Date & Time:
May 4, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
W7662
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Croft - Croft
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
6
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Croft at 2254LT on May 3 on an operation to Hamburg. West of Luneburg, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Südergellersen. Six crew members were killed and a seventh became PoW.
Crew:
P/O Alfred William Hedge, pilot, †
Sgt Dennis Waterman Drew, pilot, †
Sgt Frederick Roberts Hipwell, flight engineer, †
Sgt John Hewitson, observer, †
Sgt John Archibald Lloyd, wireless operator, †
P/O Gerald Ware Copeland, air gunner, †
Sgt John Emmerson Hanna, air gunner.
Crew:
P/O Alfred William Hedge, pilot, †
Sgt Dennis Waterman Drew, pilot, †
Sgt Frederick Roberts Hipwell, flight engineer, †
Sgt John Hewitson, observer, †
Sgt John Archibald Lloyd, wireless operator, †
P/O Gerald Ware Copeland, air gunner, †
Sgt John Emmerson Hanna, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.
