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| Date: | Monday 8 March 1943 |
| Time: | 22:13 |
| Type: |  Short Stirling Mk III |
| Owner/operator: | 15 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | BK697 |
| MSN: | LS-P |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 6 / Occupants: 7 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Champneuville, northwest of Verdun, Meuse, Grand Est -
 France
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Bourn |
| Nurnberg |
Took off from RAF Bourn at 19:36.
Claim by Lt Helmut Bergmann Stab III/NJG4 - Champville North West of Verdun (8 B): 3,700m at 22:13.
Sgt Reid RCAF was captured on 9 April 1943 at Verdun. Admitted to hospital with Dysentery caused by Malnutrition March 1945 - April 1945. He stated that he received adequate medical treatment. After landing by parachute I was free for 24 hours. Taken by French Police travelling after curfew. They were friendly but we could not understand one another so consequently they handed me over to the Luftwaffe.
Crew
Pilot: J/16519 Plt Off Jack Graham Ripley RCAF - Verdun-Sur-Meuse (Faubourg Pave) French
National Cemetery Allied Plot Grave 3.
Flight Engineer: 653824 Sgt James Francis Farrelly - Verdun-Sur-Meuse (Faubourg Pave) French National Cemetery Allied Plot Grave 6.
Navigator: R/93534 Sgt Archie Melrose Reid RCAF - PoW/Dulag Luft Frankfurt/Stalag 344 Lamsdorf/IXC Reserve Lazarett Meiningen/PoW Number 27735.
Bomb Aimer: R/106054 Sgt Arthur James Bagg RCAF - Verdun-Sur-Meuse (Faubourg Pave) French National Cemetery Allied Plot Grave 5.
Wireless Operator: 1109609 Flt Sgt Clifford Burkill - Verdun-Sur-Meuse (Faubourg Pave) French National Cemetery Allied Plot Grave 4.
Mid Upper Gunner: R/103796 Flt Sgt Elmer Keith Matlock RCAF - Verdun-Sur-Meuse (Faubourg Pave) French National Cemetery Allied Plot Grave 1.
Rear Gunner: J/11120 Fg Off Lester McBride Wadman RCAF - Verdun-Sur-Meuse (Faubourg Pave) French National Cemetery Allied Plot Grave 2.
Sources:
Nachtjagd Combat Archive 1943 Part One
http://www.aircrewremembered.com/AlliedLossesIncidents/?q=BK697
http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gliederungen/Nachtjagdgeschwader/NJG4.htm
Rob Davis Bomber Command Losses Database
CWGC
PoW Questionnaire
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 07-Mar-2018 08:47 | TigerTimon | Added |
| 07-Mar-2018 09:20 | TigerTimon | Updated [Location, ] |
| 03-Nov-2018 20:56 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Operator, ] |
| 26-Dec-2018 18:39 | TigerTimon | Updated [Cn, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Location, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 08-Mar-2024 08:06 | Rob Davis | Updated [Source, Narrative, ] |
| 06-Jul-2025 15:25 | Anon. | Updated [Destination airport, Source, Narrative, ] |
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