Bristol Beaufighter, n° 409 Squadron. April 18, 1943

[dan35]

Hello,
I am looking for a crew composition for 409 (Nighthawk) Squadron Royal Canadian Air Force. Bristol Beaufighter. The ORB is not of good quality, the serial 5043? Sgt. Williams V. Night of April 18, 1943. Missing.

[Argus]

Hello Dan,

Pilot was P/O Blair Miller Harker - RCAF J/16360.

So the next must be:

Sgt. Vivian Ivor Williams, RAF - 1486633 as Navigator & Radio/Wireless Operator.

Both on Runnymede War Memorial.

Best regards

Finn Buch

[Tom Semenza]

The serial number was V8718 per Norman Franks RAF Fighter Command Losses, Vol. 2 and confirmed by Air-Britain serial list.

Regards,
Tom

[Argus]

Hi,

I am wondering why the 409 Squadron ORB April 1943 - Form 541, has the serial number X8142 for the crew Harker/Williams.

Missions:
X8718 17/4 43 Taylor Brown
X8142 17/4 43 Harker/Williams
X8718 18/4 43 Taylor/Brown
X8142 18/4 43 Harker/Williams lost
X8718 19/4 43 Taylor/Brown

X8718 does not exist within the Beaufighter serials, so could this be a typo for V8718. But the aircraft was on a mission the day after the loss of Harker/Williams!

Any good ideas?

Finn

[dan35]

Thanks for your replies, I thought the Bristol Beaufighter X8142 was the one I had been looking for for many years. But the body of Sgt Williams Vivian Ivor was thrown into the sea at Villers-sur-Mer in Normandy, far from Brittany.
I'm still looking for that loss.
Night of 18-19/04/43. Probably bay of Morlaix near Locquénolé, near Coatilès, facing Dourduff-en-mer. Two "Bristol Beaufighter" of RAF Fighter Command are on a night mission in the Guingamp, Plouaret, Morlaix sector. The weather is not good, a plane abandons the mission. The other is missing.
La Flak du Ménez" violently went into action shortly before midnight. It is probably this device, whose crew is made up of two men, which was hit and crashed in the bay of Morlaix near Locquénolé, at height of Coatilès, facing Dourduff-en-mer. The Germans will intervene immediately, illuminating the wreckage with mobile searchlights and reaching it with the boat of the oyster farmer Totar Jégou, which they had requisitioned. A single body will be extracted. Then at daybreak, another will be discovered on one of the oyster beds of Louise Le Noan, on the Plouézoc'h side; they will be deposited in a store in the palud de Kerannel, transformed into a burning chapel, where flowers will immediately be deposited. , without much reaction from the Germans. The coffin will be quickly carried out, followed by a provisional burial in the cemetery of Saint-Martin-des-Champs. (Book Plougasnou, Le Gros)

[Argus]

Thanks for your replies, I thought the Bristol Beaufighter X8142 was the one I had been looking for for many years. But the body of Sgt Williams Vivian Ivor was thrown into the sea at Villers-sur-Mer in Normandy, far from Brittany.
I'm still looking for that loss.
Night of 18-19/04/43. Probably bay of Morlaix near Locquénolé, near Coatilès, facing Dourduff-en-mer. Two "Bristol Beaufighter" of RAF Fighter Command are on a night mission in the Guingamp, Plouaret, Morlaix sector. The weather is not good, a plane abandons the mission. The other is missing.
La Flak du Ménez" violently went into action shortly before midnight. It is probably this device, whose crew is made up of two men, which was hit and crashed in the bay of Morlaix near Locquénolé, at height of Coatilès, facing Dourduff-en-mer. The Germans will intervene immediately, illuminating the wreckage with mobile searchlights and reaching it with the boat of the oyster farmer Totar Jégou, which they had requisitioned. A single body will be extracted. Then at daybreak, another will be discovered on one of the oyster beds of Louise Le Noan, on the Plouézoc'h side; they will be deposited in a store in the palud de Kerannel, transformed into a burning chapel, where flowers will immediately be deposited. , without much reaction from the Germans. The coffin will be quickly carried out, followed by a provisional burial in the cemetery of Saint-Martin-des-Champs. (Book Plougasnou, Le Gros)

From Report - Date: 7th February 1946.

No.1 Missing Research and Enquiry Unit, was told during their stay at the Cemetery at Villers-sur-Mer by the warden M. Pierre Panel, that the grave of Williams complete with cross had been in the cemetery until 11'o'clock on the 7th July, 1944. Two large American Bombers came overhead to bomb the railway next door to the cemetery. One bomb landed directly on the grave of Williams and about 12 graves were demplished leaving a large crater. A cemetery worker was killed. The hole has since been filled up.

In a record book by the Mairie at Villers-sur-Mer, was found a note telling of a body being washed up from the sea, identified as Williams.

Regards,

Finn

[dan35]

I asked the town hall of the commune of Saint-Martin-des-Champs if their cemetery register had the names of the two airmen, but nothing at all. Perhaps it is mentioned in the archives of the No.1 Missing Research and Inquiry Unit.
Saint-Martin-des-Champs is located in Finistère.