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| Date: | Thursday 27 August 1942 |
| Time: | 23:18 LT |
| Type: |  Short Stirling Mk I |
| Owner/operator: | 15 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | BF327 |
| MSN: | LS-D |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 7 / Occupants: 7 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Beusichem, Gelderland -
 Netherlands
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Bourn |
Took off from RAF Bourn at 20:45 hrs local time for an operation to Kassel in Germany.
Outward-bound, the aircraft was shot down by night fighter pilot Hauptmann Erich Simon of the Stab III./NJG 2, who was flying a Ju 88 C-6 from Gilze-Rijen airfield - (claim) 6 km east of Culemborg: 3,000m at 23:18; crashed at Beusichem, on the south bank of the Lek river.
All seven rest in the Amersfoort (Oud Leusden) General Cemetery (Utrecht province):
Crew:-
Pilot: 11299 Plt Off John Riley Thornton - Amersfoort (Oud Leusden) General Cemetery Plot 13 Row 4 Grave 60.
Flight Engineer: 610971 Sgt Williams Richard Hopkins - Amersfoort (Oud Leusden) General Cemetery Plot 13 Row 4 Grave 58.
Observer: 1495772 Sgt Herbert Clegg - Amersfoort (Oud Leusden) General Cemetery Plot 13 Row 4 Grave 57.
Observer: 118620 Plt Off John Wheelhouse Frazer - Amersfoort (Oud Leusden) General Cemetery Plot 13 Row 4 Grave 55 (NCO:1387440 Commission Gazetted : Tuesday 27 October, 1942)
Wireless Operator/Air Gunner: 1119750 Sgt Marcus Heppell Burtt 1119750 RAF Amersfoort (Oud Leusden) General Cemetery Plot 13 Row 4 Grave 56.
Wireless Operator/Air Gunner: 591580 Sgt Edward William Margetts - Amersfoort (Oud Leusden) General Cemetery Plot 13 Row 4 Grave 54.
Air Gunner: J/15164 Plt Off Dennis Stanley Masur (South Africa) RCAF - Amersfoort (Oud Leusden) General Cemetery Plot 13 Row 4 Grave 59.
Sources:
http://verliesregister.studiegroepluchtoorlog.nl/item2.php?SGLO=T1785
http://www.oorlogsslachtoffersgemeenteburen.nl/gesn._geallieerde_militairen/crash_Beusichem_27-08-1942.htm
Nachtjagd Combat Archive The Early Years part three
Google Maps
Rob Davis Bomber Command Losses Database http://robdavistelford.co.uk/webspace/raf_bc
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 17-Dec-2008 11:45 | ASN archive | Added |
| 16-Feb-2015 09:08 | gerard57 | Updated [Time, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 04-Mar-2015 14:31 | AlLah | Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Departure airport, Narrative, ] |
| 26-Aug-2017 21:58 | TigerTimon | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 06-Nov-2018 20:41 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Destination airport, Operator, ] |
| 13-Jul-2019 17:54 | Anon. | Updated [Cn, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Narrative, ] |
| 19-May-2020 12:37 | TigerTimon | Updated [Time, Other fatalities, Location, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 31-Jul-2025 06:40 | Rob Davis | Updated [Source, Narrative, ] |
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