Crash Site Handley Page Hampden Mk I AD-937 QR-G

This crucifix commemorates the crew members who lost their lives in the RAF Handley Page Hampden Mk1 bomber that crashed near this spot on the night of 7 to 8 July 1941.

The aircraft, registration AD-937, took off from Hemswell (Lincolnshire) at 23:00, together with three other Hampdens from RAF 61 Squadron, with a crew of four on board. The target of the mission was a railway embankment in Mönchengladbach. On the way back over the Netherlands, it was attacked by a German Messerschmidt Bf110 night fighter (Oberleutnant Reinhold Knacke of 2./NJG 1) and crashed at 1:17 a.m. in Houthem.

Three crew members were killed, only the pilot managed to save himself with his parachute and, although seriously injured, was taken prisoner of war and survived the war.

The crew consisted of:
Pilot: Pilot Officer J.G.N. Braithwaite RAF (87058) - Survivor
Co-Pilot: Sergeant Glyndwr Owens RAF (754046) 26 years old - Killed
Wireless Operator/Air Gunner: Flight Sergeant Raymond Wordsworth RAF (969973) 27 years old - Killed
Air Gunner: Sergeant Joseph Frank Walton RAF (908698) 25 years old - Killed

The fallen crew members are buried at the Jonkerbos War Cemetery in Nijmegen.

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Source

• Text: TracesOfWar
• Photos: Fraukje Rietkerk (1, 2), RAF (3)
• - https://www.archieven.nl/nl/zoeken/?mivast=0&mizig=254&miadt=596&miview=tbl&milang=nl&mif2=85335&mif3=%27t+Sjtegelke&mif4=720773