ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 202360
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| Date: | Thursday 9 April 1942 |
| Time: | 01:32 |
| Type: |  Vickers Wellington Mk III |
| Owner/operator: | 419 (Moose) Sqn RCAF |
| Registration: | X3467 |
| MSN: | VR-N |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 6 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | twixt Barßel and the Roggenberg; Niedersachsen -
 Germany
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Mildenhall |
| operation - Hamburg |
Flt Sgt MacWilliam reported seeing tracer rounds and heavy flak as the Wellington came over the coast near Wilhelmshaven. This was also verified by Sgt Parker the nose gunner But there was no immediate indication of any hits or damage from this enemy action. It was not for a half hour or more later before the port engine caught fire. The pilot using the engine extinguisher managed to put out the fire. Now running on the remaining engine the bombs were let go and Plt Off Howard disposed of the ammunition via the flare chute. With the lightened load they managed to climb another 10,000 feet with the aide of the restarted port engine.
It was now that the starboard engine burst into flames and it too was extinguished then feathered. Again bringing the Wellington down to just one engine. Fate dealt them another bad hand as the port engine then again caught fire and the fire extinguisher fluid had been used up. The pilot then tried to restart the starboard engine but was unsuccessful and it now also burst into flames. The aircraft was abandoned by the crew using the forward escape hatch, all except P/O Howard who had been at the flare chutes and tried to leave by the rear hatch. No one of course knows what exactly happened to Plt Off Howard and why he did not manage to escape the aircraft where his body was later recovered. Sgt Parker was noted as saying there was an explosion in one of the fuel tanks after he had left the aircraft. In some way Howard was caught inside the aircraft, unable to safe himself.
The other crew members became POW s. The aircraft crashed some time after 0130 April 9th between the Roggenberg and Barssel.
Crew
Pilot: J/5032 Fg Off Arthur B Crighton RCAF PoW Stalag Luft 3 Sagan & Belaria PoW Number 113.
2nd Pilot: R/73436 Flt Sgt W Ralph MacWilliam RCAF PoW Stalag 344 Lamsdorf. PoW Number 24837.
Navigator: R/56265 Flt Sgt Herbert Brooks RCAF PoW Stalag 344 Lamsdorf PoW Number 24803 (Exchanged identity with Pte F S Cole NZEF POW 23193).
Wireless Operator: R/56314 Flt Sgt J P Paton RCAF PoW Stalag 344 Lamsdorf PoW Number 24824
Wireless Operator/Air Gunner: R/60366 Flt Sgt W C Parker RCAF PoW Stalag 344 Lamsdorf. PoW Number 24826
Wireless operator/Air Gunner: J/15150 Plt Off Ernest Richard Howard RCAF - Sage War Cemetery 5. D. 7.
Sources:
149 Squadron Association
CWGC
Bomber Command Losses 1942
http://www.419squadron.com/brooks.html
http://www.hubertbrooks.com/
Nachtjagd Combat Archive The Early Years part two
Google Maps
https://aircrewremembered.com/ParadieArchiveDatabase/?q=brooks&qand=56265&exc1=&exc2=&search_only=&search_type=exact
https://aircrewremembered.com/AlliedLossesIncidents/?q=x3467&qand=&exc1=&exc2=&search_only=&search_type=exact
https://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=X3467
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 18 May 1942 | Z1562 | 419 (Moose) Sqn RCAF | 5 | Sea off Cromer Norfolk |  |
mis |
| 17 June 1942 | X3359 | 419 (Moose) Sqn RCAF | 1 | along the Bredabaan, Gooreind, Wuustwezel, Antwerp |  |
w/o |
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 30-Nov-2017 18:16 | Red Dragon | Added |
| 30-Nov-2017 18:26 | Red Dragon | Updated [Operator, Source] |
| 30-Nov-2017 18:27 | Red Dragon | Updated [Operator] |
| 20-Feb-2018 19:36 | Nepa | Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Destination airport] |
| 05-Apr-2022 09:05 | TigerTimon | Updated [Other fatalities, Location, Phase, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 05-Mar-2024 17:40 | tachel | Updated [Source] |
| 06-Mar-2024 18:57 | tachel | Updated [Narrative] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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