name of pilot/crew of 40 Squadron Wellington LN982, lost on 6/7 May 1944 Bulgaria?

[Theo Boiten]

Dear all,

Who can supply me with the name of the pilot/crew of 40 Squadron Wellington LN982, lost on 6/7 May 1944 at Balta Greaca/Bulgaria, crew taken PoW.

Thanks for any info,

Theo

[SteveR]

From David Gunby's Sweeping the Skies: A History of No. 40 Squadron, RFC and RAF, 1916-56:

Flt./Sgt. K.C.J. Martin RAAF POW
Flt./Sgt. G.M. Groat POW
Flt./Sgt. E.G. Carey POW
Flt./Sgt. K.G. Chambers POW
Flt./Sgt. R. Tyrell POW

Hope this helps.

[SteveR]

According to the text in the book I cited above, LN982 was lost to flak.

40 Squadron's LP128 was lost the same night to a night fighter and includes some details on p.263 if you need them or are interested.

[Theo Boiten]

Hi Steve,

Thanks for these details. And yes, I would be interested in the details on LP128 from David Gunby's book.

Cheers, Theo

[Alex Smart]

One crewman killed in LP128, rests in Bucharest War Cemetery.
Name : F/Sgt. Raymond George Saeurwald, 417421 RAAF.

[SteveR]

From Gundy's book, p. 263. After relating what happened to LN982 it goes on:

"Martin and his crew were captured by the Bulgarians and spent four months in conditions even more wretched than those in the Romanian camp where fellow Australian John Coape-Smith and three of his crew found themselves. After bombing, Coape-Smith's Wellington was lit up by flares which had ignited above the aircraft, rather than, as was supposed to happen, well below. A night fighter took advantage of this, killing the rear gunner (Fit/Sgt R.G. Sauerwald RAAF) on the first pass and wounding the wireless operator (Sgt R.D. Kilroy RAAF) on the second. George Dealtry, the bomb aimer, recalls:

Before we had gone very far fire broke out in the centre section seemingly in the bomb bay, presumably started by a flare damaged in the attack. Unable to get to the seat of the fire it soon swept through the plane and Johnny gave orders to all of us to bale out quick smart. Dick, the wireless operator, was the first to go after the hatch had been opened. His chute was clipped on, he grabbed the ripcord handle and we pushed him out. He was still conscious despite the leg wounds. Jed (Flt/Sgt G. Cormie) the navigator was next, followed by me, after I had passed a parachute to Johnny from the stowage rack much to his surprise and no doubt heart-felt relief as only seconds earlier we had discovered one chute partially destroyed by fire; leaving us one short, we thought."

Complete crew list from p. 375:

Wellington X LP128 'O'
W/O J.D. Coape-Smith RAAF POW
Flt/Sgt G. Cormie POW
W/O R.D. Kilroy RAAF POW Wounded
Flt/Sgt G.H. Dealtry POW
Flt/Sgt R.G. Sauerwald RAAF Killed

Bucharest

Attacked by a night fighter, which set the a/c on fire and killed the rear gunner. LP128 crashed at Castranova, 30km S of Craiova, Romania. Flt/Sgt Sauerwald is buried in Bucharest war Cemetery.

[Col Bruggy]

Originally Posted by SteveR

From David Gunby's Sweeping the Skies: A History of No. 40 Squadron, RFC and RAF, 1916-56:

Flt./Sgt. K.C.J. Martin RAAF POW
Flt./Sgt. G.M. Groat POW
Flt./Sgt. E.G. Carey POW
Flt./Sgt. K.G. Chambers POW
Flt./Sgt. R. Tyrell POW

Hope this helps.

Hello,

Flt.Sgt. R Tyrell POW, is actually, AUS426715 Raymond TYRELL RAAF (later W/O).
https://nominal-rolls.dva.gov.au/vet...=1021416&c=WW2 - 40 Sqn Wellington X LN982:'Q'.

And not the first time that AUS20813 F/Sgt Coape-Smith RAAF had to abandon his aircraft. Returning from attacking Sofia, on 10/11 January, 1944, Coape-Smith RAAF, and virtually the same crew (1239957 F/Sgt A Bayliss RAFVR, in place of AUS417421 F/Sgt R G Sauerwald RAAF), had to bale out of No.40 Sqn Wellington X HE287:'W', short of fuel. AUS421285 F/Sgt R D Kilroy RAAF was injured. See: Gunby & Temple/BLME2/94

It is also worthwhile consulting the following:

Through Darkness To Light
Macdonald,Patrick.
Upton upon Severn:Images Publishing (Malvern),1994.
pp.99-112, 296, 306 & 352 (see particularly, pp.104-111 - lengthy accounts of the attack on, and abandonment of LP128, by F/Sgts Cormie & Dealtry)

Col.

[Stig Jarlevik]

All these losses are also listed in Gunby/Temple's book RAF Bomber Losses in the ME and Med Vol 2.

With regard to the losses dated 6/7 May the book adds (and I hope it is not hidden anywhere in previous answers...)
LN982 code Q, take off from Foggia Main 21.07H
LP128, take off Foggia Main 21.01H and poss shot down by Hptm Semrau 2./NJG 100

Three more losses are listed that night
MF197 code F (40 Sq) on a mission to Pitesti
JA525 code Q (150 Sq) on a mission to Bucharest
EV841 code H (Liberator 178 Sq) code H on a mission to Bucharest

Since you obviously don't have the book Theo, anything you need to know just fire away and I will look it up, but perhaps we should do it off TOCH?

Cheers
Stig

[AndyMa]

Originally Posted by Stig Jarlevik

Three more losses are listed that night
MF197 code F (40 Sq) on a mission to Pitesti

Stig,
Can you reconfirm MF197 please?
The Air Britain serials book says this was SOC from 40 Sqn in Apr45.
Thanks,
Andy

[Stig Jarlevik]

Well Andy

This is what they say:
Took off 21.00H Foggia Main to bomb the railway bridge at Pitesti.
Attacked by fighter. Undercarriage collapsed on landing, 04.30H.
Apparantly not repaired. SOC 26.4.1945

With Gunby's past work about the unit, I presume he has gone through their ORB and not seen any further movements of this aircraft, so I believe he is most likely correct.

Cheers
Stig