Last flight of Wellington III bomber
BJ651 JN-'M'

The last flight of Wellington III bomber, BJ651, took off from Snaith in Yorkshire at 2035 on 24 August 1942 for a raid on Frankfurt.  The aircraft was attacked by Lt H-W Schnaufer of II/NJG1 and crashed at 2.54 about 1 km east of Loonbeek (north of Huldenberg) in Belgium. 
(The same night-fighter pilot shot down DV552 three weeks earlier also at Huldenberg)

All the crew, who died on Tuesday, 25th August 1942 were 
from the 150 Sqdn and the RAF Volunteer Reserve

Sergeant Eric Guy BOUND
1269297  Pilot

Sergeant Ernest Frank CRONK
1377064

Flight Sergeant Alan Robert LANE
1307388  W.Op/Air Gnr
Aged 22
Son of John William Lane and Hilda Mary Lane (nee Cowen), of Great Yarmouth, Norfolk
Husband of Evelyn Margaret Lane.

Sergeant Albert Charles JUKES
927655
Aged 20
Son of Albert William and Kate Lydia Jukes, of Margate.

Sergeant Arthur THOMAS
1162157  W.Op/Air Gnr
Aged 20
Son of William Henry and Beatrice Nellie Thomas, of Evesham, Worcestershire.


While searching for info about this crash I came across details of the previous Wellington III bomber to have the same code number. 
This aircraft, Z1608, was shot down over the Netherlands by a Nightfighter on 16 June 1942.   One of the 5 crew was killed - Flt Sgt J F Haley R/60003 RCAF, being buried at Haamstede (Zeeland), but after the war re-interred at Bergen-op-Zoom War Cemetery, Holland.


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