Date & Time:
May 20, 1942 at 0113 LT
Type of aircraft:
Short S.29 Stirling
Operator:
Registration:
N6073
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Oakington - Oakington
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
1
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Oakington at 2305LT on May 19 on an operation to Mannheim. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed. A crew was killed and six others became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt Fred Tomkins, pilot, †
Sgt Bruce Vernon George Lewis, flight engineer,
Sgt James Fisher, observer,
Sgt Eric Townsend, navigator,
Sgt Frederick George Fueggle, bomb aimer,
F/Sgt John Houlding Watson, air gunner,
Sgt John Reginald Brook, air gunner.
Crew:
Sgt Fred Tomkins, pilot, †
Sgt Bruce Vernon George Lewis, flight engineer,
Sgt James Fisher, observer,
Sgt Eric Townsend, navigator,
Sgt Frederick George Fueggle, bomb aimer,
F/Sgt John Houlding Watson, air gunner,
Sgt John Reginald Brook, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.
