Eighty years ago today
8.12.42 eighty years ago today
Eighty years ago today, my great uncle and his crew were part of a force of 149 Squadron Stirlings who took off from RAF Lakenheath between 1631 and 1642.
They sent six aircraft out that night to drop mines in the Kiel region.
Only three returned. One crashed trying to make an emergency landing and two were shot down. There were no survivors from any of those aircraft, my great uncle being one of those shot down.
His Flying Officer pilot was 19. It is hard to imagine what it must have been like, twenty-two men gone ( one crew was carrying a second pilot).
Irony was that these were the last operational casualties 149 suffered until 14th February 43.
Mine laying is an often forgotten part of Bomber Commands war and was a successful undertaking, if somewhat hazardous..
Per Ardua Ad Astra.
They sent six aircraft out that night to drop mines in the Kiel region.
Only three returned. One crashed trying to make an emergency landing and two were shot down. There were no survivors from any of those aircraft, my great uncle being one of those shot down.
His Flying Officer pilot was 19. It is hard to imagine what it must have been like, twenty-two men gone ( one crew was carrying a second pilot).
Irony was that these were the last operational casualties 149 suffered until 14th February 43.
Mine laying is an often forgotten part of Bomber Commands war and was a successful undertaking, if somewhat hazardous..
Per Ardua Ad Astra.
Last edited by rolling20; 13th Dec 2022 at 09:18.
