Accident Short Stirling Mk III BF534, Wednesday 26 May 1943
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Date:Wednesday 26 May 1943
Time:01:52
Type:Silhouette image of generic strl model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Short Stirling Mk III
Owner/operator:15 Sqn RAF
Registration: BF534
MSN:
Fatalities:Fatalities: 7 / Occupants: 7
Other fatalities:14
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Location:near Lorsbeck, south of Jülich, Nordrhein-Westfalen -   Germany
Phase: Combat
Nature:Military
Departure airport:RAF Mildenhall
Destination airport:
Narrative:
At 01:51, night fighter pilot Major Walter Ehle shot down 77 Squadron Halifax JB837. The aircraft exploded with a full bomb load with such force that the two Stirlings flying close by, 15 Squadron BF534 and 7 Squadron EF361, were both knocked down, both crashing south of Jülich. Ehle was credited for all three victories by the Luftwaffe.

Target: Düsseldorf
Call Sign: LS-L
Takeoff time: 23:57

Crew:-
Pilot : Flying Officer Ivan Samuel Thomson RCAF J/15487 [Killed]
Flight Engineer : Sergeant Dennis Patrick O'Riordan RAF 549434 [Killed]
Observer : Warrant Officer Class II Charles Thomas Smith RCAF R/84977 [Killed]
Bomb Aimer : Pilot Officer Raymond Edgar Newman RAFVR 136531 (NCO:702224 : Commission Gazetted Tuesday 30 March, 1943) [Killed]
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner : Sergeant Hugh John Morris RAFVR 1370964 [Killed]
Mid-Upper Gunner : Sergeant Thomas Charles Lewis Orchard RAFVR 1609625 [Killed]
Rear Gunner : Sergeant Leonard Ray Smith RAFVR 1446946 [Killed]

All lie at the Rheinberg War Cemetery, Germany (51.529254 / 6.564161)

Sources:

Nachtjagd Combat Archive 1943 Part One
http://www.aircrewremembered.com/AlliedLossesIncidents/?q=BF534
Rob Davis Bomber Command Losses Database http://robdavistelford.co.uk/webspace/raf_bc

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
24-May-2018 18:51 TigerTimon Added
28-May-2018 16:49 TigerTimon Updated [Other fatalities, Location, Narrative, ]
06-Nov-2018 20:06 Nepa Updated [Operator, Operator, ]
19-Mar-2025 07:29 Rob Davis Updated [Source, Narrative, ]

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