Operation: Night Flare dropping exercise

Date: 27th February 1943 (Saturday)

Unit: No. 7 OTU (Operational Training Unit - Coastal Command - 17 Group)

Type: Wellington VIII

Serial: HX779

Code: Not known

Base: RAF Limavady, Northern Ireland

Location: Balnakill Hill, Loch Ciaran, Kintyre, Scotland

Pilot: Fl/Sgt. Donald Frank Sutterby R/97324 RCAF Age 22. Killed

Pilot: W/O.II John Noble Mitton R/84834 RCAF Age 26. Killed

Nav: Sgt. William Evans Davies NZ/414598 RNZAF Age 21. Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Herbert Gordon Brooks 1023964 RAFVR Age 28. Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. James Michael Wilson 1367522 RAFVR Age 25. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

The aircraft veered some 60 miles off course and during poor weather conditions struck the hill leading down to Loch Ciaran at 01:35 hrs.

Some reports state that the aircraft had been in trouble and that the pilot reported that he was attempting a force landing on the Loch which they had thought was open country. We are unable to confirm this.

Burial details:

W/O.II John Noble Mitton. Cambletown Cemetery (Kilkerran) Argyllshire, Scotland. Division 4. Grave 607. Of Georgetown, Moncton Parish, Westmorland County, New Brunswick, Canada. Born on the 14th May 1917 the son of Arthur Wellington Mitton and Jessie Violet Horsman, husband of Ada Clarabel Duffy of Dawson Settlement, Albert County, New Brunswick, Canada (Married on the 13th September 1941 at Hillsboro, Albert County, New Brunswick, Canada)

Fl/Sgt. Donald Frank Sutterby. Cambletown Cemetery (Kilkerran) Argyllshire, Scotland. Division 4. Grave 605. Son of Walter Everett Sutterby and Beatrice Alice Sutterby, of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Sgt. Herbert Gordon Brooks. Cambletown Cemetery (Kilkerran) Argyllshire, Scotland. Division 4. Grave 606. Son of Thomas and Helen Mary Brooks, of Chesterfield, Derbyshire.

Sgt. James Michael Wilson. Edinburgh Crematorium (Warriston), Scotland. Panel 4. No further details - are able to assist?

Sgt. William Evans Davies. Cambletown Cemetery (Kilkerran) Argyllshire, Scotland. Division 4. Grave 604. Son of Samuel Evans Davies and Margaret Naismith Davies, of Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand. Had a total of 216 hours flying time logged.

Researched for Arthur Mitton, nephew of W/O. John N. Mitton. For further details our thanks to the following sources shown below. Also to Errol W. Martyn for details on Sgt. Davies. Dr. Steve Bolton for his assistance on details for W/O. Mitton.