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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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7 Squadron crest
14/15.07.1941 No. 7 Squadron Stirling I N6022 MG-D F/O. Witt DFC DFM

Operation: Hannover

Date: 14/15th July 1941 (Monday/Tuesday)

Unit: No. 7 Squadron

Type: Stirling I

Serial: N6022

Code: MG-D

Base: RAF Oakington

Location: Shotesham Park, Newton Flotman, Norwich, Norfolk

Pilot: F/O. Dennis T. Witt DFM. DFC. (1)

Fl/Eng: Sgt. Les D.A. Bolton (2)

Nav: Sgt. John T. Prentice - Injured (3)

Air/Bmr: P/O. Douglas Keith Deyell DFM. - Inured (4)

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Arthur E. Burrows (5)

Air/Gnr: Sgt. Les E.J. Davenport (6)

Air/Gnr: F/O. John L.A. Mills (7)


Loss extensively researched by the grandson of Sgt. Les Davenport, Mr. Ian Davenport


REASON FOR LOSS:

Bomb Load 5 x 1,000, 7 x 500, 420 x 4 Incendiaries. Stick seen to burst across large sheds producing very large fires and explosions. With two engines out, ran out of petrol and crashed at Newton Flotman.

Above 7 Squadron Stirling MG-D (courtesy Ian Davenport)


Crew baled out, 2 slightly injured. RAF. Form F540 states ‘finding that his petrol consumption had assumed alarming proportions, made hurried turnaround and ordered his crew to prepare for landing at sea. They reached the coast however, and baled out.

Sgt. Les Davenport (courtesy Ian Davenport)

From Ian Davenport on his Grandfather:

‘It was the night of the 14th / 15th July 1941 my Grandfather Leslie E.J Davenport was a Front Gunner on Short Stirling Bombers of Squadron 7 R.A.F. based at Oakington, Cambridgeshire. The target for that night was Hannover, Germany. The Flak was heavy over the Dutch coast and Dennis Witt, the pilot used a lot of fuel manoeuvring the plane away from danger. They managed to bomb the target, hitting factories in an industrial part of the city.

On the return it became apparent that they may not have enough fuel to get back to Oakington, pilot Dennis Witt, prepared the crew of seven including my Grandfather for ditching the plane at sea. My Grandfather always said they breathed a sigh of relief when they crossed the North Norfolk coast near Cromer, but with fuel dangerously low Witt gave the order to bail out, which they did at 12,000 feet. My research has led me to find out that the crash sight of the plane was at Newton Flotman along the A140 on part of the Shottesham Estate.

All the crew including my Grandfather bailed out successfully and survived. Two of the crew were injured, John Prentice broke his back in the jump. Now my Grandfather always said he bailed out somewhere between Newton Flotman and Swainsthorpe and him and another crew member Leslie Bolton were taken in by farmers to a farm cottage, I am not sure where.’

They said they sang "Roll out the barrels" very loud so locals would know they were not Germans!!

My Grandfather spent the night there and he said he fell asleep in front of the fire in an armchair! Leslie Bolton who I have spoken to recently said he left his Mae West flying jacket in the farm there when the RAF came to pick them up the next day.'

Notes:

(1) F/O. Dennis T. Witt DFM. DFC. completed over 100 operational tours with bomber command. Died in the early 1960’s with stomach cancer.

(2) Sgt. Les Bolton lives in Scotland with his wife (February 2014).

(3) Sgt. John Prentice, broke his back during the bale out, but recovered. Living in New Zealand (February 2014).

(4) P/O. Douglas Deyell DFM. broke his ankle in the bale out, recovered and completed tour with 38 Squadron. Died in the 1990’s.

(5) Sgt. Arthur Burrows was killed shortly afterwards on an operation to Stettin Stirling I W7433 MG-U.

(6) Sgt. Les Davenport was shot down and taken P.o.W. on an operation to Berlin. Stirling I N6046. MG-Y. Died in 1988.

(7) F/O. John Mills was killed shortly afterwards on an operation to Bremen. Manchester I L7462 OF-Z.


Further information and photographs added in an additional page in the hope that some relatives may come forward who served with Les Davenport. (separate page) Either at 7 Squadron, during his training at the Electrical and Wireless School at RAF Yatesbury or the time spent in the various PoW camps until the end of the war.


Burial details:

None - all crew survived this incident.

Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this crew with thanks to Ian Davenport for detailed information, Bill Chorley - 'Bomber Command Losses Vol's. 1-9, plus ongoing revisions', Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt - 'Bomber Command War Diaries', Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Pages of Outstanding Interest
History Airborne Forces •  Soviet Night Witches •  Bomber Command Memories •  Abbreviations •  Gardening Codenames
CWGC: Your Relative's Grave Explained •  USA Flygirls •  Axis Awards Descriptions •  'Lack Of Moral Fibre'
Concept of Colonial Discrimination  •  Unauthorised First Long Range Mustang Attack
RAAF Bomb Aimer Evades with Maquis •  SOE Heroine Nancy Wake •  Fane: Motor Racing PRU Legend
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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