NICKEL RAIDS
A 27-28th April 1942 – 2 Aircraft Lost – 10 killed
B 23-24th May 1943 – 1 aircraft Lost – 5 killed
C 23-24th September 1943 – 1 aircraft lost – crew evaded capture
DETAILS OF ACCIDENT (A)
On the evening of 27-28th April 1942, two crews from RAF Lichfield were lost on
the same mission. They were sent to scatter leaflets in the Lille region of France.
The first aircraft, Wellington 1C X9635 with a crew of 5 took off from Lichfield at
21.58. They never returned and are all buried in Heverlee War Cemetery in
Belgium. The crew comprised of:
F/O L.G. CHICK – (R.A.F) – DIED. SGT F.J. DODD – (R.A.F.) – DIED.
SGT M.B. REMFRY – (R.A.F.) – DIED. SGT J.R. STUKINS – (R.A.F.) – DIED.
SGT A. J. GLAISTER – (R.A.A.F.) – DIED.
The second Wellington 1c Z8901 took off a little later at 22.41 and crashed at
Sautour which is 3 kilometres SSE of Phillippeville in Belgium. The crews were
buried in the cemetery at Charleroi, Belgium. They comprised of the following
airmen:
SGT PILOT G.A. DALE – (R.A.F.) – DIED. SGT E.C. INDER – (R.N.Z.A.F.) – DIED.
SGT W.J. JEWELL – (R.A.F.) – DIED. SGT M.B. REMFRY (R.A.A.F.) – DIED.
SGT W.G. MUTTON – (R.N.Z.A.F.) – DIED.
DETAILS OF ACCIDENT (B)
On the 23-24th May 1943, Wellington 111 BK489 was lost on a Nickel Raid, taking
off from Lichfield, heading for Paris. There is no information about what
happened to the plane or it’s crew. They were lost without trace. Their names are
remembered on the Runnymede Memorial. They were:
SGT C.W. ASTLE – (R.A.F.) – DIED. SGT W. ANTCLIFFE (R.A.F.) – DIED.
SGT C.F.S. WELLS (R.A.F.) – DIED. SGT A. DRURY (R.A.F.) – DIED.
SGT C.A. WARNES (R.A.F.) – DIED.
DETAILS OF ACCIDENT (C)
On the 23-24th September 1943, Wellington 111 X966 took off from RAF Lichfield
at 19.00, on course for a Nickel Raid in the regions of Orleans, France. On the
outward journey, the crew observed two German fighters some way off their port
side. Ten minutes later, the bomber was hit several times by flack. All of the
leaflets were jettisoned and with great skill F/S Dowling was able to get his plane
back on course for home. However, they were losing petrol at an alarming rate
and there was a strong smell of petrol inside the aircraft. F/S Dowling ordered his
crew to bale out at 8,000 feet which they all successfully did. When it came to his
turn to bale out, he realised that his parachute had disappeared through the
escape hatch. He therefore had no alternative but to land the aircraft in a field
near Amiens. He evaded capture and made a miraculous escape with the help of
the local resistance groups. Six weeks later he arrived back in England. The crew
comprised of:
F/SGT PILOT G.L. DOWLING – (R.A.A.F.) – SURVIVED.
SGT F.J. PAGE – (R.A.F.) – SURVIVED.
SGT ANDERSON – (R.A.A.F.) – SURVIVED.
SGT W. TODD – (R.A.F.) – SURVIVED.
F/O W.C. HAWKE – (R.A.A.F.) – CAPTURED (GERMAN POW)