Operation: Essen

Date: 09/10th March 1942 (Monday//Tuesday)

Unit: No. 12 Squadron (motto: 'Leads the Field') 1 Group

Type: Wellington II - 3 killed, 3 survive crash landing

Serial: W5442 (1)

Code: PH-B

Base: RAF Waltham, Lincolnshire

Location: Kagerweg, Beverwijk, Netherlands

Pilot: P/O. Robert Henderson Buchanan 923890 RAFVR PoW No: 39626 Camp: Stalag Muhlhausen (9C)

Pilot 2: Sgt. Patrick Gibbings Sanders 1380919 RAFVR Age 21. Killed

Nav: Sgt. Reuben Acton Scragg NZ/401413 RNZAF Age 24. Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Charles John Chedd 923890 RAF PoW No: 24831 Camp: Stalag Lamsdorf and Gross Tychow

W/Op/Air/Gn - front: Sgt. Henry Marshall Murdo 1060255 RAFVR Age 20. Killed

Air/Gnr - rear: Sgt. Ronald Arthur Arnold 612589 RAFVR PoW No: 24843 Camp: Stalag Lamsdorf and Gross Tychow

REASON FOR LOSS:

Taking off at 20:39hrs bone load 1 x 4,ooo lb. HC and 634 gallons fuel, with four others leaving RAF Waltham, (a satellite airbase of RAF Binbrook) as the field at Binbrook was too soft to handle heavily loaded aircraft.

A total of 187 aircraft from various squadrons - 136 Wellingtons, 21 Stirling's, 15 Hampdens, 10 Manchesters and 5 Halifaxes.

Bombing took place between 2238 and 0215 hrs. Thick ground haze led to scattered bombing. Only 2 buildings were destroyed in Essen but 72 were damaged. Bombs also fell in 24 other Ruhr towns with particular damage in Hamborn and Duisburg. 10 people were killed, 19 were missing and 52 were injured in Essen; 74 people were killed and 284 injured in other towns.

Wellington II W5447 Flown by Fl/Sgt. Harold Leslie Cook J/15258 RCAF. Bomb load, 1 x 4000 lb. HC AND 634 gallons fuel. (P/O. Cook was lost the following month with the squadron on the 10th April flying Wellington II W5570 PH-H with all 4 other crew).

Wellington II Z8496 Flown by P/O. John Munroe Garlick DFC. Bar. (2) 45425 RAF Bomb load; 1 x 4,000 lb HC with 634 gallons of fuel. Landed at base 01:48 hrs. (Sq/Ldr. Garlick killed on the 02nd December 1943 whilst with 97 squadron)

Wellington II W5460 F/O. Leslie William Goodman DFC. (2) 45423 RAF. Bomb load; 1 x 4000 lb. HC and 634 gallons fuel. Slight damage by flak. Diverted to RAF Eltham landing at 01:49 hrs.

Wellington II W5460 F/O. L.W McGill - Bomb load; 1 x 1000 HC, 5 X 500 and 3 x 250 HC and 1 x 250 incendiaries 634 gallons fuel. Retired early as port engine overheated over the Zuider Zee and landed at 01:55 hrs

Above: W5442 at RAF Stradishall, Suffolk whilst with 214 Squadron (Courtesy IWM)

During the return trip W5442 was hit by flak from 3/.Res.Flak Act. 242 at 2342 hrs. The Wellington suffered damaged to the port engine, generator and hydraulic failure and had been steadily losing altitude. The hydraulic pumps for the rear and front turret on a Wellington are powered by the left engine, failure of this engine meant there was no hydraulic pressure for rotating the turrets, but this could be done manually, although much slower.

Suddenly the aircraft was racked from underneath by 20 mm cannon fire with tracer. A Ju 88C night fighter had positioned itself underneath the bomber and raked the unprotected underside. At the controls was Luftwaffe pilot Oberleutnant Alois Lechner of the Einsatzstaffel E./NJG 2 based at Gilze-Rijen airfield. The Air Raid Precautions Department at Haarlem witnessed the final moments of the Wellington, just before 23.30 hrs the air raid warning signal was given, moments later the aircraft passed overhead. The batteries at Velsen and Beverwijk came into action and also reported hitting the aircraft. Flt Sgt Scragg was hit in his chest and the aircraft was now on fire.

The Captain gave the order to abandon aircraft. Sgt Chedd bailed out; Sgt Arnold either came forward at this stage, or was already forward due to the hydraulic system failure, put a parachute on his friend Reuben and dropped him out of the aircraft before jumping after him. 8 minutes after passing over the battery, the aircraft crashed landed in a field near the Kagerweg at Beverwijk killing Sgt Murdo and Sgt Sanders. Sgt Murdo, who was only 19 years old and on his first operational flight, had frozen with fear to his guns. The Captain, PO Buchanan was so badly injured that the Germans repatriated him to the UK through the Red Cross.

Two other aircraft also failed to return;

Halifax II R9450 TL-K from 35 squadron flown by Fl/Sgt. Conrad Charles William Ganly 1174904 RAFVR. All seven crew missing believed killed after being shot down by a night fighter (unidentified) crashed 30 miles off Mablethrope in the North Sea.

Wellington II DV441 from 150 squadron flown by Sq/Ldr. John Paul Vipond Nicholls MiD 40560 RAF. All six crew killed. Shot down by Oblt. Helmut Woltersdorf of 7,/NJG1 flying a Bf110 from Twente airfield in the Netherlands. The Wellington crashed 30 miles south-east of Gescher railway station at 22:28 hrs. (note - also claimed by flak units)

(1) W5442 presented to the RAF by the Federated Malay States

(2) Leslie William Goodman - was a pre-War member of the Territorials, having been commissioned into the 5th Battalion, East Surreys as a 2nd Lieutenant in December 1937. His Efficiency Medal (London Gazette 23.5.1947 refers) suggests even earlier service in the Ranks. Possibly having transferred to the Gunners, T.A., prior to the outbreak of hostilities, Goodman at some stage went on to qualify for his 'Wings' and was commissioned into the Royal Air Force.
DFC Citation:
London Gazette - 23rd October 1941'whilst with 212 squadron. 'Recommendation states 'Flight Lieutenant Goodman has completed 32 operational sorties with No. 12 Squadron, against such targets as Hamburg, Cherbourg (3), Wilhelmshaven (2), Brest (2), Hanover, Bremen (2), Kiel (2), Essen (6) and Duisberg At all times he carried out determined attacks and has persisted in his endeavours to obtain photographs. This Officer has at all times shown the keenest enthusiasm and devotion to duty, and has been an inspiration to his Flight and Squadron'.

Burial and other details:

Sgt. Patrick Gibbings Sanders. Bergen General Cemetery. Plot 1. Row D. Grave 9. Born on th 11th February 1921 in Rochester, Kent, England Son of Comdr. Arthur Louis Sanders (R.N - served in both World wars and Joan Sanders, of Weymouth, Dorsetshire, England.

(Shown right)

Sgt. Reuben Acton Scragg. Bergen General Cemetery. Plot 1. Row D. Grave 7. Born on the 24th March 1917 in Napier, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand. A total of 288 flying hours logged. Son of Harold (died 04th January 1930, age 40) and Mary Scragg (née Mallett - died 22nd April 1937, age 59), brother of John Richard (died 12th August 2011, age 84) of Napier, Hawke's Bay, New Zealand; husband of Esther Dorothy Scragg (née Kennerley, later Golding - died 08th Feb 1973, age 59), of 25 Cobden Road, Napier, New Zealand

(Shown left)

Sgt. Henry Marshall Murdo, Bergen General Cemetery. Plot 1. Row D. Grave 8. Born on the 30th November 1921 in Aberdeen, Scotland Son of William Riddell Murdo (died 1969) and Elspet Nicol Murdo (died 1966), of Aberdeen, Scotland. Epitaph: 'Beloved Son Of W.R. and E. Murdo, Aberdeen, Scotland. He Died That We Might Live".

(Shown right)

Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this crew with thanks to the extensive research by Errol Martyn and his publications: “For Your Tomorrow Vols. 1-3”, New Zealand Cenotaph, Weekly News of New Zealand, Air Museum of New Zealand, Museum of Transport and Technology, Auckland. Theo Boiten 'Nachtjagd Combat Archive The Early Years part two'. Kracker Luftwaffe Archives. Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives.National Archives, Kew AIR-27-166-5/7

Other sources as quoted below:

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning we will remember them. - Laurence Binyon
All site material (except as noted elsewhere) is owned or managed by Aircrew Remembered and should not be used without prior permission.
© Aircrew Remembered 2012 - 2026 Last Modified: 21 September 2025, 16:14