Date & Time:
Jun 22, 1943 at 0145 LT
Type of aircraft:
Short S.29 Stirling
Operator:
Registration:
EF366
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Oakington - Oakington
Country:
Belgium
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
2
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The aircraft left RAF Oakington at 0007LT on a bombing mission to Krefeld, Germany. While overflying Belgium by night at an altitude of 11,000 feet, the aircraft was intercepted amd shot down by two German fighters. The Stirling lost altitude and the captain attempted to make an emergency landing. On final, the aircraft stalled, hit the ground, went out of control and came to rest in flames on the bank of a canal. The captain and the navigator were killed while all five other occupants were taken PoW.
Crew (7th Squadron):
Bruce Meiklejohn, pilot, †
Charles Redwood, navigator, †
Bill Cole, flight engineer,
Frank Hugo, bomb aimer,
Leslie Ellingham, radio operator,
Jack Kilfoyle, air gunner,
Edgar Brown, air gunner.
Crew (7th Squadron):
Bruce Meiklejohn, pilot, †
Charles Redwood, navigator, †
Bill Cole, flight engineer,
Frank Hugo, bomb aimer,
Leslie Ellingham, radio operator,
Jack Kilfoyle, air gunner,
Edgar Brown, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by German fighters.
