Alfred Bakes Springett was born 1920 in Leeds, Yorkshire, son of Charles L. and Elsie Springett.

Sgt Springett was a Wireless Operator on a Halifax bomber with 51 squadron.

Not much is known about Sgt Springett and his crew. On 22 November 1943 they took off at 1704 from RAF Snaith in Halifax II LW286-LK-H for a mission to Berlin. It was the second raid in what would become known as the Battle for Berlin.

51 Squadron RAF
 

No less than 764 bombers were sent out against the German capital this night. The attack started at 20.00 when pathfinders dropped their markers over the city.

Sgt Springett's crew consisted of the following members:

P/O Horace F. Farley
F/O Francis H. Moynihan
F/O Harry O. Hetterley
Sgt Alfred B. Springett
Sgt Samuel H. Godfrey
Sgt Edward H. G. Dyer
Sgt John E. Whitehead

The flight path took them over the Dutch island of Texel, the IJsselmeer and Northern Netherlands. They were most probably either hit by flak over Texel or intercepted by a night fighter, as their Halifax crashed in the IJsselmeer between Urk and Hindelopen. The whole crew perished.

Three of the crew's bodies were recovered. The rest are commemorated at the Runnymede Memorial.  Sgt Dyer is buried at Amersfoort (Oud Leusden) Cemetery. F/O Francis Moyniham is buried at Lemmer General Cemetery. Sgt Springett's body was recovered and buried at Hindeloopen, Plot D. Row 1. Grave 2.

 

(picture by Wim Bastiaanse)

Hindeloopen, The Netherlands

See Also:
P/O Horace F. Farley
F/O Harry O. Hetterley
F/O Francis Moynihan
Sgt Samuel H. Godfrey
Sgt Edward H. G. Dyer
Sgt John E. Whitehead

Sources:
Ab Jansen, Gevleugeld Verleden, Forum ny
Alan Cooper, Bombers Over Berlin, Wellingborough 1989
CWGC

Acknowledgements:
RAF Squadron crest © Crown Copyright is reproduced with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office

Directions to Hindeloopen Protestant Cemetery

Posted 18 November 2005

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This website is dedicated to the men and women who died and/or are buried in The Netherlands during World War II.

 

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