Archive Report: Allied Forces

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No. 9 Squadron Wellington Ic R1341 WS-Z Sgt. Eric Lewin

Operation: Hannover, Germany

Date: 12/13th August 1941 (Tuesday/Wednesday)

Unit: No 9 Squadron

Type: Wellington Ic

Serial: R1341

Code: WS-Z

Base: RAF Honington, Suffolk

Location: Between Grafel and Anderlingen, Germany

Pilot: Sgt. Eric Lewin 991335 RAFVR Age 24 Killed (1)

2nd Pilot: Sgt. George Barry (Don) Smith R/54178 RCAF Age 23 Killed (2)

Obs: Sgt. John Archdale Lennard 743003 RAFVR Age 23 Killed (3)

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Charles William Albert Wells 615192 RAF Age 20 Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Hugh Forster Barron 944140 RAFVR Age 21 Killed

Air/Gnr: Sgt. Ronald Ramsay Passmore 40206 RNZAF Age 22 Killed (4)

REASON FOR LOSS:

Sgt. Lewin and crew took off for an operation to Hannover at 21:10hrs. Nothing further was heard from the aircraft after take-off. The aircraft crashed between Grafel and Anderlingen. It may have been hit by flak or shot down by a night fighter. A total of 78 aircraft took off that night with the loss of 5.

RAF Honnington (courtesy FOLD3) Wellington's Ic of No. 9 Squadron (courtesy of National Library of New Zealand)

George Barry (Don) Smith trained at No 2 Service Flying Training School, Uplands (courtesy Australian War Memorial) and No 4 Bombing and Gunnery School, Fingal, Ontario, Canada (courtesy Wikipedia)

Burial details:

All the crew were first buried at Rotenburg and later reinterred at Becklingen War Cemetery

Sgt. Eric Lewin. Becklingen War Cemetery, Germany Grave Ref: 12 B 12. Son of Frank and Elizabeth Lewin of Halifax, Yorkshire (1) Born on the 7th March 1917 Eric attended Crossley Heath School, Halifax

Sgt. George Barry (Don) Smith. Becklingen War Cemetery, Germany Grave Ref: 12 B 10. Son of Robert William and Margaret Smith of Ottawa, Canada (2) George was born on the 3rd January 1918 in Ottawa and trained at No 2 Service Flying School at Uplands, Canada and No 4 Bombing and Gunnary Scholl, Fingal. Don was also remembered at a meeting held in London on the 18th July 1942

Sgt. John Archdale Lennard. Becklingen War Cemetery, Germany Grave Ref: 12 B 13. Son of John Barrett Lennard and Winifred Mary Lennard of Coventry (3) While serving with No 21 Squadron John had been involved in an accident while the aircraft was taxing toward the flare path, and on the 26th Febuary 1941 with No 9 Squadron flying in Wellington T2620 the aitcraft was hit while just South of Koln and had to land at East Wrethem, Norfolk. No injuries were recorded in both incidents. At the time of his death John's address was 88 Styvechale Avenue, Coventry

Fl/Sgt. Charles William Albert Wells. Becklingen War Cemetery, Germany Grave Ref: 12 B 14. Son of Annie Wells of Gorleston, Norfolk

Sgt. Hugh Forster Barron. Becklingen War Cemetery, Germany Grave Ref: 12 B 9. Son of Hugh Percival and Dora Mary Barron of Whickham, Co. Durham

Sgt. Ronald Ramsay Passmore. Becklingen War Cemetery, Germany Grave Ref: 12 B 11. Son of John Coates Passmore and Margaret Ramsay Passmore of Napier, Hawke's Bay, New Zealand (4) Ronald was on his 26th operation and had a total of 235 operational flying hours experience. Ronald is remembered on the War Memorial Hall, Napier

Researched by: Kate Tame Aircrew Remembered and for all the relatives and friends of the crew. With special thanks to Errol W Martyn - For Your Tomorrow ISBN 0473052636, UK National Archives - Air 27/126, Australian War Memorial, Canadian War Museum, W R Chorley - Bomber Command Losses 1941, The Evening Citizen Newspaper, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Saturday 18th July 1942. With thanks to Dieter Pintatis who corrected location of the crash site - September 2016.

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