419 Squadron RCAF 1941 to 1945 Crew of Wellington X3488

Crew of Wellington Z1562

Wellington Z1562 squadron ID VR-N took to the air at 2309 from Mildenhall on a mine laying mission (Gardening ). Although no official details of what became of the crew or aircraft are given other witnesses saw events which they placed into record. And because of similar details the two reports seem to become confused with one another.

Report One
Sgt. Poser the rear gunner of X3723 which had taken off just prior to Pikula'a aircraft saw the Wellington hit by flak from a convoy off Cromer, Norfolk.

The details here match an incident which occurred on May 2nd. when Pikula's aircraft was hit by flak then made a crash landing at RAF Ford. Sgt. Poser rear gunner for F/S. Weeks was on X3723 which did take off one minute ahead of Pikula in X3726.

Report Two
Sgt. Poser was again on an operation which the Pikula crew was part of. On May 17th Poser's aircraft took off nine minutes after the Wellington F/S Pikula was flying, Z1562. And was witness to an aircraft falling in flames in the direction of Ameland.
The ORB shows that F/S Dunn's crew reported "explosion seen in the air followed by fire in the sea just North of Cromer at 2330 hours".

If these two sightings are the same aircraft going down the locations do not match. One is North of Cromer England and the other is Ameland in the Frisian Islands off the coast of Holland.
Six other aircraft were lost on that night while on Gardening ops, and another 2 were lost on operations against Boulogne. It is most likely that Sgt. Poser and F/S Dunn witnessed two different aircraft.
It has been recorded that it was strong feeling by all that the explosion North of Cromer was most likely was the loss of the Pikula crew.
They had completed 20 very tough sorties prior to this.

Crew of Wellington Z1562

Report One

Report Two

Flight Sergeant

Frank Pikula

Pilot Age 20
Killed in Action May 17 1942
From Windsor Ontario
Remembrance Runnymede Memorial

Sergeant

Walter Hopkins Webster

Air Gunner Age 20
Killed in Action May 17 1942
From Lexington Massachusetts USA
Remembrance Runnymede Memorial

Warrant Officer

Kenneth Lendon McDowell

Navigator Age 28
Killed in Action May 17 1942
From Nanaimo B.C.
Remembrance Runnymede Memorial

Sergeant

Gordon Clelland RAF

Wireless Op. Age 21
Killed in Action May 17 1942
Remembrance Runnymede Memorial

Sergeant

William Thomson

WAG Age 23
Killed in Action May 17 1942
From Hamilton Ontario
Remembrance Runnymede Memorial

Crew of Wellington Z1562

Report One

Report Two

Flight Sergeant

Frank Pikula

Pilot Age 20Killed in Action May 17 1942 From Windsor Ontario Remembrance Runnymede Memorial

Sergeant

Walter Hopkins Webster

Air Gunner Age 20Killed in Action May 17 1942 From Lexington Massachusetts USA Remembrance Runnymede Memorial

Warrant Officer

Kenneth Lendon McDowell

Navigator Age 28Killed in Action May 17 1942 From Nanaimo B.C. Remembrance Runnymede Memorial

Sergeant

Gordon Clelland RAF

Wireless Op. Age 21Killed in Action May 17 1942 Remembrance Runnymede Memorial

Sergeant

William Thomson

WAG Age 23Killed in Action May 17 1942 From Hamilton Ontario Remembrance Runnymede Memorial

Pilot Age 20
Killed in Action May 17 1942
From Windsor Ontario
Remembrance Runnymede Memorial

Air Gunner Age 20
Killed in Action May 17 1942
From Lexington Massachusetts USA
Remembrance Runnymede Memorial

Navigator Age 28
Killed in Action May 17 1942
From Nanaimo B.C.
Remembrance Runnymede Memorial

Wireless Op. Age 21
Killed in Action May 17 1942
Remembrance Runnymede Memorial

WAG Age 23
Killed in Action May 17 1942
From Hamilton Ontario
Remembrance Runnymede Memorial