Operation: Duisberg

Date: 26/27th April 1943 (Monday/Tuesday)

Unit: No. 207 Squadron

Type: Lancaster I

Serial: W4171

Code: EM-J

Base: RAF Langar, Nottinghamshire.

Location: 1 km South east Ezaart/Mol

Pilot: Sgt. Iorwerth Beynon Jones 1337890 RAFVR Age 21. Killed

Fl/Eng: Sgt. John Gillespie R/56637 RCAF Age 24. Killed

Nav: Sgt. Geoffrey John Glare 657118 RAFVR Age 23. Killed

Air/Bmr: F/O. Basil Paul Malcolm Hyland 124201 RAFVR Age 21. Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. William Alfred Hollett 1382650 RAFVR Age 32. Killed

Air/Gnr: Sgt. Frank Wells Davies 815114 RAFVR Age 24. Killed

Air/Gnr: Sgt. Benjamin Bryn Jones 1183725 RAFVR Age 22. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

Took off at 00:20 hours from Langar.

Intercepted at 03:09 hrs. by Ofw. Fritz Kruse (1) of 3./NJG1 1 km South east Ezaart/Mol at 4.800 mtrs. Crashed at Mol (Antwerpen) 9km ENE of Geel.

Above Memorial to the crew (courtesy Wim Govers - see credits below)

(1) This was the 4th of 6 kills of Ofw. Fritz Kruse who was killed on the 17/18th May 1943 during take off when his Bf110 had an engine fire.

Burial details:

Sgt. Iorwerth Beynon Jones. Schoonselhof Cemetery. Grave II. G.31. Son of Griffith Beynon and Annie Jane Jones of Porth, Glamorgan, Wales.

Sgt. John Gillespie. Schoonselhof Cemetery. Collective grave II G 12-14. Son of Peter and Anne Gillespie of Toronto, Canada.

Sgt. Geoffrey John Glare. Schoonselhof Cemetery. Grave II. G.28. Son of John and Alice Beatrice Glare of Selhurst, Surrey, England

F/O. Basil Paul Malcolm Hyland. Schoonselhof Cemetery. Grave II. G.30. Son of Walter and Gladys M.M.Hyland of Emmer Green, Reading, Berkshire, England.

Sgt. William Alfred Hollett. Schoonselhof Cemetery. Collective grave II G 12-14. Son of George Charles and Charlotte Elizabeth (nee Shilling) Hollett. Further information: Parents married in Sittingbourne, Kent on the 20th July 1890. William was born on the 21st of January 1911, the last of nine children. He was educated at Bush Hill Park School, Main Avenue, Enfield and worked as a grocer after leaving school. Known as “Bill”, he enjoyed playing the accordion. On the 12th April 1936 he married Elizabeth Ann Murtha from Sunderland, Co. Durham and they had three sons, Michael George, William Alfred and John Stuart Hollett who was born on the 13th of May 1943, just 16 days after his father was killed.

Sgt. Frank Wells Davies. Schoonselhof Cemetery. Collective grave II G 12-14. Son of Florence E. Davies of Nottingham, England.

Sgt. Benjamin Bryn Jones. Schoonselhof Cemetery. Grave II. G.29. Son of Henry and Margaret Jones of Carmarthen, Wales.

Researched by Aircrew Remembered, researcher and specialist genealogist Linda Ibrom for relatives of this crew. Special thanks to Peter Ballantyne, Lisa and Sarah Hollett and family of Sergeant Hollett for the family information and photograph. Further information on this loss Dr. Theo E.W. Boiten and Mr. Roderick J. Mackenzie - 'Nightfighter War Diaries Vol's. 1 and 2', Tom Kracker - 'Kracker Luftwaffe Archives'. For further details our thanks to Wim Govers and his work on the memorial and research on this crew.

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