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| Date: | Friday 28 August 1942 |
| Time: | 02:20 approx |
| Type: |  Vickers Wellington Mk III |
| Owner/operator: | 101 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | X3657 |
| MSN: | SR-Q |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 5 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | RAF Martlesham Heath, Suffolk, England -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Stradishall, Suffolk |
Takeoff at 20:50 hrs local time for an operation to Kassel in Germany & crash-landed on return due to battle damage.
Crew:-
Pilot : Warrant Officer Class II James William Spinney RCAF R/88087
Observer : Sergeant Henry William Amner Collett RNZAF NZ/412468
Rear Gunner : Sergeant W H Moon RAF [Injured]
Sergeant R Mayhew RAF
Sergeant G C McLennan RAF
The following is 'Bill' Collett's account of the crash - from his diary.
Thanks to - Max Collett
" What a day.
Taking "Q" Queenie to-night. Went to do an air test in the afternoon but the kite was u/s, so did a ground test after tea. Target - Kassel. At last we got away at 8.50. No trouble over the Dutch coast - passed North of Amsterdam and had quite a bit of flak light and intense. Arrived at the target 20 minutes early so stooged around and watched the fireworks, let the bombs go at 11.47. - Bright moonlight and intense ground haze. Coming home the fun started. Flak & S/L (Search Lights) from Hamm, then got caught in the S/L's over Essen and were hit several times by heavy flak, diving from 16,000 to 3,500 & finally got clear, then we climbed to height and crossed over Overflakkee at 12,000, were 30 miles out to sea when we were attacked by a night-fighter (from Nachtjagdgeschwader 2, author's note). Rear gunner severely injured, hydraulics shot up, no H.S.I, wheels down, bomb doors open, T.R. & wireless u/s, crossed English coast at 3,500, called darky and immediately got a reply - drome lit up by S/L and we crash-landed, - got Mick out & about 1 minute later the kite burst into flames. Landed at Martlesham Heath - at about 02.20 0n August 28th.........................
Good Show ! "
Sources:
http://restorebike.co.uk/Raysnet/crash1.html
Nachtjagd Combat Archive The Early Years part three
http://www.aircrewremembered.com/AlliedLossesIncidents/?q=X3657
Rob Davis Bomber Command Losses Database
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 20-May-2020 07:46 | TigerTimon | Added |
| 06-Oct-2024 08:02 | Rob Davis | Updated [Other fatalities, Source, Narrative, ] |
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