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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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150 Squadron Crest
27/28.07.1944 No 150 Squadron Wellington X LP196 JN-E Sgt. B.F.W. Wilkinson

Operation: Bucharest, Romania

Date: 27/28th July 1944 (Thursday/Friday)

Unit: No. 150 Squadron

Type: Wellington X

Serial: LP196

Code: JN-E

Base: Regina, Italy.

Location: Crucea de Piatra, Romania

Pilot: Sgt. Bert Frederick William Wilkinson 1604691 RAFVR Age ? Killed

Nav: Sgt. Edgar Leslie Price 549379 RAF Age ? Killed

Air/Bmr: Sgt. Robert Turner 1684418 RAFVR Age 22. Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. George Kirkby 1520933 RAFVR Age ? Killed

Air/Gnr: Sgt. Gordon Joseph Crawley 1804685 RAFVR Age 22. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

90 Aircraft took part in this operation but only 50 Wellington managed to attack the primary target - the Prahova Oil Refinery. Bombing was scattered due to the cloud base and very few results were observed. Heavy and light flak were encountered with one aircraft being hit but managed to return.

It is thought that this Wellington LP196 was attacked by a night fighter although no claims can be attributed to this loss. The damage reported from Bucharest was that between 70 and 80 aircraft attacked in two waves, with damage to buildings in the city centre - The National Bank, the Banca Românească and Băneasa airport as well as others.

Bucharest War Cemetery - Aircrew Remembered do have photographs of the individual crew graves and free to interested parties - however, they were taken in the depths of winter and are snow covered.

Burial details:

Sgt. Bert Frederick William Wilkinson. Bucharest War Cemetery Grave 1.B.4. No further details as yet - are you able to assist?

Sgt. Edgar Leslie Price. Bucharest War Cemetery Grave 1.B.5. No further details as yet - are you able to assist?

Sgt. Robert Turner. Bucharest War Cemetery Joint Grave 1.B.6. Son of Robert and Elizabeth Ann Turner, of Preston, Lancashire, England.

Sgt. George Kirkby. Bucharest War Cemetery Joint Grave 1.B.6. Son of George Henry and Sarah Ellen Kirkby, of Hull, England.

Sgt. Gordon Joseph Crawley. Bucharest War Cemetery Grave 1.A.3. Son of Sidney Edgar Crawley, and of Matilda Clara Crawley, of Cricklewood, Middlesex, England.

With thanks to the following: Ovidiu and Sandra Saru from Bucharest, Romania, Patrick Macdonald - "Through Darkness To Light”. Also to Barry Price who drove past the cemetery and wanted to find out further information on Sgt. Edgar Leslie Price as he felt he could be related. We would appreciate any further information from the family of the navigator.

KTY - 14.12.2016

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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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