Operation: Köln
Date: 18/19th August 1941 (Monday/Tuesday)
Unit: No. 51 Squadron
Type: Whitley V
Serial: Z6811
Code: MH-D
Base: RAF Dishforth, Yorkshire
Location: Malden, South of Nijmegen, Netherlands
Pilot: Sgt. John Alexander Barrie Jamieson 1002131 RAFVR Age 19. Killed (1)
Pilot 2: P/O. Frederick Walter Shorrock J/4873 RCAF PoW No: 3740 Camp: Stalag Luft Sagan and Belaria
Obs: Sgt. Angus Milne AUS/407091 RAAF Age 28. Killed
W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. F.W. Coles 929448 RAFVR PoW No: 23619 Camp: Stalag Kopernikus
W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Howard Robert Franklin Johnston R/75095 RCAF Age 20. Killed
REASON FOR LOSS:
Taking off at 21:34 hrs to bomb Köln with 61 other aircraft - some 5 Whitleys and 3 Wellingtons failed to return with 8 of these matched with night fighter claims.
51 Squadron hit hard with 4 aircraft lost:
Whitley V Z6566 MH-Q Flown by Sgt. W.B. James DFM. MiD. RAFVR taken PoW with all his crew.
Whitley V Z6569 MH-S Flown by P/O. H.B. Robertshaw RAFVR, taken PoW with 3 other crew, 1 killed.
Whitley V Z6731 MH-A Flown by P/O. W.J. Loney RCAF, killed with all his crew.
Shot down by Oblt. Wilhelm Dimter of Stab 1./NJG1 at 04:30 hrs. Some reports state that the aircraft may have collided with an enemy night-fighter, but we are unable to match this with any Luftwaffe losses - are you able to provide further evidence? This was the third abschüsse for Oblt. Wilhelm Dimter - he was killed on the 16/17th September 1942 at Dongen during an air combat.(see Kracker Luftwaffe Archive on this site)
Burial details:
Sgt. John Alexander Barrie Jamieson. Uden War Cemetery. Grave 5.D.8. Son of Ronald Barrie Jamieson, and of Barbara Low Jamieson (Babs - née Whamond), of Kerriemuir, Angus, Scotland. Born in Ceylon. His father was a tea planter, but died quite young in 1928. Babs then returned to Scotland and brought a Board and room property in Kirriemuir, Scotland. She sent her two boys, Ronald and John to boarding school from which they then both joined the RAF.
Sgt. Angus Milne. Uden War Cemetery. Grave 5.D.6. Son of Arthur and Eva Milne, of Wirrabara, South Australia. Born on 21st June 1913. Prior to service when he joined on the 16th April 1940, a farmer. Belonged to Gulf Aero Club and had 5.35 hrs dual flying experience.
Sgt. Howard Robert Franklin Johnston. Uden War Cemetery. Grave 5.D.6. Son of Otto Neilson and Blanche (née Fincham) Johnston of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.
Researched for Harry Jamieson cousin of Fl/Sgt. John Jamieson and all the relatives of the crew. For further photographs thanks to Des Philippet, Pete Jones and Michel Beckers - December 2016. Further details our thanks to the sources shown below.
