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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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69 Squadron Crest
07/08.02.1945 No. 69 Squadron Wellington XIII NC573 F/O. Tinker

Operation: Reconnaissance

Date: 07/08th February 1945 (Wednesday/Thursday)

Unit: No. 69 Squadron (2nd Tactical Air Force, 34 Wing)

Type: Wellington XIII

Serial: NC573

Code: Z

Base: RAF B58 Melsbroeck

Location: Berg, Belgium

Pilot: F/O. Walter Ross Tinker DFC. NZ/422078 RNZAF Age 25. Killed

Nav: P/O. Wilfred Walker 56412 RAFVR Age ? Killed

Air/Bmr: Fl/Sgt. Joseph Thompson 1515590 RAFVR Age 23. Killed

Air/Gnr: Sgt. William Fowler 2225878 RAFVR Age 19. Killed

Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. L. Williams RAFVR Seriously injured - survived

REASON FOR LOSS:

On homeward bound trip - Hit by Allied anti-aircraft fire at 00:21 hrs and crashed some 5 minutes later at Berg, 4 miles east of the B.58 Landing Ground.

We have no further details on Fl/Sgt. Williams - are you a relative who can assist us further perhaps?

Burial details:

F/O. Walteer Ross Tinker DFC. Brussels Town Centre Cemetery. Grave: X.28.22. Son of Walter David Tinker and of Olive Rosa Tinker (née Bates), of Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand. 576 Flying hours logged and on his 31st operational sortie.

Left: Grave of F/O. Tinker as taken by our friend and researcher Brian Ramsey - August 2018 - high resolution image available free courtesy of Brian .

P/O. Wilfred Walker. Brussels Town Centre Cemetery. Grave: X.28.23. No further information - are you able to assist?

Fl/Sgt. Joseph Thompson. Brussels Town Centre Cemetery. Grave: X.28.11. Son of Thomas William and J. Thompson and husband of Annice Thompson. Grave inscription reads: "Remembrance Is The Golden Chain That Binds Us Till We Meet Again".

Sgt. William Fowler. Brussels Town Centre Cemetery. Grave: X.28.24. Son of Richard and Rose Lydia Fowler, of Holme Slack. Preston, Lancashire, England. Grave inscription reads: "Blessed Are The Pure In Heart".

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, Brian Ramsey from New Zealand, other sources as quoted below:

KTY 10.08.2018

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', Anna Krzystek, Tadeusz Krzystek - 'Polskie Siły Powietrzne w Wielkiej Brytanii', Franek Grabowski, Norman L.R. Franks 'Fighter Command Losses', 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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