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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04.01.1945 11 OTU Wellington HE740 Fl/Sgt. Michael Reece

Operation: Training

Date: 4th January 1945 (Thursday)

Unit: No. 11 OTU (Operational Training Unit)

Type: Wellington X

Serial: HE740

Base: RAF Westcott, Buckinghamshire.

Location: North Marston, Buckinghamshire.

Pilot: Fl/Sgt. Michael Reece NZ/424260 RNZAF Age 21. Killed

Nav: Sgt. Ian Philip Hendry Smith 1608781 RAFVR Age 22. Killed

Air/Bmr: Fl/Sgt. Alexander Gordon Bolger NZ/428226 RNZAF Age 23. Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Donald Wilford McLennan NZ/427046 RNZAF Age 22. Killed (1)

Air/Gnr: Sgt. Reginald Benjamin Price 1899494 RAFVR Age 19. Killed

Air/Gnr: Sgt. John Arthur Wenham 1894709 RAFVR Age 19. Killed

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Local residents of North Marston, Buckinghamshire, England are planning to erect a memorial to this crew at the village Church.

Update October 2015: Tony Wright sent in the photo of the memorial placed at the church of Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, North Marston.

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REASON FOR LOSS:

Taking off from RAF Westcott at 19:10 hrs on a training exercise when, after only 15 minutes the aircraft dived from around 5,000 ft, crashing in the village of North Marston, Buckinghamshire killing all the crew.

Wellington X - this one from 84 OTU

The many losses of Bomber Command aircrew training during the war go unreported on most websites and publications. On this day alone another Wellington from 10 OTU crashed at Church Eaton near Stafford killing the pilot, 25 year old Fl/Sgt. Francis Charles Haglund NZ/4211783 RNZAF from Westland, New Zealand together with 5 other crew, 1 surviving, injured. 2 other Wellingtons also crashed on this day, as well as a Halifax from a HCU.

22 OTU Wellington III BJ832 flown by F/O. V. Thygeson RCAF - all crew survived.
22 OTU Wellington X MF508 flown by W/O. L.J.A. Connolly RNZAF - all crew survived.
1652 HCU Halifax III NR276 flown by 22 year old, Fl/Sgt. Reginald Ernest Herbert 1800459 RAFVR from Cheam Surrey, missing with all 6 other crew over the North Sea.

(1) Some publications including the CWGC have misspelt his middle name as ‘Wilfred’.

Notes: OTU - Operational Training Unit. HCU - Heavy Conversion Unit. RCAF - Royal Canadian Air Force. RNZAF - Royal New Zealand Air Force. RAFVR - Royal Air Force Voluntary Reserve. RAF - Royal Air Force.

Memorial placed at the church of Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, North Marston (courtesy Tony Wright)

Burial details:

Fl/Sgt. Michael Reece. Oxford (Botley) Cemetery. Plot H/1. Grave 248. Born on the 07th September 1923 in Manitoba, Canada. Worked as a builder on his fathers farm before service, Enlisted at Levin on the 31st May 1942 Son of Albert Charles Reece and of Minnie Helen Reece (née King), of Mosgill, Otago, New Zealand. 412 hrs with 47 solo on the Wellington.

Sgt. Ian Philip Hendry Smith. Oxford (Botley) Cemetery. Plot H/3. Grave 149. Son of Hendry and Margery Agnes Smith, of Beckenham, Kent, England.

Fl/Sgt. Alexander Gordon Bolger. Oxford (Botley) Cemetery. Plot H/1. Grave 241. Born on the 12th February 1921 at Invercargill. Worked as a farmer on his fathers farm prior to service. Enlisted at Woodbourne on 11th July 1842 Son of Percival Joseph and Hilda Maud Bolger (née Evans), of Hampden, Otago, New Zealand.

Fl/Sgt. Donald Wilford McLennan. Oxford (Botley) Cemetery. Plot H/1. Grave 231C. Born on the 16th December 1923 at Whangarei. Worked as a farm hand for H.D. Cleland prior to enlisting on 11July 1942 at Taien. Son of John Thomas McLennan and Christina Louisa McLennan (née McDonald), of Clevedon, Auckland, New Zealand. 178 flying hours logged.

Sgt. Reginald Benjamin Price. Oxford (Botley) Cemetery. Plot H/3. Grave 150. Son of Rupert Benjamin and Alice Mary Price, of Brighton, Sussex, England.

Sgt. John Arthur Wenham. Maidstone Cemetery. Plot C.C.1. Grave 133. Son of Arthur William and Susan Burgess Wenham, of Maidstone, England.

Researched for relatives of this crew. With thanks to John Newby for bringing this loss to our attention. Also to our specialist genealogist Kate Tame for trying to contact relatives. Errol Martyn - For Your Tomorrow Vols 1-3, New Zealand Cenotaph. Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Bill Chorley - OTU Volume 7, HCU Volume 8, 1939-1947.

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning we will remember them. - Laurence Binyon
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