Wellington R1397 crashed in the Dutch village of Kleiterp

The Wellington R1397 took off from the RAF base Elsham Wolds in Lincolnshire on July, 24, 1941 precisely around 11.30 pm. The mission was to raid a strategic target on the docks at Emden in Germany. On board the Wellington, Sgt. Cox and Sgt. Williams was the Captain of the aircraft Officer Mervin Lund, 23, from New Zealand and his co-pilot Sergeant Arthur Owen, 24 from Birmingham. Other crewmembers included gunner and wireless operator Sergeant Alfred Le Poidevin, 24, from Jersey and Sergeant Frank Walker, 30, who was a rear gunner from East Horn sea, Yorkshire.

All the men were well trained and had already flown half a dozen times on various sorties targeting a number of German targets. On the fateful day, the Wellington R1397 crew had successfully bombed the docks, however on their way back to the base their aircraft was shot down by a German night fighter. The aircraft crashed in the Dutch village of Kleiterp, killing everyone on board, the Sunday Express reports. The treasurer of Stitching Missing Airmen Memorial Foundation Mr. DouweDrijver said that his team spent more then fifteen years to uncover the mystery shrouding the Wellington crash of 24, July 1941. He added that their aim was to provide the families of the airmen some comfort and a definite answer for the questions about the final moments of their loved ones.

Source SGLO, warhistoryonline.com, aircrewremembered.com

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Day or Night of operation Operation Target 24/25 Jul 41 - Emden Factory Aircraft Mk Serial/Wnr. Call Sign Unit Air Force TO/t Airfield Vickers Wellington Ic R1397 PM- 103 Sqdn RAF 2340 Elsham Wolds Time Cause of the Crash Crash Location Damage Province 0354 Shot down by NF Oblt. Lent of 4./NJG 1 Crashed between Bozum and Oosterwierum   Friesland Source Mag / Page Additional sources SGLO Contact page website   H. Welting SGLO; Chorley W.R. Bomber Command Losses 1941, p102.

Function Mil Rank Ini Name Hon Mil reg Air Force Cemetery Grave Remark Pilot P/O. M.S. Lund   40979 RNzAF Leeuwarden 1 1 Former RM 63, officially identified 15 Sep 2015 Co-Pilot Sgt. A.E. Owen   1163347 RAF Leeuwarden 1 1 Former RM 49, officially identified 15 Sep 2015 Observer Sgt. J.J. Cox   921698 RAF Leeuwarden 1 1 Former RM 41, officially identified 15 Sep 2015 Bomb aimer Sgt. R.P. Williams   1251179 RAF Leeuwarden 1 1 Former RM 55, officially identified 15 Sep 2015 Wo ag Sgt. A.J. Le Poidevin   924197 RAF Leeuwarden 1 1 Former RM 47, officially identified 15 Sep 2015 Air gunner Sgt. F.G. Walker   1019154 RAF Leeuwarden 1 3 Former RM 54, officially identified 15 Sep 2015