Operation: Hörnum Seaplane base, Germany

Date: 19/20th March 1940 (Tuesday/Wednesday)

Unit: No. 51 Squadron

Type: Whitley V

Serial: N1405

Code: MH-?

Base: RAF Dishforth, North Yorkshire

Location: Sylt

Pilot: Fl/Lt. John Edward Baskerville 37537 RAF Age 25. Killed (1)

Pilot 2: P/O. Emery Orville Fennell 40293 RAF Age 23. Killed (2)

Obs: Sgt. Bertram David Shepperson 561926 RAF Age 27. Missing believed killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: LAC. Leslie Close 548536 RAF Age 20. Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: LAC. William George Newton 551758 RAF Age 19. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

Took off at 20:35 hrs from RAF Dishforth in the first attack of the war on the German mainland and the largest raid of the war so far. It was a reprisal raid ordered by the British Government for their raid on the Orkney Islands when German aircraft attacked British ships in Scapa Flow but some dropped bombs on land and killed 1 civilian and wounded 7 more civilians in a village.

30 Whitleys and 20 Hampdens took part and reports were made that the bombing was accurate. 20 tons of high explosive was dropped together with 1,200 incendiary bombs.

This Whitley N1405 was the only aircraft lost and was shot down by anti aircraft fire and crashed into the sea just off the northern tip of Sylt. All crew were killed.

Burial details:

Fl/Lt. John Edward Baskerville. Kiel War Cemetery 4.F.16. Son of William Francis and Minnie Maude Baskerville, of 254 Lansdowne Avenue, Winnipeg, Canada, husband of Jane Beatty Baskerville, of 453 Nairn Avenue, Winnipeg, Canada.

P/O. Emery Orville Fennell. Kiel War Cemetery. Grave 3.E.3. Son of William James Fennell and Sophie (née Osberg) Fennell of Canora, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Sgt. Bertram David Shepperson. Runnymede Memorial Panel 19. The son of Bertram Egerton and Florence Amy (née Rumsey) Shepperson of Crickhowell, Breconshire, Wales.

LAC. Leslie Close. Kiel War Cemetery 3.B.20. Son of Henry Seymour Close and Barbara Close, of Burnhope, Co. Durham, England.

LAC. William George Newton. Kirkeby Churchyard Grave 261. Son of George Isaac Newton and Lilian Newton, of Liverpool; nephew of Mrs. E. Newton, of Walton, Liverpool, England.

Researched by: Colin Bamford. Further continued research by Neil Smith, 51 Squadron History Society. For further details and photographs our thanks to Dave Champion - March 2019.

(2) Fennell Lake in Saskatchewan is named after P/O. Emery Fennell

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning we will remember them. - Laurence Binyon
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