Operation: Kiel, Germany
Date: 19/20th August 1941 (Tuesday/Wednesday)
Unit: No. 9 Squadron
Type: Wellington Ic
Serial: R1455
Code: WS-D
Base: RAF Honington, Suffolk
Location: Tidal area 2km South of Hojer Sluse, Denmark
Pilot: Sgt. Cecil Thomas Everitt 918270 RAFVR Age 23 Killed
2nd Pilot: Sgt. Patrick John Brady 921388 RAFVR Age? Killed (1)
Obs: Sgt. Henry Bruce Stirling Johnston 913313 RAFVR Age 21 Killed (2)
W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Thomas Whalley 751097 RAFVR Age? Killed
Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Thomas Armstrong 637491 RAF Age 20 Killed (3)
Air/Gnr: Sgt. Herbert Edward Temple 800532 RAF (Auxiliary Air Force) Age? Killed
REASON FOR LOSS:
Sgt. Cecil Thomas Everitt and crew took off from RAF Honington at 21.14hrs for a bombing operation on Kiel railway targets. Nothing further was heard from the aircraft after take-off. The aircraft was hit by flak at 00.35hrs and crashed in the tidal area some 2km South of Hojer Slyse
108 aircraft took off on this operation, but only 67 aircraft claimed to have bomb the target are. The weather that night was thick cloud and icing conditions which caused the other aircraft not to bomb in the target area. Little damage was caused to the city of Kiel and the airfield at Holtenau just North of Kiel was also bombed. Three Wellingtons and one Hampden lost
Burial details:
Tonder Cemetery, Denmark (courtesy of CWGC)
In memory of the Johnston brothers. The memorial in St. Peter's churchyard,Portesham and part of the memorial plaque in the church (courtesy of Rev. Margaret Preuss-Higham)
Sgt. Cecil Thomas Everitt. Tonder Cemetery, Denmark. Grave Ref: Coll. Grave A. M. 37. 7. Son of Charles William and Rose Everitt. Husband of Edith L. Everitt of Ealing, Middlesex
Sgt. Patrick John Brady. Tonder Cemetery, Denmark. Grave Ref: Coll. Grave A. M. 37. 7. Son of Luke and Rebecca Mary Brady of Palmers Green (1) Patrick is remembered on the Cambridge University Peterhouse War Memorial plaque
Sgt. Henry Bruce Stirling Johnston. Tonder Cemetery, Denmark. Grave Ref: Coll. Grave A. M. 37. 7. Son of Robert Hector and Kathleen Hariot of Putney, London (2) Henry was born on the 10th April 1920 and is remembered in the Church of St. Peters, Portesham, Dorset. Henry's older brother Robert Alan Johnston was killed in action on the 9th July 1941 while flying (Spitfire Vb W3325) Dorothy Robinson aunt of Alan and Bruce Johnston put up a memorial for her family in Putney Vale Cemetery in June 1945
Sgt. Thomas Whalley. Tonder Cemetery, Denmark. Grave Ref: Coll. Grave A. M. 37. 7. No information about next of kin. Can you help?
Fl/Sgt. Thomas Armstrong. Tonder Cemetery, Denmark. Grave Ref: Coll. Grave A. M. 37. 7. Son of Thomas and Ethel Armstrong of Willington Quay, Northumberland (3) Thomas is remembered on the Wallsend Slipway and Engineering Co. Ltd. plague, Wallsend
Sgt. Herbert Edward Temple. Tonder Cemetery, Denmark. Grave Ref: Coll. Grave A. M. 37. 7. No information about next of kin. Can you help?
Researched by: Kate Tame Aircrew Remembered and for all the relatives and friends of the crew. With special thanks to Martyn and Anne Gardiner and Rev. Margaret Preuss-Higham, St Peters, Portesham
KT 15 July 2015
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them. - Laurence
Binyon
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