Operation: Ferry flight, Middle East

Date: 25th October 1942 (Sunday)

Unit No: 1 Overseas Aircraft Despatch Unit (OADU)

Type: Beaufort I

Serial: DW834

Code: Unknown

Base: RAF Portreath, Cornwall

Location: Mediterranean Sea North of Tobruk

Pilot: Fg Off. Richard Alanson Bendwig J10157 RCAF Age 22. MiA

Observer: Fg Off. Millard Meyer Liebeck J9774 RCAF Age 30. MiA

Wireless Operator/Air Gunner: Fg Off. Fred Edward Wickstrom J9642 RCAF Age 23. MiA

Air Gunner: Sgt. George Aubrey Bushnell 1357687 RAFVR Age 26. MiA

Above left Fg Off. Bendwig and right Fg Off. Liebeck from their service files

REASON FOR LOSS:

DW834 took off with a second Beaufort on the morning of the 25th October 1942 from Luqa, Gibraltar and headed for Cairo, Egypt. It is believed that the two Beauforts were destined for 47 Sqn at Gianaclis.

Research carried out by historian Chris Goss has determined from the Air HQ Malta's Diary which recorded Arrivals, Departures and Casualties for 25 October 1942, that two Beauforts had departed and that one was missing in transit between Malta and LG-224 (Ref 1, p 86)

LG-224 was an Air Base located to the west of Cairo, Egypt.

DW834 was claimed by Hauptmann (Capt) Peter Paul Habicht from10./ZG 26, flying a Ju88 C-6 over the Mediterranean north of Tobruk. This was his 2nd Abschuss.

Burial details:

Above: Malta Memorial

Fg Off. Richard Alanson Bendwig. Malta Memorial, Panel 4, Column 1. Born on the 30th September 1920 in Hartford, Connecticut, USA. Son of Richard M. and Florence Mae Bendwig (née Cole) of Newark, New Jersey, USA.

Fg Off. Millard Meyer Liebeck. Malta Memorial, Panel 4, Column 1. Born on the 31st October 1911 in Chesley, Ontario. Son of William and Katherine Sophie (née Meyer) Liebeck, of Chesley, Ontario, Canada. His brother Kenneth William Liebeck also fell.

Plt Off. Kenneth William Liebeck J4255 RACF Age 23. He was KiA on the 23rd August 1941 when his Whitley V T4234, from 10 Sqn, crashed into high ground enroute on an operation to Le Havre. He was laid to rest at the Leeming (St. John The Baptist) Churchyard Grave G.8.

Fg Off. Fred Edward Wickstrom. Malta Memorial, Panel 4, Column 1. Born on the 28th April 1919 in Erickson, Manitoba. Son of Olaf Albin and Jennie Christine (née Ostrom) Wickstrom of Erickson, Manitoba, Canada.

Sgt. George Aubrey Bushnell. Malta Memorial, Panel 3, Column 2. Born in 1st Qtr of 1916 in Camberwell, Greater London. Son of George Fredrick and Elizabeth Emily (née O’Grady) Bushnell; husband of Florence May (née Watson) Bushnell, of Wandsworth, London.

Researched by Ralph Snape and dedicated to the family of this crew. Thanks to Wolf-Ingo Seidelmann for the German fighter claim.

Other sources listed below:

Reference:

“Junkers Ju88 Day and Nightfighters, Development – Equipment – Operations 1940 -1945” - Chris Goss and Martin Streetly (to be published on 31st March 2023).

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