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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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RAF Crest
11.05.1945 No. 105 OTU Wellington X NC713 W/O. Frederick W. Duck

Operation: Local flying sortie

Date: 11th May 1945 (Friday)

Unit: No. 105 OTU (Operational Training Unit)

Type: Wellingron X

Serial: NC713

Code: -

Base: RAF Bitteswell.

Location: Bitteswell, Leicestershire

Pilot: W/O. Frederick William Duck (Freddie) 591136 RAF Age 24. Killed

Nav: W/O. Norman William Wynn 1194206 RAFVR Age 32. Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: W/O. Joseph Donald Ormesher 1070646 RAFVR Age ? Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

105 Operational Training Unit formed in order to retrain crews for Transport Command. The unit used mainly Wellington aircraft and with the obvious reduced crew members. Dakota's were more widely used later on to replace the ageing Wellingtons. Even after the end of the war in Europe there was still a need for crew training, as there was the Japanese war still outstanding, for which the RAF were planning to take a direct part.

In August No.105 OTU became renamed No.1381 Transport Conversion Unit, a more fitting title as it was then converting experienced crews on to the Dakota. This form of activity continued until the TCU transferred to Desborough on the 21st of November 1945.

Wellington NC713 had been airborne for 19 minutes on a local flying sortie and it was W/O. Freddie Duck's first solo flight on this type of aircraft and at night! After experiencing some problems with the engines Freddie requested an emergency landing and was on its finals to the airfield when he allowed the aircraft to stall.

The Wellington then dived into the ground before he could recover the aircraft and was totally burnt out. The aircraft came down 3 miles South East of the airfield.

Burial details:

W/O. Frederick William Duck (Freddie). Hull Western Cemetery. Compt. 244. Grave 23647. Son of Alfred and Daisy Duck, of Hull and husband of Joan Duck, of Wakefield, Yorkshire, England

W/O. Norman William Wynn. Tettenhall Regis (St. Michael) Churchyard. Son of Emma Wynn, of Finchfield. Grave inscription reads: "At The Going Down Of The Sun And In The Morning Light We Shall Always Remember".

W/O. Joseph Donald Ormesher. Ormskirk (SS. Peter and Paul) Churchyard. Grave 327. No further details - Are you able to assist?

Researched for Nick Dixon - nephew of W/O. Freddie Duck. With thanks to the following: Colin Cummings - The Price of Peace.

KTY - New map added 03.03.2018

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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 MWO 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', Archiwum - Polish Air Force Archive (on this site), Anna Krzystek, Tadeusz Krzystek - 'Polskie Siły Powietrzne w Wielkiej Brytanii', Franek Grabowski, 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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