David Edward Giles   Photo: Knud Riis     Updated: 25 MAR 2021

Airman: a014151.htm Surname: Giles Init: D E Rank: F/Sgt Service: RCAF Sqdn: 166

P_link: p176.htm Plane: WEL HZ278 Operation: Minelaying Crash_site: Esbjerg

Crash_d: d290443 Buried_d: b070543 C_link: c014.htm At_Next: Esbjerg, A. 11. 1

Den 29. april 1943 kl. 01.03 styrtede WEL HZ278 ned omkring her nord for Esbjerg havn.
(Kilde: Kortet Flystyrt ved Esbjerg af Torben Thorsen og Morten S. Jensen)
4 flyvere blev dræbt og 1 blev krigsfange. (Kilde: p176MACR)

Det blev ramt af flak under en af de største minelægningsoperationer, der havde været til da.
Af 207 fly gik 15 fly tabt over dansk område, se Google Map p169+MINELAYING.
Kun 4 flyvere fra de 23 fly overlevede!
Se også Minelægningsområder og Lancaster fotos.


Flight Sergeant (Navigator) David Edward Giles, 21 var søn af David Ernest og Sarah Isabella Giles, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
(Kilde: CWGC)
4 flyvere fra WEL HZ278 blev begravet i Esbjerg den 7. maj 1943. 1 flyver blev ført til Tyske krigsfangelejre.
5 flyvere.

On 29 April 1943 at 01.03 hrs WEL HZ278 crashed about here north of Esbjerg harbour.
(Source:The map Air Crashes at Esbjerg by Torben Thorsen and Morten S. Jensen)
4 airmen were killed and 1 became a prisoner of war. (Source: p176MACR)

It was hit by flak on one of the largest minelaying operations yet carried out.
See Minelaying areas.
15 of the 207 bombers were lost over Danish territory, see Google Map p169+MINELAYING.
Only 4 airmen from the 23 lost planes survived!

Flight Sergeant (Navigator) David Edward Giles, 21, was the son of David Ernest and Sarah Isabella Giles,
of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Source: CWGC)
Sweet is his memory  dear is his name  in our hearts  he will ever remain

His name is engraved on the Memorial Wall at the BC Museum of Canada.
The Canadian Virtual War Memorial has this.
He
is remembered on The Walls of Names at the International Bomber Command Centre, Phase 1, Panel 39.

4 airmen from  WEL HZ278 were buried in Esbjerg on 7 May 1943.1 airman was taken to
German POW-Camps.
This Vickers Armstrong Wellington, see also Vickers Wellington, was from No. 166 Squadron RAF - Wikipedia.
See also RAF 166 Squadron and 166 Squadron RAF-Lincolnshire.info.
Wellington X HZ278 AS-N took off from RAF Kirmington at 20.49 hrs on 28 APR 1943.
(Source:
Aircrew Remembered has this.)  5 airmen.