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| Date: | Saturday 16 May 1942 |
| Time: | 02:21 |
| Type: |  Vickers Wellington Mk III |
| Owner/operator: | 9 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | Z1615 |
| MSN: | WS-H |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 5 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Malø Grund in Nakskov Fjord, Sjælland -
 Denmark
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Honington, Suffolk |
Takeoff at 23:04 hrs for a Gardening operation.
Outward-bound, the Wimpey was flying over the Nakskov area at 60 metres altitude when Obermaat Schmidt of Fluwa 6 based near Langø south west of Nakskov fired 25 rounds of tracer bullets from a machinegun which hit the aircraft in the fuselage and in the left hand engine.
Ditched into the sea off Nakskov with its bomb load still intact. Local fishermen rescued four survivors. It was reported that Sgt Gaum RCAF was trapped for several hours in the rear turret before he was rescued by the fishermen cutting through the framework of the aircraft. He was unharmed.
Crew:-
Pilot : Sergeant Stanley Richards RAF 655171 [PoW] Stalag 357 Kopernikus. PoW Number 85.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner : Sergeant Albert Gruchy RAFVR 798608 [Killed] Svino Churchyard Grave 1A.
Sergeant Ronald Bell RAF 1001380 [PoW] Stalag Luft 6 Heydekrug. PoW Number 794.
Sergeant Percy Gaum RCAF R/65399 [PoW] Stalag Luft 6 Heydekrug. PoW Number 48.
Pilot Officer John Simpson RAF 162536 (NCO:1590571 : Commission Gazetted Tuesday 04 January, 1944) [PoW] Stalag Luft 3 Zagan & Belaria. PoW Number 780.
Sources:
http://www.flensted.eu.com/194223.shtml
Bomber Command Losses 1942
CWGC
RAF Prisoners of War
9 Sqn ORB's
Google Maps
Rob Davis Bomber Command Losses Database
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 27-Dec-2017 21:49 | Red Dragon | Added |
| 12-Nov-2018 15:00 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Operator, ] |
| 06-May-2022 12:13 | TigerTimon | Updated [Other fatalities, Location, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 13-May-2024 11:19 | Rob Davis | Updated [Source, Narrative, ] |
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