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AM 198 CRUPPER 10 (GOLDEN EAGLE) 2 GRÅKOLL – 31. desember 1944
Beskrivelse
Særmelding BBC : "Sleip som lim"
Code : C Signal bakke: A Signal fly: R
CON PAK M HD CRS SPD LAND . MERKNAD
16 3 FS *
15 400 320 150 06:39 /LU/CR9
Squad: RAF 138
**1: F/O MCGREGOR Raymond Stirling IV LK283 NF-J
***2: F/O STRATHY Sgt Sibley
Out: 18:40 - DROP 02:47
2. Pinpoint identified but lights over rather poor - all white - .Correct letter was flashed. Load dropped from 400 feet above ground, heading 320 deg at 150 mpm\h.
Crew:
- 1
- F/O McGregor Raymond Pilot
- F/O COMER George Allen (AUS) Nav
- HARRIS George Warrant Officer
- W/O HARRISON Geoffrey F/Eng
- F/Sgt KENNINGHAM Derek Allen W/O Air
- Sgt PERKINS David James A/G
- Sgt WARD Richard Edward A/G
- 2
- F/O Strathy B V C (Can) Pilot
- W/O Cotton J P (Can) Air bomber
- F/O Isalter O J (Can) Nav
- F/S Taylor S W/Op
- Sgt Sibley J F A/G
- F/Sgt Isalsh J H (Can) Rear gunner
- Sgt Byers J F Eng
** Aircraft missing - no news from it after take-off.
***Operation completed-. One container hang up.
**+***ORB RAF 138 The National Archives
*) 30/31 December 1944 - 138 Squadron - Stirling LK283 - NF-L Lost at sea having taken ship-borne flak. Operation CRUPPER 10.
*) 30. desember kom særmeldingen som nå var endret til "Sleip som lim" fra BBC. To fly startet igjen fra Tempsford, og det ene slapp lasten sin over Gråkoll klokken 02.37. Det andre gikk tappt over Nordsjøen.
*) Stirling LK283 NF-L
COMER George Allen Flying Officer, Royal Australian Air Force. Died on Sunday 31st December 1944. Aged 22. Son of Sydney Augustus George Comer, and of Pearl Elizabeth Comer, of Dapto, New South Wales, Australia. B.Sc., Hons. (Sydney). Commemorated on RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL, Surrey. Panel 257.
HARRIS George Warrant Officer (Bomb Aimer) 1485057, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Died on Sunday 31st December 1944. Aged 21. Son of Daniel and Winifred Harris, of Preston, Lancashire. Commemorated on RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL, Surrey. Panel 213.
HARRISON Geoffrey Sergeant 22059921, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Died on Sunday 31st December 1944. Aged 19. Son of Stanley Harrison, and of May Harrison, of Cleveleys, Lancashire. Commemorated on RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL, Surrey. Panel 231.
KENNINGHAM Derek Allen Flight Sergeant 1805144, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Died on Sunday 31st December 1944. Commemorated on RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL, Surrey. Panel 219.
McGREGOR Raymond Flight Lieutenant 412709, Royal New Zealand Air Force. Pilot. Died on Sunday 31st December 1944. Aged 24. Son of John and Gertrude McGregor, of Mount Eden, Auckland, New Zealand. Commemorated on RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL, Surrey. Panel 262.
PERKINS David JamesSergeant 1896164, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Died on Sunday 31st December 1944. Commemorated on RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL, Surrey. Panel 236.
WARD Richard Edward Sergeant 1898016, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Died on Sunday 31st December 1944. Son of William Richard and Jessie Ward; husband of Florence Dorothy Ward, of East Acton, London. Commemorated on RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL, Surrey. Panel 239.
All commemorated on Runnymede Memorial, UKT/O Tempsford 2114 hrs
aircraft lost at sea off Denmark having taken ship-borne flak on Operation
CRUPPER 10, Norway.
Fra London 1.jan AS
Mottok du to fly natt mellem 30te og 31te til C
for Charlie. Et fly returnerte ikke.
From Forums:
There were 2 Stirling lost on the 30/31 December 1944 while flying missions to 'Crupper' Dropping Zone:
Crupper 10 - Stirling LK283 (pilot F/O Mc Gregor) of 138 Squadron on 31 December 1944 - Lost without traces with 7 airmen onboard.
Crupper 30 - Stirling LJ914 (pilot F/O Waring) of 620 Squadron on 31 December 1944 - Lost at sea with 6 airmen onboard.
Here is a part of the infos I found in the excellent book of Dennis Williams (Stirlings in action with the Airborne Forces). I'll can scan you all the page if you want:
Larry Siegert of 190 squadron who flew to Norway this night together with 620 Squadron (there were 4 aircraft of 190 Squadron and 4 aircraft of 620 squadron detailed this night to Norway Dropping Zones 'Bit' Crupper' and Snaffle') remembered that he was horrified to see streams of tracer going up ahead of him and then an aircraft on fire plunging down in the water. So according to him this aircraft was LJ914 which was destroyed by flak.
Ken Wilson of 620 Squadron also flew the mission that night and he also remembered that at the mouth of Skaggerak there was suddenly a very fierce display of tracer fire and klak bursting at low altitude which 'marked the end of his of his very dear friend Freddie Waring and his crew'. He also remembered that they had tossed up for who should take off first - and Freddie won. Freddie's aircraft went down in a ball of fire with no hope of survival for the crew in the freezing waters of the North Sea.
It was Ken Wilson who had the daunting task of telling the sad news to Freddie's wife, who was pregnant with her first child.
To had infos, the flak who probably shot down the 2 Stirlings this night probably came from flak ships which layed alond the Norwegian coast and this ships changed their positions continually.
Steder
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| RAF Commands Wardead | Se mer |
| Aircraft Lost On Allied Forces Special Duty Operations s 463 | Se mer |
| Bjørn Geirr Harsson og Per Chr Hurum; De kom om natten, Fallskjermslipp til Milorg D14-2 i 1942-45 | Se mer |
| RAF commands Forum | Se mer |
| Roll of Honour | Se mer |
| The National Archives | Se mer |