History:On the evening of 23 May 1943, at 22: 42 hours Halifax W1217 took off from Melbourne airport in Yorkshire, England. The Mission of that night was the bombing of the city of Dortmund. On board were seven crew members including the 18 year old Sgt Hall. He belonged to the youngest ones who died during Bomber Command Operations. On the return flight above the IJsselmeer the Halifax was intercepted by a German night fighter, flown by the Commander of the fourth staffel/NJG1, major Helmut Lent. This was his 68th claim of a total of 110 aircraft that Lent has shot down in his illustrious career. Presumably 5 crew members left the plane by parachute. Unfortunately they are al drowned and washed up on the east shore of the IJsselmeer and buried together in Woenseradeel.Gunner Baggaley and radio operator Church have presumably abandoned the plane later on. Their lifeless bodies are later washed up on the western part of the IJsselmeer, near the crash site at the monument on the Afsluitdijk.They are first buried on the cemetery of Huisduinen near Den Helder. After the war, ththeir bodies along with the other allies at that cemetery were transferred to the war cemetery in Bergen op Zoom, because the military cemerety of Huisduinen was to be removed. .PLANECrashdate24 MayResearchdate2011-2012RadiocodeZA-ZSerialnumnerW1217Squadron10 SquadronHalifax IIIJsselmeer2012YEARLOCATION.Helmut Lentwww.wikipedia.com.
History:
On the evening of 23 May 1943, at 22: 42 hours Halifax W1217 took off from Melbourne
airport in Yorkshire, England. The Mission of that night was the bombing of the city of
Dortmund. On board were seven crew members including the 18 year old Sgt Hall. He
belonged to the youngest ones who died during Bomber Command Operations.
On the return flight above the IJsselmeer the Halifax was intercepted by a German night
fighter, flown by the Commander of the fourth staffel/NJG1, major Helmut Lent. This was his
68th claim of a total of 110 aircraft that Lent has shot down in his illustrious career.
Presumably 5 crew members left the plane by parachute. Unfortunately they are al drowned
and washed up on the east shore of the IJsselmeer and buried together in Woenseradeel.
Gunner Baggaley and radio operator Church have presumably abandoned the plane later on.
Their lifeless bodies are later washed up on the western part of the IJsselmeer, near the
crash site at the monument on the Afsluitdijk.
They are first buried on the cemetery of Huisduinen near Den Helder. After the war, ththeir
bodies along with the other allies at that cemetery were transferred to the war cemetery in
Bergen op Zoom, because the military cemerety of Huisduinen was to be removed.
.
PLANE
Crashdate
24 May
Researchdate
2011-2012
Radiocode
ZA-Z
Serialnumner
W1217
Squadron
10 Squadron
Halifax II
IJsselmeer
2012
YEAR
LOCATION
.
Helmut Lent
www.wikipedia.com
.
