Operation: Tobruk

Date: 13/14th September 1942 (Sunday/Monday)

Unit: No. 70 Squadron (motto: Usquam - Anywhere') 231 Wing. 205 Group

Type: Wellington IC

Serial: Z8787

Code: R

Base: Abu Sueir, Egypt

Location: Tobruk area

Pilot: Fl/Lt. Edmund Frederick William McCartan-Mooney 41790 RAF PoW (*)

Pilot: Sgt. Christopher Gordon Gaddes 655644 RAFVR Pow No: 259960 Camp: 4B Stalag Muhlberg (Elbe)

Obs: F/O. Nathan Spence NZ/403478 RNZAF PoW (*)

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Bertram James Landen 1161039 RAFVR Pow No: 229069 Camp: 4B Stalag Muhlberg (Elbe)

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. B. Prole 552147 RAFVR Pow No: 260631 Camp: 4B Stalag Muhlberg (Elbe)

Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Charles Cecil Piper NZ/403588 RNZAF PoW (*)

REASON FOR LOSS:

Shot down during a diversionary attack on shipping in the harbour of Tobruk with 100 other aircraft. The operation was to assist a combined forces operation. All 6 crew survived and taken PoW.

The squadron lost two other aircraft during this operation:

Wellington IC Z9044 B Flown by P/O. Robert Bryan Muirhead 113419 RAF - all the crew survived a forced landing but only one survived the arduous desert evasion.

Wellington IC G Flown by P/O. M.V. Hodge 129471 RAFVR taken PoW with all 5 other crew members. Gp/Cpt. Richard Kellett DFC. AFC.16177 RAF was flying as second pilot on this crew.

One other also lost: 108 squadron Wellington IC HF864 S Flown by P/O. E.R Wardley 113871 taken PoW with 5 other crew members.

(*) However Fl/Lt. McCartan-Mooney, F/O. Spence and Fl/Sgt. Piper attempted to escape. On the evening of Friday the 18th September at 19:30 hrs. they ran into an enemy patrol and were killed trying to escape. They were buried about 3 kilometres south of the 62 km stone on the road between Sidi Barrani and Sollum. Only the body of F/O. Nathan Spence was located after the end of the war and re-buried. The other two are remembered on the Alamein Memorial.

Fl/Lt. Edmund Frederick William McCartan-Mooney. Alamein Memorial. Column 247. Son of Edmund William and Rose Mary McCartan-Mooney, of Clonskeagh, Co. Dublin, Irish Republic

F/O. Nathan Spence. Halfaya Sollum War Cemetery. Grave 9.E.2. Born on the 08th November 1918 at Rimu, Westland. A clerk for International Harvesting Co. Ltd prior to service. Enlisted on the 29th September 1940. Son of David and Maud Margaret Spence (née Wterson), of Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand. 450 flying hours logged and completed 32 operational sorties.

Fl/Sgt. Charles Cecil Piper. Alamein Memorial. Column 266. Born on the 03rd May 1918 at Ohakune. A labourer for R. Moffat. Enlisted on the 01st October 1940. Son of Arthur Cecil and Mary Annie Dorotheia Piper (née Jensen - later Bennett), of Torbay, Auckland, New Zealand.

Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this crew with thanks to Jenifer Lemaire and to the extensive research by Errol Martyn and his publications: “For Your Tomorrow Vols. 1-3”, AWMM, Weekly News of New Zealand, other sources as quoted below:

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning we will remember them. - Laurence Binyon
All site material (except as noted elsewhere) is owned or managed by Aircrew Remembered and should not be used without prior permission.
© Aircrew Remembered 2012 - 2024 Last Modified: 29 March 2022, 17:50