Operation: Hamburg

Date: 17/18th April 1942 (Friday Saturday)

Unit: No. 57 Squadron (motto: Corpus non animum muto - 'I change my body not my spirit'). 3 Group

Type: Wellington III

Serial: X3542

Code: DX-?

Base: RAF Feltwell, Norfolk

Location: Rickert, Germany

Pilot: Fl/Sgt. Warwick St George Ruxton Wilson NZ/404438 RNZAF Age 25. Killed

Pilot: Fl/Lt. Ronald Hicks 82956 RAFVR PoW No: 120 Camp: Stalag Luft Sagan

Obs: P/O. J S Skinner 104577 RAFVR PoW No: 129 Camp: Stalag Luft Sagan

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Alexander John Shields Gillespie 1101025 RAFVR Age 21. Missing - believed killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. R D Meek 902805 RAFVR PoW No: 171 Camp: Stalag Kopernikus

Air/Gnr: Sgt. Ronald Sydney Andrews 931030 RAFVR Age 21. Missing - believed killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

Taking off at 23:51 hrs as part of 173 other bombers on an operation to Hamburg - bombing taking place between 00:30 and 03:35 hrs.

X3542 was coned by searchlights batteries of Marine Flak Abt 211, 221, 231 and 251 between 02:42-02:49 , before Fw. Ernst Meess of 6/NJG3 shot down the Wellington. at 02:49 hrs.

Three of the crew survived as prisoners of war, the pilot's body was retrieved but two crew could not be removed from the wreckage that quickly sank in the soft ground.

The squadron lost another crew on this operation, the other:

Wellington III X3478 all shot down by a night fighter. Sq/Ldr. G.F Phipps AFC 70541 PoW Number 123 and held at Stalag Luft Sagan - the rest of his crew also survived as PoW..

Burial details:

The pilot was initially buried at Rendsburg but later reinterred at Kiel.

Fl/Sgt. Warwick St George Ruxton Wilson. Kiel War Cemetery. Grave: 1. A. 5. Born 01st March 1917 at Wellington. Attended Kings College and Auckland University. Worked as a law clerk for Wymyard, Wilson and Baxter Solicitors of Auckland prior to service. Enlisted at Levin24th November 1940. Initial training at No. 4 Elementary Flying Training School on 27 December 1940, then to No. 1 Flying Training School on 08th February 1941. Pilots badge awarded on the 24th March 1941 followed by promotion to sergeant on the 03rd May 1941. Embarked for England 26th May 1941. Attached to No. 11 Operational Training Unit 19th July 1941. Finally joining 57 squadron on the 26th September 1941. . Son of Warwick St George (died 06th July 1961, age 75) and Merthyr-Tydvil Winifred Wilson (née Lewis - died 14th January 1951, age 54 - both buried at Purewa Cemetery, Meadowbank, Auckland), of 112 Remuera Road, Auckland, New Zealand. The parents suffered another loss, 23 year old, Sub/Lt. (A) Ian Lewis Ruxton Wilson RNZNVR went missing on the 01st May 1944. Further details here. A total of 382 flying hours logged and on his 21st operational sortie.

Sgt. Alexander John Shields Gillespie. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 83. Son of John and Janet Shields Gillespie, of Airdrie, Lanarkshire, Scotland.

Sgt. Ronald Sydney Andrews. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 77. Son of Thomas and Mary Andrews, of Sheerness, Kent, England.

Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this pilot with thanks to the extensive research by Errol Martyn and his publications: “For Your Tomorrow Vols. 1-3”, Dr Theo Boiten 'The Nachtjagc combat archives The Early Years Part 2', Auckland Library Heritage Collection, Weekly News of New Zealand, other sources as quoted below:

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