247153 P/O Kenneth Frank Seager Royal Air Force 78 Squadron (d.27th March 1941) Bomber Command decided a combined attack on Cologne and Dusseldorf for the night of 27th of March 1941
A total of 77 aircraft flew crossed The Netherlands towards Germany. 38 British Wellington bombers flew to Cologne, of which one was missing later on. A fleet of 39 allied aircraft including 22 Hampdens, 4 Manchesters and 13 Whitleys flew to Dusseldorf, leaving one Manchester and one Whitley missing.
At exactly 7.29pm aircraft Z6470, code EY-G took of from RAF Dishforth. P/O Seager was the commander of its five-man crew. His Wireless Operator had regular contact but after 9.30pm it remained silent. The night fighters were already aware of the approaching bombers and one after another the Bf 100 took off. At 10.00pm, there was an air raid alarm in Venlo. Soon the German searchlights flashed on in search of prey. Shots broke through the nightly silence.
The Whitley was soon captured in light beams of German searchlights. He tried to escape, but Oberfeldwebel Herzog from the 3rd Staffel NJG1 of Fliegerhorst Venlo saw the plane in the searchlights and shot it down. The plane made its last dive. The aircraft came down in De Peel between Sevenum and Helenaveen. The entire crew was killed and maimed.
Initially, two bodies were found near the aircraft. Later three members of the crew were buried next to each other in Venlo. Probably the remains have ended up in the coffin of one of the other crew members. Apparently one other crew member was only found later, but he also was buried at the Venlo cemetery.
In 1947, their mortal remains were reburied at War Cemetery Jonkerbos in Nijmegen.
(Source: a.o. Heemkunde association Sevenum NL Book: Mayday Mayday Mayday from Hub Groeneveld)
Crew of the Armstrong Whitworth Whitley MkV Serial Number Z6470 Squadron code EY-G of 78 Squadron are all buried in Jonkerbos War Cemetery, Nijmegen
- Pilot Officer Kenneth Frank Seager, Reg.nr. 85289. RAF
Age 25, Son of Frank Seager and Ethel Saffell of Great Totham, Essex UK
- Sergeant Pilot Alan Kingley Mills, Reg.nr. 742274, RAF
Age 20, Son of Frederick Herbert and Lily Mills of Leicester.
- Sub-Lieutnant Air Observer Peter John Hoad,
Royal Navy, H.M.S. Daedalus. MiD. Age 22, Son of John and Florence Elisabeth Hoad of Esher, Surrey.
- 4 Sergeant Wireless Operator Jack Mitchell, Reg.nr. 942752 RAF Volunteer Reserve Age 20
- 5 Sergeant Wireless Op./Air Gunner Ernest Alfred Francis Grunsell, MID, Reg.nr. 752233RAF Volunteer Reserve, Age 20, Son of Francis George Grunsell and Rose Grunsell of Hounslow Middlesex.
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