Location 51 Squadron Whitley Z9315 loss 26-27.1.1942?

[Theo Boiten]

Dear all,

For the NJWD 2nd ed, I would like to know details about the crash location of 51 Squadron Whitley Z9315, which was lost during a Nickeling op. on on 26-27.1.1942. Two of the crew that were killed were RNZAF (Sgts H.J. Grut and R.A. Hamilton), a Canadian crew member (Sgt. V.S. Mancini) was taken PoW.

Cheers and thanks, Theo

[Errol Martyn]

Theo,

From my Vol One of For Your Tomorrow:

Mon 26/Tue 27 Jan 1942
Bomber Command
Raid on Emden, Germany (by 33 aircraft - 3 lost)
51 Squadron, RAF (Dishforth, Yorkshire - 4 Group)
Whitley V Z9315/V - took off at 1703 and brought down over Germany near Meppen, 45km south of the target. Only an RCAF Sgt survived and was captured. His four comrades were buried in the Evangelical Cemetery at Meppen, but later reinterred at Reichswald Forest, 5km SW of Kleve. The Whitley was one of two aircraft on the raid detailed to carry leaflets rather than bombs, the first leaflet-only (or ‘Nickel’) raid made on Germany since April 1940.
Captain: NZ404866 Sgt Harvey Jennings GRUT, RNZAF - Age 29. 285hrs. 9th op.
2nd Pilot: NZ41328 Sgt Robert Alfred HAMILTON, RNZAF - Age 21. 238hrs. 5th op.

Grut (presumably along with the others who died) was buried at Meppen on 30 January. Unfortunately there are no MRES reports on either his or Hamilton's RNZAF file.

Since the above was published in 1998 I have sighted Hamilton's log book, the last entry in which is dated 17 January. He flew at least 6 ops, not 5.

Errol

[Theo Boiten]

Hello Erroll,

Many thanks for these interesting details, which have filled another little gap in the research of the NJWD 2nd ed. -Z9315 was brought down by a German night fighter operating under GCI control.

Cheers, Theo