Operation: Bergen

Date: 4th July 1942 (Saturday)

Unit: No. 226 Squadron

Type: Boston Mk III

Serial: Z2213

Code: MQ-U

Base: RAF Swanton Morley, Norfolk

Location: North Sea, 20km West of Callantsoog, Holland

Pilot: P/O. Charles Masterman Henning 104360 RAFVR Age 20. Killed

Nav: P/O. Percy James Voyzey 133592 RAFVR Age 24. Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Herbert Thomas Willig 1325218 RAFVR Age ? Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

Took off from RAF Swanton Morley at 07.14hrs with eleven other Boston aircraft. Five Bostons crewed by RAF of 226 Squadron and six Bostons from 226 Squadron crewed by Americans of the 15th Bombardment Squadron, 8th Air Force. Heavy flak was encountered at the Dutch coast and at the targets. Boston Z2213 was shot down by Me 109 piloted by Ufz. Johannes (Hans) Rathenow at 08.30hrs and crashed into the sea 20km West of Callantsoog. Three aircraft were lost.

Runnymede Memorial and Mayfield School WW2 Memorial P/O. Voyzey (the old Northern Grammar School Portsmouth)

Burial details:

The Air Forces Memorial at Runnymede commemorates by name over 20,000 airmen who were lost in the Second World War during operations from bases in the United Kingdom and North and Western Europe, and who have no known graves. They served in Bomber, Fighter, Coastal, Transport, Flying Training and Maintenance Commands, and came from all parts of the Commonwealth. Some were from countries in continental Europe which had been overrun but whose airmen continued to fight in the ranks of the Royal Air Force.

P/O. Charles Masterman Henning. Runnymede Memorial, Panel 70. Son of Charles Edward and Ruby May Henning. Charles is remembered on the Queen's University, Belfast WW2 memorial. He had attended the university's faculty of science from 1939-1940. There is also a family headstone for Charles in Mitchelstown St. George's Church of Ireland Churchyard, Cork, Ireland.

P/O. Percy James Voyzey. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 72. Son of Percy James Voyzey and Margaret Voyzey of Portsmouth. At the time of his death Percy's address was 8 Torrington Road, Portsmouth, England.

Sgt. Herbert Thomas Willig. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 96. No further information as yet

Researched by Kate Tame, Aircrew Remembered and for all the relatives and friends of the crew. Acknowledgements: Commonwealth War Graves Commission, United States Army Air Force WW2, Bomber Command Aircraft, W.R. Chorley - Bomber Command Losses 1942, Focke-Wulf Fw 109, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt Bomber Command War Diaries.