Commonwealth War Grave Dutch Reformed Cemetery Wirdum

At the Dutch Reformed Cemetery of Wirdum (Frysk: Wurdum) near the Saint Martin's church (Frysk: Sint-Martinustsjerke) is the grave of Sergeant W.R. Fisher.
Text on the stone:

517185 sergeant
W.R. Fisher
Pilot
Royal Air Force
January 1943 Age 26
We have lost him
Heaven has found him
God doeth all things well

The crew of the bomber crashed at Wirdum consisted of:
1st Sgt George Emerson, Commander 1st Pilot, RNZAF, New Zealand.
Sgt William Robert Fisher ┼, 2nd pilot RAF, England.
Sgt Gordon Withla, Navigator, RNZAF, New Zealand.
Sgt Dick Prior, RAF, England (bomb aimer forward).
Sgt Harold Hughes, Rear Gunner, RNZAF New Zealand.
Sgt W.D.D. (Denzil) Watts, Radio Link, RAF, England.

The Story of Emerson, Withla, and Hughes:
The HD-T for Tommy, a Wellington Mk X No. 466 Royal Australian Airforce Squadron took off from its base in Leconfield, Yorkshire, England at 4:30 PM in the afternoon of 21 January 1943 for a flight to the sea area just before Terschelling where two sea mines of a new type had to be dropped. As we approached the coast we saw large fields of mist, which obscured us from the view of the ground. We had constantly flown at a height of a few dozen meters so as not to be picked up by the German radar, but went a little higher close to the island to orient ourselves. Shortly afterwards we heard an explosion, the starboard engine broke down and gasoline spilled out of the tanks from holes in the starboard wing. Nothing could be seen of the others in the formation of six or seven. It became more and more difficult to keep up and we didn't know where to go. Whether we have been hit by Flak van Terschelling or a Flak ship in the area? We don't know that yet. The fog prevented us from seeing whether we were wandering over land or over the sea. As the fog thinned, we saw land below us. Emerson, Withla and Hughes come to a unanimous view of their course then followed: the coastline has passed a large part to the south of Harlingen, flying south and bending north again to the west to the end point - Wirdum. None of the crew can reconstruct it exactly. They were followed by a night fighter but were not attacked, probably because it was clearly a lost cause. Sgt Prior was called out of the nose cupola to find a safer place, Fisher and I held the steering wheel, Prior lay on the ground pulling a steering cable. Hughes stayed in the rear dome.
Later it became known that the aircraft at Wiewerd (Frysk: Wiuwert - a village in the municipality of Littenseradeel) hit a telephone pole with a blow. Sarge passed out, Emerson had a mild concussion, Hughes also had a concussion but also a deep wound to his forehead, Watts and Whitla were slightly injured. Prior was seriously injured and taken to the St. Bonifatius hospital in Leeuwarden. Fisher is the only crew member who did not survive the crash and is buried in Wirdum. In Wirdum a street is named after him: the W.R. Fisherstrjitte. The street name: George Emersonstrjitte recalls the captain of the crashed bomber.

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Source

• Text: Jelmer Menting, dhr. M. Hoekstra, Dennis de Munck
• Photos: Klaas Graansma (1, 2), Mia van den Berg (3)