Sgt J E Bacon 502 Squadron incident 19th October 1941

[Mike4898]

I have been asked to look in to the RAF career of Sgt James Edward Bacon, service number 1383765 by a surviving relative.

James died on the 20th October 1943 when he was Bomb Aimer in a 97 Squadron Lancaster III, JB275, OF-H. It took off from RAF Bourne at 17.53 and crashed at Falkenberg, killing 5 of the 7 crew, the others taken POW. Those that died are buried in the Berlin 1939-45 War Cemetery.

P/O K Painter KIA
Sgt T Deacon KIA
Sgt R C Saunders POW
Sgt J E Bacon KIA
Sgt T Andrews POW
Sgt S F Hone KIA
Sgt D W Angell KIA

In looking at this loss in the records here (http://www.rafcommands.com/database/...php?qnum=53209) there is a reference to an incident two years prior to this in which a Sgt J E Bacon was injured when a 502 Squadron Whitley, Z6502, crashed on take off at RAF Limavady.

"Sergeant J E Bacon: injured; Pilot Officer D B Collie, Sergeant R Bagley, Sergeant R C Sawyer, Sergeant S A Smith, Sergeant J B Murray: uninjured; aircraft crashed during take off at RAF Limavady, Whitley Z6502, 502 Squadron, 19 October 1941."

I was wondering if anyone can tell me whether this is definitively the same man, and if so, what are the details behind the incident in 1941 and what the injures were, given if so Sgt James Bacon only returned to Ops in June 1943 with 9 Squadron.

[wwrsimon]

Mike

Same name, different chap. Both aged 22 when they died, and both from Middlesex, however.

The 502 Squadron ORB Form 540 gives a list of those involved in the Whitley accident, including their Service Numbers:

https://discovery.nationalarchives.g...ils/r/D8413459

You can read the first few numbers of Bacon's number under the watermark, namely 9077. From that, Air 78/7 has BACON James Edward 907761, and the next card under it is BACON James Edward 1383765.

The 502 Squadron James Edward Bacon died in 1942:

https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/c...-james-edward/

http://www.rafcommands.com/database/...php?qnum=66729

http://www.rafcommands.com/archive/08948.php

Regards

Simon

[Mike4898]

Thank you Simon.

Was fooled by it being linked at the d/b here.