Luftwaffe combat reports Belgium 25/26 June 1942
 

Hi everyone,

I've been doing some research about my Great Uncle who was in the RAF. He went down with his Vickers Wellington bomber in or near Heligoland Bight on the night of 25/26 June 1942 while on a 1000 bomber raid to Bremen.
Since they went down over the sea, it stands to reason that they were most likely brought down by night fighters, and before I start looking at anything else, I want to check eliminate/confirm this possibility.

So where would I start? Would combat reports be a good place? Or what night fighter units were operating in that area at that time? I really have no idea.

Any advice would be most helpful.

Thanks in advance,
Nyle

Re: Luftwaffe combat reports Belgium 25/26 June 1942
 

Best starting point would be Theo Boitens's Nachtjagd War Diaries. Combat reports are almost non-existent but claims details do exist. The ac could have been damaged by flak & subsequently crashed

Re: Luftwaffe combat reports Belgium 25/26 June 1942
 

Thanks Chris,

I'll look that up.

There could have been many possibilities about when and how the plane came down, but seeing as there is no detail on any of it, I have to start with the most likely scenario first.
The reasons I think it was a fighter than shot it down were;
a) There were no survivors
b) There was no known distress or radio messages sent out
c) 3 of the crew washed up separately over a large area while the remaining crew were never found

In my mind, a fighter attack seems the most logical fitting with what is known. But I could very well be wrong hence wanting to research it and find out.

Will try and obtain a copy of that book and will see where we go from there.

If anyone already has a copy of the book, then I'll put my Great Uncle's details here in case someone already knows:

William Harvey Flower (Sergeant)
5 January 1920- 26 June 1942
Serial Number 412472
Wireless Operator, Vickers Wellington MK1C serial number DV778 KJ-A
Base: Steeple Morden (satellite airfield) 11 Operational Training Unit
Raid on Bremen, Germany 25/6/42-26/6/42
1000 Bomber raid.
Take off: 2314
Missing in action. Presumed Killed North Sea 26/6/42
Panel 117 Runnymeade Memorial Surrey

Crew of Wellington MK1C DV778/A
Sgt J C Cubitt.
Sgt W H Fowler RNZAF.
Sgt R J Amish RNZAF.
Sgt S L Wilton RNZAF.
F/Sgt F W Mutton.
Sgt R J Parish RNZAF

Summary of facts
For Your Tomorrow - A record of New Zealanders who have died while serving with the RNZAF and Allied Air Services since 1915 (Volume Two: Fates 1915-1943) :

Thu 25/Fri 26 Jun 1942
Bomber Command
Raid on Bremen, Germany (by 960 aircraft - 50 lost)
11 Operational Training Unit, RAF (Bassingbourn, Cambridgeshire - 91 Group)
Wellington IC DV778/A - took off at 2314 captained by Sgt J C Cubitt, RAF, on same raid as the above, and brought down into the sea in or near the Heligoland Bight. The captain and navigator Flower are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. The body of navigator Parish later washed ashore near Cuxhaven and was buried there, but later reinterred at Becklingen, 17km south of Soltau. The New Zealand wireless operator-air gunner was recovered from the harbour entrance at Westeraccumersiel, opposite the island of Langeoog, and buried at Wittmund alongside the body of an RAF crew member, but both were later reinterred at Sage, 24km south of Oldenburg
Navigator(?): NZ412472 Sgt William Harvey FLOWER, RNZAF - Age 22. 75hrs. 1st op.

Thanks for your help!

Nyle

Re: Luftwaffe combat reports Belgium 25/26 June 1942
 

Hello ,

Unfortenally there is no sign of this Wellington mentioned in Theo Boitens's Nachtjagd War Diaries.

Greets
Alain57

Re: Luftwaffe combat reports Belgium 25/26 June 1942
 

As I suspected, the cause for the loss will probably remain a mystery. Always difficult for Theo on busy nights & over the sea