mission: three
Wellington bombers part of a force of 70
bombers that were send on a Gardening (mine
laying) mission. They were to drop their
mines in the nectarines area, off the island of Terschelling.
F/O Stirton's bomber,
Wellington III BK423 AL-S,
with F/O
Johnson (RNZAF)
piloting the plane,
and a crew consisting of navigator Sgt.
Charles Risingham, wireless operator/air
gunner Sgt. Alfred Dymick
and tail gunner Sgt John Stuart took
off at 16.56 from their base East Moor,
Yorkshire.
P/O Ian Stirton with wife and daughter (picture courtesy of Gillian (Stirton)
Wason, via Greg Kopchuk)
F/O Johnson
flew his Wellington close to the Frisian
coast. Flying low near the town of
Harlingen, it was shot down by Flak around
18.36 and
crashed in the direction of Roptazijl. The
whole crew was killed. It was 429 Squadron first
operational loss.
The squadron
sent 3 crews out on this mission, one plane
piloted by Sgt. Hanan reported that they
were attacked by a flak ship, went around
for a 2nd pass over the target and were not
able to locate the target. They returned
with their "vegetables" [mines]. The crew of Sgt. Pentony completed the trip successfully.
They were able to clearly discern the
coastline and planted the vegetables as
ordered.
Sadly, the squadron suffered its'
first casualties on this trip when Sgt.
Johnson and his crew failed to return.
The Air warden
of Harlingen reported; "18.25: Planes to the
North. Searchlight Harlingen. 18.40: Sound
of engines to the North-NorthWest. 18.41:Searchlights
and anti aircraft fire Harlingen. 18.41:
Plane shot and on fire."
Their
aircraft was shot down by Kriegsmarine Flak
and crashed at 18.41 on 21 January 1943 into
the Waddenzee off Roptazijl, Netherlands.
The official dates of death for all 5 crew
members is 22 January 1943.
The rescueboat
"Twente" sailed to the plave where he BK423
crashed, with two German officers. However,
they came back emptyhanded. It was the first
plane the ainti aircraft unit had shot down
since it had been in Harlingen since the
summer of 1941.
No one knew, at
the time, what time the crew went down or
how they were lost. The Operational Records
Book commented that "no report was received
of this aircraft after it left base. It was
carrying two 1500 lb. vegetables."
In 1963, L.
Veltman of fishingboat LH18, had his nets
stuck at what turned out to be BK423. A few
fragments were salvaged at the time. In the
early 1070's more peices were recovered,
amongst it a wing.
The pilot,
F/O Johnson was found at sea and buried on
the island of Terschelling.
The body of
the navigator, Sgt. Charles Risingham washed
ashore near sexbierum on 8 April 1943. He is buried at
Barradeel (Pietersbierum) General Cemetery.
Sgt. John Stuart and
Sgt. Alfred Dymick are still missing.
The body of
F/O Stirton washed ashore near Den Andel on
2 April.F/O Stirton was
35. (The age of 41 on the gravestone is an
error).
(picture by
Wim Bastiaanse)
