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Date: | Friday 19 July 1940 |
Time: | night |
Type: | Vickers Wellington Mk 1a |
Owner/operator: | 115 Sqn RAF |
Registration: | P9227 |
MSN: | KO-C |
Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 6 |
Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
Location: | Klein-Henstedt, 10 km NNE of Wildeshausen, Oldenburg, Lower Saxony -
Germany
|
Phase: | Combat |
Nature: | Military |
Departure airport: | RAF Marham, Norfolk |
Destination airport: | |
Narrative:Vickers Wellington Mk.1a P9227 (KO-C) 115 Squadron, RAF: Written off (destroyed) when lost (Failed To Return) from combat operations over Germany. All six crew survived, but were captured, and taken PoWs. According to the official Air Ministry file into the incident (File AIR 81/1144): "Wellington P9227 crashed near Oldenburg, Germany, 19 July 1940. Pilot Officer W H C Hunkin, Pilot Officer J Barker, Sergeant G Clark, Sergeant H Dickson, Sergeant J J MacGregor and Sergeant A Colley: prisoners of war".
Took off from RAF Marham, Norfolk on the evening of 18 July 1940. Target: Bremen. Believed shot down by Flak/AAA and crashed at Klein-Henstedt, 10 km North North East of Wildeshausen, near Oldenburg, Germany in the early hours of July 19. All six crew bailed out safely, but were captured and taken as PoWs
Crew of Wellington P9227
Pilot Officer William Henry Clement Hunkin (Pilot) RAF 42231; survived, captured, became PoW. Interned in PoW Camps Stalg Luft Sagan, and Bellaris as PoW No. 125 (Commission Gazetted : Friday 02 February, 1940)
Pilot Officer Joseph Barker (2nd Pilot) RAF 40595; survived, captured, became PoW. Interned in PoW Camps Stalg Luft Sagan, and Bellaris as PoW No. 1370
Sergeant G Clark (Observer) RAF 751734; survived, captured, became PoW. Interned in PoW Camp Stalag Luft Heydekrug as PoW No. 143
Sergeant H Dickson (Air Gunner) RAF 748612; Survived, captured, became PoW. Interned in PoW Camp Stalag Luft Heydekrug as PoW No. 152
Sergeant J J MacGregor (Wireless Op./Air Gunner) RAF 627720; survived, captured, became PoW. Interned in PoW Camp Stalag Luft Heydekrug as PoW No. 135
Sergeant A G S Colley (Wireless Op./Air Gunner) RAF 643725; survived, captured, became PoW. Interned in PoW Camps Stalg Luft Sagan, and Bellaris as PoW No. 142
All six crew survived the war, and were promoted while in captivity; all four Sergeants were promoted to Warrant Officers, and the two pilots from Pilot Officer to Flight Lieutenant. Pilot Officer Barker stayed in the RAF post war, and retired on 23 January 1949 as a Squadron Leader
The reported crash location of Klein Henstedt is a district of the community of Prinzhöfte, which belongs to the municipality of Harpstedt in the district of Oldenburg in Lower Saxony, at approximate Coordinates: 52°57'50"N, 8°33'8"E.
Sources:
1. Royal Air Force Aircraft P1000-P9999 (James J Halley Air Britain, 1978 p 51)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/1144:
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14503083 3.
https://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/showpost.php?s=982c7a2a8da6fb0b31434134255ad98d&p=1937343&postcount=31 4.
http://aircrewremembered.com/hunkin-william.html 5.
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klein_Henstedt 6. Rob Davis Bomber Command Losses Database
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft Revision history:
Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
17-Oct-2019 17:04 |
Dr. John Smith |
Added |
17-Oct-2019 17:09 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated [Location, Source, Narrative] |
17-Oct-2019 17:09 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated [Narrative] |
17-Oct-2019 17:12 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated [Narrative] |
27-Oct-2019 22:23 |
Anon. |
Updated [Operator, Operator] |
18-Jul-2023 06:43 |
Rob Davis |
Updated [[Operator, Operator]] |