Accident Short Stirling Mk I W7530, Sunday 21 June 1942
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Date:Sunday 21 June 1942
Time:01:50
Type:Silhouette image of generic strl model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Short Stirling Mk I
Owner/operator:218 (Gold Coast) Sqn RAF
Registration: W7530
MSN: HA-Q
Fatalities:Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 8
Other fatalities:0
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Location:NW of Wognum, Noord-Holland -   Netherlands
Phase: Combat
Nature:Military
Departure airport:RAF Marham
Destination airport:
Narrative:
Takeoff at 23:30 hrs for an operation to Emden in Germany.
Homeward-bound, the aircraft was shot down by night fighter pilot Leutnant Johannes Werth of the 7./NJG 2 based at Gilze-Rijen airfield, who was flying a Ju 88 C-6 - (claim) 4 km NW of Wognum NW of Hoorn.

Crew:-
Pilot:76467 Sqn Ldr Harold John Vincent Ashworth DFC - killed (Commission Gazetted : Friday 05 January, 1940)
Flight Engineer:78847 Flt Lt Desmond Lancelot Plunkett PoW (NCO:740497 Commission Gazetted : Tuesday 21 May, 1940)
Navigator: 620195 Sgt Willaim John Hayden PoW Stalag 357 Kopernikus. PoW Number 321.
Bomb Aimer:104402 Plt Off Alan William Green PoW Stalag Luft 3 Zagan & Belaria. PoW Number 287 (NCO:1150518 Commission Gazetted : Friday 19 September, 1941)
Wireless Operator:80197 Plt Off Reginald Horace Attwood (Southern Rhodesia) PoW Stalag Luft 3 Zagan & Belaria. PoW Number 283 (NCO:777853 Commission Gazetted : Tuesday 09 December, 1941)
Wireless Operator/Air Gunner:994746 Sgt William Edwin Whitehead - Bergen General Cemetery Plot 1. Row C. Grave 10.
Wireless Operator/Air Gunner:1108788 Sgt William Rebecca Watt - Bergen General Cemetery Plot 1. Row C. Grave 17.
Air Gunner:537282 Sgt Thomas Mulroy PoW Stalag 357 Kopernikus. PoW Number 343.

Des Plunkett, described as "a nuggety little man with a fierce moustache" was map-maker to the Great Escape and died on 14th February 2002.

The three casualties lie at the Bergen General Cemetery, Netherlands (52.677925 / 4.710805)

Sources:

http://verliesregister.studiegroepluchtoorlog.nl/item2.php?SGLO=T1616
Nachtjagd Combat Archive The Early Years part three
Google Maps
CWGC
RAF Prisoners of War
Rob Davis Bomber Command Losses Database http://robdavistelford.co.uk/webspace/raf_bc

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
17-Dec-2008 11:45 ASN archive Added
19-Jun-2017 09:00 TigerTimon Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, ]
15-Jan-2018 18:42 XindelX Updated [Cn, Operator, Destination airport, Narrative, ]
19-Jan-2018 17:43 Red Dragon Updated [Operator, Location, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, ]
20-Feb-2018 19:40 Nepa Updated [Operator, Location, Destination airport, Narrative, ]
23-Oct-2018 20:41 Nepa Updated [Operator, Operator, ]
01-May-2020 09:21 TigerTimon Updated [Other fatalities, Location, Source, Narrative, ]
22-Jun-2022 17:06 Ron Averes Updated [Location, ]
26-Mar-2025 07:49 Rob Davis Updated [Source, Narrative, ]

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