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| Date: | Thursday 3 September 1942 |
| Time: | 02:08 LT |
| Type: |  Vickers Wellington Mk III |
| Owner/operator: | 419 (Moose) Sqn RCAF |
| Registration: | X3711 |
| MSN: | VR-R |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 5 / Occupants: 5 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Warnant, Anhée, Namur -
 Belgium
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Topcliffe, North Yorkshire |
Takeoff at 22:53 hrs local time for an operation to Karlsruhe in Germany.
Outward-bound, the aircraft was shot down by night fighter pilot Oberleutnant Kurt Martinek of the 9./NJG 4, who was flying a Bf 110 from Juvincourt airfield in France.
On board was none other than the Commander-in-Chief of 419 Squadron, Wing Commander Archibald Walsh DFC, AFC (30 y.). It was to be his penultimate mission - after all, a pilot in the Bomber Command was expected to fly at least thirty missions during a first 'tour'. The other unfortunates - four Canadians - were P/O John H. Freestone, 31 years old, pilot - F/O Harry W. Thompson, 22 years old, observer - F/Sgt Frederick Cassidy, 25 years old, radio operator and P/O Charles G. Hart, 25 years old, tail gunner.
Sources:
Nachtjagd Combat Archive The Early Years part three
https://luchtvaartgeschiedenis.be/content/wellington-bij-warnant-lez-dinant
http://www.aircrewremembered.com/AlliedLossesIncidents/?q=X3711
Google Maps
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 22-May-2020 18:52 | TigerTimon | Added |
| 26-Jun-2022 03:25 | Ron Averes | Updated [Location, ] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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