Date & Time:
Mar 8, 1943 at 2213 LT
Type of aircraft:
Short S.29 Stirling
Operator:
Registration:
BK697
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Bourn - Bourn
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
6
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Bourn at 1936LT on an operation to Nuremberg. Over France, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Champneuville. Six crew members were killed and one parachuted to safety and became PoW.
Crew:
P/O Jack Graham Ripley, pilot, †
Sgt James Francis Farrelly, flight engineer, †
Sgt Archie Melrose Reid, navigator,
Sgt Arthur James Bagg, bomb aimer, †
F/Sgt Clifford Burkill, wireless operator, †
F/Sgt Elmer Keith Matlock, air gunner, †
F/O Lester McBride Wadman, air gunner. †
Crew:
P/O Jack Graham Ripley, pilot, †
Sgt James Francis Farrelly, flight engineer, †
Sgt Archie Melrose Reid, navigator,
Sgt Arthur James Bagg, bomb aimer, †
F/Sgt Clifford Burkill, wireless operator, †
F/Sgt Elmer Keith Matlock, air gunner, †
F/O Lester McBride Wadman, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.
