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Operation: Koln (Cologne)
Date: 17/18th April 1941 (Thursday/Friday)
Unit: No 9 Squadron
Type: Wellington IC
Serial: N2745
Code: WS-O
Base: RAF Honington, Suffolk
Location: Neuwied, 12 miles NW of Koblenz, Germany
Pilot: Sgt. Gordon Ernest Heaysman. 754459. RAFVR. Age 21. Killed (1)
2nd Pilot: Sgt. S. F. Whitlock. 926800. RAFVR. Age? PoW No 617. Camps L1 - Stalag Luft I - Barth, L6 - Stalag Luft Heyderkrug, 357 - Fallingbostel
Air/Obs: Sgt. Grant John Mavor. R/56873. RCAF. Age 25. Killed (2)
W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. T. Lancaster. 947744. RAFVR. Age? PoW No 604. Camps L1 - Stalag Luft I - Barth, L6 - Stalag Luft Heyderkrug, 357 - Fallingbostel
Air/Gnr: Sgt. B. Hanlon. 914255. RAFVR. Age?. PoW No. 599. Camps. L1 - Stalag Luft I - Barth, L6 - Stalag Luft Heyderkrug, 357 - Fallingbostel
Air/Gnr: Sgt. George Charles Balch. 548758. RAFVR. Age? Camps. L1 - Stalag Luft I - Barth, L6 - Stalag Luft Heyderkrug, 357 - Fallingbostel (3)
If you have any further information on the loss of this aircraft, crew, their relatives and friends than please contact us via the "add info" button at the top of this page
Wellington IC of No. 9 Squadron (courtesy of Imperial War Museum) 1941 Refuelling a Wellington (courtesy Australian War Memorial)
REASON FOR LOSS:
Wellington N2745 took off from RAF Honington at 20.23hrs for an operation on Koln (Cologne). One of eight other Wellington that took off that evening from No 9 Squadron. A total of 97 aircraft took off on operations that evening. Wellington N2745 was route via Namur, Belgium. Nothing was heard from the aircraft until 23.43hrs when contact was made which stated that aircraft had engine trouble and that the crew were abandoning ship. The aircraft crashed at Neuwied, 12 km NW of Koblenz. The aircraft may have been hit by flak or shot down by a German night fighter
A telegram from the International Red Cross stated that three of the crew were PoW's
Sgt. George Charles Balch (left). Can you identify the chap on the right? (picture Aircrew Remembered archives)
3) Sgt. George Charles Balch. LAC Balch was posted to No 9 Squadron in 1939 and had completed many operation. He was one of the crew of Wellington N2873 on the night of the 18th December 1939 that took part in the operation to Wilhelmshaven. Nine aircraft from No. 9 Squadron took part in this operation and LAC Balch was flying as part of Sgt. Petts crew. Their aircraft was badly shot up and the wing had been on fire. The starboard side of the fuselage was heavily peppered by gunfire. Sgt Petts managed to nurse the aircraft back and landed at Sutton Bridge at 16.00hrs. LAC Balch had been injured, but returned to duty after his recovery. Five of the nine aircraft from No 9 Squadron failed to return with the loss of twenty four lives
Burial details:
Rheinberg War Cemetery (courtesy CWGC)
Sgt. Grant John Mavor. Rheinberg War Cemetery. Grave Ref. 9. F. 24. Son of Clara P. Mavor of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. (2) Grant was born on the 6th December 1916 in Manitoba, Canada and arrived in the UK on the 20th November 1940
For further detailed accounts we recommend the following publications: Bombers First and Last by Gordon Thorburn ISBN 10: 1 86105 9469 ISBN 13: 9 781861 059468.
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning we will remember
them. - Laurence
Binyon
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Last Modified: 27 November 2014, 16:08