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RAF North Coates
13th Oct 1939 Orders
15th Oct 1939 Orders
17th Oct 1939 Under Fire
21st Oct 1939 Convoy Duty
21st Oct 1939 Enemy Aircraft
22nd Oct 1939 Quiet
23rd Oct 1939 Quiet
25th Oct 1939 No Patrols
26th Oct 1939 Quiet
27th Oct 1939 Patrol
28th Oct 1939 Posting
29th Oct 1939 Quiet
30th Oct 1939 New CO
31st Oct 1939 Quiet
18th December 1939 Aircraft Lost The British Air Ministry decided to launch an attack on German surface ships to prevent them supporting the U-boats in the North Atlantic. Wellington bomber squadrons had undertaken a number of sweeps over the North Sea during October and November against any enemy shipping. On 18th December 1939, a force of 24 Wellington bombers – nine from no.9 Squadron at Honington, six from 37 Squadron at Feltwell, and nine from 149 Squadron at Mildenhall – was sent to attack German ships in the Heligoland Bight and sink or damage as many as possible. The mission was a disaster.
The Wellingtons took off for the daylight raid around 0930, led by the C/O of 149 Squadron, Wing Commander Richard Kellet. Two of the aircraft turned back early, leaving 22 Wellingtons to fly on to the target area. No German ships were found at sea. Several German Navy warships were sighted in Wilhelmshaven Harbour, but orders had been given not to bomb the port area in case civilians were hit, so the Wellingtons turned for home.
The theory was that the well armed Wellington had the fire power to defend itself from attack by fighters, especially if they were flying in tight formation. However the 22 aircraft on this return flight were strung out in a straggle when they were intercepted by 44 Luftwaffe fighters – a mixture of Me Bf 110s and Bf 109s. In the battle that followed 10 were shot down, two ditched in the sea before reaching the English coast and three more crash landed in East Anglia - a total loss of 68% of the force. 56 RAF aircrew were killed and five were taken prisoner. 37 Squadron lost five of its six aircraft shot down and 9 Squadron also lost 5 aircraft. The aircraft and crews lost were:
9 Squadron:
- N2939 Crashed off Wilhelmshaven
- Pilot: F/O John Thomas Irvine Challes
- 2nd Pilot: P/O Alistair Hugh Richmond Bourne
- Observer: Sgt Frank Michael Mason
- Wop/AG: Sgt Thomas Henry English
- AG: LAC Gurth Ernest Cox
- AG: AC1 Alexander Telfer
- N2940 Crashed off Wilhelmshaven
- Pilot: P/o Eric Francis Lines
- 2nd Pilot: Flt Sgt Alfred Kitto Fearnside
- WOp/AG: AC1 Edward Malcolm George Polhill
- AG: LAC Alex Morrison Dickie
- AG: AC2 Clifford Walker
- N2941 Crashed off Wilhelmshaven
- Pilot: F/O Douglas Bellamy Allison
- 2nd Pilot: F/O Donald Charles Ephraim Bailey
- Observer: Sgt John Archibald Brister
- Air Bomber: Sgt Joseph Buglasi Adamson Turnbull
- Wop/AG: Sgt Reginal Thomas Black
- AG: LAC Albert George Goodenough
- N2872 Crashed off Wilhelmshaven
- Pilot: Squadron Ldr Archibald John Guthrie
- 2nd Pilot: P/O John Edgar Atkinson
- Observer: Sgt Harold Walter Tyrrell
- Wop/AG: LAC Thomas Leo Marlin
- Wop/AG: Sgt Bertie Joseph Pickess
- AG: LAC Josias Melville Fletcher Key
- N2983 Badly damaged by gunfire and Crashed off Cromer, Norfolk. Four survivors were picked up by a trawler.
- Pilot: Sgt Jack Richardson Ramshaw DFM – injured
- 2nd Pilot: Sgt Robert Hewitt – injured
- Wop/AG: LAC D.J.Connolly – injured
- AG: LAC Walter Lilley – killed
- AG: AC1 Charles Ronald Driver DFM - injured
- N2871 badly damaged and made forced landing at RAF North Coates Fitties
- N2873 badly damaged and made forced landing at RAF Sutton Bridge, two crew injured.
37 Squadron:
- N2904 LF-B Last reported with the Starboard wing burning furiously and heading out to sea off Wilhelmshaven.
- Pilot: Squadron Ldt Ian Victor Hue-Williams
- 2nd Pilot: Flt Lt Thomas Gaufrey Wearmouth Appleby
- Observer: F/O Arthur Richard Vaughan Williams
- Wop/AG: Sgt Alister Raymond Norris
- Wop/AG: LAC John Arundel Barstow
- AG: LAC Ernest Lowe
- N2888 LF-A crashed into the sea off Borkum Island
- Pilot: F/O Peter Arabin Wimberley - survived and taken PoW
- Observer: Sgt Leslie Alfred Sheppard - killed
- Navigator: P/O Michael Ratcliffe - killed
- Wop/AG: AC1 Alexander Maxwell Hill - killed
- AG: LAC Alfred William Walter Lane - killed
- N2889 LF-P Broke up in the air and crashed into the sea off Borkum following a sustained attack by Lt. Helmut Lent of 3./ZG-76.
- Pilot: F/O Oliver John Trevor Lewis RAAF
- Observer: Sgt Maurice William Barrington-Taylor
- Wop/AG: LAC Peter Thomas Jones
- Wop/AG: P/O Roderick Menzie Ross
- AG: AC1 George Warne Geddes
- N2935 LF-H Shot down out to sea off Wilhelmshaven: three of the crew are buried in the Sage War Cemetery but two were missing and are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
- Pilot: F/O Arthur Telford Thompson
- Navigator: P/O Matthew Infield Drawwater
- Observer: Sgt Alfred John Tilley
- Wop/AG: Cpl Wilson Robinson
- AG: LAC Leonard Arthur Stock
- N2936 LF-J Crashed Borkum Islands.
- Pilot: Sgt Herbert Ruse – survived and taken PoW.
- Observer: Sgt Thomas William Holley – killed and buried on Sage War Cemetery
- Wop/AG: Sgt Thomas K.May – survived and taken PoW.
- Wop/AG: Cpl Frederick James Taylor - killed and buried on Sage War Cemetery
- AG: LAC Harry Jones – survived and taken PoW.
149 Squadron:
- N2961 Ditched off Cromer Norfolk. There were no survivors
- F/O Michael Franklin Briden
- P/O W.S.F.Brown
- Sgt Valentine Henry Garner Richardson
- AC2 A.G.Foster
- AC1 Isaac Davidson Leighton
- AC1 Peter John Warren
- N2962 OJ-B Shot down and crashed into the North Sea. All reported missing and commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial
- P/O Fred Norman Lines
- F/O James Heggie Cumming Speirs
- AC2 William James Ellis
- Sgt Richard Robin Hammond
- LAC John Humble Sinton
A direct outcome of this air battle was the decision to fit Wellingtons with armour plate and self-sealing fuel tanks to make them more robust. Another outcome was that this was the last unescorted daylight bombing raid undertaken by Bomber Command until the closing stages of the war.
Wellington N2980 which was flown by the 149 Squadron crew of Squadron Ldr P.I.Harris is an exhibit in the Brooklands Museum.
18th December 1939 Aircraft Lost
15th April 1940 New aircraft
May 1940 Mine laying
August 1940 Torpedo problems fixed
May 1941 Relocated and re-equipped
25th June 1941 On the move
11th November 1941 Torpedo operations
January 1942 Bay of Biscay
17th Jan 1942 Another Move
February 1942 Off operations
12th Feb 1942 Attack on the Scharnhorst
May 1942 Patrols
26th June 1942 1000 Bomber Raid
1st August 1942 Detachments
27th August 1942 Anti-shipping Strike Wing formed
28th Aug 1942 Conversion to the Liberator
20th November 1942 Strike Mission not a success
18th April 1943 Strike Wing attacks convoy
29th April 1943 Shot down by convoy flak
7th May 1943 Ditched with engine trouble
1st Jun 1943 Training
2nd Jun 1943 Recces
3rd Jun 1943 Recces
4th Jun 1943 Recces
5th Jun 1943 Good Weather
6th Jun 1943 Training
7th Jun 1943 Recce
8th Jun 1943 Poor Conditions
9th Jun 1943 Aircraft Lost
10th Jun 1943 Recce
11th Jun 1943 Rescue
12th Jun 1943 Recce
13th June 1943 Shot down by flak
13th Jun 1943 Attack Made
14th Jun 1943 Training
15th Jun 1943 Training
16th Jun 1943 Award
17th Jun 1943 Enemy Aircraft
18th Jun 1943 Poor Conditions
19th Jun 1943 Convoy Sighted
20th Jun 1943 Convoy Sighted
21st Jun 1943 Standing By
22nd Jun 1943 Attack Made
23rd Jun 1943 Equipment
24th Jun 1943 Training
25th Jun 1943 Air Sea Rescue Patrol
26th Jun 1943 Air Sea Rescue Patrol
27th Jun 1943 Attack Made
28th Jun 1943 Posting
29th Jun 1943 Patrol
30th Jun 1943 Exercise
18th July 1943 Convoy attacked twice
1st August 1943 Lost on recce flight
28th August 1943 Squadron reunited in Cornwall
10th February 1944 Back to the North Sea
21st February 1944 Hit by flak
23rd February 1944 Ditched off the Lincolnshire Coast
23rd April 1944 Crashed on exercise
September 1944 Return to North Coates
12th September 1944 Missing off Dutch coast
23rd October 1944 Move back to Scotland
If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.
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Those known to have served at RAF North Coates during the Second World War 1939-1945. - Bain Donald Hunter . F/O. (d.2nd March 1942)
- Jones Winston Trevor . Sgt. (d.2nd March 1942)
- Lauder Keith John Collinge . Sgt. (d.2nd March 1942)
- Rutherford Douglas Robert. Sgt. (d.2nd Mar 1942)
- Rutherford Douglas Robert. Sgt. (d.2nd March 1942)
- Toogood John Roland. Flt.Lt.
The names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed,
please
Add a Name to this List
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Sgt. Douglas Robert Rutherford 59 Squadron (d.2nd Mar 1942) Sergeant Doug Rutherford was killed on his first mission, flying in a Lockheed Hudson (AM796), out of RAF North Coates, Lincolnshire. The aircraft took off at 0855 hours on 2nd March 1942, on a coastal patrol, and was not heard from again.
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Sgt. Douglas Robert Rutherford 59 Squadron (d.2nd March 1942) Douglas Rutherford was among st the crew of Hudson AM796 of 59 Sqn RAF took off on a Reefer patrol over the North Sea from its base at North Coates, Lincolnshire, UK, at 0855hrs on the 2nd of March 1942. Since then nothing further heard of either the aircraft or any member of the crew. The aircraft was believed lost in an air battle over the North Sea.
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Sgt. Keith John Collinge Lauder 59 Squadron (d.2nd March 1942) Keith Lauder was on board Hudson AM796 of 59 Sqn RAF when it took off on a Reefer patrol over the North Sea from its base at North Coates, Lincolnshire, UK, at 0855hrs on 2 March 1942. Since then nothing further heard of either the aircraft or any member of the crew. The aircraft was believed lost in an air battle over the North Sea
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F/O. Donald Hunter Bain 59 Squadron (d.2nd March 1942) Donald Bain was onboard Hudson AM796 of 59 Sqn RAF which took off on a Reefer patrol over the North Sea from its base at North Coates, Lincolnshire, UK, at 0855hrs on 2nd of March 1942. Since then nothing further heard of either the aircraft or any member of the crew. The aircraft was believed lost in an air battle over the North Sea
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Sgt. Winston Trevor Jones 59 Squadron (d.2nd March 1942) Winston Jones was a crew member on board Hudson AM796 of 59 Sqn RAF which took off on a Reefer patrol over the North Sea from its base at North Coates, Lincolnshire, UK, at 0855hrs on 2nd of March 1942. Since then nothing further heard of either the aircraft or any member of the crew. The aircraft was believed lost in an air battle over the North Sea
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Flt.Lt. John Roland Toogood 254 Squadron John Toogood was stationed at North Coates, St. Andrews, Glossop.
He flew Beaufighters normally but also flew 27 other types of aircraft.
He was shot down in the North Sea but survived to fight another day and became a member of the Gold Fish club. He once told me he felt cheated because Coastal Command didn't get the recognition it deserved. It was if they didn't do anything. He last piloted a Tiger Moth when he was 76, but flew as a passenger for another 3 years.
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