[G. Warrener]

Originally Posted by Henk Welting

Wreckage and remains of pilot found last week (1st week of July 2005) in Datteln !
F/Lt John L. WILSON - RAAF 412788 - lies buried Plot 18 Row A Grave 16 in the Reichswald Forest War Cemetery.
Please explain.
Regards,
Henk.

Hello

During the 1st week of July, wreckage of this Halifax was discovered at the junction of Wiessenstrasse and Südring in Datteln. A sports centre is being constructed on this site. Human remains were discovered, which were identified as being from J. L. Wilson. These remains are now in the possesion of the Australian Embassy in Germany, the Embassy decides if & when burial in the existing grave at the Reichswald shall be made.

Local air-war historian Andreas Wachtel has contacted the last survivor of the crew, James Hopkins, aged 84 and residing in Birmingham UK.

Mr Hopkins desribes the mission as follows.

The aircraft was only a month old. During the outward flight, one of the motors caught fire. The hydraulic systems also failed, forcing manual operation of many functions. The extra efforts necessary were unpleasant as the sweat then froze! The pilot was permanently using the rudders to effect any effective control over the aircraft. Nonetheless Berlin was reached, and bombed, after which the return flight to England was commenced. This should have taken the aeroplane nearer to Cologne, but it strayed off track, loss height and was caught by the flak over Datteln. Hopkins recalls that prior to the mission the undercarriage had been fully overhauled, but subsequent re-calibration of the compass was possibly not executed – which would explain why the aircraft was on a heading too far north.

After being hit by flak, the pilot ordered the crew to jump, but remained at his post so that they could do so – thus sacrificing himself.

Graham

ps

At time of writing a large pink lily droops over J. L. Wilson's headstone.