Short Stirling I (R9160 HA-G) on a mission to Kassel on 1942-08-28

On Thursday, 27 August 1942, (a part of) the aircraft of the 218 squadron (RAF), took off for a mission to Kassel in Germany from a station (airfield) in or near Downham Market.
One of the crew members was Flight Sergeant J R Bird. He departed for his mission at 20:45.
He flew with a Short Stirling (type I, with serial R9160 and code HA-G). His mission and of the other crew members was planned for Friday, 28 August 1942.

Information by the SGLO:

More photos (click to enlarge) by Selwyn Berriman Morgan:

1 Portrait of William as a newly promoted officer
2 William (seated) with two of his crew standing behind?  (perhaps someone will identify them).
3 Telegram to the family. William missing in action.  William had lost his life, as did all his crew members, on the 28/08/1942.  His plane, a Short Stirling bomber was shot down by a German night fighter piloted by Ludwig Becker.  The bomber was lost into the north sea.
4  William at Cranwell.  This must have been his Operational Training Unit.  Again, there are many faces that may be recognised.  William is 4th from left, front row.

Information about aircraft who did not return from this mission can be found here. Information about the other crew members on this flight can be found at this website (Aircrew Remembered). This website also provides the flight information for this record.

This record can also be found on the maps of Back to Normandy with Google coordinates. You can find the maps by clicking on this link on this location.

There are several possibilities in investigating the flight records on Back to Normandy. All the flights are plotted on maps, sorted " day by day", "by squadron", "by type aircraft", "by year or month", "by location" and much more! Don't miss this!!!

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