Date & Time:
Jun 26, 1943 at 0123 LT
Type of aircraft:
Short S.29 Stirling
Operator:
Registration:
BK767
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Chedburgh - Chedburgh
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
5
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Chedburgh at 2348LT on June 25 on an operation to Gelsenkirchen. Passing over the Netherlands, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Aalten. Five crew members were killed and two others became PoW.
Crew:
P/O Bernard Henry Church, pilot, †
Sgt William Harris Thompson, flight engineer, †
Sgt Edwin Griffiths Taylor, navigator,
F/O John Frederick Tritton, bomb aimer, †
F/O Keith Allan Neilson, wireless operator,
Sgt William Thomas Davis, air gunner, †
Sgt Frederick Mills, air gunner. †
Crew:
P/O Bernard Henry Church, pilot, †
Sgt William Harris Thompson, flight engineer, †
Sgt Edwin Griffiths Taylor, navigator,
F/O John Frederick Tritton, bomb aimer, †
F/O Keith Allan Neilson, wireless operator,
Sgt William Thomas Davis, air gunner, †
Sgt Frederick Mills, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.
