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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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Fighter Command Crest
04.10.1942 No. 539 Squadron Hurricane IIC BN382 Fl/Sgt. Williams

Operation: Training

Date: 04th October 1942 (Sunday)

Unit: No. 539 Squadron (13 Group)

Type: Hurricane IIc

Serial: BN382

Code: None issued

Base: RAF Acklington, Northumberland

Location: Wiley Sike, Northumberland

Pilot: Fl/Sgt. Bernard Clive Williams NZ/405355 RNZAF Age 27. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

Taking off from RAF Acklington in Northumberland at 15:25 hrs to carry out low flying and acrobatic training. Later seen to dive out of clouds and into the ground at Wiley Sike some 3 miles north east of Gilsland.

Squadron ORB for the day:

'04.10.1942: Weather was rather unsettled and no night flying took place. The Hurricanes did low flying and practice. This was a black day for the Squadron, as two Hurricanes crashed with fatal results to the pilots. Sgt. Timewell and Fl/Sgt Williams. Both pilots took off at 15:25 hrs to do practice acrobatics'.

Burial details:

Fl/Sgt. Bernard Clive Williams. Carlisle Cemetery (Dalston Road). Ward 11. Sec. P. Grave 43. Born on the 16th September 1915 in Auckland, the son of William and Emma Josephine Williams, of Auckland City, New Zealand. 400 flying hours logged and had completed some 8 operational sorties.

Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this pilot 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, other sources as quoted below:

KTY - 03.12.2017

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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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