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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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142 Squadron crest
30/01.12.1941 No. 142 Squadron Wellington IV Z1202 Fl/Sgt. Barnfield

Operatrion: Hamburg

Date: 30/01st December 1941 (Sunday/Monday)

Unit: No. 142 Squadron

Type: Wellington IV

Serial: Z1202

Code: QT-?

Base: RAF Grimsby, Lincolnshire (1)

Location: Not known

Pilot: Fl/Sgt. Kenneth William Barnfield 902522 RAFVR Age 20. Killed

Pilot 2: Sgt. Stuart Laban Innes R/76578 RCAF Age 22. Killed

Obs: Sgt. Fred Fishwick 949960 RAFVR Age 24. Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. James Oswald Edmonds 1163120 RAFVR Age 20. Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. George Percival Hughes 1153459 RAFVR Age ? Killed

Air/Gnr(Rear): Sgt. Rupert Oscar Dowling 549736 RAF Age 20. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

Took off at 18:17 hrs from RAF Grimsby to bomb the shipyards and 3 other targets in the city. Lost without trace and no claims by the night fighters for this aircraft.

122 aircraft claimed good bombing results on this operation with another 35 bombing alternative targets. Hamburg suffered 22 fires with the loss of life amounting to 65 people killed, 176 injured, 2,500 people were bombed out of their homes.

181 aircraft took part in this operation with the loss of some 20 aircraft. 61 aircrew members were killed, 18 made pow.

No details are recorded for this loss with no night fighter claims. Presumed as lost over the North Sea. 142 Squadron lost another aircraft and crew on this operation:

Wellington IV Z1292 flown by Sgt. Alexander Gilmour, killed with all 6 crew, buried at Kiel War Cemetery.

(1) RAF Grimsby was a satellite station of RAF Binbrook and opened in November 1941. Also known locally as 'Waltham'.(Wikipedia)

Burial details:

Fl/Sgt. Kenneth William Barnfield. Runnymede War Memorial. Panel 35. Son of Arthur William and of Rosalind Blanche Barnfield, of Bishopston, Bristol, England.

Sgt. Stuart Laban Innes. Runnymede War Memorial. Panel 61. From Ponoka, Alberta, Canada. Next of kin details currently unavailable - are you able to assist?

Sgt. Fred Fishwick. Runnymede War Memorial. Panel 43. Son of Fred Fishwick and of Lily Fishwick, of Chapel-en-le-Frith, Derbyshire, England.

Sgt. James Oswald Edmonds. Runnymede War Memorial. Panel 42. Son of John Edmonds and of Gertrude Edmonds, of Southington, Hampshire, England.

Sgt. George Percival Hughes. Runnymede War Memorial. Panel 45. Next of kin details currently unavailable - are you able to assist?

Sgt. Rupert Oscar Dowling. Runnymede War Memorial. Panel 42. Son of William Augustine and of Adelaide Dowling, of Sydenham, London, England.

Researched for Peter Tapp who's wife is a relative of the rear gunner, Sgt. Dowling. This page dedicated to all relatives of the crew. With thanks to Bill Chorley - 'Bomber Command Losses Vol. 2', also to Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt - 'Bomber Command War Diaries' . Commonwealth Graves Commission.

KTY Updated 18.11.2019

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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 Captain 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', Andrew Mielnik: Archiwum - Polish Air Force Archive (on this site), Anna Krzystek, Tadeusz Krzystek - 'Polskie Siły Powietrzne w Wielkiej Brytanii', Franek Grabowski, Polish graves: https://niebieskaeskadra.pl/, PoW Museum Żagań, 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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