JA381 Wellington 69 Squadon crashlanding at Knokke airfield B83, Belgium on 23 April

[Luc Vervoort]

Hi,

On 23 April 1945 JA381, Wellington XIII, of 69 Squadron made a belly landing at Knokke (=Knocke B83) airfield, Belgium due to failure of the port engine.

It was one of the Wellingtons which had to assist a Swordfish Squadron, based at Knokke B83, in their search for German one-man submarines (Seehund, Molch and Biber) and explosive motor-boats off the Scheldt estuary. Weather and night operations permitting, 4 Wellingtons were sent each day from Eindhoven , their base, to B83 to assist in these operations. The area patrolled was from the Scheldt estuary to the west coast of the Netherlands to Ijmuiden and approx. 40 miles out of sea. Each aircraft carried 9 x 250 lb G.D. depth charges set to explode at a depth of 4 fathoms.

Looking for the full names and service numbers of the crew of JA381 :
F/O.W.R. Jesse, F/Sgt. H.G.Walker, F/O.C.L.Baylis, Sgt.D.Salter and W/O.J.Willisson

Many thanks in advance and best regards

Luc

[wwrsimon]

Luc

Jesse - could he possibly be Wallace Robilliard JESSE (153734)? Born April 2nd 1924, Liverpool.

Regards

Simon

[Resmoroh]

Luc,

F/O.W.R. Jesse, 1459392 Wallace Robilliard JESSE (153734)

F/O.C.L.Baylis, 1602212 Cyril Leslie BAYLIS ( 162452)

Peter Davies

[Luc Vervoort]

Simon and Peter,

Many thanks for the supplied information.

Highly appreciated !

Best regards

Luc

[Resmoroh]

Luc (et al),
I’ve had a go at the OR aircrew. Not much success I am afraid, but it might shine a light into the darkness!!

F/Sgt. H.G.Walker,
H G Walker 161640 1918
H G Walker 353681 1922
H G Walker 69378 1917
H G Walker 14793 1915
H G Walker 98203 1917
H G Walker 201715 1914
Hamilton Gibson Walker 1370526 1940
Harold Geoffrey Walker 2405721 1949
Harold George Walker 578569 1926
Harold George Walker 1455793 1941
Harold George Walker 2250359 1943
Harold Grenville Walker 1189912 1940
Harry Gillson Walker 1292741 1940
Henry George Walker 2271357 1945
Henry George Walker 875251 1945
Henry Gray Walker 1556729 1941
Herbert George Walker 1615452 1941
Hugh Gardiner Walker 2737350 1953

Some H G Walker’s can be deleted on date, but that still leaves rather a lot! (The Hugh Gardiner Walker at the end of the list has a Service Number only 898 different from mine!!!! I didn’t realise I was that old!!).

Sgt.D.Salter
D Salter 700776 1936
Denis Salter 2299998 1945
Derek Salter 5068333 1959
Desmond Salter 4023867 1946

The Salter’s were a bit easier. The bottom three delete themselves on date? The 700776 D Salter is a Middle East Enlister and a possibility?

W/O.J.Willisson
Absolutely no luck whatsoever although it is an extremely unusual Surname! Nothing in England/Wales FREEBMD. You might, possibly (rpt possibly) be looking at a Canadian, or Australian, Birth?

Mondays are always a good day for solving puzzles!!!! Good luck!
Rgds
Peter Davies

[Resmoroh]

Luc (et al),
The only “J. Willisson” I can offer is “John Royston George Willisson”. b. 9 Apr 1922 Reg Hammersmith 1a 397, Enlisted 1940 1338701 in Block 1330001-1340000 Uxbridge. He was a T/Postman-Messenger in the UK Civil Service in 1938 (aged 16!!!). But the ORB scribe might vary the number of forename initials? Very thin excuse, I admit!!
Rgds
Peter Davies

[Luc Vervoort]

Peter,

Many thanks for your kind assistance !

Best regards

Luc

[Resmoroh]

Luc,
I have managed to reduce the 18 possible “H G Walker’s” on your JA381 from 18 down to 8.
I deleted the first 6 “H G Walker” from WW1 on account of age.
I deleted the last three Walkers on account of the fact that they didn’t Enlist until after the Knokke event.
1189912 Harold Grenville Walker gets Commissioned (151093) 11 Jan 43.

The remaining 8 all survived WW2 (not on CWGC), and none of them appear in the LG.
Walker Harold George 578569 1941
Walker Harry Gillson 1292741 1940
Walker Hamilton Gibson 1370526 1940
Walker Harold George 1455793 1941
Walker Henry Gray 1556729 1941
Walker Herbert George 1615452 1941
Walker Harold George 2250359 1943
Walker Henry George 1875251 1945

I am stuck now. If I had to bet some of your money, I would put it on 578569 Flt Sg Harold George Walker – a 1941 Boy Entrant!
Best I can do. Somebody else might have a go at unravelling this one? I do dislike being beaten by a mere combination of names/numbers!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HTH
Peter Davies

[Luc Vervoort]

Peter,

Many thanks for your info.

Perhaps we have to wait more than a few years when the AIR81 file for this plane will be available ....

Best regards from a almost tropical Belgium,

Luc