Losses of the 90th Squadron RAF while based at Station 167 Ridgewell
Introduction
No. 90 Squadron went through three incarnations during the Second World War. At the start of the war the squadron served as a training squadron for No. 6 Group, flying the Bristol Blenheim. This first incarnation of the squadron ended in April 1940 when it merged with No. 35 Squadron to form No. 17 Operational Training Unit
The second incarnation of No. 90 Squadron was formed to fly the Fortress I. The reformed squadron began daylight raids with the Fortress on 8 July 1941, but this early version of the B-17 Flying Fortress was not well suited to operations over Europe. The aircraft were sent to the Middle East in October 1941, where they joined No. 220 Squadron, while No. 90 Squadron received the Blenheim IV, operating with that aircraft until it was disbanded on 14 February 1942.
The third and final wartime incarnation of No. 90 Squadron saw it return to Bomber Command, flying the first of the four engined heavy bombers, the Short Stirling. This was the least effective of the three British heavy bombers, but No. 90 Squadron had to soldier on with the type until June 1944. As well as the normal bombing operations the squadron also undertook a large number of mine laying missions, often given to the Stirling squadrons as the more effective Halifax and Lancaster bombers entered service. No. 90 Squadron itself converted to the Lancaster in May-June 1944, flying that type until the end of the war. Aircraft March 1937-April 1940: Bristol Blenheim I March 1939-April 1940: Bristol Blenheim IV May 1941-February 1942: Boeing Fortress I October 1941-February 1942: Bristol Blenheim IV December 1942-May 1943: Short Stirling I February 1943-June 1944: Short Stirling III May 1944-December 1947: Avro Lancaster I and III
Location 10 May-7 September 1939: West Raynham 7-19 September 1939: Weston-on-the-Green 19 September 1939-4 April 1940: Upwood
7-15 May 1941: Watton 15 May-28 June 1941: West Raynham 28 June 1941-14 February 1942: Polebrook
7 November-29 December 1942: Bottesford 29 December 1942-31 May 1943: Ridgewell 31 May-13 October 1943: Wratting Common 13 October 1943-11 November 1946: Tuddenham
Group and Duty 1939-1940: Pool bomber squadron with No. 6 Group
1941: Bomber Command as the first Fortress squadron 1942-1945: Bomber Command with the Stirling and then Lancaster
Losses of the 90th Squadron RAF while based at Station 167 Ridgewell
4th February 1943
Stirling I BF415 WP-S Operation “Hamburg” F/S G D Macdougall RCAF Sgt G Stephens Sgt L H Jenkins Sgt R T Williams Sgt C G H Mactavish Sgt G C Adam Sgt P J Egan F/O F A Parton T/o 18:22 Ridgewell. Shot down by a night fighter and crashed at Willeskop (Utrecht) 16km SW of Utrecht. All are buried in Montfoort General Cemetery. Sgt. Mactavish was the son of Lt. Gordon Mitchell Humphrey Mactavish RNVR, who died while in service 16th November 1947. This was the first operational loss sustained by 90th Squadron since reforming on 7th November 1942. The pilot, F/S Macdougall RCAF, was very experienced with twenty six operational sorties to his credit. F/O Parton had joined the crew in place of their usual tail gunner who had been taken ill. Normally, he flew with the Squadron Commander, W/C J C Claydon.
6th February
Stirling I BK644 WP-T “Operation “Gardening” F/S J Wood Sgt A Carr Sgt J F Christon Sgt W G Harris Sgt D W Howard Sgt S Baxter Sgt C C Greenaway Sgt L A France T/o 18:04 Ridgewell for mine laying duties off of the Fresian Islands. Lost without trace. All are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. Sgt Carr had been attached from 1657 CU. Sgt France’s parents lived in Alturas del Alemendares, Havana, Cuba.
14th-15th February
Stirling I BF438 WP-D “Operation Koln” Sgt L W Tabor Sgt T A G Butt Sgt E Couldwell Sgt J Kennedy Sgt S R Cann Sgt K W Valentine Sgt A Simmons T/o 19:01 Ridgewell. Lost without trace. All are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
16-17th February
Stirling I R9306 WP-J “Operation Lorient” F/O J S Brydon RCAF Sgt J A Rodger WO2 W K Rosenberry RCAF F/O N J P Hartney RCAF F/S W C Morten RCAF Sgt W A Hurn Sgt E R Evans
T/o 18:59 Ridgewell. Homebound, both starboard engines failed. The order was given to abandon but only three were able to do so before the Stirling crashed at 23:05 on the 900ft Bulbarrow Hill, less than 10 miles due west of Blandford Forum, Dorset. All four Canadians rest in Blandford Cemetery. Sgt. Evans was badly injured.
19th-20th February
Stirling I R9276 WP-G “Operation Wilhelmshaven” F/L R L Knowles Sgt M Goldrick Sgt A Holt Sgt D H Powell Sgt R C Frost Sgt A M Limbrick Sgt R A Johnston Sgt C G Parr
T/o 17:50 Ridgewell. Lost without trace. All are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial
Stirling I BK627 WP-P Sgt A B Scholey Sgt S G Fisher Sgt T A Constable Sgt G Morrall Sgt H M Kennard Sgt E A Arnold Sgt D B Sayer
T/o 17:54 Ridgewell. Presumed crashed in the sea. Six are commemorated on the Runnymeded Memorial but Sgt Fisher’s body was found 18th April 1943 and taken for burial at Westerland on Sylt. He now rests in Kiel War Cemetery. Sgt Kennard was an Associate of Trinity College, London
25th-26th February
Stirling I BF410 WP-E “Operation Nurnberg” Sgt F J Miles Sgt W R major Sgt A V D Hines Sgt G Pettinger Sgt J H Dyer Sgt W H Bevan Sgt E H Holmes Sgt J Carrick
T/o 20:39 Ridgewell. Crashed 3km south of Rastatt, 22km Southwest of Karlsruhe. Those who died rest in Durnbach War Cemetery; their average age being just 22. Sgt Major had been attached from 1657 CU. Sgt Hines was the son of Lt. Walter Nathaniel Hines RN. Sgt Carrick was a POW.
28th Feb – 1st March
Stirling I R9349 WP-U “Operation St. Nazaire” Sgt V E Spain RCAF Sgt J McGhie P/O E Lear Sgt R G F Bryant Sgt R V S Rooke Sgt L J Humphrey Sgt J H Jackson
T/o Ridgewell 18:15. Exploded in the air and crashed near Avranches (Manche), France, where those who died are buried in the town’s Communal Cemetery. Sgt McGhie sustained a dislocated shoulder when his parachute deployed. McGhie and Jackson became POW’s.
5th-6th March
Stirling I R9271 WP-Q “Operation Essen” P/O W A Fowlie Sgt A McK Mollison Sgt M Renaut Sgt W M Werkendam Sgt J Eccles Sgt J B Courtney RCAF Sgt E E Garnett T/o 19:05 Ridgewell. Crashed at Heumisch Bauernhof, 1km east of Sankt Peter. Those who died are reported as being taken to the Stadtfriedhof at Monchengladbach, but their graves could not be found and the three that died Fowlie, Mollison and Courtney are remembered on the Runnymede Memorial. The others became POW’s.
9th-10th March
Stirling I BF449 WP-J “Operation Gardening” Sgt S M G Peryer Sgt C N Searle P/O J J Pattison P/O J Deutscher P/O G L Spofford Sgt J McLaren Sgt J S Hatton
T/o 19:29 Ridgewell for mine laying duties in the Kattegat, but turned back due to problems with the outer starboard engine. On touchdown at 23:00 an engine surged causing the Stirling to swing violently which in turn led to the undercarriage collapsing. No injuries reported.
18th March
Stirling I W7627 WP-E Training Flight F/O J Overton T/o 14:15 Ridgewell but swung out of control and collided with parked Stirling BK693 (BK693 was later repaired but was lost a year later). F/O Overton who had arrived from 1657 CU two days previous was injured in the collision.
5th April
Stirling I BF409 WP-R Training Flight F/O J Overton Returning to Ridgewell on three engines and while approaching the runway the pilot saw an airman running across his path. In taking avoiding action, the Stirling stalled and crashed heavily, though the crew escaped injury. For F/O Overton this was his second crash in less than a month. Soon after this incident he was posted to 218 Squadron and from there to 623 Squadron. Later he rose to the rank of S/L and following a second spell with 218 Squadron was posted to 1657 CU.
10th – 11th April
Stirling III BF471 WP-L “Operation Frankfurt” P/O F R Pugh Sgt D Rosser Sgt E Jones Sgt S Tomany Sgt N J Coles Sgt W E Edwards Sgt E D F Hine T/o 00:37 Ridgewell. Ran short of fuel while returning to base and crash landed 07:04 about a mile south of at Manston airfield, Kent. Sgt Hine sustained an injury.
13th-14th April
Stirling I BF454 WP-W Training Flight Sgt J A Robson Sgt N Graham Sgt J G Smith Sgt A G Beresford Sgt H O Sharman Sgt C R Fenwick Sgt R Hammond
T/o 22:17 Ridgewell for a “Bullseye” exercise, but swung out of control and came to a stop with it’s undercarriage collapsed. No injuries
14th- 15th April
Stirling III BF462 WP-P “Operation Stuttgart” P/O R J Beldin Sgt H Noar Sgt E A Shaw Sgt R J Palmer Sgt R B Blake RCAF Sgt S F Gould Sgt S Hammond
T/o 21:48 Ridgewell. Shot down from 11,000ft after being attacked by two fighters (identified as a Me110 and a Ju 88). Crashed at Soude-Notre-Dame-ou-le-Petit (Marne) 24km SSW of Chalons-sur- Marne, France. Those who died rest near the eastern wall of the village churchyard. P/O Beldin was the only survivor and became a POW.
16th – 17th April
Stirling III BK725 WP-M “Operation Mannheim” P/O P D White Sgt W E Phillips RCAF Sgt A Smith P/O S F Everiss P/O D G Ross Sgt E G Gaisford Sgt J B Ford Sgt W J Fitzgerald
T/o 22:00 Ridgewell. Shot down by a night fighter and crash landed 02:14 at Commenchon (Aisne) 6km NW of Chauny, France. Sgt Fitzgerald was on his final sortie of his first tour of operations. All evaded except P/O White who became a POW.
20th – 21st April
Stirling I BF442 WP-K “Operation Rostock” P/O R F Elliott RNZAF Sgt B L Neal Sgt C B Barrott Sgt C McKerns Sgt A Chadwick Sgt N L Fauvel Sgt C L Maunder RCAF
T/o 21:28 Ridgewell. Presumed lost over the Baltic. Sgt Maunder RCAF is buried in Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery; the others have no known graves. Sgt Fauvel’s parents lived on Jersey in the Channel Islands.
Stirling III BF463 WP-Q P/O S N Cross RNZAF Sgt C L Cruttenden Sgt N Shield Sgt L Tagg Sgt T E Hall Sgt E M Offen Sgt J D Lindrea
T/o 21:53 Ridgewell. Shot down by flak and crashed 00:19 into the waters of the Storebaelt near Spogo, west of Halsskov-Korsor, Denmark. Five lie in Svino Churchyard, while Sgt Tagg and Sgt Hall rest in Copenhagen (Bispebjerg) Cemetery.
Stirling III BF508 WP-S F/L A S W Prioleau Sgt H Munnery Sgt D Stowe Sgt W T Leathey Sgt C D McKelvie Sgt R H Dunstan Sgt M Leonard
T/o 21:49 Ridgewell. Crashed 00:48 off Klint, Denmark. F/L Prioleau lies in Odense Cemetery; Sgt Stowe and Sgt McKelvie rest in Esbjerg (Fourfelt) Cemetery, while the others have no known graves.
25th April
Stirling III BK780 WP-L Training Flight P/O F R Pugh Sgt D Rosser Sgt E Jones Sgt S Tomany Sgt N J Coles Sgt W E Edwards While approaching Ridgewell and as the wheels were lowered the dinghy broke loose from its stowage. On touchdown the port oleo gave way and the Stirling was damaged beyond repair. No injuries reported
26th – 27th April
Stirling I BF383 WP-T “Operation Duisburg” F/O I F Mackenzie Sgt J Wilson P/O P A Walker Sgt R F Cocking Sgt V G Leak Sgt J R Boyes Sgt R E Hardingham
T/o 00:37 Ridgewell. Shot down by a night fighter and plunged into the Ijsselmeer. Four rest in cemeteries in Holland, while the pilot, Sgt Leak and Sgt Boyes are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. F/O Mackenzie was a Bachelor of Laws.
28th – 29th April
Stirling I BF346 WP-G “Operation Gardening” S/L R S May Sgt N Marshall F/S W G Monk RCAF Sgt K G Horne Sgt L Hainin P/O G F Heathcote-Peirson Sgt B H Reeve
T/o 20:19 Ridgewell for mine laying duties in the Quince region. Presumed crashed in the Baltic. F/S Monk RCAF is buried in Kiel War Cemetery; the others have no known graves. S/L May hailed from Victoria in British Colombia.
4th – 5th May
Stirling III BK814 WP-T “Operation Dortmund” Sgt F C Maxwell Sgt LS Broomfield Sgt J Kay Sgt J T Pooley Sgt H W Burton Sgt S Sweet P/O R J Davis
T/o 22:26 Ridgewell. Crashed at Derne, 5km SSW of Lunen. Burials took place at the Hauptfriedhof (Am Gottesacker) Dortmund, but in the post war years only one grave could be identified and Sgt Kay is now buried in the Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. The others are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. 12th – 13th May
Stirling III BF523 WP-G “Operation Duisburg” Sgt W Morey RCAF Sgt R S Shaw Sgt B A Bacon Sgt W Murray Sgt E W Eke Sgt A J Buxton Sgt C Green
T/o 00:30 Ridgewell. Shot down by a night fighter (Uffz Emil Heinzelmann, III ./NJG1), crashing 03:28 into the Ijsselmeer off Nijkerk (Gelderland), Holland. In the years that have since passed all have been identified and taken for burial in various Dutch cemeteries.
Stirling III BK661 WP-O P/O J I Gedak RCAF Sgt S James Sgt D H Robinson Sgt A V Edwards Sgt L Urry Sgt S Owen Sgt T G Matthews
T/o 00:18 Ridgewell. Lost without trace. All are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. Their average age was 23.
18th – 19th May
Stirling I BF414 WP-R Training Flight Sgt C B Wood Sgt A Armstrong P/O R Colledge Sgt H J Burgess Sgt D C Pittman Sgt B F J Wing Sgt P Foolkes
On landing 04:25 at Ridgewell from a night training exercise a tyre burst and the Stirling swung violently. Before corrective action could be taken the undercarriage gave way and the bomber was damaged beyond repair. No injuries reported.
25th May
Stirling I BK626 WP-W Air Sea Recue Sgt D A MacInnes Sgt F Sanders Sgt A R Clarke Sgt W G Dickson Sgt E Cautherley Sgt J H Nolan Sgt J C Fenton
T/o 10:15 Ridgewell. Crash landed at 13:00 due to loss of power from three engines at Shipdham airfield, Norfolk. No serious injuries reported
25th – 26th May
Stirling III EH876 WP-J “Operation Dusseldorf” P/O G W Young DFC RCAF Sgt M G K East RCAF Sgt W H Bryant F/S C L Saundercock RNZAF F/S J L Poulter Sgt R Wadsworth Sgt E S Pollon RCAF P/O C F O’Connell
T/o 23:50 Ridgewell. Shot down by a night fighter operating off the Dutch coast. Only one body was recovered, that of P/O O’Connell, who was buried on Texel in Den Burg Cemetery. The others have no known graves.
29th – 30th May
Stirling I EF349 WP-Y “Operation Wuppertal” P/O R W J Letters Sgt C W Hughes Sgt L L King RNZAF F/O K T Estcourt RNZAF Sgt F A Wells Sgt R Raven Sgt H Maskell
T/o 23:09 Ridgewell. Shot down by a night fighter (Hptm Ludwig Meister, I./NJG4) coming down at Proville (Nord), 3km SW of Cambrai, France, where those that died now rest in the city’s Route de Solesmes Communal Cemetery. Sgt King RNZAF and Sgt Maskell survived and were taken as POW’s
Stirling I EF397 WP-K P/O E A Norton Sgt E G Brooke Sgt L F F Johns RNZAF F/O J V Gustofson RNZAF Sgt W C Beck Sgt G A F Johnston Sgt J O Bradshaw
T/o 23:10 Ridgewell. On return crashed 04:30 2 miles north of RAF Stradishall airfield, Suffolk (5 miles NE of Haverhill). New Zealanders, John Vernon Gustofson (35), Lionel Fairfax Johns (23) and Sgt George Arthur F Johnston (23) who came from Dublin in the Irish Republic are buried in Haverhill Cemetery 4th June. The others that died were taken to their home towns. Sgt Bradshaw survived with injuries.