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Operation: N.W. Germany
Date: 18/19th September 1940 (Wednesday/Thursday)
Unit: No. 99 Squadron
Type: Wellington IC
Serial: P9242
Code: LN-B
Base: RAF Newmarket, Suffolk
Location: Stahlwerkplatz, Osnabrück, Germany.
Pilot: P/O. Michael Cunningham Andrews Linden 42134 RAF Age 20. Killed
Pilot 2: Sgt. Maurice Ernest Langton Wood 754548 RAFVR Age 23. Killed
Obs: Sgt. Harold Edgar Smart 747711 RAFVR Age 26. Killed (1)
W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Thomas Watson 965301 RAFVR Age ? Killed
W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Douglas Thomas Heard 647632 RAF Age 20. Killed
W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Victor Beverley 651939 RAF Age 22. Killed
REASON FOR LOSS:
The purpose of this raid was to bomb various targets in the channel ports although some were diverted to bomb German railway targets.
Wellington P9242 was also thought to have been shot down by the heavy flak, crashing at 22:55 hrs at Stahlwerkplatz, Osnabrück, Germany.
174 aircraft were sent and a costly night for Bomber Command with the loss of 9 aircraft and all the crews being killed / missing:58 Squadron Whitley V P5008 GE-M Shot down by German night fighter - Sgt Albert A. E. Crossland and 4 other crew members killed.(1) Sgt. Harold Edgar Smart was a former pupil of Moseley Grammar school (Now secondary/grammar school). We are working very closely with the school's historians to remember all the ex pupils who died whilst serving with the RAF and recorded on the school memorial.
77 Squadron Whitley V N1425 KN-E Shot down by German night fighter - P/O. Peter E. Eldridge and 4 other crew members killed.
77 Squadron Whitley V P4992 KN-T Crashed into the sea off Belgian coast - P/O. Ronald P.Brayne and 4 other crew members killed.
83 Squadron Hampden I P1183 OL-E Shot down by Flak - P/O. James A. Pitcairn Hill DSO. DFC. and 3 other crew members killed.
105 Squadron Blenheim IV L9339 GB-? Lost without trace - P/O. Sgt. Cyril Bowles and 2 other crew members killed.
106 Squadron Hampden I P1259 ZN-? Shot down by Flak - F/O. Eric T. Watkin and 3 other crew members killed.
107 Squadron Blenheim IV T1852 OM-? Lost without trace - F/O. Cyril Preston and 2 other crew members killed.
149 Squadron Wellington IC R3160 OJ-E Lost over channel - P/O. John S. Pay and 2 other crew members killed.
Burial details:
P/O. Michael Cunningham Andrews Linden. Rheinberg War Cemetery Coll Grave 9. B. 20-23. Son Of Garnet Harold and Evelyn Mowbray Linden, Of Ealing, Middlesex, England.
Sgt. Maurice Ernest Langton Wood. Rheinberg War Cemetery Grave 9. B. 19. Son of Ernest Richard and Dorothy Mabel Wood, of Sheffield, England.
Sgt. Harold Edgar Smart. Rheinberg War Cemetery Coll Grave 9. B. 20-23. Son of Edgar Standish Smart and Gertrude Avis Smart, of Shirley, Warwickshire, England.
Sgt. Thomas Watson. Rheinberg War Cemetery Coll Grave 9. B. 20-23. Peter Garwood submitted this information in May 2018: "His mother was Agnes Watson (née Barrett) born 1st April 1880. She married Thomas Henry Watson in 1908. In 1938 she lived at 127 Heald Grove, Rushome, Lancashire and was a widowed Charwoman. With her were her two daughters: Kathleen M. O’Malley (née Watson), born, 01st July 1911, working as a Service Gas mask tube maker and married. The other daughter was Shiela Watson, born 07 October 1912, a typist and single woman. At the time of Sergeant Watson’s death he was engaged to a lady called Mary".
Sgt. Douglas Thomas Heard. Rheinberg War Cemetery Coll Grave 9. B. 20-23. Son of Edward and Louisa Heard, of Ewell, Surrey, England.
Sgt. Victor Beverley. Rheinberg War Cemetery Coll Grave 9. B. 20-23. Foster son of Mr. and Mrs. W. Beverley, of Sheffield, England.
Researched for relatives of the crew. With thanks to the following: Keith Townsend historian of Moseley Secondary/Grammar school memorial records, also our thanks to Peter Garwood for details on Sgt. Watson - May 2018.
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning we will remember
them. - Laurence
Binyon
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Last Modified: 31 May 2018, 21:11