Date: 28/29th September 1940 (Saturday/Sunday)

Unit: No. 9 Squadron

Type: Wellington IC

Serial: T2505

Code: WS-W

Base: RAF Honington, Suffolk

Location: Near Antwerp, Belgium

Pilot: Sgt. Charles Wilfred Oliver 740921 RAFVR Age? POW no and camps. Not known (1)

2nd Pilot: Sgt. Kenneth Bruce Gladwin 745498 RAFVR Age 20 Killed (2)

Obs: Sgt. Leonard William Hardy 522533 RAF Age 27 Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Jack Woods 940148 RAFVR Age 20 Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Edward John Milsom 967453 RAFVR Age 23 Killed

Air/Gnr: Sgt. Sydney George Brooker 751046 RAFVR Age 26 Killed

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Below: Map showing the area of the crash

REASON FOR LOSS:

Took of from RAF Honington for a bombing operation on Koln. The aircraft may have been hit by flak or shot down by a night fighter. It is thought that the aircraft crashed in the vicinity of Antwerp. It was reported that at Cologne explosions which continued for 10 minutes were seen to break out in the target area

(1) Sgt. Charles Wilfred Oliver was on his 4th operation with the squadron when the aircraft he was flying crashed. Charles was injured and taken to hospital. He was first reported as missing, but later reported to be a prisoner of war. Charles Wilfred Oliver was confirmed as Flying Officer 28th June 1945 and relinquished his commission retaining his rank 28th June 1959

Burial details:

Sgt. Kenneth Bruce Gladwin. Schoonselhof Cemetery, Antwerp, Belgium. Grave ref: II. B. 1. Son of Harold Bruce and Gwendolyn Gladwin of Boreham Wood, Hertfordshire (2) Sgt. Gladwin while training at No 7 OTU (Operational Training Unit) was involved in an accident while flying Spitfire R6607. The aircrafts engine failed while he was approaching the airfield at RAF Hawarden, Flintshire and he made a forced landing with no injuries.

Sgt. Leornard William Hardy. Schoonselhof Cemetery, Antwerp, Belgium. Grave ref: II. B. 7. Son of William and Louise Hardy. Husband of Mary Isobel Hardy of Leicester

Sgt. Jack Woods. Schoonselhof Cemetery, Antwerp, Belgium. Grave ref: II. B. 6. Son of James William and Florence May Woods of Balby, Yorkshire

Sgt. Edward John Milsom. Schoonselhof Cemetery, Antwerp, Belgium. Grave ref: II. B. 2. Son of Edward and Mabel Milsom of Cathays, Glamorgan

Sgt. Sydney George Brooker. Schoonselhof Cemetery, Antwerp, Belgium. Grave ref: II. B. 5. Son of John George and Adelaide Fanny Sarah Brooker. Husband of Mary Catherine Brooker of Lent Rise, Burnham, Buckinghamshire

Researched by: Kate Tame Aircrew Remembered and for all the relatives and friends of the crew. With special thanks to Commonwealth War Graves Commission, W R Chorley - Bomber Command Losses 1939 - 1940 including Prewar Losses July 1936 - September 1939, Gordon Thorburn - Bombers First and Last, London Gazette, FlightGlobal Archives, London Gazette, Imperial War Museum, Fold3, National Library of Australia, National Archives - Air27/131, Air 27/125. Michel Beckers for crash photographs - August 2018.