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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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408 (Goose) Sqn, RCAF
14/15.12.1941 408 (Goose) Sqn RCAF, Hampden I P5392 EQ:W, Sgt. Eric W. Sterling

Operation: Cherbourg, France

Date: 14th/15th December 1941 (Sunday/Monday)

Type: Hampden I

Serial: P5392

Code: EQ:W

Unit: 408 (Goose) Sqn, RCAF, 5 Group, Bomber Command

Base: RAF Balderton, Newark, Nottinghamshire

Location: 4 miles SW of Totton, Hampshire

Pilot: Sgt. Eric William Sterling 1377136 RAFVR Age 29. KiA

Observer: Sgt. John Charles Tomlin R78052 RCAF Age 21. KiA

WOp/Air Gnr: Sgt. Cyril Charles Gibson 1056826 RAFVR Age 20. KiA

WOp/Air Gnr: Flt Sgt. Wilfred Roy Williams 982517 RAFVR Age 20. KiA

REASON FOR LOSS:

On the night of 14th/15th December 1941, four (4) aircraft from 408 (Goose) Sqn RCAF, were detailed to bomb the docks at Cherbourg in France. Of the four (4), only three (3) took-off, owing to one (1) aircraft being involved in a collision with a stationary aircraft while taxiing to post. The remaining aircraft eventually took-off at approximately 00:30 hrs on the 15th December. Only one (1) of the three (3) returned to base.

The only aircraft to return was Hampden I AE432 flown by Plt Off. Priest. He reported that after climbing from the English coast icing conditions were encountered up to 12,000 ft. Nothing could be seen on Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) at Cherbourg owing to 10/10 cloud cover so he decided to fly to Le Harve as the alternative target. Here conditions appeared to be even worse so a course was set for Ostende but as conditions rapidly became worse the operation was abandoned and the bomb load was brought back base.

Note: Plt Off. Priest is believed to be Flt Lt. Thomas Findlay Priest 88037, RAFVR who along with his crew and 408 (Goose) Sqn, Hampden I AE286 EQ:T were posted MiA on the night of the 10th/11th January 1942 on a mission to Wilhelmshaven, Germany.

10/10 cloud cover = Amount of low cover/total cover at the cloud base specified in this case 12,000 ft. The number(s) signify an overcast sky a few small openings.

At 03:27 hrs whilst P5392 was enroute to back to base, it crashed for unknown reasons at New Farm, Longdown Enclosure, 2 miles SE of Lyndhurst Road Station and 4 miles SW of Totton, Hampshire.

The second aircraft was Hampden I AT133 EQ:X flown by Sgt. John Leslie Vaughan R69885 RCAF on his first operational sortie. The aircraft and crew were lost without trace. The crew are remembered on the Runnymede Memorial.

P5392 was entirely burnt out and only the remains of three (3) of the crew were found in the wreckage, and of these only Sgt. Sterling and Sgt. Gibson were positively identified. The fourth member had not been recovered from the wreckage or from the surrounding area.

Following the crash RAF Calshot, which the nearest RAF Station, made the necessary funeral arrangements. The procedure taken concerning this case was discussed with Station Headquarters, RAF Syerston who in turn discussed the matter with 5 Group and eventually taken up with the Air Ministry. The Next of Kin were first advised that the crew was missing, owing to the fact that only three (3) bodies out of the four (4) were recovered from the crash and were unidentifiable at the time. Later it was reported that the whole crew were killed in an aircraft crash. The Air Ministry gave instructions for a communal funeral to be conducted for four (4) graves for the crew.

An interesting and informative video entitled "Graveyard Mystery" has been filmed by Marc Heighway which speaks to the loss of the aircraft and the crew.

The location of the crash, midway between RAF Beaulieu and RAF Stoney Cross and some 9¼ miles inland of The Solent, appears to suggest that they abandoned the mission along with Plt Off. Priest after Le Havre and probably did not set course for Ostende which was some 170 mls to the NE. Had they done so they would have crossed back into England somewhere along the east coast to head for RAF Balderton in Nottinghamshire.

Sgt. Sterling, Sgt. Tomlin and Sgt. Gibson were on their 1st operational sortie whilst Sgt. Williams was on his 12th sortie.

Burial details:

Sgt. Eric William Sterling. Fawley (All Saints) Churchyard, New Portion, Grave 1. Born on the 2nd May 1912 in Streatham, South London. Son of William and Emily (née Pickering) Sterling of Wandsworth, London. Husband to Irene E. (née Cox) Sterling of Holborn, London, England.

Sgt. John Charles Tomlin. Fawley (All Saints) Churchyard, New Portion, Grave 4. Grave Inscription: "NO FINER END FROM HONOUR'S TEST THAN TO LIE BESIDE HIS CHUMS AT REST". Born on the 23rd June 1920 in Toronto, Canada. Son of Frederick Robert and Mary (née De Lotto)Tomlin of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Sgt. Cyril Charles Gibson. Fawley (All Saints) Churchyard, New Portion, Grave 3. Grave Inscription: "LEST WE FORGET. THEY DIED THAT WE MIGHT LIVE. A BROKEN LINK WE CANNOT REPLACE". Son of Charles and Mary Elizabeth Gibson of Bramhall, Cheshire, England.

Flt Sgt. Wilfred Roy Williams. Fawley (All Saints) Churchyard, New Portion, Grave 3. Grave Inscription: "IN THE GARDEN OF LIFE A BIRD SANG ON THE HIGHEST BRANCH AND THEN SOARED AWAY". Son of Thomas Henry and Sophie Williams of Maesteg, Glamorgan, Wales.

Researched by Ralph Snape for Aircrew Remembered and dedicated to the relatives of this crew. Thanks to Marc Heighway for the link to his video “Graveyard Mystery” (Dec 2024).

Other sources listed below:

RS 19.12.2024 - Initial upload

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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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