Scroll through each aircrew listing on Plaque three, it's 41 to 60

RAF DOWNHAM MARKET AIRFIELD CAIRN MEMORIAL (PLAQUE 3.  AIRCREW No. 41)

218 (Gold Coast) Squadron - Stirling Mk. I

BF447.  HA-F

28 / 29 APRIL 1943 - OP: MINELAYING (SWEETPEAS)

T/O: 2140 HRS                                                                                                              WEDNESDAY 28TH APRIL 1943                                                                                                 RAF Downham Market

Flight Sergeant Denis Brown and his crew are recorded as arriving at the squadron on 10 March 1943, from No.138 (SD) Squadron based at RAF Tempsford. (The 138 ORBS do not record this) Denis does not appear to have flown a second pilot operation as was customary. With the newly promoted Pilot Officer Brown, the crew flew their first 'Freshman' operation on 23 March, a 'Gardening' trip. Two more operations were flown before the end of the month. April 1943, and the crew's first three operations resulted in early returns. On the 8th, the Air-Speed-Indicator aboard Stirling R9196 HA-G froze up. On the 10th, Stirling BK596 HA-B could not maintain height, and the bombs were jettisoned. On the 14th, the port inner engine aboard BF353 HA-C failed, resulting in yet another early return. It was not until the 16th that the crew successfully bombed Mannheim aboard HA-G without incident. On the 18th, a young, recently posted pilot, Sergeant Arthur Aaron, joined the crew for operational experience for a minelaying trip. Two more raids were completed, Rostock on 20 April and Duisburg on 26 April.  The crew's last operation was on 28 April. Flying Officer John Scott joined the crew and replaced the usual wireless operator, Sergeant Ronald William Partridge. John Scott had been posted in from No.214 (FMS) Squadron on 8 March, where he had flown several operations. Since his arrival on No.218 Squadron, he had completed two operations.

Stirling BF447 HA-F Freddie was shot down homeward bound by night fighter Pilot  Unteroffizier Günter Holtfreiter of 11/Nachtjagdgeschwader 3  . Flying in his Junkers Ju 88, a twin-engined multirole combat aircraft, he swooped down on BF447 and caused extensive damage to send the Stirling crashing at 00.17 hours at Kjærgaard in Vrønding, west of Horsens. 

RAF DOWNHAM MARKET AIRFIELD CAIRN MEMORIAL (PLAQUE 3  AIRCREW No. 42)

218 (Gold Coast) Squadron - Stirling Mk. I

EF356.  HA-O

28 / 29 APRIL 1943 - OP: MINELAYING (SWEETPEAS)

T/O: 2105 HRS                                                                                                              WEDNESDAY 28TH APRIL 1943                                                                                                 RAF Downham Market

Photos Via Stephen C. Smith 218 (Gold Coast ) Association

Pilot Sergeant Kenneth  Hailey and crew arrived at Downham Market on 4 February 1943, having completed their Short Stirling conversion with No.1651 Con Flight. Kenneth was almost immediately in action, flying his first operation, when occupying the right-hand seat with Flying Officer' Bicky' Bickenson to Lorient Docks on 7 February 1943. His following two operations were flown with 'B' Flight Commander, Squadron Leader Ernst Sly, to Lorient and Cologne. The crew flew mine-laying operations on the 26th and 27th, completing their first month in the squadron.  They completed three raids in March, including one in Hamburg and two in Berlin. The tempo of operations increased dramatically in April, with attacks on Kiel, Duisburg, Frankfurt, and Stuttgart, which were aborted due to a defective engine. There were also attacks on Mannheim on the 26th, and a return to Duisburg, where their Short Stirling BK706 HA-Y was severely damaged by flak. The rear gunner received minor wounds to his right hand. Their last operation was on the fateful April 28th operation to 'Sweet pea'.

Stirling EF356 HA-O 'Oboe' was shot down at 01:48 hours near Aadum, Denmark, by Lieutenant Günther Rogge from 12/Nachtjagdgeschwader3, flying in his Junkers Ju 88, a twin-engined multirole combat aircraft. The attack had caught the Stirling crew by surprise, causing an explosion of the fuel tanks and sending the Stirling out of control to the ground. Air Gunner Warrant Officer Harry Bliss managed to parachute to safety before the Stirling. At 07:00 hours the following morning, Harry made his presence known at the door of a local smallholder, who in turn called the Parish Executive Officer. He arrested Bliss and took him to Aadum village. Sadly, Harry died on 30 March 1945; the exact cause is not known. The bodies of the remaining crew were located and buried over the coming weeks. The morning of the crash, Bomb Aimer Flying Officer Sidney Holliman was recovered. He was laid to rest in Gravlunden Cemetery in Esbjerg on 7 May 1943. On 18 May 1943, Air Gunner Sergeant James Head was found at the crash site and was laid to rest in Fovrfelt Cemetery in Esbjerg in May 1943. The four remaining crew members were excavated from the crash site on 20 May and were laid to rest in Aadum Cemetery on 25 May.

RAF DOWNHAM MARKET AIRFIELD CAIRN MEMORIAL (PLAQUE 3.  AIRCREW No. 43)

218 (Gold Coast) Squadron - Stirling Mk. III

BF515.  HA-N

28 / 29 APRIL 1943 - OP: MINELAYING (SWEETPEAS)

T/O: 2055 HRS                                                                                                              WEDNESDAY 28TH APRIL 1943                                                                                                 RAF Downham Market

Photos Via Stephen C. Smith 218 (Gold Coast ) Association

RAF DOWNHAM MARKET AIRFIELD CAIRN MEMORIAL (PLAQUE 3.  AIRCREW No. 44)

218 (Gold Coast) Squadron - Stirling Mk. III

BF505.  HA-Z

4 / 5 MAY 1943 - OP: DORTMUND - GERMANY

T/O: 2040 HRS                                                                                                                              TUESDAY 4TH MAY 1943                                                                                                 RAF Downham Market

Photo via Stephen C. Smith 218 (Gold Coast) Squadron  Association

Pilot Flight Lieutenant Wilbur Turner RCAF was Deputy' A' Flight Commander and an officer highly respected by his flight and the whole squadron at the time of his death. A quiet individual and not one for drinking or Mess parties, he kept somewhat distant from the usual squadron antics. He arrived on 218 Conversion Flight via No.20 Operational Training Unit on 19 August 1942. It was almost a month before he undertook his first operation with the squadron, sitting beside Pilot Officer Reginald Studd. Over the next three weeks, Wilbur would operate seven times with Reg Studd, visiting Bremen, Saarbrücken, Vegesack, Hearnwyk, Krefeld, and conducting two minelaying sorties. He was posted to No. 1657 Conversion Flight in October to assemble a crew, returning to Downham Market on 24 November 1942. They operated for the first time on 4 December, a 3 ½ hour mining trip to the Nectarine Garden area. Two more trips were flown in December, the last against Turin, Italy, where they encountered two-night fighters in northern France. In January 1943, the crew completed two operations, with a third aborted with a feathered engine. On return, Stirling BF413 landed heavily, and the starboard tyre burst. The aircraft swung off the runway and bogged down in the mud. Six raids were successfully flown in February, followed in March by a further five, three of which the crew were fortunate to escape unscathed. Over Berlin, on 1 March, they were held by over 30 searchlights, and Wilbur's experience and frantic manoeuvres allowed the Stirling and its crew to escape, although it was severely damaged.  On the 3rd, they encountered a night fighter southwest of Hamburg. Finally, on the 8th, compass and oxygen failure aboard BF446, possibly due to flak, meant the crew had to return early. They managed to land at RAF Tangmere (confirmed by two crew) with only 2 minutes of fuel remaining. The wireless operator was awarded an immediate Distinguished Flying Medal (DFM) for his actions that night. April would be equally challenging. On the 10th, an oxygen failure and port inner engine trouble aboard Stirling EF505, caused by flak damage, resulted in the crew bombing an alternative target. On the 14th, they were lucky to survive a vicious encounter with a JU88 over France when cannon shells set the starboard wing on fire, and the No.3 petrol tank exploded. The fire lasted 21 minutes before it was extinguished in a steep dive. Three further raids followed, including those on Mannheim and Rostock, as well as a minelaying trip on the 28th, all of which were thankfully without incident. On 4 May, the crew took off for Dortmund. Sergeant Frank Robinson was aboard, flying for operational experience. He arrived from No. 1657 Con Unit on 16 April, and this was his third operation, Wilbur Turner's 31st. The Flight Engineer was Sergeant William Norman Forth, who preferred to be called Norman. He was born in London in July 1910 to middle-class parents and grew up with two sisters. In his early years, he lived in Merton Park, a southwest suburb of London, and attended the local Rutlish Grammar School. A keen sportsman, Norman excelled as a strong swimmer and played rugby for the school team in the hooker position. He continued to play rugby for many years with the Rutlish Old Boys team. After completing school, Norman worked as a clerk for a stockbroker firm in the City of London, as well as various insurance companies. From a young age, he had a passion for anything mechanical and enjoyed speed. Throughout the 1930s, he owned, disassembled, maintained, and drove various motorcycles and cars. Norman participated in both motorcycle trials and road races, including events at the famous Brooklands banked race track in Surrey. He met his wife, Mildred Pilfold, through their motorcycle club; they married in 1936 and had three children: Peter, Pat, and Janet. When World War II began, Norman became a civilian instructor for the Royal Air Force, stationed in South Wales, where he taught aircraft engine maintenance to aircrew engineering students. He volunteered for aircrew duty in 1942 and underwent regular aircrew training to become a flight engineer. At thirty-two years old, and with young children, Norman was regarded as the "grandad" of his crew.

Stirling BF505 HA-Z 'Zebra' was shot down by Luftwaffe Pilot  Leutnant Robert Denzel of 12. /Nachtjagdgeschwader, in his Messerschmitt Bf110 G-4, operating from Leeuwarden airfield,  Netherlands, at 01.07 hours. The Stirling BF505 crashed near Murmerwoude (now known as Damwoude), South of Dokkum, Friesland, Netherlands.

RAF DOWNHAM MARKET AIRFIELD CAIRN MEMORIAL (PLAQUE 3.  AIRCREW No. 45)

218 (Gold Coast) Squadron - Stirling Mk. III

BK705.  HA-K

28 / 29 MAY 1943 - OP: DUISBURG - GERMANY

T/O: 0044 HRS                                                                                                                       THURSDAY 13TH MAY1943                                                                                                 RAF Downham Market

Photo via Stephen C. Smith 218 (Gold Coast) Squadron  Association

His instructors in Canada described Robert John Bryans as a 'Splendid type, intelligent and keen’. These attributes continued in the squadron. Born and raised on a farm in Canada, he arrived from No.1651 Conversion Unit on 28 February 1943. The crew consisted of one Canadian, five Englishmen and a 26-year-old American from the Republic of Kansas, Keith Lavon Garman RCAF.

Robert flew a solitary second pilot operation on 3 March against Hamburg with Sergeant James Cobb and crew. The crew started operating together on 10 March, completing a five-hour 'Gardening' sortie. The following night, they were over the Ruhr Valley, attacking Essen, where flak damage caused the aircraft to be hit. Two raids were flown last week in March, both against Berlin. The first, on the 27th aboard Stirling EF356, resulted in the incendiary load hanging up and the crew having to make an unscheduled and dangerous second bomb run, where they were hit by flak. April would be tremendously busy for the squadron and the Bryan crew. Kiel was attacked on the 4th, followed by Duisburg on the 8th, which they aborted, and Frankfurt on the 10th and 14th. Searchlights and flak nearly got the better of the crew over Stuttgart. Stirling EF352 HA-Q was holed in several places, and the electrics were shot out. Both gunners opened fire on the searchlights, which had the desired effect and quickly switched off. Two days later, the gunners were shooting up trains on the return from Stuttgart. Four more operations were flown in quick succession before the end of the month. They had flown nine raids in April. The crew's first raid of May would be their last. On 12 May, they departed RAF Downham Market and never returned.       

StirlingBF705 HA-K 'King' was shot down by Luftwaffe Pilot  Leutnant Robert Denzel of 12. /NJG1 in his Messerschmitt Bf110 G-4, G9+HZ at 03.28 hours into the North Sea off Petten. Denzel was operating from Bergen airfield,  Norway.

RAF DOWNHAM MARKET AIRFIELD CAIRN MEMORIAL (PLAQUE 3.  AIRCREW No. 46)

218 (Gold Coast) Squadron

Photo via Stephen C. Smith 218 (Gold Coast) Squadron  Association

AIRFIELD INCIDENT

TIME: 0455 HRS                                                                                                         FRIDAY 14TH MAY 1943                                                                                                 RAF Downham Market

The tragic deaths of crewmates Sergeants Albert Denzey and Harold Lancaster brought the harsh realities of war to the heart of the squadron when they were least expected. Having just returned from their first operation, a 3.5-hour mine-laying sortie aboard Short Stirling BF413 HA-T. The crew was about to enter for debriefing at 04:55 hours when they were struck by Stirling BF480 HA-I 'Ink', piloted by Sergeant C.J. Carney, who had intentionally covered his eyes during the landing. Both sergeants sustained fractured skulls, with Albert Denzey suffering multiple injuries. Sadly, both died within five minutes of being struck. They had arrived on the squadron on 29 April 1943, via No.1657 Conversion Unit.

RAF DOWNHAM MARKET AIRFIELD CAIRN MEMORIAL (PLAQUE 3.  AIRCREW No. 47)

218 (Gold Coast) Squadron - Stirling Mk. I

EF367.  HA-G

13 / 14 MAY 1943 - OP: BOCHUM - GERMANY

T/O: 0025 HRS                                                                                                                              FRIDAY 14TH MAY 1943                                                                                                 RAF Downham Market

Photo via Stephen C. Smith 218 (Gold Coast) Squadron  Association

RAF DOWNHAM MARKET AIRFIELD CAIRN MEMORIAL (PLAQUE 3.  AIRCREW No. 48

218 (Gold Coast) Squadron - Stirling Mk. III

BK706.  HA-Y

23 / 24 MAY 1943 - OP: DORTMUND - GERMANY

T/O: 2330 HRS                                                                                                                            SUNDAY 23RD MAY 1943                                                                                                 RAF Downham Market

Photo via Stephen C. Smith 218 (Gold Coast) Squadron  Association

RAF DOWNHAM MARKET AIRFIELD CAIRN MEMORIAL (PLAQUE 3.  AIRCREW No. 49

218 (Gold Coast) Squadron - Stirling Mk. III

EH887.  HA-Z

25 / 26 MAY 1943 - OP: DUSSELDORF - GERMANY

T/O: 0015 HRS                                                                                                                 WEDNESDAY 26TH MAY 1943                                                                                                 RAF Downham Market

Pilot Sergeant Norman Collins and his crew were another that passed through No.1657 Conversion Unit in April 1943. Arriving on the 14th, Collins would accompany 'C' Flight Commander Squadron Leader Anthony Beck MiD on a mining sortie on the 18th. This was followed by a raid on Dortmund on 4 May. On this occasion, he joined the 'B' Flight Commander and Squadron Leader Ernest Sly AFM crew. On 5 May, the crew, which included five Englishmen, three from London, a New Zealander and a Canadian, took off for their first operation, a mine-laying trip to the East Frisians, where they successfully planted six mines.

 Norman's third and final operation as a second pilot was flown on 12 May, once again with the experienced Squadron Leader Beck MiD against Duisburg. The following night, the crew was over Bochum, where their Stirling BK706 HA-Y was hit and damaged by flak. It would be almost two weeks before they operated again. The target was Düsseldorf, and despite their relative inexperience, they were joined by a recently posted Sergeant Francis Bennett for experience. He had already flown on two such sorties that month. They never returned. 

Stirling EH887 HA-Z 'Zebra' was shot down by Luftwaffe night fighter pilot,  Major  Walter Ehle, Commander, of Stab II/Nachtjagdgeschwader 1,  in a Messerschmitt Bf110 G-4. Stirling EH887 crashed at 01.56 hours, in the suburbs of Steinstrasse, 5 miles east of Julich, Germany.

Photo via Stephen C. Smith 218 (Gold Coast) Squadron  Association

RAF DOWNHAM MARKET AIRFIELD CAIRN MEMORIAL (PLAQUE 3.  AIRCREW No. 50

218 (Gold Coast) Squadron - Stirling Mk. I

BF405.  HA-U

27 / 28 MAY 1943 - OP: MINELAYING (NECTARINES)

T/O: 2250 HRS                                                                                                                  THURSDAY 27TH MAY 1943                                                                                                 RAF Downham Market

A ground crew photo captures the day drawing to a close over Downham Market. In the background, a Stirling Bomber of 218 (Gold Coast) Squadron will soon be on the move, as it's a minelaying Operation to drop sea mines in the Nectarine area on 27 May 1943..

Photo via Stephen C. Smith 218 (Gold Coast) Squadron  Association

Pilot Flight Sergeant William 'Bill' Mills faced a tragic fate as one of the quickest fatalities in the squadron. They arrived from No. 1651 Conversion Unit on 17 May and were killed within just ten days. Twenty-three-year-old William Mills, a married man, participated in a single, unsuccessful second pilot operation on 23 May to Dortmund, alongside Flight Sergeant Leonard Thomas Richards. Four days later, they took off in Stirling BK405 HA-U for a minelaying operation to the Nectarine Garden area. Unfortunately, they never returned.

Stirling BF405 HA-U 'Uncle was shot down by Luftwaffe Night Fighter Pilot Unteroffizier Karl-Georg Pfeiffer of the 10/ Nachtjagdgeschwader  1 in a Messerschmitt Bf110. Pfeiffer had tracked the aircraft with radar, passed underneath it using 'Schrage  Musik', a 20mm Oerlikon MG FF vertical firing cannon,  and direct hits to the Stirling's fuel tanks caused the Stirling to crash into the North Sea 40 miles North of Terschelling, Friesland. All on board were killed.

RAF DOWNHAM MARKET AIRFIELD CAIRN MEMORIAL (PLAQUE 3.  AIRCREW No. 51

218 (Gold Coast) Squadron - Stirling Mk. III

BK688.  HA-A

29 / 30  MAY 1943 - OP: WUPPERTAL - GERMANY

T/O: 2305 HRS                                                                                                                       SATURDAY 29TH MAY 1943                                                                                                 RAF Downham Market

Photo via Stephen C. Smith 218 (Gold Coast) Squadron  Association

Australian Pilot Flight Sergeant William Davis RAAF completed his Short Stirling conversion with No.1657 Conversion Unit over a month between March and April 1943. He arrived on No.218 Squadron on 23 April and joined 'A' Flight commanded by Squadron Leader Geoff Rothwell DFC. On the 28^th, 31-year-old William joined the crew of Flight Lieutenant James Neilson RNZAF on a 7 ½ minelaying trip. In May, he joined the crew of Flight Sergeant Leonard Thomas Richards on an attack directed against Dortmund, Germany.

The first operation as a crew was on 5 May, a minelaying trip to the East Frisians. This would be followed on the 20th by another minelaying operation to the Gironde Estuary. On this occasion, they were damaged by a Me 210-night fighter north of Nantes. Damage was sustained to the starboard outer engine and tailplane. They landed BF519 HA-E at RAF Tangmere. It would take three weeks to repair the aircraft. During the raid on Dortmund on the 23rd, their plane, BK688, sustained slight damage from flak. Two nights later, the crew aborted a raid directed against Düsseldorf when BK688's starboard outer engine failed.  On this raid, the crew's usual navigator, Sergeant Arthur Gregory Forster, was replaced by Sergeant E Webb. On the 29th, the crew was briefed for Wuppertal. Once again, there was a crew change. Sergeant Thomas Dixon replaced Sergeant Webb, while Flying Officer Leslie Abbiss replaced the rear gunner, Sergeant John Edward Plaw.  Sergeant Dixon had previously flown with Flight Lieutenant Stanley Treves and Flight Lieutenant James Neilson of the RNZAF, having completed 18 operations. Flying Officer Leslie Abbiss was the oldest man of the crew at 38. Born in Action, he joined the RAF pre-war and operated in North Africa between 1940 and 1942, serving with No.47 Squadron. A spell of ill health in 1942 would see him return to England. He arrived on 218 Squadron in December 1942 and was then posted to No.1651 Con Unit in February 1943. He attended a Gunnery Leaders Course and, on completion, returned to the squadron on 17 May. This would be his third operation with the squadron.

Stirling BK688 HA-A 'Apple' was Shot down by  Luftwaffe Pilot Lieutenant Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer of the Stab II. /Nachtjagdgeschwader  1. Schaufer in a Messerschmitt Bf 110 G-4 G9+EC had tracked a group of Allied aircraft,  Stirling BK688 was one of them, using 'Schrage  Musik', a 20mm Oerlikon MG FF vertical firing cannon,  and direct hits to the Stirling's fuel tanks caused the Stirling to crash at 02:22 hours, crashing at Kerkstraat, Schaffen, Flemish Brabant. 

RAF DOWNHAM MARKET AIRFIELD CAIRN MEMORIAL (PLAQUE 3.  AIRCREW No. 52

218 (Gold Coast) Squadron - Stirling Mk. III

BF565.  HA-H

29 / 30  MAY 1943 - OP: WUPPERTAL - GERMANY

T/O: 2303 HRS                                                                                                                      SATURDAY  29TH MAY 1943                                                                                                 RAF Downham Market

Photo via Stephen C. Smith 218 (Gold Coast) Squadron  Association

The second loss of the night involved another crew led by Australians. Pilot Officer Stanley Allan RAAF, a 21-year-old former clerk, sadly met the same fate as his fellow countryman William Davis. The crew completed their transition from the Wellington to the Short Stirling aircraft between 11 February and 21 March 1943, at No. 1657 Conversion Unit. On 24 March, they arrived at Downham Market. Three days after their arrival, Stanley was operating alongside the experienced Pilot Officer Denis Cobb on a minelaying operation. It was not until 10 April that the crew carried out their first operation. Unsurprisingly, it was a "Gardening" trip to the Frisian Islands. However, it is curious that the Operations Record Book (ORB) notes they had a "passenger" join them on their first operation. The following night, they dropped four sea mines off the coast of France. Two raids on German targets followed on the 14^th and 16^th. The crew shot up trains at low level on return from the latter. The crew's regular navigator left after this operation and was replaced by New Zealander Horton Wade RNZAF. May would see the crew complete five operations. Dortmund was attacked twice, as were Duisburg, Bochum, and Düsseldorf. During the Duisburg raid on 12 May, they were hit by flak over the target, and on the Dortmund trip on the 23rd, they lost the port inner engine, which caught fire due to flak. On the 25^th, they returned early from Düsseldorf with a defective starboard inner engine. Their last operation was on the 29^th, and their fifth aboard Stirling BF565 HA-H. They did not return. This was a factory-fresh aircraft that arrived on 1 May and was used exclusively by Stanley Allan's crew. It had just 31 hours of flying time. The crew was initially buried in Eupen Cemetery. Post-war, the Americans removed them; sadly, however, only three airmen now have known graves.    

Stirling BF565 HA-H 'Harry' was shot down by Luftwaffe Night Fighter Pilot  Lieutenant Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer of the Stab II—/Nachtjagdgeschwader  1 in a Messerschmitt Bf 110 G-4 G9+EC. Using 'Schrage  Musik', a 20mm Oerlikon MG FF vertical firing cannon,  and direct hits to the Stirling's fuel tanks caused the Stirling to crash at  00:48 hours. The Stirling crashed out of control in the southern district of Belve, a village in Eupen, eastern Belgium. It also recorded that Flak battery 1. Schere Abteilung 514 claims to have shot down the Stirling. 

RAF DOWNHAM MARKET AIRFIELD CAIRN MEMORIAL (PLAQUE 3.  AIRCREW No. 53

218 (Gold Coast) Squadron - Stirling Mk. III

BF722.  HA-G

21 / 22 JUNE 1943 - OP: KREFELD - GERMANY

T/O: 0015 HRS                                                                                                                      TUESDAY 22ND JUNE 1943                                                                                                 RAF Downham Market

Photo via Stephen C. Smith 218 (Gold Coast) Squadron  Association

RAF DOWNHAM MARKET AIRFIELD CAIRN MEMORIAL (PLAQUE 3.  AIRCREW No. 54

218 (Gold Coast) Squadron - Stirling Mk. III

BK712.  HA-D

21 / 22 JUNE 1943 - OP: KREFELD - GERMANY

T/O: 0015 HRS                                                                                                                        TUESDAY 22ND JUNE 1943                                                                                                 RAF Downham Market

On 27 March 1943, the squadron welcomed a new Australian-led crew, fresh from No. 1657 Con Unit based at RAF Stradishall. The captain was 26-year-old Pilot Officer William Golder Shillinglaw RAAF, who had been a draftsman before the war. Interestingly, it seems that William did not participate in the usual second pilot operation, or perhaps the station adjutant overlooked this detail. On 8 April, the crew of four Englishmen, one Scotsman, a New Zealander and one Australian completed their first successful minelaying operation together. Two raids on Germany followed, Frankfurt and Duisburg, bringing the crew's first month on the squadron to a conclusion. In early May, the crew would attack Dortmund on the 4th and Duisburg on the 12th, with flak inflicting a few holes in Stirling's BF501 HA-N. The starboard inner engine of Stirling BF519 HA-E prevented the crew from reaching Bochum on the 13th. It was around this time that William became ill and was taken off operations. He had recovered by the time of the next operation, a four-hour raid on Düsseldorf on 11 June. The crew took Stirling BF567 HA-P on the raid aimed at the Schneider Plant at Le Creusot on the 19th, which they attacked successfully. On the 21^st, they were briefed for Krefeld; on this occasion, they would be joined by a Danish second pilot, Flying Officer Arne Rhoar Helvard.

Arne Rhoar Helvard was born on 10 March 1915, in Fredericia. Helvard was accepted as an air cadet on 8 April 1936 and spent the following months training at the Naval Air Station in Avnø. He completed his training toward the end of the year and received his wings. He would serve in the Naval Air Service until 1940. After the German invasion of Denmark, Helvard found himself unemployed but managed to secure temporary work at Aalborg Airport. In October 1940, he became employed by the Danish Airport Authority at Kastrup Airport in Copenhagen. In March 1942, he escaped to Sweden, where the police detained him for eight weeks. He arrived in Scotland in June 1942 and was immediately imprisoned in London's notorious Brixton Prison. Once he regained his freedom, Helvard offered his services and was accepted into the Royal Air Force. He arrived from No.1651 Conversion Unit on 13 June 1943. This brave young Dane was killed on his first operation. New Zealander Douglas Ashby-Peckham's RNZAF career went back to 1939. Trained in Canada, he arrived in England in September 1941 as a qualified air gunner. His first squadron was No. 287, based at Croydon, which later moved to Fairlop, Essex, and then to Debden, Essex. He participated in several defensive night patrols in the Bolton Paul Defiant as an air gunner before he opted to join Bomber Command with a posting to No.11 Operational Training Unit in November 1942. In February 1943, Douglas was posted to No. 1657 Con Unit, where he was reclassified as a Wireless Operator/Air Gunner. He was posted to No.218 Squadron on 28 March 1943.

Stirling BK712 HA-D 'Dog' was shot down by a Luftwaffe night fighter pilot, Leutnant Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer of the Stab II. /Nachtjagdgeschwader 1 flying in a Messerschmitt 110G-4  from St Trond airfield (Trudieu) / Brusthem, Belgium.  Schnaufer attacked Stirling BK712 several times, at 01.33 hours, sent the Stirling crashing to the ground at Langdorp (Brabant), 2 miles Northeast of Aarschot, Belgium. The bodies of the eight crew members were recovered on the 22^nd and buried a few days later in the Langdorp Cemetery. The German military accompanied the burial. No civilians were allowed to be present at the burial, but the next day, flowers were mysteriously placed by the graves by brave Belgians.

Fifty years later, on 18 June 1993, a monument was unveiled at the crash site. Three F-16 jets flew over the ceremony. The initiative originated from a working group established to commemorate the plane crashes in the East Brabant region.

RAF DOWNHAM MARKET AIRFIELD CAIRN MEMORIAL (PLAQUE 3.  AIRCREW No. 55

218 (Gold Coast) Squadron - Stirling Mk. III

BF572.  HA-K

22 / 23 JUNE 1943 - OP: MULHEIM - GERMANY

T/O: 0010 HRS                                                                                                               WEDNESDAY 23RD JUNE 1943                                                                                                 RAF Downham Market

Photo via Stephen C. Smith 218 (Gold Coast) Squadron  Association

Former farmhand James Smith's time on 218 Squadron was brief and tragic. Having completed his Stirling conversion at No.1657 Con Unit, he arrived at RAF Downham Market on 1 May 1943. He took over the pilotless crew of Sergeant Frank Robinson, who was reported 'Missing’ on 4 May when flying with Flight Lieutenant Wilbur Turner RCAF for operational experience. That night, James Smith completed his first operation alongside Canadian Flying Officer Saunders. The Smith crew undertook their first operation together on 13 May to Bochum in Stirling BF413 HA-T. Tragically, on return, two members of the crew, Sergeants Denzey and Lancaster, were killed when entering the Operations Block for de-briefing. Both were quickly replaced by Sergeants Rose and Minns, who arrived on the squadron on 16 April via No.1657 Con Unit. Neither had yet to operate. The crew, which had yet to settle into a permanent crew, completed two minelaying operations on May 13th and 16th. Sergeant Ralph Garrod, rear gunner, left the crew on return from the operation of 16 May. He would be killed on 24 June. His replacement was Peter Farr. The crew flew two more operations in May, another 'Gardening' trip, and a raid against Dortmund on the 23rd. On the 25th, James would once again occupy the second pilot seat, sitting alongside Pilot Officer Leslie Crook; the target was Düsseldorf. June would see the crew complete operations on the 3rd, 11th, 19th and 21st. That night, they took a recently posted Sergeant Cameron Mackenzie Colquhoun RCAF to Krefeld. The following night, they were briefed for an attack against Mulheim. They never returned. 

Stirling BF572 HA-K 'King' was shot down by a 26-year-old German Luftwaffe Night Fighter Pilot, Hauptmann Heinrich Prinz zu Sayn-Wittgenstein, of the  Stab IV. /Nachtjagdgeschwader 5 but detached to 1. /Nachtjagdgeschwader 1. flying in a Messerschmitt 110G-4  from Gilze-Rijen airfield, Southern Holland.

It's reported that he was a German Flying Ace and commander of the Nachtjagdgeschwader by January 1944. On 7 May 1942, Henrich scored his first aerial Kill, and by August 1943, he had accumulated 54 aerial kills, for which he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron with Oak Leaves and Swords.  On 23 June, it was business as usual for the Young Luftwaffe ace who attacked from underneath the Stirling BF572 with Cannons blazing, at 02.09 hours over the sea, 30 miles northwest of Hoek Van Holland. Australian Pilot Flight Sergeant James Brook Hamilton Smith sent an SOS, which was reportedly received from the crew at 02:35 hours, stating they were experiencing "difficulties" at position 51.10N – 03.20E. The only survivor, Peter Farr, reports that he bailed out over Utrecht, Holland, approximately 30 miles from the coast. In a report, he states," Hit, aircraft caught fire, went into a steep dive. Bailed out at 5,000 feet. It is possible that the pilot, skipper, regained control and managed to fly out over the North Sea, where the Stirling ultimately crashed. Three bodies were eventually recovered, including that of the pilot. Sergeant Davis's body washed ashore on 13 July 1943, and he was buried the following day. For the relentless Luftwaffe ace, he didn't care and went on to score a total of three kills that night, according to reports from German Luftwaffe archives. 

Photo via Stephen C. Smith 218 (Gold Coast) Squadron  Association

RAF DOWNHAM MARKET AIRFIELD CAIRN MEMORIAL (PLAQUE 3.  AIRCREW No. 56

218 (Gold Coast) Squadron - Stirling Mk. III

BF501.  HA-N

24 / 25 JUNE 1943 - OP: WUPPERTAL - GERMANY

T/O: 2343 HRS                                                                                                                     THURSDAY 24TH JUNE 1943                                                                                                 RAF Downham Market

Photo via Stephen C. Smith 218 (Gold Coast) Squadron  Association

RAF DOWNHAM MARKET AIRFIELD CAIRN MEMORIAL (PLAQUE 3.  AIRCREW No. 57

218 (Gold Coast) Squadron - Stirling Mk. III

EH892.  HA-U

24 / 25 JUNE 1943 - OP: WUPPERTAL - GERMANY

T/O: 2344 HRS                                                                                                                     THURSDAY 24TH JUNE 1943                                                                                                 RAF Downham Market

Anthony Beck was born in Bradford on 15 October 1913. He served in the 6th Battalion of the West Yorkshire Regiment of the Territorial Army in 1935. The following year, he joined the Royal Air Force and, upon completing his training, was posted to his first squadron, No. 18, where he flew Hawker Harts and Hawker Hinds. The following year, he transferred to No. 218 Squadron, where he flew a Hawker Hind. After completing his first term with the squadron, he spent time with various training units, qualifying as a navigator and air bomber. In 1941, Anthony was serving at the Headquarters of No. 54 Training Group in a navigational capacity, where he remained until September 1942, when he was posted to No. 11 Operational Training Unit, followed by a stint with No. 1501 BAT Flight. In December 1942, he arrived at No.1651 Con Unit at RAF Waterbeach for conversion training on the Short Stirling. Remarkably, six years after initially leaving No. 218 Squadron, he returned on 22 January 1943. Anthony's first operation was performed on 27 January 1943. He joined the crew of Pilot Officer' Mo' Pettit RCAF on a minelaying sortie. His next operation was on 3 February, when he accompanied the squadron's Welsh Commanding Officer, Wing Commander Owen Morris, on a raid on Hamburg. During this operation, they had a vicious encounter with a Ju 88, which the crew claimed as 'destroyed'. Now considered ready to captain his crew, 'B' Flight's new Flight Commander began a hectic month of operations. Six raids were flown, Lorient was attacked twice, and Cologne, Wilhelmshaven, and two minelaying sorties were conducted. Apart from a raid on Lorient where a piece of shrapnel entered the cockpit windscreen, narrowly missing Anthony's head, all were relatively routine. The tempo of operations was reduced in March with Squadron Leader Beck operating on just three occasions. The raids may have been reduced, but the pressure was not. On 9 March, a long trip to southern Germany and Munich was undertaken. On the following two operations, he was entrusted with taking wing commanders for operational experience. On the Essen raid of 12 March^, he took Wing Commander Jack Blanchard Sims MiD, who had only arrived the previous day on detachment from No.1657 Con Unit. The raid was aborted due to starboard inner engine failure. On the 28^th, he was joined by the squadron's new commander, Australian Wing Commander Don Saville DFC, at the docks at St Nazaire. Only two operations were flown in April, with Duisburg on the 8th, flown with Canadian Robert Cochrane of the RCAF, a rather wild individual who flew hard and played hard when off duty. Then, on the 18th, he took Sergeant Norman Collins on a mining trip to the 'Furze' Garden area. Both operations were successful. May began with Anthony being detached to RAF Westcott for a three-day engine handling course. His first operation was against Duisburg on the 12th, and with him again was Sergeant Norman Collins. Attacks followed against Bochum, Dortmund, joined by Sergeant Stanley Bennett for operational experience, Düsseldorf, and finally, on 30 May, a minelaying sortie, where Sergeant James Sewell, a bomb aimer on detachment, joined the crew.  Squadron Leader Beck MiD attacked Krefeld on 21 June, his first operation in nearly three weeks. Unsurprisingly, a second pilot, Flight Sergeant Samuel Johnson RNZAF, accompanied him. This brave and experienced Flight Commander and his loyal crew were shot down on 24 June, attacking Wuppertal. Flying with the crew was another second pilot, Flying Officer Raymond Johnson, who had arrived from No.1657 Con Unit only a few days before.

Stirling EH892 HA- U 'Uncle'  was shot down by Luftwaffe night fighter pilot Feldwebel Herbert Hubatsch of the 5. /Nachtjagdgeschwader 5 (detached to 6. /Nachtjagdgeschwader 1) flying in a Messerschmitt 110G-4. EH892  crashed at 01.50 hours, near Kalenborn, Vettelschoß, Rheinland-Pfalz. There were three survivors. Flying Officer Robert Nuttall DFM reported, "Flying Officer Hopkins was in the nose of the aircraft at the time we were hit by enemy action. He was moved to the rest position, suffering from head wounds. Squadron Leader Beck gave the order to abandon the aircraft. P/O Hopkins, S/Ldr. Beck, F/O Johnson, F/O Flyn and P/O Barrett were still in the aircraft when it crashed into a hill. A few hours later, I saw three coffins lying beside the wreckage".

RAF DOWNHAM MARKET AIRFIELD CAIRN MEMORIAL (PLAQUE 3.  AIRCREW No. 58

218 (Gold Coast) Squadron - Stirling Mk. III

EH898.  HA-G

25 / 26 JUNE 1943 - OP: GELSENKIRCHEN - GERMANY

T/O: 2344 HRS                                                                                                                              FRIDAY 25TH JUNE 1943                                                                                                 RAF Downham Market

Photo via Stephen C. Smith 218 (Gold Coast) Squadron  Association

Sergeant Eric Hughes was just twenty years old when he arrived on the squadron from No. 1657 Conversion Unit in mid-May 1943. He flew his first operation alongside Pilot Officer Robert Cochrane RCAF on 25 May. Unfortunately, due to a defective rear turret, the operation was aborted. On 28 May, he took his crew on a minelaying sortie, followed by another operation to Wuppertal the following night, aboard Stirling EF352 HA-Q. The crew's next operation was on 3 June, which was also a minelaying trip.

On 11 June, fourteen crews were detailed and briefed for an operation over Düsseldorf. While over the target, they were held in searchlights for over five minutes, during which flak burst around them. Fortunately, they managed to escape, but their Stirling HA-G sustained minor damage. Their final operation took place on 25 June against Gelsenkirchen. They had just four weeks.

Stirling EH898 HA-G 'George' was shot down by a Luftwaffe night-fighter Pilot, Oberleutnant Husemann of Stab/Nachtjagdgeschwader 1, flying in a Messerschmitt 110G-4. At 01.17 hours, Stirling EH898 crashed near the village of Lievelde–Zieuwent in the Province of Gelderland, Netherlands.  There was one survivor, Pilot Officer Alister Boulton RNZAF. Details provided to the 218 Gold Coast Squadron association author, Mr Stephen C. Smith, via the Boulton family, recall that Alister was found unconscious in a tree and was assisted by a loyal Dutchman, Bill Wopereis. Reports suggest that the Stirling was attacked at 13,000ft and caught fire. Alister went out via the front escape hatch. The aircraft then exploded mid-air. Four bodies were found in the wreckage.

RAF DOWNHAM MARKET AIRFIELD CAIRN MEMORIAL (PLAQUE 3.  AIRCREW No. 59

218 (Gold Coast) Squadron - Stirling Mk. III

EF430.  HA-W

25 / 26 JUNE 1943 - OP: GELSENKIRCHEN - GERMANY

T/O: 2350 HRS                                                                                                                              FRIDAY 25TH JUNE 1943                                                                                                 RAF Downham Market

One of the squadron's briefest stays was that of Squadron Leader Dennis (Denys) Mowbray Maw AFC. Born in Reigate, Surrey, on 20 April 1915, he spent the majority of his RAF career in Training Command, with a significant portion of that time spent in Canada. One of the pre-war regulars, he was commissioned as a Flying Officer in the Reserve of Officers on 11 January 1938. In 1942, while serving at No.31 Bombing and Gunnery School, Picton, Ontario, Canada, he was awarded the AFM. The citation reads: "Squadron Leader Maw is an outstanding officer in every respect and has set an example of the highest standard to all. He has demonstrated outstanding initiative, leadership ability, and devotion to duty, and is meticulous and thorough in everything he undertakes. His flying hours are 1,409, and during his active service in Canada, he has made an outstanding contribution to the success of flying training. He arrived on the squadron on 19 June 1943 via No.1657 Conversion Unit to replace 'B' Flight Commander, Squadron Leader Sly, who was off to No.1665 Conversion Unit on completion of his hectic tour. His first operation was on 22 June^, a minelaying trip aboard Stirling EH884 HA-X. Surprisingly, given it was his first operation, he took along a 'spare' air gunner, Sergeant Kenneth Cyril Reeve, on attachment from No.7 A.G.S for operational experience. A raid on Elderfeld was successfully flown on the 24th, when Denys joined the crew of 'A' Flight Commander, Squadron Leader Geoff Rothwell DFC. The following night, Squadron Leader Maw AFC collected a scratch crew for a raid on Gelsenkirchen. Two gunners would replace his original gunners. Stanley Cummins, who had flown previously with Pilot Officer Richards, and William Thomas, who was part of Sergeant Collingwood's crew. The crew never returned; however, all survived. The squadron had lost two flight commanders within a 24-hour period.

Stirling EF430 HA-W 'William' was shot down by a Luftwaffe night fighter Pilot, Oberleutnant  August Geiger of 7. /Nachtjagdgeschwader 1, flying in a Messerschmitt 110G-4.  August Geiger, a night fighter ace, had 53 kills to his name. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with oak leaves. His luck ran out when he was shot down by an RAF night fighter and killed on 29 September 1943.  However, at the height of his killing spree for the Luftwaffe, he was known as a strong Nazi and would go to the ends of the earth to defend the Fatherland.  August Geiger took no prisoners when carrying out his duty with the  Nachtjagdgeschwader. That night, he took off from Twente airfield, Netherlands, at 0100 hours and homed in on  Stirling EF430 from underneath. The Stirling was a blaze and spiralled downward, and at 01:26 hours, it crashed near Epe (Gelderland), 2 miles from Zutphen, Holland. Sergeant Cummins, the replacement gunner, reported, "Aircraft hit, the pilot shouted 'bale-out'. The aircraft went into a dive; I came down by parachute into a wood, injured. I saw the aircraft crash.  Squadron Leader Maw AFC bailed out from 15,000ft; he wrote, "The beauty of the June night, the 'dank clamminess of the clouds' as well as the pain of injuries suffered when bailing out and on landing". He would end up in Stalag Luft III and be involved in 'Tom, Dick. And Harry and the Great Escape. He was at the base of the escape ladder when German sentries fired the first shots. Maw managed to make it back to one of the PoW huts in the camp and thus escaped being shot for trying to escape.

RAF DOWNHAM MARKET AIRFIELD CAIRN MEMORIAL (PLAQUE 3.  AIRCREW No. 60

218 (Gold Coast) Squadron - Stirling Mk. III

BF567.  HA-P

24 / 25 JULY 1943 - OP: HAMBURG - GERMANY

T/O: 2221 HRS                                                                                                                       SATURDAY 24TH JULY 1943                                                                                                 RAF Downham Market

Photo via Stephen C. Smith 218 (Gold Coast) Squadron  Association