Operation: Conebo *

Date: 5th November 1943 (Friday)

Unit No: 254 Squadron, 16 Group, Coastal Command

Type: Beaufighter TF.X

Serial: LZ178

Code: QM:F

Base: RAF North Coates, Lincolnshire

Location: North Sea off the Dutch coast

Pilot: Fg Off. William George Palmer 416532 RNZAF Age 27. MiA

Obs: Fg Off. Peter Warren Sykes Smallwood 130841 RAFVR Age 30. KiA

REASON FOR LOSS:

* Conebo: This was a British air undertaking by Bristol Beaufighter heavy fighters of Air Chief Marshal Sir William Sholto Douglas’s RAF Coastal Command to blockade the eastern end of the English Channel during ‘Overlord’ and so deny the German navy any opportunity to launch a naval attack on ‘Overlord’, especially by S-boote from bases in the German-occupied Low Countries, but also larger warships from German and Scandinavian ports.

Taking off at 06:30 hrs to attack a group of four E-Boats off the Dutch coast.

LZ178 failed to return and no trace of the pilot was found. The navigator was buried at Bergen-Op-Zoom War Cemetery.

Burial details:

Fg Off. William George Palmer. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 198. Born on the 21st March 1916 at Dunedin. Son of Albert Edgar and Jessie Palmer of Havelock North, Hawke's Bay, New Zealand. Husband of June Palmer, of Westminster, London, England

William George Palmer worked as a clerk for his father's accountants company. Enlisted on the 29th November 1941at Levin. Awarded his pilots wings on the 3rd July 1942 when he was also appointed to a commission. 456 flying hours logged and on his 13th operational sortie.

Fg Off. Peter Warren Sykes Smallwood. Bergen-Op-Zoom War Cemetery. Grave 31. B. 2. Born on the 30th November 1911. Son of John Russell and Margaret Hilda Smallwood. Husband of Norah Evelyn (nee Walford) Smallwood of Westminster, London, England.

Researched by Kelvin Young (Webmaster) and dedicated to the relatives of this pilot with thanks to Jenifer Lemaire and to the extensive research by Errol Martyn and his publications: “For Your Tomorrow Vols. 1-3”, Auckland Library Heritage Collection, AWMM, Weekly News of New Zealand (Mar 2021). Correction to Sqn Code and other updates by Aircrew Remembered (Jun 2025)

Other sources listed below:

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