Howard Piper Shipley was born in 1917, son of of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Shipley, and stepson of Kate E. Shipley, of Walsall, Staffordshire.

He was an (second) pilot with 58 Squadron, flying Whitley bombers out of Linton on Ouse, in Yorkshire.

On 15 January 1941, Sgt Shipley and his crew were sent on a mission to Wilhelmshaven. The rest of his crew consisted of pilot P/O W E Peers,
P/O M P Griffiths,
Sgt R J Couser DFM and
Sgt R F J Duncan.

    58 Squadron

The crew took off in Whitley V N1521 GE-J at 17.35 from their base Linton on Ouse. They were heard on the wireless at 21.45. After that they were intercepted by night fighter Oblt. Egmont Prinz zur Lippe Weissenfeld from 4./NJG1. He was directed by Lt. Jauk at German radar station "Salzhering", close to Den Helder.

Oblt zur Lippe Weissenfeld shot the Whitley down at 22.46. It crashed between Zwanenwater Lake and Callantsoog, just south of Den Helder.

Sgt. Shipley is buried in Alkmaar Cemetery, Holland. He was 24.

P/O Peers, Sgt Couser and Sgt Duncan are all buried in Amsterdam. P/O Griffith is still missing and is commemorated at the Runnymede Memorial.

(Picture by Wim Bastiaanse)

Alkmaar, The Netherlands

See also:
W/C Crockart
P/O William Peers
P/O Melville Griffiths
Sgt Robert Couser DFM
Sgt Robert Duncan

Sources and Acknowledgements:
Mr. Dave Cheetham
RAF Squadron crest © Crown Copyright is reproduced with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office

Directions to Alkmaar General Cemetery

Posted 11 July 2005

If you have any suggestions, comments or additional information, please contact me.

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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