Stirling I W7618 - The North Sea                                                                 Updated: 10 MAY 2021

Airman Surname Init Rank Service Sqdn P_link Plane Operation Crash_site Crash_d Buried_d C_link At_Next
e777384.htm Galloway E N Sgt RAF 218 p101.htm STI W7618 Bomb G The North Sea d190842 e777 e777.htm NO KNOWN
e777383.htm Macpherson J A Sgt RNZAF 218 p101.htm STI W7618 Bomb G The North Sea d190842 e777 e777.htm NO KNOWN
o888561.htm McDaniel I G P/O RAF 218 p101.htm STI W7618 Bomb G The North Sea d190842 o888 o888.htm POW
o888562.htm Powell C A Sgt RNZAF 218 p101.htm STI W7618 Bomb G The North Sea d190842 o888 o888.htm POW
e444023.htm Soutar JRF P/O RCAF 218 p101.htm STI W7618 Bomb G The North Sea d190842 e444 e444.htm GERMANY
e444022.htm Strudwick PGH Sgt RAF 218 p101.htm STI W7618 Bomb G The North Sea d190842 e444 e444.htm GERMANY
o888560.htm Wilkinson W N Sgt RAF 218 p101.htm STI W7618 Bomb G The North Sea d190842 o888 o888.htm POW


Kl. 21.03 den 18. august 1942 lettede STI W7618 fra RAF Downham Market på et bombetogt mod Flensborg. Det var flyets første operative flyvning.

De tre overlevende blev samlet op af en dansk fiskerbåd efter at have tilbragt tre dage i deres redningsflåde.  (p101MACR) Se også Reddet af fiskere.

Uddrag af dansk politirapport:
"Fiskekutter E28 "Dania" ankom til Esbjerg kl. 19.50 den 22. august medførende tre britiske flyvere som blev taget til fange af tyskerne ved ankomsten.
Hr. Arne Marinus Christensen, skipper på fartøjet, rapporterede, at han havde samlet tre overlevende fra et RAF fly op kl. 15.30 samme eftermiddag.
De fortalte Hr. Christensen, at deres fly blev skudt ned 18.-19. august. To fra besætningen var blevet dræbt i tjenesten, mens andre to gik ned med flyet."

Luftwaffe Commando, Flybaseregion 1/XI Jylland, 19. august 1942: "Statens Civile Luftværn rapporterede til FLUKO Aarhus, at to britiske fly sidste nat
styrtede i havet ud for Nymindegab (der er her). Flere flyvere antages at være sprunget ud med faldskærm."  Skudt ned af natjager.  (p101MACR)

2 flyvere fra STI W7618 blev begravet i TYSKLAND. 2 har ingen kendt grav. 3 flyvere blev som krigsfanger ført til Tyske krigsfangelejre. 7 flyvere.

At 21.03 hrs. on 18 August 1942 STI W7618 took off from RAF Downham Market on a bombing raid targeting Flensburg.
W7618's first operational sortie. The three survivors were picked up by a Danish fishing boat after spending three days in their dinghy. See also Rescued by fishermen.

Extracts from Danish police report: "Fishing  vessel E28 "Dania" arrived at Esbjerg on 22 August at 1950 hours carrying three British airmen who were
captured by the Germans on arrival. Mr. Arne Marinus Christensen, the skipper of the vessel, reported that he had picked up three survivors from an RAF
aircraft at 1530 hours the very same afternoon. They told Mr. Christensen that their aircraft was shot down on 18/19 August. Two from crew had been killed
in action while another two went down with the aircraft."

Luftwaffe Command, Airfield Region 1/XI Jutland, 19 August 1942: "Danish Civil Defence reported to FLUKO Aarhus that two British aircraft last night crashed
in sea off Nymindegab (which is here). More airmen presumed to have baled out." Shot down by night fighter. (p101MACR)

2 airmen from STI W7618 were buried in GERMANY. 2 have no known grave. 3 airmen were as POWs taken to German POW-Camps.

See No. 218 (Gold Coast) Squadron RAF * No. 218 (Gold Coast) Squadron Association * Short Stirling 
Stirling I W7618 HA-V took off from RAF Downham Market at 2107 hours on 18 AUG 1942. (Source: Aircrew Remembered has this.)  7 airmen.