07 – Crashlocatie ‘s-Gravendeel (31 mei 1942)
A number of planes, type Wellington of RAF O.T.U. squadron, are ordered to take off from airbase Pershore, near Worcester, England, and fly to Germany to bomb Cologne. As from 23.00 p.m. planes are flying over Hoekse Waard (South of Rotterdam) on their way to Germany. An eye witness suddenly sees overhead how a burning plane is coming down. Fully ablaze it crashes near the Maasdam Road between the first and middle crossroads between Maasdam and ‘s Gravendeel. People go to the burning plane and find near the wreck the body of pilot F/Sgt. W.R.C. Johnston. A little later German soldiers arrive at the burning plane and find another body in the tail end of the plane. Of the other 3 members of the crew only identity discs were found later in the wreck, they were probably burned inside. The two bodies that were found were buried at Crooswijk cemetary, in Rotterdam. The 3 other crew were recorded as missing, without a known grave.
Victim(s) at this location:
15 – W.C.R. Johnston
16 – J. Donn-Patterson
17 – Michael L. Glenton-Wright
18 – G.F. Bolton
19 – Ronald A. Broodbank