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Operation: Air Sea Rescue
Date: 4th July 1940 (Thursday)
Unit: No. 206 Squadron
Type: Hudson I
Serial: N7368
Code: VX-?
Base: RAF Bircham Newton, Norfolk.
Location: Texel, Netherlands
Pilot: P/O. Selby Roger Henderson DFC. 40826 RAF Age 22. Missing (1)
Nav: Sgt. George Howard Goldsmith 526218 RAF Age 22. Missing (2)
W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Gordon Clifton Sumner 568173 RAF Age ? Missing
Air/Gnr: L.A.C. John Lindsay Williamson 534498 RAF Age 22. Missing
REASON FOR LOSS:
Took off from RAF Bircham Newton at 05:50 hrs together with another Hudson P5162 VX-V from 206 squadron (3) to search for survivors of a 44 Squadron Hampden P4352 KM-J (4) which was lost on a gardening operation in the Great Belt area. Both of these aircraft were lost in the Texel area and is thought that both were hit by flak.
‘At 11.45 on 8 November 1939, when pilot of a reconnaissance aircraft on duty over the North Sea, Pilot Officer Henderson encountered two large enemy flying boats. He engaged the leading boat with utmost resolution; bursts were seen to enter the engines and after part of the flying boat’s hull, the enemy Rear-Gunner was incapacitated and eventually the flying boat went down partially out of control. Pilot Officer Henderson then attacked the second enemy aircraft with equal determination and silenced its fire before exhausting all his ammunition.’
Henderson received his DFC at an investiture at Buckingham Palace in February 1940 and was married to a Norfolk girl that May.
(3) The pilot of P5162 P/O. James Mackinnon and all his crew were killed.
(4) Hampden P4352 KM-J flown by P/O. Desmond A. Todd and all his crew were killed.
Burial details:
P/O. Selby Roger Henderson DFC. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 8. Son of Selby and Elaine Henderson; husband of Joan Louise Henderson, of Hunstanton, Norfolk, England.
Sgt. George Howard Goldsmith. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 14. Son of George Henry Goldsmith, and of Charlotte Ella Goldsmith, of Hall Green, Birmingham, England.
Sgt. Gordon Clifton Sumner. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 20. NoK details not available - await contact from relatives.
L.A.C. John Lindsay Williamson. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 24. Son of John Francis and Esther Hilda Williamson, husband of Barbara Williamson, of Peckham, London, England.
With thanks to the following: Keith Townsend historian of Moseley Secondary/Grammar school memorial records, Ross McNeil - 'Coastal Command Losses', the CWGC
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