Sgt Bartlett Parker Shaddick RAAF
Sgt Frank Bernard Hough
Sgt Eric Watcham
Sgt Edwin Cuthbert Woollard
Sgt G.T.Reyburn RCAF
Sgt Reyburn was an
American who had joined the Royal
Canadian Air Force and he was an air gunner.
It was not long before
the crew started flying operations. On their fourth mission, on 15/16 October
1942, they had a very hairy experience
during which Sgt Shaddick won himself a
Distinguished Flying Medal.
The crew partcipated in
a mission to Cologne. The plane was hit by
Flak and although heavily damaged he flew
the Wellington to Manston, which is a large
base with especially long and wide runways in
case heavily damaged bombers needed space to
land. While landing, the Wellington ran into
a parked Hudson of 320 Squadron. The
Wellington was a write off but the crew was
unhurt.
Sgt Shaddick's citation
reads:
"Aus. 406682 Sergeant
Bartlett Parker SHADDICK,
Royal Australian Air Force, No. 142
Squadron.
One night in October, 1942, this airman
captained an aircraft detailed to attack
Cologne.
On the outward flight, the aircraft was hit
by
anti-aircraft fire. Although the starboard
fuel tank
was pierced, causing much loss of petrol,
Sergeant
Shaddick flew on through heavy defences to
his
target which he bombed successfully. Whilst
over
the target area, the port engine was hit and
ceased
to function. Despite this, Sergeant Shaddick
flew
the aircraft back to this country on 1
engine
and crash-landed at an aerodrome without
injury
to his crew. Throughout, he displayed great
skill
and determination."
Less then ten days
later, the crew was on a mission to bomb the
Italian city of Milan. On 24 October 1942,
the crew took off from their base Grimsby at
19.25. They were flying Wellington X1D X3455
QT-D. Not long into their long journey to
the northern Italian city, the Wellington was
lost due to unknown circumstances. It
crashed just off the Dutch coast near
Schouwen Duiveland.
The whole crew perished.
The bodies of all the crew members washed ashore on Dutch
beaches and are buried at different
cemeteries.
Sgt Bartlett Shaddick's
body washed ashore on 23 November 1942 on
the beach near Kijkduin. He was buried at Den Haag (Westduin) Cemetery
on 25 November 1942. He is now buried at Allied Plot, Row 2, grave 38.
