LEST WE FORGET
Air Operations (No. 458 Squadron Wellington aircraft R1765), France, 22 October 1941
Wellington R1765 took off from RAF Holme-on-Spalding Moor, Yorkshire, at 1830 hours on the night of 22 October 1941 to bomb Le Havre, France. Eight aircraft from the Squadron took part in the mission and one of these R1765 crashed on return from the mission.
The crew members of R 1765 were:
Sergeant Albert Sydney Austin (1159702) (RAFVR) (Front Gunner) Killed on Air Operations: 8 January 1942
Pilot Officer Robert Birnie (403773) (RNZAF) (Observer) Killed on Air Operations: 8 January 1942
Pilot Officer Bernard Peter Hickey (404431) (Second Pilot) Killed on Air Operations: 8 January 1942
Sergeant Raymond John Hobbs (645979) (RAF) (Rear Gunner)
Flight Lieutenant John Anthony Hosking Sargeaunt (70600) (RAF) (Pilot) Slightly injured, Later PoW
Sergeant Morris William Shapir (400357) (Wireless Operator) Injured, Killed on Air Operations: 15 August 1942
The Squadron Operations Record Book records that “R1765 was hit by flak from a ship in the estuary after bombing the target and it was believed to be the contributory cause of petrol shortage in the port wing tank and starboard engine when the aircraft was over Farnborough when five of the crew baled out. They landed in the vicinity of Aldershot, Hampshire. Sergeant Shapir fractured a leg and was admitted to the Cambridge Hospital at Aldershot, and the Captain was slightly injured.
Sergeant Hobbs was killed when the aircraft was hit by flak. His body was recovered from the wrecked aircraft and he is buried in the Brookwood Military Cemetery, Surrey.
Pilot Officer Hickey records in his RAAF Casualty file “Five members of the crew escaped by parachute. The tail gunner was killed and found in the wreck of the aircraft. In his opinion the cause of the crash was the failure of the starboard engine which caused the aircraft to become uncontrollable due to the port petrol tanks being empty. The port tank was apparently holed by flak and possibly the ailerons were damaged making the aircraft unmanageable on one engine.”
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
Bibliography:
Alexander, P. (Peter) We Find and Destroy: history of No. 458 Squadron, The 458 Squadron Council, 1959