HE164
Wellington X HD-B
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14th February 1943 | |||||||
Pilot | Bomb Aimer | Navigator | Wireless Operator | Air Gunner | 2nd Pilot | ||
F/L W J R Kirk | Sgt R E Bentley | F/S W E Smith | Sgt N A Leonard | Sgt T W Reynolds | P/O J E Mason | ||
P.o.W. | P.o.W. | P.o.W. | |||||
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Take Off :- 18:32 | Base :- RAF Leconfield | Mission :- Cologne | |||||
Details :- HE164 crashed at 20:30 after being shot down by a night-fighter, 2km South East of Meerhout (Antwerpen). F/S Smith died during the attack. F/L Kirk and P/O Mason died whilst trying to crash-land the aircraft and avoid housing, they were unable to bale-out as their parachutes had caught fire which extended from the main wing spar to the tail. | |||||||
243 aircraft including 85 Wellington's detailed to attack, 3 Wellington's lost including HE164 and HE153 from 466 squadron. local records suggest that the target marking had only a limited success. | |||||||
Those who died are buried in Schoonselhof Churchyard at Antwerpen. | ![]() |
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The tail of this aircraft (minus fabric) is mounted on a stone plinth with a memorial plate inscribed with the crews names. | |||||||
Sgt Bentley - PoW number is 27559 in camps 8B/344. | |||||||
Sgt Leonard - PoW number is 27647. He spent several weeks in a Brussels Hospital then onto camps 8B/344. | |||||||
Sgt Reynolds - PoW number is 27579 in camps 8B/344. | |||||||
Photo's of F/L W J R Kirk and F/S W E Smith kindly donated by Jenny Green | |||||||
Photo of P/O J E Mason kindly donated by Gordon Lambert | |||||||
Photo of Sgt R E Bentley kindly donated by Denise Hood | |||||||
If you have anything to add or talk about concerning this crew then please contact me on the address below, halifaxlv827@yahoo.co.uk |
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