Wellington T2996 PM-C 103 Sqn Lost 12/6/41

[Prangster]

In his book Voices In Flight The Wellington Bomber (Pen and Sword 2014) Martin Bowman captions a photograph of the above aircraft resting intact after a being shot down coming to rest in open fields at Zwaagdijk Wevershoof 12/13/ June 1941,

The aircraft is looks as if the pilot has made what appears to be a finely executed emergency wheels up landing. The cockpit escape hatches are open yet the caption adds that Fg Off Robert Stanley and all his crew perished

Can any one shed light as the photo suggests that many of this crew could have survived the landing

[megan]

The following suggests the aircraft did not make a successful gear up landing. Perhaps the photo shows an earlier event that T2996 was involved in, or maybe a generic photo of a Wellington. Can you post the photo?

https://www.tracesofwar.com/sights/451/Memorial-Vickers-Wellington-T2996.htm

[DaveReidUK]

The cockpit escape hatches are open yet the caption adds that Fg Off Robert Stanley and all his crew perished

Just to clarify, the aircraft commander was Fg Off Robert Stanley Chisholm, as per Megan's link.

The CWGC website lists all the crew remains recovered in 1996 as being buried in Jonkerbos War Cemetery. Flt Sgt Horniman's body, recovered shortly after the crash, is buried in Bergen General Cemetery (Noord-Holland).

[Prangster]

Photo in the book definitely shows PM-C but as codes were re-used I accept that it could be a different iteration. The countryside however looks typically Dutch. The machine rests across obviously newly ploughed furrows. Fuselarge back is broken aft trailing edge of wings, rear turret and empenage/ tailplane undamaged but that appears to be the only major damage Sorry can't post photo. No copyright or originator given

[DaveReidUK]

Photo in the book definitely shows PM-C but as codes were re-used I accept that it could be a different iteration. The countryside however looks typically Dutch. The machine rests across obviously newly ploughed furrows. Fuselarge back is broken aft trailing edge of wings, rear turret and empenage/ tailplane undamaged but that appears to be the only major damage

That definitely doesn't sound consistent with this account:

"This aircraft dove deep in the ground. Only the body of rear gunner Sgt. Horniman was found at the point of impact.

In 1966 a local wanted to build a house on the location, but because the Germans had put a fieldgrave-marker on the spot (with the names obtained via the Red Cross), everybody knew well what was in the ground here. The Dutch airforce cleared the site in 1966, found the crew, bombs and the entire aircraft except a wing"

Note the date the five crew members' remains were recovered was 1966 and not 1996 as in my earlier post.

ZZAirwar - 1941-06-12/13. Wellington T2996 Chisholm Zwaagdijk (http://www.zzairwar.nl/dossiers/168.html)

Notwithstanding the above, I can't trace any other 103 Squadron Wellingtons (which they operated from October 1940 to July 1942) coded PM-C. Very strange.

[DaveReidUK]

Photo of T2996's wing:

https://www.karigro.nl/woII%20vliegtuigen/Wellington%20T2996.jpg

And the original memorial to Taffender, Chisholm, Hardcastle, Greensides and Burbridge:

https://www.karigro.nl/woII%20vliegtuigen/GermanSignOnWrecksite.jpg

https://www.karigro.nl/woII%20vliegtuigen/vliegtuigen.htm

[megan]

Interesting snippet.The most distinguished Lancaster of them all, Lancaster III ED888 "M2" ("Mike Squared"), was resident for part of it's career with No. 103 Squadron. The aircraft made its first operational sortie - to Dortmund on 4/5th May 1943, and on retirement in December 1944, had logged 140 trips (the first 66 with No 103 Squadron, then 65 with No 576 Squadron and then 9 more with No 103 Squadron) totalling 974 operational hours. This was a Bomber Command record and it is sad to reflect that "Mike Squared" was not selected for preservation after the war.

https://www.raf.mod.uk/history/bombercommandno103squadron.cfm

Code PM-C was also carried by ten different Lancasters on the squadron. Heaven knows how many Wellingtons may have carried the code. The squadron lost 37 Wellingtons in combat, one in training and one in transit.

[DaveReidUK]

The squadron lost 37 Wellingtons in combat, one in training and one in transit.

Of those 37 losses, there appear to be about half a dozen that could be candidates for Martin Bowman's photo of a crashed-but-intact "PM-C" in typically Dutch countryside:

Studiegroep Luchtoorlog 1939-1945 (http://verliesregister.studiegroepluchtoorlog.nl/result.php?aircraft=Wellington&unit=103)