Commonwealth War Graves Protestant Churchyard Driesum

Commonwealth War Graves Protestant Churchyard Driesum #3

Commonwealth War Graves Protestant Churchyard Driesum #4

The Cemetery of the Protestant Church in Driesum contains four Commonwealth War Graves.
These are the graves of airmen of No. 77 Squadron RAF, who died on 27-02-1942.

Sergeant (Air Gnr.) Edmund Sydney Ayton, 547973, age 26
Squadron Leader (Pilot) Leslie Hugh William Parkin, 37982, age 30
Sergeant (Pilot) Douglas John Sandlin, 655186, age 22
Sergeant (W.Op./Air Gnr.) Wilfred Whittam, 993807, age 28

On 27 February 1942 departed from RAF Leeming, the Whitley Z9280 of No. 77 Squadron RAF, with the mission: a bombing raid on the German battleship Scharnhorst. The aircraft was part of a formation of 33 bombers with the same mission. Z9280 was shot down over the Netherlands by German night-fighter Heinz Vinke, 1V./NJG1 and crashed at 2258 in Driesum. Four of the five crew members lost their lives in the crash. The fifth, (W.Op./Obs.) R.C.S. Hancock, 24748 was taken prisoner of war by the Germans. In total, four bombers were lost during this mission, no bombs had hit the Scharnhorst.

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