ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 52936
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| Date: | Saturday 28 March 1942 |
| Time: | 00:15 |
| Type: |  Armstrong Whitworth Whitley Mk V |
| Owner/operator: | 138 (Special Duties) Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | T4166 |
| MSN: | NF-B |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 6 / Occupants: 7 |
| Other fatalities: | 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | North Sea off Petten, Noord-Holland -
 Netherlands
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Tempsford |
Airborne from Tempsford on Operation WATERCRESS/CATARRH, the first of a series of operations involving the dropping of Dutch agents, code named Nordpol Spiel by the British and England Spiel by the Dutch. The agent, Lt A A Baatsen (Watercress) parachuted near Steenwijk (Overijssel) some 30 km N of Zwolle and was captured almost immediately. After two-and-a-half years of interrogation, he was executed 7 September 1944 in Mauthausen Concentration Camp. The site of the DZ, in the moorlands north of Steenwijk, was suggested by the Germans and approved by London !. London was warned by the Lauwers a captured Dutch SOE Agent transmitting for the Abwehr and leaving out his personal security checks by W/T but was ignored repeatedly. Baatsen was the first SOE Agent to fall into this trap. The
operation also involved a supply drop, code named CATARRH, but this locality has nor been identified. The German subsequently sent a signal that the mission had been successfully accomplished. Aircraft crashed into sea 00.15 hrs at about 200 - 500 metres offshore between Petten and Callantsoog. Sgt Evans was a fabric worker acting as dispatcher.
The aircraft was shot down by night fighter pilot Oberfeldwebel Siegfried Ney of the 5./NJG 2, who was flying Bf 110 D-2 R4+AN from Bergen airfield.
At eight minutes after midnight he and his 'Bordfunker' Uffz. Josef Bühler intercepted the Whitley. A tremendous explosion resulted from the attack. The exploding debris from the aircraft damaged and brought down the Messerschmitt and both crews were lost.
67703 Stanley Widdup - Runnymede Memorial Panel 72.
1055985 Flt Sgt John Thompson - Runnymede Memorial Panel 76.
105182 Plt Off Robert William Franklin - Runnymede Memorial Panel 69.
820044 Sgt Kenneth Hailstone - Runnymede Memorial Panel 84.
Air Gunner: 1334807 Sgt George Robert Wood - Bergen -op-Zoom War Cemtery 32. A. 5.
Fabric Worker/Dispatcher: 526918 Sgt William Charles Evans - Runnymede Memorial Panel 82.
Sources:
Nachtjagd Combat Archive The Early Years part two
https://verliesregister.studiegroepluchtoorlog.nl/rs.php?aircraft=&sglo=T1464&date=&location=&pn=&unit=&name=&cemetry=&airforce=&target=&area=&airfield=
Google Maps
*Aircraft lost on Allied Force’s Special Duty Operations.
Bomber Command Losses 1942
**www.626-squadron.co.uk
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 17-Dec-2008 11:45 | ASN archive | Added |
| 25-Mar-2017 10:53 | TigerTimon | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 24-Nov-2017 21:52 | Red Dragon | Updated [Cn, Operator, Other fatalities, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 28-Oct-2018 17:32 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Location, Destination airport, Operator] |
| 16-Apr-2020 08:32 | TigerTimon | Updated [Other fatalities, Location, Source, Narrative] |
| 27-Mar-2022 07:27 | Rob Davis | Updated [Narrative] |
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