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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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11/12.09.1944 OADU Wellington II W5596 Sgt Healy

Operation: Aircraft delivery flight

Date: 11/12th September 1941 (Thursday/Friday)

Unit: Overseas Air Delivery Unit

Type: Wellington II

Serial: W5596

Base: RAF Hampstead Norris, Berkshire

Location: Possibly north of Bay of Biscay

Pilot: Sgt. Eric Healy 1058668 RAFVR Age ? Missing - believed killed

Pilot 2: Sgt. Eric Ditchfield Minshall 1014916 RAFVR Age Missing - believed killed

Obs: Sgt. Denis James Farrell 1256990 RAFVR Age 29. Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Brian Hilton Dennis 1154617 RAFVR Age18. Missing - believed killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. John George Bell 1378959 RAFVR Age 30. Missing - believed killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

Nothing much is know about this loss and we welcome further information and contact by relatives.

On a delivery flight from RAF Hampstead Norris, Berkshire to Gibralter when lost. All but one of the crew were never recovered, Sgt. Farrell's body was washed ashore.

Left and above: Quiberville Churchyard as photographed by our own Kate Tame, any relative who would like a higher resolution image of the grave and or church please don't hesitate to contact us.


Burial details:

Sgt. Eric Healy. Runnymede Memorial. Panel: 45. Next of kin Details not currently available.

Sgt. Eric Ditchfield Minshall. Runnymede Memorial. Panel: 48. Next of kin Details not currently available.

Sgt. Denis James Farrell. Quiberville Churchyard. Grave 10. Son of William and Emily Farrell, of Teddington, Middlesex, England. Husband of Kathleen Ellen Mona Farrell.

Sgt. Brian Hilton Dennis. Runnymede Memorial. Panel: 42. Son of Gerald Norman and Nina Dennis, of Bristol, England.

Sgt. John George Bell. Runnymede Memorial. Panel: 39. Son of Christopher Brown Bell and Alice Lavinia Bell and husband of Elizabeth May Bell, of Whitburn, Co. Durham. England.

Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this crew with thanks to David Gunby and Pelham Temple - 'Bomber Losses Middle East and Mediterranean Vol. 1', Carlos Guerreiro 'Aterrem em Portugal', Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

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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 Captain 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', Andrew Mielnik: Archiwum - Polish Air Force Archive (on this site), Anna Krzystek, Tadeusz Krzystek - 'Polskie Siły Powietrzne w Wielkiej Brytanii', Franek Grabowski, Polish graves: https://niebieskaeskadra.pl/, PoW Museum Żagań, 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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