Crawford, who
would fly his first operational mission this
night.
The plane
took off from Bourn at 17.53 and is believed
to have been shot down by a night
fighter, shortly after it crossed the Dutch
coast. The plane crashed into the Waddenzee
off Ameland
at 21.14, killing all seven of the crew.
The captain’s
body was recovered and buried at Nes on the
island of Ameland. Australian
sergeant Arnold Borrett is buried on the
island of Schiermonnikoog. F/O Clarence Long
is buried at Wierum. The rest, Sgt W H
Macklin, P/O P T Howson and Sgt C J J
Wellesley are still missing and
commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
Shortly
before another 15 squadron Stirling,
captained by F/O Hopson, that had taken off
from Bourn three minutes before BF378, was
shot down on Ameland. This crew was killed
as well. A third 15 Squadron Stirling was
lost without trace. It is likely that at
least two, but maybe all three these planes
were shot down by Oblt. Joachim Jabs of
1./NJG1 as he claimed three planes in this
area at 21.00, 21.15 and at 21.45.
Sgt Arnold
Borrett is buried at Schiermonnikoog
Vredenhof Cemetery. He had just turned 25 a
week before. His older brother Frederick,
who had joined the R.A.A.F. in 1940, died
exactly six months later in an accident in
Nigeria, where he was attached to HQ RAF
Middle East.
(picture
courtesy of Sietse van der Hoek)
(picture by
Wim Bastiaanse)