Accident Vickers Wellington Mk III Z1620, Wednesday 3 March 1943
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Date:Wednesday 3 March 1943
Time:22:30
Type:Silhouette image of generic well model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Vickers Wellington Mk III
Owner/operator:115 Sqn RAF
Registration: Z1620
MSN: KO-T
Fatalities:Fatalities: 5 / Occupants: 5
Other fatalities:0
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Location:1 km west of Lamstedt, West of Stade -   Germany
Phase: Combat
Nature:Military
Departure airport:RAF East Wretham
Destination airport:Hamburg
Narrative:
Took off from RAF East Wretham at 18:45.
Claim by Oblt Walter Borchers 8/NJG3 - 1km West of Lamstedt West of Stadt (2 D): 3,500m at 22:30.
The crew was initially buried in Stadt Communal Cemetery. Reinterred 26 September 1946. (CWGC)
Crew
Pilot: 1344401 Sgt David Douglas Laidlaw - Becklingen War Cemetery Plot 11 Row F Collective Grave 12-13.
Observer: 1576102 Sgt Eric Holdsworth - Becklingen War Cemetery Plot 11 Row F Collective Grave 12-13.
Navigator/Air Gunner: R/115881 Flt Sgt C R Bird RCAF - Becklingen War Cemetery Plot 11 Row F Collective Grave 12-13.
Wireless Operator/Air Gunner: 1330619 Sgt Percival Harold Luscombe - Becklingen War Cemetery Plot 11 Row F Collective Grave 12-13.
Rear Gunner: 1549838 Sgt Henry Joseph Fitzgerald Gell - Becklingen War Cemetery Plot 11 Row F Grave 4.

Sources:

Nachtjagd Combat Archive 1943 Part One by Theo Boiten
https://www.backtonormandy.org/component/mtree/air-force-operations/airplanes-allies-and-axis-lost/wellington/22136-Z16201943-03-04.html
Rob Davis Bomber Command Losses Database
CWGC

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
02-Mar-2018 08:06 TigerTimon Added
28-Oct-2018 16:20 Nepa Updated [Operator, Operator, ]
03-Mar-2024 07:45 Rob Davis Updated [Source, Narrative, ]
20-Jun-2025 14:25 Anon. Updated [Cn, Location, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, ]

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