90 Squadron Loss

[PeteT]

Is anyone able to identify the aircraft lost by 90 Squadron on 23rd September 1943 in a raid over Hanover.
Looking for the aircraft flown by BIRDSALL, WILLIAM Flying Officer 124844

Regards

Pete

[jossleclercq]

Hello Pete,

From Chorley : Stirling III BF566 WP-G. No survivor in the crew captained by P/O W.E. BIRDSALL.
T/O 18:52 hrs from Wratting Common. Shot down by a night fighter (Hptm August GEIGER, III./NJG 1) crashing at 22:35 hrs at Gestorf, 10 km ENE of Springe. All lie in Hannover War Cemetery.

HTH

Joss

[Oldduffer]

Chorley says it was a Mark III serial BF566. He gives a date of 22/23 Sep.

Birdsall and his crew of six were killed and are buried in Hannover War Cemy. The others were F/S J Hudson and Sgts B J Thomas, D E J Hobbs, E G Truman, G C A Bradshaw and R C L Cummins

Two other 90 Sqn aircraft were also lost that night, whilst another aircraft was lost the following night.

Colin Cummings

[PeteT]

Thanks for the feedback. A couple of follow up questions:

I understood that the collective grave numbers identified the number of crew included, for example, 15-19 would include 5 crew members. Is my understanding incorrect, as their collective grave 15-19 includes 6 of the 7 crew?

There was one other person buried at the Hanover War Cemetery on 23 September 1943:

GEHRIG, ROY LAWRENCE Flight Sergeant 421899 23/09/1943 20 Royal Australian Air Force Australian 11. G. 16.

Just for completeness, is anyone able to identify the circumstances surrounding his death?

Regards

Pete

[Ross_McNeill]

Seems to be a concurrent topic with similar answers on this forum as well

http://lancaster-archive.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=48993&sid=819a24676934aeea3181464b 1c513811

Possibly posting the urls will stop dupictate effort

Ross

[jossleclercq]

Hello,

Still from Chorley, Gehrig was the rear gunner of Stirling III EJ105 HA-N of No. 218 Squadron. Steve Smith being the Squadron Historian, he might be able to expand.

Chorley wrote that the Stirling was damaged by Flak, 3 bailed out, the other two were captured but Gehrig is buried in Hannover. Pilot F/Sgt Duffy RAAF regained the East Anglia Coast but with one engine on fire crashed at Hall Farm, Barrow, 5 miles WSW of Bury St Edmunts, Suffolk.

Joss

[PeteT]

Sorry, was just trying to help out on the Lancaster forum .... my latest questions are for my own information, not to assist with the Lancaster thread

Regards

Pete

[PeteT]

Joss

Thanks again for the excellent feedback; brilliant stuff.

Regards

Pete

[Henk Welting]

GEHRIG was initially buried at Benstorf between Hameln and Hildesheim where also a part of the rear turret was found.
Regards,
Henk.

[PeteT]

Henk

Thanks for that; I guess he was reinterred at a later date.

Regards

Pete

PS. Is anyone able to provide feedback on my question "I understood that the collective grave numbers identified the number of crew included, for example, 15-19 would include 5 crew members. Is my understanding incorrect, as their collective grave 15-19 includes 6 of the 7 crew?"