On the general cemetery at the village of Montfoort, Utrecht, the Netherlands are the Commonwealth War Graves of the 8 crew members of a Stirling Mk I – BF 415 bomber, belonging to RAF 90 (night bomber) Squadron.
The plane took off from Ridgewell Airfield, Essex, England at 18:22 on February 3rd 1943, on a mission to Hamburg Germany, when it was shot down by a German night fighter over Willeskop, 10 miles south-west of Utrecht.
All crew members died in the crash. It was the first operation loss for 90 Sqdn. since their reformation on 7 November 1942.
On this mission air gunner Frederick Arthur Parton replaced their usual rear gunner, who had fallen ill.
The names of the crew members buried at Montfoort:
- ADAM, GEORGE CHIRREY
United Kingdom, Sergeant (W.Op/Air Gnr), Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - EGAN, PATRICK JOSEPH
United Kingdom, Sergeant (Air Gnr), Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - JENKINS, LESLIE HOWARD
United Kingdom, Sergeant (Flt Engr), Royal Air Force - MACDOUGALL, GEORGE DOUGLAS
Canada, Pilot Officer (Pilot), Royal Canadian Air Force - MACTAVISH, CLAUD GORDON HUMPHREY
United Kingdom, Sergeant (Obs), Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - PARTON, FREDERICK ARTHUR
United Kingdom, Flying Officer (Air Gnr), Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - STEPHENS, GERALD
United Kingdom, Pilot Officer (Pilot), Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - WILLIAMS, RICHARD THOMPSON
United Kingdom, Sergeant (Nav), Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Visit
The cemetery is open during daytime hours.
What type of Short Stirling MKI was it.
Series 1,2 or 3 ?
You’ll have to do your own homework on that one Arie 😉
Maybe this is a good starting point: https://verliesregister.studiegroepluchtoorlog.nl/rs.php?aircraft=&sglo=T2030&date=&location=&pn=&unit=&name=&cemetry=&airforce=&target=&area=&airfield=
Claim by Uffz Johannes Vogel 1/NJG1 – Willeskop 16km South West of Utrecht (4389 Gorilla): 3,200m at 23:00. (Nachtjagd Combat Archive 1943 Part 1 – Theo Boiten)
Crashed at Willeskop (Utrecht) 16km South West of Utrecht.