Operation: Dortmund, Germany

Date: 15th/16th April 1942 (Wednesday/Thursday)

Unit No: 214 Squadron, 3 Group, Bomber Command

Type: Wellington IC

Serial: Z8951

Code: BU:X

Base: RAF Stradishall, Suffolk

Location: Between Deurne and Helmond, Holland.

Pilot: Plt Off. Lawrence Malcolm Leech J5490 RCAF Age 21. KiA

Flt Eng: Plt Off. Harry Arthur Shortt 100558 RAFVR Age 25. KiA

Nav: Sgt. Jack Ward 1064100 RAFVR Age 25. KiA

Bomb Aimer: Sgt. Geoffrey Malcolm Charles Turner 1251531 RAFVR Age 21.KiA

WOp/Air Gnr: Sgt. Percy Heppenstall 998624 RAFVR Age 22. KiA

Air Gnr (Rear): Sgt. Vernon Ernest Egan 1092735 RAFVR Age 21. KiA

Above left: Plt Off. Lawrence M. Leech, right Sgt. Geoffrey M.C. Turner (Courtesy of Richard Schoutissen)

Above left: Sgt. Jack Ward, right Sgt Jack Ward, 2nd from the left (Courtesy of Richard Schoutissen)

REASON FOR LOSS:

Took off from RAF Stradishall, Suffolk on a 152 aircraft operation to bomb Dortmund (the second night running the city was attacked). Only 88 aircraft reported to have bombed the target however later reports that the total tonnage of bombs dropped was the equivalent of 8 aircraft loads.

Dortmund reported 1 house destroyed, with a further 13 seriously damaged. 2 people killed on the ground with 6 injured.

4 aircraft not returning, with the loss of all 26 aircrew, killed.

Z8951 was claimed by two German night fighters:

Uffz. Walter Schienbein from 2./NJG, SW of Deurne at 03:30 hrs;
Oblt. Siegfried Wandam from 3./NJG1, NW of Weert at 03:35 hrs.

The aircraft was also coned by ‘Gruppe 2’ (Flakscheinw. Rgt.1), also claimed by Flak of 1./Res. Flak Abt. 221 (‘Wellington on road Maarheze to Weert, towards 03:00 hrs’), 1. & 2./Res. Flak Abt. 447 (Grossbattz.), 1. & 2./Res. Flak Abt. 646 and 1./Res. Flak Abt. 305 ('Wellington near Helmond 03:22 hrs’). The searchlight and Flak claims were subsequently confirmed by OKL/RLM. (Nachtjagd Combat Archive (13 July 1941 - 29 May 1942) The Early Years Part 2 - Theo Boiten)

Burial details:

Above: Woensel General Cemetery (Courtesy of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC))

Plt Off. Lawrence Malcolm Leech. Woensel General Cemetery, Eindhoven Plot JJ. Grave 51. Grave Inscription: ‘TO A BEAUTIFUL LIFE CAME A SUDDEN END. HE DIED AS HE LIVED, EVERYONE'S FRIEND’. Born on the 29th June 1918 in New Brunswick, Canada. Son of Sidney Charles and Clara (née Quantrill) Leech of McAdam Junction, New Brunswick, Canada.

Above: Plt Off. Harry Arthur Shortt grave and memorial in Little Baddow Church Essex and Chelmsford Cathedral, Essex (courtesy of Richard Schoutissen)

Plt Off. Harry Arthur Shortt. Eindhoven (Woensel) General Cemetery, Plot JJ. Grave 52. Grave Inscription: ‘"THE SUPREME SACRIFICE"’. Born on the 28th April 1917 in Lincoln, Ontario. Son of Henry Noel Harvey and Annie Elizabeth (nee Cranfield) Shortt of Little Baddow, Essex, England.

Parents were married in Beamsville, Lincoln, Ontario, Canada where Harry’s father Henry was firstly a member of the 13th Hussars before joining the Toronto Railway Company and finally signing up for the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force on 20th March 1916. They had three children Robert Charles (1914-1936), Norah K (1915-1992) and Harry in Canada before returning to England on the 5th of April 1919. Harry met his future wife, Sylvia Ada (nee Hart) Shortt, they married in 1940 in London. All of his family are buried together at Little Baddow.

Sgt. Jack Ward. Eindhoven (Woensel) General Cemetery, Plot JJ. Coll. Grave 54-56. Born in the 4th Qtr of 1916 in Sharp Street, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire. Son of Percy and Mary (née Windle) of Halifax Road, Batley, West Yorkshire, England.

He was the youngest of seven children, a dearly loved son and brother. The family later moved to Batley where he attended Batley Boys Grammar School. He worked as a builder and joiner with his father, also of the same profession, and hoped to become an architect but the war interfered with his plans. Jack trained with the RAF at Millom and was later stationed at Stradishall. The family received the sad news that he was missing on 17th April 1942 but had to wait five months for official confirmation of his death. Commemorated on the Batley Town War Memorial and also on the Roll of Honour of Batley Grammar School. His cousin, Fg Off Geoffrey Ward lost his life with 9 Squadron on 1st/2nd January 1944.

Sgt. Geoffrey Malcolm Charles Turner. Eindhoven (Woensel) General Cemetery, Plot JJ. Coll. Grave 53. Grave Inscription: ‘GEOFF. A LONELY HOME, AN EMPTY CHAIR, SOMETHING MISSING EVERYWHERE. DAD, MUM AND BERYL’. Born on the 10th August 1920 in Wallington, Surrey. Son of Clifford Charles Turner of 13 Lavender Vale, Wallington, Surrey, England. Husband of Beryl Barbara Turner of Riddlesden, Yorkshire.

Attended Trinity School, Croydon where he was a member of the cricket team also the cadet corp. Worked for Imperial Airways before enlisting.

Sgt. Percy Heppenstall. Eindhoven (Woensel) General Cemetery, Plot JJ. Coll. Grave 54-56. Grave Inscription: ‘IN LOVING MEMORY OF PERCY. GONE FROM OUR HOME BUT NOT OUR HEARTS. AT REST’. Son of William and Beatrice Minnie Heppenstall of Doncaster, Yorkshire, England.

Sgt. Vernon Ernest Egan. Eindhoven (Woensel) General Cemetery, Plot JJ. Coll. Grave 54-56. Born on the 22nd September 1921 in Oldham, Lancashire. Son Ernest and Lily (née Brown) Egan. Both of his parents predeceased him in 1921 and 1937 respectively.

Researched by Aircrew Remembered, researcher and specialist genealogist Linda Ibrom for relatives of this crew. Special thanks to James Bateman and David Royle, cousins of Plt Off. Shortt for family information and photographs and also Richard Schoutissen for the grave photographs and information on Plt Off. Shortt. For information and photographs on Sgt. Jack Ward courtesy of Judith Ward, niece. Thanks to Richard Schoutissen for the photograph of Plt Off. Leech. (Sep 2024). Reviewed and updated by Aircrew Remembered (Sep 2024).

Other sources listed below:

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