William John Quike Magrath                                                                 Updated: 29 JAN 2022


Airman:
 o888031.htm Surname: Magrath Init: WJQ Rank: Sgt Service: RAF Sqdn: 82

P_link: p016.htm Plane: BLE R2772 Operation: Attack DK Crash_site: Off Egholm

Crash_d: d130840 Buried_d: o888 C_link: o888.htm At_Next: POW

BLE R2772 tog del i angrebet på Aalborg, Fliegerhorst Aalborg West den 13. august 1940. Nedstyrtningsstedet er her.

Google Map p014-024 (Kilde: Ole Rønnest)

Tre minutter senere styrtede 3. R 2772 ned (her) ved Egholm. Maskinen blev knust mod store sten. Mirakuløst overlevede Blair, Magrath og Greenwood, omend alle tre
alvorligt kvæstede.  (Find nummeret (1.-11.) i angrebet på - i tekst fra Skudt ned over Danmark)

For de tretten overlevende englændere drejede det sig om at søge helbredet genvundet og overleve næsten fem års krigsfangenskab.
I november 1941 lykkedes det Bill Magrath at undslippe. Via Frankrig, Spanien og Gibraltar nåede han til England i marts 1942. (Tekster fra Skudt ned over Danmark)

Sergeant William John Guike Magrath var navigatør på R 2772. (Kilde: p016MACR.) Han blev ført til Tyske krigsfangelejre.

Bombeflyet Bristol Blenheim. p016MACR  Se Tyske flyvepladser ved Aalborg. 3 flyvere.
 

BLE R2772 took part in the attack on Aalborg airfield, Fliegerhorst Aalborg West, on 13 August, 1940. The crash site is here. See also Google Map p014-024.
(Source: Ole Rønnest)

Three minutes later, 3. R 2772 crashed (here) at Egholm. The aircraft broke up on hitting some large boulders.
It was a miracle that Blair, Magrath and Greenwood survived, for all three had sustained serious injuries. (Find the number (1.-11.) in Attack on - in text from
Shot down over Denmark
)

As for the thirteen survivors, their main  concern was to regain their health and to survive almost five years as prisoners of war.
In November 1941 Bill Magrath succeeded in escaping: via France, Spain and Gibraltar he reached England in March 1942. (Text from Shot down over Denmark)

Sergeant William John Guike Magrath was the Navigator of R 2772. (Source: p016MACR.) He was taken to German POW-Camps.

See No. 82 Squadron RAF - Wikipedia * 82 Squadron Blenheims, Watton, 1940 * Bristol Blenheim * German airfields near Aalborg.
Aircraft Restoration Company, Duxford - Bristol Blenheim * Blenheim L6739 -- Rolled Out.  Photo: RAF Memorial, Watton by Ole Rønnest
The reconstructed R3821  that visited Aalborg in 2000 due to efforts by Ole Rønnest.

Blenheim IV R2772 UX- took off from RAF Watton at 08:40 on 13 AUG 1940. (Source: Aircrew Remembered has this.) Bristol Blenheim * p016MACR  3 airmen.