Date:	Sunday 31 May 1942
Time:	01:17 LT
Type:	Short Stirling Mk I
Owner/operator:	214 (Federated Malay States) Sqn RAF
Registration:	W7534
MSN:	BU-E
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 8 / Occupants: 8
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	near Gelsenkirchen-Buer, Nordrhein-Westfalen -   Germany
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Stradishall
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Operation - first 1000 bomber raid with target Köln, Nordrhein-Westfalen.
The aircraft was hit by heavy (schwere) Flak and crashed.
None of the crew survived. They were reportedly buried at Gelsenkirchen-Hüllen.
A report from Flt Lt Brian Frow flying a Hamden from 408 Squadron stated that shortly after passing München-Gladbach he had seen two aircraft collide. He stated that he had seen a Wellington climbing, possibly to avoid flak, and collide with a Stirling from below severing the Stirlings tail. Both aircraft had plunged downwards, the Wellington exploding in mid-air whilst the Stirling exploded on impact with the ground. It is likely that the aircraft involved were Stirling W7534 of 214 Squadron and Wellington X3670 from 101 Squadron based at RAF Bourn whose crew of 5 were lost without trace.

Pilot:109483 Plt Off Harry Dent - Reichswald Forest War Cemetery Coll. grave 19. E. 7-14.
Pilot:400481 Flt Sgt C H Muir RAAF - Reichswald Forest War Cemetery Coll. grave 19. E. 7-14.
Flight Engineer:523187 Sgt Richard Sweet Cruise - Reichswald Forest War Cemetery Coll. grave 19. E. 7-14.
Observer:112742 Plt Off Sydney Stephen Dimond - Reichswald Forest War Cemetery Coll. grave 19. E. 7-14.
Wireless Operator/Air Gunner:932988 Sgt Geoffrey Charles Bunning - Reichswald Forest War Cemetery Coll. grave 19. E. 7-14.
Wireless Operator/Air Gunner:1375601 Sgt John Henry Munday - Reichswald Forest War Cemetery Coll. grave 19. E. 7-14.
Air Gunner:109519 Plt Off William Davies - Reichswald Forest War Cemetery Coll. grave 19. E. 7-14.
Air Gunner: 1081837 Sgt Patrick Gerald McGrath - Reichswald Forest War Cemetery Coll. grave 19. E. 7-14.

214 Squadron Association
Nachtjagd Combat Archive The Early Years part three
Google Maps
RAAF FATALITIES IN SECOND WORLD WAR AMONG RAAF PERSONNEL SERVING ON ATTACHMENT IN ROYAL AIR FORCE SQUADRONS AND SUPPORT UNITS
CWGC

Other occurrences involving this aircraft

7 June 1942	N3761	214 (Federated Malay States) Sqn RAF	8	North Sea W of Terschelling, Friesland		w/o
28 September 1943	EF402	214 (Federated Malay States) Sqn RAF	0	field near Galtho Hede, Ølgod, Syddanmark		w/o

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
03-Jan-2018 21:51	Red Dragon	Added
03-Jan-2018 21:53	Red Dragon	Updated [Country]
29-Jun-2018 06:50	ehren69	Updated [Location, Narrative]
04-Oct-2018 14:58	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Destination airport, Operator]
20-Apr-2020 19:00	TigerTimon	Updated [Time, Other fatalities, Location, Phase, Source, Narrative, Plane category]
20-Apr-2020 19:00	TigerTimon	Updated [Narrative]