ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 204705
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| Date: | Wednesday 13 June 1945 |
| Time: | 00:30 |
| Type: |  Consolidated Liberator Mk VI |
| Owner/operator: | 358 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | KH252 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 7 / Occupants: 9 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | near Feni (then in East Bengal, India) -
 Bangladesh
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Jessore |
In June 1945 monsoon conditions seriously hindered the activity of 358 Sqn RAF, whose main duty was the long-range delivery of supplies, arms and agents to insurgent forces in Japanese-held Southeast Asia. Only 78 sorties were flown during the month and only 33.5 were completed, a percentage of 43.9 of successful missions that was the lowest monthly figure since the squadron had been formed in November 1944. Worse was the loss during the month of four Liberators and 23 men (15 KIFA and 8 MIA).
One of these losses was the Liberator VI KH252. It took from Jessore airfield at 1133 hrs on the 12th for an air-drop sortie but did not return to base. Information was received from Group Headquarters that this aircraft crashed in bad weather near Feni, East Bengal at approximately 0030 hours on 13th. The aircraft was a total loss (Cat. E.O. Burnt - total). Of the crew of 8 aircrew of 358 Sqn and one American passenger, six were killed and one died of wounds.
Crew
Flt Sgt. Geoffrey Edwin Staines (pilot) KIFA
Sgt Stanley Hinds (2nd pilot) seriously WIFA, DOW on the 14th
Flg Off John Edward Ede (air bomber) KIFA
Flt Sgt Donald Rose (navigator) KIFA
Sgt John Lawrence Humphreys (wireless operator/air gunner) KIFA
Sgt L Simpson (wireless operator/air gunner) seriously WIFA
Sgt Geoffrey Samuel Crosse (air gunner) KIFA
Sgt R Cressley (despatcher) WIFA
Cpl Donald C MacFarlane (passenger, photographer, of Headquarters Detachment, Office of Strategic Service) KIFA
All the deceased personnel were interred in the RAF Cemetery, Feni, East Bengal at 1700 hrs on the 14th.
The three survivors were flown by 12th Bomb Group USAAF who gave every assistance possible, to Comilla, where they were admitted to hospital. Hinds died of his wounds at 0415 hours on the 14th.
An investigation was ordered. The apparent conclusion was that KH252 flew into ground in bad weather.
Note: while the ORB of 358 Sqn says that the crew was made of 8 airmen from 358 Sqn, the CGC database lists four of the dead (Staines, Rose, Humphreys and Crosse) as belonging to 356 Sqn, another Liberator squadron serving in the area, but not from the same base.
Sources:
ORB of 358 Sqn RAF, June 1945 (available online at http://www.rquirk.com/358oper/358jun45f540.pdf)
http://www.rquirk.com/lib358.html
http://www.rafcommands.com/database/losses/details.php?uniq=KH252
https://www.cwgc.org/find/find-war-dead
http://www.specialforcesroh.com/archive/index.php/t-474.html?s=09cad89f5cc1e864c29b613404d85afe
"Air War for Burma", by Christopher Shores. ISBN 1-904010-95-4
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feni,_Bangladesh
http://www.maplandia.com/bangladesh/chittagong-div/feni-zl/feni/
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 19-Jan-2018 15:51 | Laurent Rizzotti | Added |
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