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| Date: | Saturday 1 August 1942 |
| Time: | 03:45 claim |
| Type: |  Armstrong Whitworth Whitley Mk V |
| Owner/operator: | 24 OTU RAF |
| Registration: | BD347 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 4 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Bois de Soleilmont, Fleurus, Hainaut -
 Belgium
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Honeybourne, Worcestershire |
Takeoff at 23:40 hrs for an operation to Düsseldorf in Germany.
Homeward-bound, the aircraft was shot down by the night fighter crew of Leutnant Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer & Unteroffizier Fritz Rumpelhardt of the Stab II./NJG 1, who were flying Bf 110 F-4 G9+DC from St Trond (Sint-Truiden) airfield.
The three survivors evaded capture via the Comète Line and returned to the UK on 8 September.
Crew:-
Pilot : Pilot Officer Geoffrey Silva RAAF Aus/402258 [Evaded]
Rear Gunner : Sergeant William Thomas Whiting RAFVR 1180652 [Killed] Gosselies Communal Cemetery, Belgium (50.463982 / 4.439499)
Sergeant J B R Black RAF 1251740 [Evaded]
Sergeant Arthur James Whicher RAF 1168872 (Officer:181120 : Commission Gazetted Tuesday 27 June, 1944) [Evaded]
Sources:
Nachtjagd Combat Archive The Early Years part three
https://luchtvaartgeschiedenis.be/content/whitley-bij-fleurus
http://www.aircrewremembered.com/AlliedLossesIncidents/?q=BD347
Google Maps
Rob Davis Bomber Command Losses Database http://robdavistelford.co.uk/webspace/raf_bc
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 13-May-2020 13:46 | TigerTimon | Added |
| 05-Nov-2022 10:06 | Ron Averes | Updated [Location, ] |
| 10-Mar-2025 07:38 | Rob Davis | Updated [Source, Narrative, ] |
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