Date: 5/6th May 1942
Unit: No. 150 Squadron
Type: Wellington III
Serial: X3407
Code: JN-A
Base: Snaith, Yorkshire
Location: North Sea off Holland
Pilot: Fl/Sgt. Ronald Sample Bell 1056285 R.A.F.V.R. Age 21. Killed
Pilot 2: Sgt. Stanley Harry Heslop 1375238 R.A.F.V.R. Age ? Killed
Nav: Fl/Sgt. Erlyn Everard Kirby R/76971 R.C.A.F. Age ? Killed
Air/Bmr: Sgt. Robert Watson Stewart 1060247 R.A.F.V.R. Age ? Killed
Air/Gnr: Sgt. Percy Walter Wrighting 1313271 R.A.F.V.R. Age ? Killed
Air/Gnr: Sgt. William Gordon Kennerley 1060557 R.A.F.V.R. Age 21. Killed
REASON FOR LOSS:
Took off at 22.25 hrs from Snaith, Yorkshire to bomb the city of Stuttgart and the Bosch works. 77 Aircraft took part and the raid was not classed as successful as most of the bombs were dropped on the town of Lauffen. The Germans had set up this as a decoy with the railway station laid out the same as Stuttgart! (As a consequence this town suffered 37 Air raids during the war - Stuttgart people were not at all popular). Stuttgart was a very difficult target as it lies between a series of deep valleys. It was classed as the most important target in Germany at the time, because of the Robert Bosch Factory which produced dynamos, injection pumps and magnetos.
No cloud during this raid but the ground was haze covered. Very little night fighter activity and only 2 are claimed to have been shot down out of the 7 aircraft lost. The remainder were probably brought down by flak, 3 of these managed to reach England but crashed due to flak damage. 150 Squadron lost 3 aircraft on this raid. Stuttgart had been attacked heavily the previous night and was attacked again the night of the 6/7th May.
Wellington X3047 was lost in the sea off the Dutch coast - thought to have been brought down by flak.
Fl/Sgt. Erlyn Everard Kirby sister, Kay Kirby Pullen in the centre, her daughter Carol Dacyk left and her daughter-in-law Davorka Pullen speak at the dedication ceremony at the renamed Kirby Lake in Canada. (Courtesy of Duane Eberly - nephew of Arnold Roseland - another Lake name).
Above left the Fl/Sgt. Erlyn Kirby memorial at the renamed Kirby Lake, Alberta, Canada. Right: Fl/Sgt. Erlyn Kirby (Courtesy Mike Harrison)
Copy of the article regarding this Lake renaming (Courtesy of Duane Eberly)
(Please click onto the cutting for larger version)
We are working very closely with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Manitoba geographical names project and the Saskatchewan Tourism Parks, culture and sports department to show with the aid of Google maps where many of the WW2 Aviators are being remembered. If you are also able to assist by sending other information please "Contact Us". To see the Google map locations for others "Click Here"
Left to right above: Bergen (C.W.G.C) Runnymede (King A.R. Society) Texel (C.W.G.C.)
Burial details:
Fl/Sgt. Ronald Sample Bell Texel (Den Burg) Cemetery Plot. K. Row. 6 Grave 121.
Son of Thomas Sample Bell and Lily Bell, of High Spen, Co. Durham.
Sgt. Stanley Harry Heslop Bergen General Cemetery Plot 1. Row B. Grave 5.
No further details known as yet.
Fl/Sgt. Erlyn Everard Kirby Runnymede Memorial Panel 105
Son of Arch Kirby and Millicent Kirby of Waskatenan, Alberta, Canada.
Sgt. Robert Watson Stewart Runnymede Memorial Panel 94
No further details known as yet.
Sgt. Percy Walter Wrighting Runnymede Memorial Panel 97
No further details known as yet.
Sgt. William Gordon Kennerley Runnymede Memorial Panel 87
Son of Walter and Annie Kennerley, of Moulton, Cheshire.
