Operation: Railway lines

Date: 09th October 1941 (Thursday)

Unit: No. 107 Squadron

Type: Blenheim IV

Serial: Z7644

Code: OM-?

Base: RAF Luqa, Malta (On detachment from RAF Great Massingham, Norfolk)

Location: Near Capo Alessio, Sicily

Pilot: F/O. Neville Whitford Walders 41758 RAF Age 24. Killed

Obs: Sgt. Stanley Jones 1053361 RAFVR Age 26. Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr. Sgt. William Karl Hunting R/62717 Age 20. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

Four Blenheims took off on a shipping sortie off the south coast of Italy. Two of these aircraft returned shortly afterwards with engine trouble. The other two Blenheims failed to return from the operation

An Italian wireless station reported that two aircraft had collided and crashed near Capo Alessio, Sicily. It is thought that at the time the aircraft were being attacked and during the combat they collided at 14:00 hrs.

The three crew of the other Blenheim Z7638 flown by 29 year old, W/Cdr. Frazer Apsley Harte DFC 70839 RAF(O) plus a 21 year old officer serving with the Royal Engineers Lt. Ellis Edward Arthur Talbot GC. MBE. 100411 attached to the squadron. Both crews are buried in the same cemetery.

Burial details:

F/O. Neville Whitford Walders. Catania War Cemetery. Collective grave 1.H.19. Born on the 16th December 1916 at Palmerston North, Manawatu, New Zealand, the son of Edward (died 1938) and Hilda Walders and living at Nelson, South Island, New Zealand - when he applied to, and was accepted, into the RAF - on a Short Service Commission in England in 1938. Husband of Jane W. Walders, of Criccieth, Caernarvonshire, Wales. Grave inscription reads: 'Not Dead To Those Who Loved Him. His Everloving Wife And Son Michael'.

Sgt. Stanley Jones. Catania War Cemetery. Collective grave 1.H.19. Son of Walter Alun Jones and Margaret Jones, of Lytham, Lancashire, England. Grave inscription reads: 'Dearly Loved Only Son Of Madge And Alun Jones'.

Sgt. William Karl Hunting. Catania War Cemetery Collective grave 1.H.19. Son of Kenneth William and Alice Maud Hunting, of Huntingville, Province of Quebec, Canada. Grave inscription reads: 'In The Garden Of Remembrance We Walk And Talk With You'.

Researched with the assistance of Jenifer Lemaire and dedicated to the relatives of this crew with thanks to the research by Errol Martyn and his publications: “For Your Tomorrow Vols. 1-3”, Auckland War Memorial Museum, Weekly News of New Zealand, also to Auckland Library Heritage Collection for the use of the photo of the pilot (AWNS194111105-34-9). Other sources as quoted below:

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