Date: 28/29th April 1943
Unit: No.75 Squadron (R.N.Z.A.F.)
Type: Stirling I
Serial: W7513
Code: AA-G
Base: Newmarket, Suffolk
Location: Unknown - probably over target area.
Pilot: Sgt. Keith Halliburton 415411 R.N.Z.A.F. Age 23. Killed
Fl/Eng: Sgt. Devinder Singh Sidhu 946455 R.A.F.V.R. Age ? Killed
Nav: Sgt. Patrick Torre Hunter 42297 R.N.Z.A.F. Age 29. Killed
Air/Bmr: Sgt. Leslie Thomas Scarfe 1261331 R.A.F.V.R. Age 21. Killed
W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. David Church 1196564 R.A.F.V.R. Age 29. Killed
Air/Gnr: Sgt. Charles Henry George Boxall 1393248 Age ? Killed
Air/Gnr: Sgt. Alexander Clunie Howell 392104 Age 23. Killed
REASON FOR LOSS:
Took off at 20.42 hrs from R.A.F. Newmarket in Suffolk. Part of a huge 207 aircraft force on a "Gardening" (Mine laying) operation. A total of 593 mines were laid off Heligoland, in the river Elbe and in the Great and Little Belts. Low cloud base forced the aircraft to fly very low over the German and Danish coasts. Because of this they took very heavy flak and also attacks from Luftwaffe night fighters.
Although this was the largest mine laying operation in one night of the whole war it came at a price. A total of 22 aircraft were lost (75 Squadron lost 4 aircraft alone, with a total of 28 crew members killed) - 9 aircraft were lost by the night fighters and the remainder from the flak. Stirling W7513 is not on the Luftwaffe claims list for this raid so it is thought that it had been taken down by flak - the aircraft was lost without trace.
Stirling W7513 crew - Sgt. David Church on extreme left, Sgt. Patrick Torre Hunter 2nd left, Sgt. Devinder Singh Sidhu 3rd from left, centre Sgt. Keith Halliburton - remainder awaiting identification. (Photo courtesy of David Church and 75 Squadron Association, England branch)
(Photo enhanced by A.R.S. Technical services. Norwich, England)
Left above: Sgt. Keith Halliburton. Right: Sgt. Patrick Torre Hunter (Courtesy Mike Harrison)
Hoddesdon journal December 1943 (Courtesy Mike Harrison)
Runnymede War Memorial (Photo courtesy of David King A.R. Society)
Burial details:
All are commemorated on the Runnymede War Memorial.
Sgt. Keith Halliburton Panel 199.
Son of William Francis and Susan Halliburton, of Ashburton, Canterbury, New Zealand.
Sgt. Devinder Singh Sidhu Panel 147
No further details as yet.
Sgt. Patrick Torre Hunter Panel 199
Son of Patrick Hunter and of Helena Hunter (nee Torre), of Havelock North, Hawke's Bay, New Zealand.
Sgt. Leslie Thomas Scarfe Panel 164
Son of Edward Tevelin Scarfe and Sarah Grace Scarfe, of Hornsey, Middlesex.
Sgt. David Church Panel 145
Son of James Arnold and Alice Mary Church; husband of J. Church, of Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire.
Sgt. Charles Henry George Boxall Panel 143
No further details as yet
Sgt. Alexander Clunie Howell Panel 199
Son of William James Stanley Howell and Ella Isabell Howell, of Wairoi, Hawke's Bay, New Zealand.
With further information supplied by Mike Harrison. With thanks to the following: Bill Chorley - "Bomber Command Losses Vol 3", Martin Middlebrook "Bomber Command War Diaries". The C.W.G.C.
