Date:	Friday 14 March 1941
Time:	22:34 LT
Type:	Vickers Wellington Mk IC
Owner/operator:	149 (East India) Sqn RAF
Registration:	L7858
MSN:	OJ-A
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 6 / Occupants: 6
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Sevenum, Limburg -   Netherlands
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk
Destination airport:

Narrative:
On March 14th 1941the Vickers Wellington L7858 with call code OJ-A
left RAF Mildenhall at 7.50pm on a bombing mission to the Gelsenkirchen Oil Refineries. 106 explosive bombs and 1370 incendiary boms were dropped in the district Scholven Buer-Mitte Hassel, according to “Gelsenzentrum, portal für Gelsenkirchener Stadtgeschichten”
The Gelsenkirchen authorities reported serious damage to the oil refinery after a raid by under 100 aircraft on this 14/15 March 1941. One of the 149 Squadron participating crews was not able to attend debriefing. The Wellington MK 1c L7858 (Call code OJ-A) was tracked by the ground radar and caught in a seachlight cone. Once coned, it was intercepted by an early 'Experten' of the Nachtjagd, Hauptmann Werner Streib of the Stab I./NJG 1, who was flying a Bf 110 from Eindhoven airfield. This was his 11th confirmed kill. The aircraft crashed in Sevenum near the border with Helenav een in a swamp area at 10.32pm . There were no survivors from te crew of Sgt Hawley. In the exchange of fire Streib's Bf 110 was badly damaged by a burst from the rear gunner of the Wellington, Sgt Ward. Streib's 'funker', Oblt. Josef Schauster was seriously injured in the leg.

Crew of Vickers 416 Wellington 1c, L7858, code OJ-A

Sergeant/Pilot Leslie Richard Hawley RAF Volunteer Reserve Age: Unknown
Reg.nr. 742914 Jonkerbos War Cemetery Nijmegen NL 12b 8a

Sergeant/Pilot Charles Barrie Rogers RAF Volunteer Reserve, Age: 21
Reg.nr. 900955 Jonkerbos War Cemetery Nijmegen NL 12b 9

Sergeant Air Observer Edward Guy Prettyman RAF Volunteer Reserve, Age 34
Reg.nr. 749386 Jonkerbos War Cemetery Nijmegen NL 12b 8a
Born in Hartlepool in 1907.

Sergeant. Wireless Operator Ernest White RAF, Age: 19
Reg.nr. 618714 Jonkerbos War Cemetery Nijmegen NL 12b 9
Born in 1921

Sergeant Air Gunner William George Marett RAF Age: 23
Reg.nr. 639154 Jonkerbos War Cemetery Nijmegen NL 12b 8a
Born in 1917

Sergeant Air Gunner Clifford Godfrey Harry Ward RAF Volunteer Reserve, Age 23
Reg.nr. 751296 Jonkerbos War Cemetery Nijmegen NL 12b 9
Born in 1917,

3 Group Bomber Command, Chris Ward.
ORB 149 Sqn RAF
Boiten's Nachtjagd War Diaries Vol 1
Alan Fraser 149 Squadron
Nachtjagd Combat Archive The Early Years part one
book 'Vliegvelden in Oorlogstijd'

Other occurrences involving this aircraft

15 July 1941	T2737	149 (East India) Sqn RAF	0	North Sea		w/o
8 November 1941	X9878	149 (East India) Sqn RAF	5	near Isselburg, Nordrhein-Westfalen.		w/o

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
05-Dec-2017 11:23	pietsnellen	Added
23-Dec-2017 17:15	Nepa	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
18-Oct-2018 13:19	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Operator]
18-Oct-2018 14:01	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Operator]
18-Oct-2018 17:16	stehlík49	Updated [Operator]
19-Nov-2018 17:58	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Operator]
12-Mar-2019 21:33	TigerTimon	Updated [Time, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]