Personal accounts and PoW Stories for the Battle of the Heligoland Bight: 18 December 1939

[Larry Hickey]

Hello,

On 18 December 1939, as related in detail in a previous thread now locked down, a total of 12 Wellington bombers where shot down and several damaged during a major daylight attack by 22 British Wellington bombers on German shipping and harbor installations in the Wilhelmshaven area. Out of all of those losses, only five British airmen were captured and one of them died the next day. I'm looking for specific accounts of the downing and capture of these British airmen: the pilot from one crew and three members, including the pilot from another crew.

I'm also looking for personal accounts of the other participants, both British and German from those who took part.

According to the revised EoE British loss DB, the five captured British survivors were:

"18 December 1939: Wellington IA N2936. Shot down by Oberstlt Carl Schumacher (Geschwaderkommodore) of Stab JG1 and ditched and burned out just offshore Borkum (Spiekeroog) Island ca 1.45 p.m. Sergeant T. W. Holley and Corporal F. J. Taylor both killed in fighter attacks, (Pilot) Sergeant H. Ruse, Sergeant T. May, and Leading Aircraftsman H. A. Jones all captured. Aircraft LF*J a write-off."

Flying Officer P.A. Wimberley, pilot of Wellington N2888

Aircraftsman First Class George Warne Geddes, aboard N2889 was rescued badly WIA and died the next day.

In addition to these airmen, another crew ditched in the North Sea and all but one member was rescued by the British:

According to the Revised EoE British Loss DB:
"18 December 1939: Wellington IA N2983. Set alight in attacks by fighters during daylight sortie to Wilhelmshaven and ditched in the North Sea off Cromer on return flight 3.30 p.m. Probably that claimed by Oberlt Walter Gresens of I./ZG76. Leading Aircraftsman Walter Lilley killed during the attacks, Sergeant R. Hewitt, Sergeant J. Ramshaw, Leading Aircraftsman D. Conolly, and Aircraftsman First Class C. R. Driver all rescued by the trawler Erillas. Aircraft a write-off."

I suspect that there may well be information about the captured crews in the contemporary accounts of this mission in the German press or the statements of the released prisoners after the war that could give us more of the story about this For the crew rescued by the British trawler, there may also be either contemporary British press accounts, or information about their story published in British aviation literature since.

Also, if anyone has the full names and crew positions of the members of the British crews that participated, I would appreciate that info.

Can anyone help.