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Archive Report: Allied Forces

Compiled from official National Archive and Service sources, contemporary press reports, personal logbooks, diaries and correspondence, reference books, other sources, and interviews.
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99 Squadron Crest
28/29.09.1941 No. 99 Squadron Wellington Ic T2879 Sgt Parry

Operation: Frankfurt / Genoa?

Date: 28/29th September 1941(Sunday/Monday)

Unit: No. 99 Squadron 3 Group (motto: Quisque tenax - 'Each tenacious'}

Type: Wellington Ic

Serial: T2879 (A presentation aircraft named 'Ceylon I')

Code: LN-?

Base: RAF Waterbeach, Cambridgeshire

Location: Landsmeer, Netherlands

Pilot: Sgt. Joseph Stewart Parry NZ/401287 RNZAF Age 26. Missing - believed killed

Pilot: Sgt. Ian James Robertson 545441 RAF Age 21. Killed

Nav: P/O. William Raymond James Brown J/4785 RCAF Age 26. Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Alfred William Musgrave Chapman AUS/402457 RAAF Age 19. Missing - believed killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Hugh McLennan MacDonald NZ/402524 RNZAF Age 22. Killed

Air/Gnr: Sgt. Edward Fieldhouse 1378255 RAFVR Age ? Missing - believed killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

There is some confusion over this loss, some reports state that they were on an operation to Frankfurt - others state Genoa in Italy. Both were indeed operations undertaken by Bomber Command this night.

Looking at the time scale we feel that it is likely they were on the operation to Italy. Again some reports state that they were lost over the North Sea, others that it was lost in the area of Landsmeer, Northern Holland. The map shows the area concerned - until we receive further information we have decided to list all reports.

Taking off at 19:20 hrs from RAF Waterbeach in Cambridgeshire and on return they signalled base for a return route at 05:36 hrs and 05:45 hrs - some 10 hours since they left. It was reported that they should have returned by 05:20 hrs. No report of night fighter interception and no reports from anti-aircraft units. However, some reports state that they were hit by flak over Holland but they did continue to fly. Eventually, the crew were forced to abandon the Wellington which continued to fly but inbound, finally crashing in the area shown.

What further confuses the report is that Wellington Ic Z8869 was flown by Sgt. John Watt of the same Squadron crashed on return to base at 00:55 hrs at Great Finborough in Suffolk. Wellington Ic X9761 flown by Sgt. E . Coleman 954634 RAFVR was shot down at 22:09 hrs by Fw. Reinhardt Kollak of 1./NJG1 over Malvolsin in Belgium (PoW No: 9681 held at Stalag Kopernikus). Also, Wellington Ic W5436 Flown by P/O. Keith Rumbo 67075 RAFVR from Pernambuco, Brazil. This aircraft is reported to have crashed at 02:00 hrs on return at Horringer Bury St. Edmunds in Suffolk? Does it appear that the Squadron may have taken part in both operations to Genoa in Italy and Frankfurt?

Sgt. Joseph Parry had a landing accident whilst training with 2 Elementary Flying Training school. Tiger Moth NZ749 flipped on its back after overturning during a heavy landing at New Plymouth, New Zealand. No serious injuries were reported.

Burial details:

The body of P/O. William Brown had washed ashore at Harlingen on the 22nd October 1941, that of Sgt. Ian Robertson and Fl/Sgt. Hugh MacDonald was washed up on the Island of Texel on the 21st of October 1941.

Sgt. Joseph Stewart Parry. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 64. Son of Capt. Ernest Parry and Mary Okaro Parry, of Paeroa, Auckland, New Zealand. A total of 368 flying hours logged and having completed some 17 operational sorties.

Sgt. Ian James Robertson. Texel Cemetery (Den Burg). Plot K. Row 4. Grave 91. Son of Peter and Elizabeth Robertson and husband of Jessie Robertson, of Billingham, Co. Durham, England. The grave inscription reads: "Peace Is The Gift I Leave With You".

P/O. William Raymond James Brown. Harlingen General Cemetery. Plot E. Row 1. Grave 8. Son of James and Eleanor Brown and husband of Mrs W. R. J. Brown (née Lippal), of 2875 Point Grey Road, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The grave inscription reads: "Sadly Missed And Ever Remembered By Loving Wife And Son William".

Sgt. Alfred William Musgrave Chapman. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 62. Born on the 15th January 1922 at Ashield, the son of Austin Henly Chapman and Linda Coniston Chapman, of 171 Frederick Street, Ashfield, New South Wales, Australia.

Fl/Sgt. Hugh McLennan MacDonald. Texel Cemetery (Den Burg) Plot K. Row 4. Grave 89. Son of Hugh Alan and Rachel Catherine Macdonald, of Fairlie, Canterbury, New Zealand. A total of 148 flying hours logged and having completed some 8 operational sorties.

Sgt. Edward Fieldhouse. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 43. Some reports state that he is buried as 'Unknown' at Harlingen General Cemetery. No further details - are you able to assist?

Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this pilot with thanks to the research by Errol Martyn and his publications: “For Your Tomorrow Vols. 1-3”, Auckland War Memorial Museum, Weekly News of New Zealand, PRK Aviation, Rene Bosma AND Johan Klijn for grave photographs, other sources as quoted below:

KTY 09.03.2019

KTY 14-12-2021 Tiger Moth image added

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Acknowledgements
Sources used by us in compiling Archive Reports include: Bill Chorley - 'Bomber Command Losses Vols. 1-9, plus ongoing revisions', Dr. Theo E.W. Boiten and Mr. Roderick J. Mackenzie - 'Nightfighter War Diaries Vols. 1 and 2', Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt - 'Bomber Command War Diaries', Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Tom Kracker - Kracker Luftwaffe Archives, Michel Beckers, Major Fred Paradie (RCAF) and MWO François Dutil (RCAF) - Paradie Archive (on this site), Jean Schadskaje, Major Jack O'Connor USAF (Retd.), Robert Gretzyngier, Wojtek Matusiak, Waldemar Wójcik and Józef Zieliński - 'Ku Czci Połeglyçh Lotnikow 1939-1945', Archiwum - Polish Air Force Archive (on this site), Anna Krzystek, Tadeusz Krzystek - 'Polskie Siły Powietrzne w Wielkiej Brytanii', Franek Grabowski, Norman L.R. Franks 'Fighter Command Losses', Stan D. Bishop, John A. Hey MBE, Gerrie Franken and Maco Cillessen - Losses of the US 8th and 9th Air Forces, Vols 1-6, Dr. Theo E.W. Boiton - Nachtjagd Combat Archives, Vols 1-13. Aircrew Remembered Databases and our own archives. We are grateful for the support and encouragement of CWGC, UK Imperial War Museum, Australian War Memorial, Australian National Archives, New Zealand National Archives, UK National Archives and Fold3 and countless dedicated friends and researchers across the world.
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