Operation: Düsseldorf
Date: 27/28th December 1941 4 Group (Saturday/Sunday)
Unit: No. 58 Squadron. 4 Group (motto: Alis nocturnis - On the wings of the night')
Type: Whitley V
Serial: Z6841
Code: GE-F
Base: RAF Linton-On-Ouse, Yorkshire
Location: North Sea
Pilot: P/O. Melville John Hyland Hunt NZ/404464 RNZA Age 21. Missing - believed killed
Obs: W/O.II. John Joseph Lynch R/67234 RCAF Age 23. Missing - believed killed
W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Eric Frank Elkanah Hodges 964968 RAFVR Age 26. Missing - believed killed
W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Reginald Alfred Johnson 652268 RAF Age 21. Missing - believed killed
Air/Gnr: Sgt. Ian Allan 969943 RAFVR Age 21. Missing - believed killed
REASON FOR LOSS:
Taking off from RAF Linton-On-Ouse in Yorkshire at 16:56 hrs to attack Düsseldorf - 132 aircraft taking part, 7 failed to return, 2 others crashing in England.
31 aircrew killed or missing, 6 others taken PoW.
Whitley Z6841 was intercepted and shot down by Oblt. Egmont Prinz Zur Lippe-Weissenfeld of 5./NJG2 at 21:46 hrs. Understood that the aircraft came down in the North Sea 1.5 km South West Petten.
Note: This was the 15th claim of the ace, Oblt. Egmont Prinz Zur Lippe-Weissenfeld (shown left). He was killed later in the war on 12th March 1944 along with his crew in the Belgian Ardennes during a transit flight in bad weather. He was credited with 49 kills.
Details and further information courtesy of the Kracker archives on this website.
Burial details:
P/O. Melville John Hyland Hunt. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 63. Born on the 5th September 1920 atMarton, the son of Stanley Hyland and of Maggie Elliot Hunt (née Hogg), of Marton, Wellington, New Zealand. Prior to service worked as a press and studio photographer. A total of 372 flying hours logged and having completed 9 operations.
W/O. 11. John Joseph Lynch. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 60. Son of Patrick J. and Catherine Maroney Lynch, of Syracuse, New York State, U.S.A.
Sgt. Eric Frank Elkanah Hodges. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 45. Son of Frank Arnold Hodges and Eliza Jane Hodges, of Bexleyheath, Kent, England and husband of Marjorie May Hodges.
Sgt. Reginald Alfred Johnson. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 46. Son of Alfred Sizer Johnson and Louisa Maud Johnson, of Seven Kings, Essex, England
Sgt. Ian Allan. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 38. Son of John L. and Elizabeth H. Allan, of Edinburgh, Scotland.
Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this pilot with thanks to the research by Errol Martyn and his publications: “For Your Tomorrow Vols. 1-3”, Auckland War Memorial Museum, Weekly News of New Zealand, other sources as quoted below:
