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Archive Report: Allied Forces

Compiled from official National Archive and Service sources, contemporary press reports, personal logbooks, diaries and correspondence, reference books, other sources, and interviews.
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114 Squadron Crest
19.08.1941 No 114 Squadron Blenheim IV V6366 RT-N P/O. Roderick U. McCracken

Operation: Anti-Shipping

Date: 19th August 1941 (Tuesday)

Unit: No. 114 Squadron

Type: Blenheim IV

Serial: V6366

Code: RT-N

Base: RAF West Raynham, Norfolk

Location: North Sea - North West of Vlieland

Pilot: P/O. Roderick Urquhart McCracken NZ/402199 RNZAF Age 22. Missing - believed killed

Obs: P/O. Harry Roderick Bentley 67590 RAFVR Age 22. Missing - believed killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Alex Clague 751339 RAFVR PoW No: 23637 Camp: Stalag Luft Heydekrug (L6)

REASON FOR LOSS:

Taking off at 17:15 hrs on an anti shipping patrol.

Whilst attacking a German convoy 35 km north west of Vlieland they were attacked by Luftwaffe Bf110’s from 5./ZG76 at 19:30 hrs. The only survivor, Sgt. Alex Clague was picked up the following day by a Luftwaffe Seaplane and despite two attempted escape attempts he remained a PoW until liberated in 1945.

114 Squadron lost 3 aircraft this day, the others:

Blenheim IV V6236 RT-D Flown by 27 year old W/Cdr. James Lauder Nicol DSO 37686 RAF from Kingston-on-Thames, Surrey, England - Missing with one other crew member, the Air gunner buried at Sage War Cemetery.

Blenheim IV Z7347 RT-U Flown by 20 year old Sgt. Reginald Kenneth Clark 1166161 RAFVR from Eddington, Birmingham, England - Missing - the two other crews bodies recovered and buried at Sage War Cemetery and Ameland General Cemetery.

Burial details:

None - Missing - believed killed.

P/O. Roderick Urquhart McCracken. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 63. Son of John Davies McCracken and Helen McCracken, of Rangiora, Canterbury, New Zealand. Flying time logged - 213 hours - thought to be on his fourth operation

P/O. Harry Roderick Bentley. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 31. Son of Harry George and Barbara Anne Bentley, of Irby, Merseyside, England.

Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this crew with thanks to Greg Scannell for bringing this loss to our attention also to sources indicated below.

KTY 30.04.2016

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Acknowledgements
Sources used by us in compiling Archive Reports include: Bill Chorley - 'Bomber Command Losses Vols. 1-9, plus ongoing revisions', Dr. Theo E.W. Boiten and Mr. Roderick J. Mackenzie - 'Nightfighter War Diaries Vols. 1 and 2', Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt - 'Bomber Command War Diaries', Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Tom Kracker - Kracker Luftwaffe Archives, Michel Beckers, Major Fred Paradie (RCAF) and Captain François Dutil (RCAF) - Paradie Archive (on this site), Jean Schadskaje, Major Jack O'Connor USAF (Retd.), Robert Gretzyngier, Wojtek Matusiak, Waldemar Wójcik and Józef Zieliński - 'Ku Czci Połeglyçh Lotnikow 1939-1945', Andrew Mielnik: Archiwum - Polish Air Force Archive (on this site), Anna Krzystek, Tadeusz Krzystek - 'Polskie Siły Powietrzne w Wielkiej Brytanii', Franek Grabowski, Polish graves: https://niebieskaeskadra.pl/, PoW Museum Żagań, Norman L.R. Franks 'Fighter Command Losses', Stan D. Bishop, John A. Hey MBE, Gerrie Franken and Maco Cillessen - Losses of the US 8th and 9th Air Forces, Vols 1-6, Dr. Theo E.W. Boiton - Nachtjagd Combat Archives, Vols 1-13. Aircrew Remembered Databases and our own archives. We are grateful for the support and encouragement of CWGC, UK Imperial War Museum, Australian War Memorial, Australian National Archives, New Zealand National Archives, UK National Archives and Fold3 and countless dedicated friends and researchers across the world.
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