In my local newspaper (Gt Yarmouth Mercury) today is published the story behind a piece of an aircraft washed up on Great Yarmouth beach recently. It has been identified as part of the undercarriage retracting mechanism from Short Stirling BF390. Very poignant, given the date today and one of the many sacrifices made for us.
The Stirling was from 7 Squadron at RAF Oakington and took off at 5.47pm 21 October 1942 to carry out a mine laying sortie off the Frisian Islands. On its return journey it drifted approximately 30 miles south of track heading towards the coast at Yarmouth. It was challenged by radio, but when no reponse was given, the coastal defences gave fire and hit the Stirling. It was seen to circle away from the coast, losing height until it crashed into the sea approximately 1/4 mile out from the Wellington Pier. The local lifeboat was launched but although wreckage was found, no trace was ever found of the crew.
The crew were listed as: Fg Off N S Brady (Pilot); Plt Off A A Harvey (Nav); Fg Off RG Winder (Gunner); Sgt K Wilkins (Rear Gunner); Sgt J Watkins (Flight Engineer); Sgt J D Cooper (Gunner); Sgt R E Flavelle (poss Radio Op? No role listed).
All are commemorated on the Runnymede memorial with no known graves.
“For your tomorrow, we gave our today”.
By: Bruce - 14th November 2005 at 17:58
Interesting;
I am reliably informed that there is a second Stirling seven miles up the coast near Hemsby gap. The whole aircraft appeared on the beach in around 1980 during a particularly shallow tide, but was reclaimed soon after. Parts of this aircraft have been washed up on Hemsby beach ever since. It is about 500 yds from a FW190 A-5 which also sits just off the coast!
I will get more information and post it here.
Bruce
By: Peter - 14th November 2005 at 16:40
Wow thats a huge chunk! Where did it end up going to?
By: Kesha - 11th November 2005 at 22:24
The Germans didn’t have any four motor aircraft worth speaking of, you think the brown jobs might have noticed.
Hmm… what about the FW 200?
Winston Churchill called it the “Scourge of the Atlantic” during the Atlantic Battle due to its contribution to Allied Navy heavy losses by German U-boats.
Kesha
By: Auster Fan - 11th November 2005 at 19:42
I don’t know how well this will come out………
![<img src="http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c308/Ianw43/scan0001.jpg" alt="http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c308/Ianw43/scan0001.jpg" style=";" />](<img src="http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c308/Ianw43/scan0001.jpg" alt="http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c308/Ianw43/scan0001.jpg" style=";" />)
By: Auster Fan - 11th November 2005 at 19:18
any idea what was washed up? any pics? I went looking on the newspaper on google and came up with nothing? any pics?
It was part of the undercarriage mechanism, possibly the top part of the wheel assembly? I’m no expert at all. I’ll see if I can scan the picture and post it, as the paper doesn’t have a dedicated internet address.
By: Peter - 11th November 2005 at 17:51
any idea what was washed up? any pics? I went looking on the newspaper on google and came up with nothing? any pics?
By: Ross_McNeill - 11th November 2005 at 13:16
H Moggy,
Incident happened during darkness. WOp/AG would need to have been monitoring the frequency the gunners used to radio. No frequency scanners in those days attention would have been divereted to obtaining d/f fix for base when uncertain of position.
Also consider events earlier that night with this aircraft.
Earlier the a/c had crossed the East Anglia coast well S of its intended trace and then appeared to fire off the wrong colours of the day after being engaged by coastal batteries.
All leads to jumpy AA batteries with a suspected intruder around.
For completeness here is the Record of Service for the lifeboat.
OCTOBER 21ST. – GREAT YARMOUTH AND GORLESTON, NORFOLK.
At 9.51 in the evening the coastguard reported an aeroplane down in Yarmouth Roads to the east of Nelson’s Column. The aeroplane was a bomber which, by mistake, had been shot down by our own anti-aircraft fire. The motor life-boat Louise Stephens was launched at ten past ten. A light westerly wind was blowing, with a moderate sea, and there was mist and rain. The life-boat searched until 11.35, but though she found some of the equipment of the aeroplane, and picked it up, she found no sign of the crew, and she was recalled by a wireless message from the naval base. She was back at her station by 12.30 next morning. – Rewards, £20 7s.
(Source: RNLI Records of Service 1939-46)
Regards
Ross
By: Moggy C - 11th November 2005 at 12:54
Poor blokes.
You have to wonder how this stuff happens. The Germans didn’t have any four motor aircraft worth speaking of, you think the brown jobs might have noticed.
Or was it that their IFF was off / faulty? And the gunners firing blind?
Moggy
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November 11, 2005 at 11:44 am
