Date:	Thursday 14 December 1939
Time:	17:00
Type:	Vickers Wellington Mk IA
Owner/operator:	99 Sqn RAF
Registration:	N2957
MSN:	LN-D
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 6
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF Newmarket, Suffolk, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Approach
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Newmarket, Suffolk
Destination airport:	RAF Newmarket, Suffolk

Narrative:
Ops: Attack on Naval targets, Wangerooge Island, Heligoland Bight. Badly damaged by Bf 109s and Bf 110s during raid on Helgoland and Wilhelmshaven. Aircraft damaged but managed to return to the UK. Crashed on 14 December 1939 when spun in approaching Newmarket and crashed into a field near the race course, on landing attempt. Three of the crew of six were killed

Crew:-
Pilot : Flight Lieutenant Eugene John Hetherington RAF 39026 [Killed]
Observer : Flying Officer A J Payne RAF
Wireless Operator : Aircraftman 1st Class Ronald Entwistle RAF 542335 [Killed]
Front Gunner : Corporal Andrew Sharp RAF 522788 [Killed]
Rear Gunner : Sergeant L W Parton RAF
Aircraftman 2nd Class Albert Douglas Foch Craig RAF 540277

An attack from an Me 110 had caused the loss of one wing flap, and when the pilot prepared to land at Newmarket by selecting flaps down, the aircraft rolled uncontrollably and crashed.

1. Air-Britain Royal Air Force Aircraft L1000-N9999
2. Wimpy: A Detailed History of the Vickers Wellington in service, 1938-1953 By Steve Bond page 37-38
3. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/56: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14142173
4. https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-vickers-408-wellington-ia-raf-newmarket-3-killed
5. http://adf-serials.com.au/nz-serials/nzwellington.htm
6. http://www.rcawsey.co.uk/Acc1939a.htm
7. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2721269/hetherington,-eugene-john/
8. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2735803/entwistle,-ronald/
9. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2456736/sharp,-andrew/
10. http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?15518-RAF-Casualty-Packs-1939-45-Public-Access/page2
11. https://internationalbcc.co.uk/losses/13514/
12. http://www.bomber-command.info/c99wellloss.htm
13. http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showpost.php?p=261007&postcount=2
14. Rob Davis Bomber Command Losses Database

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
02-Jan-2012 11:33	Uli Elch	Added
09-Mar-2013 19:08	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Other fatalities, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, ]
07-Jun-2013 14:01	Nepa	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Narrative, ]
22-Aug-2013 21:16	JINX	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, ]
04-Nov-2014 20:21	roundhead	Updated [Narrative, ]
27-Apr-2015 18:54	ABBA	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Narrative, ]
26-Sep-2016 14:44	Anon.	Updated [Narrative, ]
29-Apr-2018 23:20	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Operator, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, ]
29-Apr-2018 23:23	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative, ]
29-Apr-2018 23:23	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, ]
30-Oct-2018 08:21	Nepa	Updated [Time, Operator, Operator, ]
04-Jun-2019 17:21	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Cn, Source, Narrative, ]
10-Dec-2024 07:50	Rob Davis	Updated [Source, Narrative, ]