Operation: Armed Recce
Date: 8/9th July 1944 Saturday/Sunday)
Unit: No. 524 Squadron (Coastal Command)
Type: Wellington MkXIII
Serial: MF375
Code: 7R-F
Base: RAF Docking, Norfolk
Location: North Sea
Pilot: F/O. Geoffrey David Reen 137999 RAFVR Age 22. Missing - believed killed
2nd Pilot: F/O. Joseph Adelard Roland Belanger J/24828 RCAF Age 22. Missing - believed killed
Nav: F/O. Geoffrey Frederick Abbott 159432 RAFVR Missing - believed killed
Nav: W/O. Reginald Russell AUS/410789 RAAF Age 21. Missing - believed killed
W/Op/Air/Gnr: F/O. Joseph Cochran 171208 RAFVR Missing - believed killed
W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Frederick Hubert Brock 1317333 RAFVR Missing - believed killed
W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. William Iselin Howitt 1561613 RAFVR Age 23. Killed
REASON FOR LOSS:
Taking off at 00:18 hrs from RAF Docking in Norfolk on an armed reconnaissance patrol off the Dutch coast. At 00:59 hrs they reported sighting 4 vessels.
Shortly afterwards at 02:00 hrs two aircraft from 415 Squadron, on the same patrol witnessed in the position of MF375 intense flak from both sea and land flak positions. (position recorded as 4322 North - 0455 East)
Understood to have been shot down by Night Fighter, Oblt. Daborer of III/NJG.1 with the Wellington crashing into the North Sea near Schiermonnikoog Holland
Burial details:
F/O. Geoffrey David Reen. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 208. Son of Daniel and Ada Elizabeth Reen, of Wealdstone, Middlesex, England.
F/O. Joseph Adelard Roland Belanger. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 245. Son of Elphege and Annette Lanoue Belanger, of Bagot, Province of Quebec, Canada.
F/O. Geoffrey Frederick Abbott. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 204. No further details - are you able to assist?
W/O. Reginald Russell. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 259. Born on the 20th March 1923, the son of Jack and Elsie Russell, of Mundarra, Princess Highway, West Colac, Victoria, Australia.
F/O. Joseph Cochran. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 205. No further details - are you able to assist?
Sgt. Frederick Hubert Brock. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 225. Son of Mr. and Mrs. G. Brock, of Easton, Wells, Somerset, England.
Sgt.William Iselin Howitt. Schiermonnikoog Cemetery (Vredenhof). Grave 110. (Washed up 23 Jul 1944) Son of Thomas and Janet Noble Iselin Howitt and husband of Agnes Barr Millar Howitt, of Strathaven, Lanarkshire, Scotland.
Researched for Aircrew Remembered and submitted by Michel Beckers - February 2018. All images from the Michel Beckers collection. Page dedicated to relatives of the crew with others sources as quoted below.
