I been asked to find out what I can concerning a airman that lost his life on 27th June 1941 aboard Whitley T4269 on a mission to bomb Bremen but ended up bombing Kiel I know that 11 aircraft were lost that night 4 from 102 squadron due to night fighter action. I can find now record as what happened to the aircraft. So what I would like to know is reason for the aircrafts loss, the site of the crash. There also seems to be some confusion as to the crew I’ve got listed in (what order?)
A.P. Nicoll sgt
M.N.F. Jones P/O
A. Bleakly P/O
E.G. Whitehead sgt
R.D. Davidson Sgt
A. Pratt Sgt
Any help greatly appreciated
By: beachcomber - 25th February 2011 at 09:51
Lancaster R5679
Hi Moggy
Thanks for your reply most of the fate of R5679 is on this site started by Kev35 in 2002 http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=511&highlight=R5679 The only thing I need to do now for this particular story is… I’m looking for photographs of the rest of the crew to pass on the Anders for his airmen.dk website, and to prepare a booklet for the family as a keep sake to pass around the family.
By: beachcomber - 25th February 2011 at 09:27
Whitley T4269
Thanks Guys
I’ve passed the information on to the family and interested parties. This the 3rd aircraft I have been asked to look into, all the families had little information and if they did most of the facts that had been passed down the generations turned out to be wrong.
In the case of my cousin (Lancaster R5679) the reason I started looking, I was told he was shot in his parachute (untrue) when he bailed out after examining the information I have been able to tell my family alot about his fate.
How many more stories out there!
By: kev35 - 25th February 2011 at 01:07
Icare is possibly correct in his assumption of why the crew were not identified individually. However, there is also the possibility that the bodies were unidentifiable when they were exhumed for concentration at Kiel. I don’t know for sure what records are available but it might be worth asking DoRIS at the RAFM about the records for the Missing Research and Enquiry Service.
Regards,
kev35
By: Icare9 - 24th February 2011 at 21:35
From Googling the Serial No. (Lost Bombers info)
102 Squadron Whitley Mk V. Serial Number: T4269. Squadron Code: DY-?. Operation: Bremen. 27th June 1941
T4269 was one of four 102 Sqdn Whitleys lost on this operation. See: T4297; Z6572; Z6579. Airborne 22:36 on 27 June ’41 from Topcliffe. Crashed at Brunsbuttel, Germany, where the crew were first buried. Cause of loss unknown.They have been subsequently re-interred in the Kiel War Cemetery. Sgt A.P. Nicoll KIA; P/O M.N.F. Jones KIA; P/O A. Bleakley KIA; Sgt E.G. Whitehead KIA; Sgt R.D. Davidson KIA; Sgt A. Pratt KIA. No explanation for the six-man crew. Presumably the extra crewman may have been new and along to learn about operational flying.
Name: NICOLL, ALBERT PHILIP. Rank: Sergeant (Pilot)
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Unit Text: 102 Sqdn.
Age: 25. Date of Death: 27/06/1941. Service No: 969415
Additional information: Son of John and Sarah Nicoll, of Dundee.
Grave/Memorial Reference: Coll. grave 3. D. 11-16. Cemetery: KIEL WAR CEMETERY
Name: JONES, MORRAY NIGEL FELTHAM. Rank: Pilot Officer (Pilot)
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Unit Text: 102 Sqdn.
Date of Death: 27/06/1941. Service No: 88866
Grave/Memorial Reference: Coll. grave 3. D. 11-16. Cemetery: KIEL WAR CEMETERY
Name: BLEAKLEY, AUSTEN. Rank: Pilot Officer (Obs.)
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Unit Text: 102 Sqdn.
Age: 27. Date of Death: 27/06/1941. Service No: 82734
Additional information: Son of Arthur and Hannah Bleakley; husband of Doris Mabel Bleakley, of Harrow, Middlesex.
Grave/Memorial Reference: Coll. grave 3. D. 11-16. Cemetery: KIEL WAR CEMETERY
Name: WHITEHEAD, EDWARD GEORGE. Rank: Sergeant (W.Op./Air Gnr.)
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Unit Text: 102 Sqdn.
Age: 20. Date of Death: 27/06/1941. Service No: 916405
Additional information: Son of George and Winifred Whitehead, of Stratton St. Margaret, Swindon, Wiltshire.
Grave/Memorial Reference: Coll. grave 3. D. 11-16. Cemetery: KIEL WAR CEMETERY
Name: DAVIDSON, RUDOLF DEY. Rank:Sergeant (W.Op./Air Gnr.)
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Unit Text: 102 Sqdn.
Age: 21. Date of Death: 27/06/1941. Service No: 971260
Additional information: Son of George Gordon Davidson and Maria Dey Davidson, of Aberdeen; husband of Hazel Dey Davidson.
Grave/Memorial Reference: Coll. grave 3. D. 11-16. Cemetery: KIEL WAR CEMETERY
Name: PRATT, ARTHUR. Rank: Flight Sergeant (Air Gnr.)
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force (Auxiliary Air Force). Unit Text: 102 Sqdn.
Date of Death: 27/06/1941. Service No: 808346
Additional information: Son of Thomas William and Selina Pratt, of Middlesbrough, Yorkshire.
Grave/Memorial Reference: Coll. grave 3. D. 11-16. Cemetery: KIEL WAR CEMETERY
From the fact they share a communal grave, I’d guess that the aircraft was totally out of control, possibly in a spin so that none could bale out in time.
Sign In
February 24, 2011 at 4:58 pm