Operation: Armed reconnaissance

Date: 22nd December 1944 (Friday)

Unit No: 486 Squadron, 122 Wing, 2nd Tactical Air Force

Type: Tempest V

Serial: EJ715

Code: SA:B

Base: B80 Volkel, Netherlands

Location: Losser, Netherlands

Pilot: Flt Lt. Stamford Seaton ‘Bill’ Williams MiD. 412297 RNZAF Age 24. KiA

REASON FOR LOSS:

EJ715 took off at 14:40 hrs from B80 Volkel in the Netherlands along with and three (3) other Tempests from the Squadron, on an armed reconnaissance operation in the Münster area of Germany. One of the section returned to base almost immediately with an oil leak.

Above: Tempests from 486 Squadron

When near Munster the weather became so bad with the visibility in the area being reduced to ½ mile, that Flt Lt. Williams instructed the section of aircraft to turn back. The section then turned and set a course for the base.

They came upon a small village at 15:35 hrs over which they were committed to fly as they were almost on top of it before it was sighted. Intense light Flak fire was encountered from the village and the section took evasive action.

Flt Lt. Williams’ aircraft was hit by Flak and was seen to crash in an apparently level attitude, skid along and then explode. The rest of the section returned to Volkel badly damaged. Flt Lt. Williams was posted missing, believed killed in action.

Stamford Seaton ‘Bill’ Williams enlisted in the RNZAF at Levin on 13 April 1941 and on completing his initial training was posted to No 2 Elementary Flying Training School (2 EFTS) at New Plymouth. On 22 July 1941 he embarked for Canada for further training.

His logbook records 830 hours flying as a pilot and 241 operations. This was his 161st operational sortie with the squadron.

Flt Lt. Williams was posthumously Mentioned in Despatches (MiD) which was promulgated in the London Gazette on the 14th June 1945.

Burial details:

Above: grave photo at Losser Roman Catholic Churchyard (courtesy Paul ten Broeke)

Flt Lt. Stamford Seaton Williams MiD. Losser Roman Catholic Churchyard, South side of the Church, Plot 5. Born on the 4th February 1920 in Wanganui., New Zealand. Son of James Gordon and Ethel Winifred (née Furniss) Williams of Orini, Waikato, New Zealand.

Researched by Gerry Wright 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 Cenotaph, Weekly News of New Zealand, Gerry Wright for his extensive research, Paul ten Broeke for grave photograph (Sep 2017). Updated with thanks to Antonio McDonald for the aircraft code update. (Aug 2026).

Other sources listed below:

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