Crew of Wellington BK269
The Stowe crew first appears on the Squadron ORB on August 5th.1942, a Nickel raid over Lille. Once the leaflets were dropped the crew began a series of operations of a more serious nature. The fact that they were dropping leaflets did not make the operations less dangerous. raids over enemy occupied territory were never taken lightly. But crews wanted to be doing more to the war effort.
The Third Operation Bremen
What occurred during their operation on September 4 1942 is told in the magazine "Wings Aboard":
(Note date on the Extract form is incorrect, the date should be September 4th, and F/O Stuart's name is incorrectly spelled)
Several more operations were completed by the crew before the night of raid on Krefeld.
October 2nd. Krefeld
On this operation the crew included F/S Helfi Sveinson on his first operation and flying as 2nd. Pilot, which for Sveinson meant a training operation.
Wellington BK269 VR-C set off for a raid on Krefeld Germany at 18:19 hours and was not heard from again.
Sergeant Norman Nelan was the only survivor and this is his account of what happened:
On our last trip we had dropped our bombs on Krefeld and on our way back just inside Holland, we were
attacked by a night fighter and our engine went out and the wiring was damaged. I came out of the front
turret because the plane was out of control.
The pilot straightened it up but we went into a steep dive. Sgt. Stowe ordered us to abandon the aircraft. I went first and was first and landed in a farmers back yard. We went so low when I jumped the others never had a chance and the plane crashed less than a mile away near the town of Volkel
The pilot straightened it up but we went into a steep dive. Sgt. Stowe ordered us to abandon the aircraft. I went first and was first and landed in a farmers back yard. We went so low when I jumped the others never had a chance and the plane crashed less than a mile away near the town of Volkel
In September of 1945 the Mayor of Uden was able to write and tell what happened in the minutes after Sgt. Nelan had left the Wellington. In his letter he assures the families of the men buried there that the graves of the Heroes will be well looked after.
A 1945 Letter from the Mayor of Uden
Full letter sent to Stuart family member, of his memories of the Breman raid and that night over Krefeld.
Written May 13th 1999 by Norman Nelan
I first met Jim Stuart on 20th of June 1942. When we were training as a crew of five with Sgt. Stowe as pilot and Jim as wireless operator.
Later we joined 419 squadron and in August began our series of bombing raids which extended to eight before we were shot down.
Looking back on it I wonder we survived eight ops. Twice we were shot up and limped home and landed at the first aerodrome we could find . The second time we landed with one engine after attacking Bremen and getting coned in searchlights over heavily defended Kiel Canal.
On our last trip we had dropped our bombs on Krefeld and on our way back just inside Holland, we were attacked by a night fighter and our engine went out and the wiring was damaged. I came out of the front turret because the plane was out of control.
The pilot straightened it up but we went into a steep dive. Sgt. Stowe ordered us to abandon the aircraft. I went first and were first and landed in a farmers back yard. We went so low when I jumped the others never had a chance and the plane crashed less than a mile away near the town of Volkel
Norm Nelan
I first met Jim Stuart on 20th of June 1942. When we were training as a crew of five with Sgt. Stowe as pilot and Jim as wireless operator.
Later we joined 419 squadron and in August began our series of bombing raids which extended to eight before we were shot down.
Looking back on it I wonder we survived eight ops. Twice we were shot up and limped home and landed at the first aerodrome we could find . The second time we landed with one engine after attacking Bremen and getting coned in searchlights over heavily defended Kiel Canal.
On our last trip we had dropped our bombs on Krefeld and on our way back just inside Holland, we were attacked by a night fighter and our engine went out and the wiring was damaged. I came out of the front turret because the plane was out of control.
The pilot straightened it up but we went into a steep dive. Sgt. Stowe ordered us to abandon the aircraft. I went first and were first and landed in a farmers back yard. We went so low when I jumped the others never had a chance and the plane crashed less than a mile away near the town of Volkel
Norm Nelan
What Sgt. Nelan left out from his details was that he fractured his ankle on landing after parachuting from the aircraft. He spent time at No.344 Lamsdorf Hospital and also at Stalag Luft VIIIB until his liberation.
The Wellington was also reported to have been brought down by a night fighter of the 2/NJG1 group. The report by the crew's Bomb Aimer an eye witness to the events would be a better guide to those events.
