Date: 7/8th November 1941
Unit: No. 51 Squadron
Type: Whitley V
Serial: Z9130
Coded: MH-F
Location: North Sea
Pilot: S/Ldr. Peter George Scott Dickenson 33238 R.A.F. Age: 25. Killed
Pilot No 2: Sgt. Brian S. Walley 1062112 R.A.F. Age: 18. P.O.W. (Camp Stalag VIIA, Mooseberg, Bavaria. P.O.W. No; 80)
Nav: P/O. David Albert Simpson J/5309 R.C.A.F. Age: 24. Killed
W/O: Sgt. Arthur Vincent Carpenter 984207 R.A.F.V.R. Age: 20. Killed
Air/Gnr: Sgt. William Martin Chambers R/61802 R.C.A.F. Age: 24. Killed (1)
REASON FOR LOSS:
Took off at 21.21hrs from Dishforth, Yorkshire as part of a 169 strong force to attack Berlin. The weather was extremely bad with strong winds and icing conditions over the North Sea routes. Only 73 aircraft managed to reach the German capital and caused fairly minor damage on the city.
Great losses to this force on the raid with 37 aircraft missing - 8 shot down by the German night fighters, the remainder by flak and the poor weather. Z9130 was hit by flak before reaching the target area and set the port engine on fire although the fire extinguishers worked the aircraft was hitting the 80 knot + winds and the icy conditions prevented the pilot making it back to England. They jettisoned the bomb load over Kiel and then started to throw out as much equipment as they could to assist with the return trip.
All the crew were, at this stage alive and uninjured.
Sgt. Arthur Carpenter sent out a final fix on their position to assist in a rescue and they then hit the water and miraculously all except Sgt Walley were uninjured and all made it to the dingy. Sgt. Brian Walley suffered a broken knee cap and cuts to both thighs. The sea was merciless with huge wave and very quickly the crew suffered from severe sea sickness. During these storms Sgt. William Chambers and Sgt. Arthur Carpenter were washed over board and the remainder of the crew never even saw them go such was the power of the waves. P/O David Simpson died during his sleep on the 2nd night in the dingy and the skipper S/Ldr. Peter Dickenson died the following afternoon.
Then a Heinkel 59 seaplane saw the dingy and landed - picking up Sgt, Brian Walley and the bodies of the navigator and the skipper.
Sgt. Brain Wally spent the remainder of the war in P.O.W. camps after receiving excellent medical treatment and the two crew members who's bodies were recovered were given a full military funeral at a local cemetery. Sgt. Walley qualified for membership of the Goldfish club whilst serving earlier with an O.T.U based in Kinloss, Scotland when flying a Whitley it lost an engine on take off and the aircraft came down in Spey Bay.
S/Ldr. Peter George Scott Dickenson (Courtesy of Charles Dickenson)
Top L - R: Sgt. Arthur Vincent Carpenter, Sgt. Brian S. Walley (Courtesy 51 Squadron History Society)
P/O. David Albert Simpson (Courtesy 51 Squadron History Society)
Stalag VIIA, Mooseberg, Bavaria (Sage Publications)
Sgt. William Martin Chambers (Courtesy 51 Squadron History Society)
Sgt. Brian S. Walley shown reading on the top bunk during his "stay" at Stalag VIIA, Mooseberg, Bavaria (Sage Publications)
(1) Chambers Lake in Saskatchewan is named after Sgt. Chambers
Burial Details:
Peter George Scott Dickenson. Sage War Cemetery Grave: 3.F.7.
Son of George Edward and Iris Mary, husband of Cynthia Claire, of Letchworth, Herts.
David Albert Simpson. Sage War Cemetery Grave: 3.F.6.
Son of William Edward and Ethel Lillian, of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Arthur Vincent Carpenter. Commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial Panel 40.
Son of Arthur Herbert and Mabel Theresa, of Manchester.
William Martin Chambers. Commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial Panel 61.
Son of William and Grace, of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada.
With thanks to R.A.F. Ex prisoners Association (Australian division) and Sage Publishing for some of the information used. We are happy to provide viewers with details of how to obtain a copy of the "Silk and Barbed Wire" publication. With thanks to the following: Bill Chorley - "Bomber Command Losses Vol 2", Martin Middlebrook "Bomber Command War Diaries". The C.W.G.C.
