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Additional
Information: |
Son of
John and Isabella Atkinson, of Wheatley Hill, Co. Durham. |
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Memorial:
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RUNNYMEDE
MEMORIAL, Surrey, United Kingdom |
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Grave
Reference/ |
Panel
135. |
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Location:
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This Memorial overlooks the River Thames on Cooper's Hill
at Englefield Green between Windsor and Egham on the A308, 4 miles from
Windsor. |
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Historical
Information: |
The Air
Forces Memorial at Runnymede commemorates by name over 20,000 airmen who were
lost in the Second World War during operations from bases in the United
Kingdom and North and Western Europe, and who have no known graves. They came
from all parts of the Commonwealth and some were from countries in
continental Europe which had been over-run but whose airmen continued to
fight in the ranks of the Royal Air Force. The memorial, designed by Sir
Edward Maufe, is in the form of a cloister with the names of the dead,
grouped by year, inscribed on the Hadene stone reveals and mullions of the narrow
windows. On the cloister ceilings are emblazoned the arms of the Commonwealth
countries. The cloisters have curved wings, terminating in two look-outs, one
facing towards Windsor Castle and the other towards Heathrow Airport. The
structure is in Portland stone with roofs of Westmorland green slate. |
Headquarters Bomber Command, Serial
Nos…………..A .212.
ROYAL AIR FORCE Page
No…………….1
COMMAND ROUTINE
ORDERS
by
AIR
CHIEF MARSHAL SIR A.T.HARRIS, O.B.E., A.F.C.
A.21.2
The Commander-in-Chief
wishes to bring to the notice of all ranks in the Command the fortitude,
courage and perseverance of the undermentioned N.C.Os. of No.214 Squadron:
1485104
F/Sgt. G.A. Atkinson, Captain & Pilot. (missing).
1388280
Sgt. H.J. Friend, Bomb-Aimer.
1807915
Sgt. D.C. Hughes, Flight Engineer.
1513213
Sgt. W.B. Edwards, Navigator.
1892607
Sgt. R.L. Bouttell, Mid-Upper Gunner.
1368303
Sgt. J.C.Wilson, Wireless-Operator.
R.79844
Sgt. W.Sweeney, Rear-Gunner. (wounded & missing).
The
above-named formed the crew of a Stirling aircraft detailed to bomb Berlin on
the night of 22nd/23rd November 1943. Just before they
reached the target area the oil pressure on the port outer engine began to drop
and the captain noticed that the propeller was revolving at excessive speed. He
decided to complete the bombing run and the Bomb-Aimer sighted and released the
bombs correctly one minute after E.T.A.
dangerously low and the propeller was feathered to prevent a seizure wit
the result that the aircraft was losing height. At 9,000 ft. it was dropping
into icing cloud and the pilot restarted the engine to gain more height for
crossing a bad front. The engine started but had to be stopped almost
immediately to prevent it catching fire and the propeller then failed to
refeather but continued to “windmill”. The aircraft lost height steadily until
it was only 1500 ft. above ground at a position given by the Navigator as 20
miles east of Hanover. Near this place, the aircraft was engaged by “flak” which
wounded the Rear-Gunner in the right leg but he refused to leave the turret.
The
Wireless-Operator sent out an S.O.S. at about 21.45 hours and repeated it until
it was acknowledged. It was picked up at 22.30 as a very faint signal and he
was given a fix. From then onwards, although reception was very bad, he
maintained communication with the ground sending the height, speed, course and
D.R. position, obtained from Navigator, at intervals.
Near the
Zuider Zee, the aircraft was picked up by the searchlights which were attacked
by the gunners and, crossing the island at about 50 ft. the aircraft was again
engaged by flak and searchlights; fifteen to twenty five of the latter were
shot at by the gunners and doused. A F.W. 190 intercepted the Stirling but was
shot down in flames by the Rear-Gunner.
When the
Flight-Engineer reported there was only 10 minutes of fuel remaining, the
captain ordered the crew to take up their ditching stations. Because of icing,
a head wind and the wind-milling airscrew, the speed had been very low.
Information of their plight was signaled to the ground station and the aircraft
was fixed accurately as the Operator pressed his key down when the aircraft
ditched halfway across the North Sea at 00.34 hours. Prior to ditching , the Captain
called out the height of the aircraft as it approached the water and the
Navigator gave him a surface………???????
The
aircraft bounced off a swell and then made a very heavy impact with the water
which caused the nose to sink in and the fuselage to break in half. The pilot
was trapped in the nose and went under as the aircraft broke in two. The
Navigator jumped into the dinghy and dragged in the Mid-Upper Gunner from the
water. They heard the Wireless Operator calling, paddled up to him and helped him
on board. The Rear-Gunner, who had been observed to jump into the sea was also
heard to call but they failed to find him and he was not picked up. After
drifting for about an hour blowing their whistles, they heard an answering
whistle, in the darkness, and eventually picked up the Flight Engineer from his
“K” type dinghy. When the Stirling hit the sea, the Bomb-Aimer got out of the
astro hatch but was swept into the sea by the waves. The Flight Engineer passed
him a “K” dinghy which was swept away. The Bomb-Aimer re-entered the almost
submerged fuselage, found another “K” dinghy, held his breath and swam out
again as the aircraft sank, three minutes after ditching. He inflated the
dinghy and climbed in, but although he heard other members of the crew shouting
and answered, he was too weak to paddle towards the sound and lost touch with
them. After sunrise, he hoisted a red sail and fired a star cartridge when an
Air-Sea Rescue Hudson approached. The Hudson crew dropped smoke floats
alongside and he was shortly after taken on board a high speed launch which
continued the search and picked up the other four surviving members of the crew
from the big dinghy about 40 minutes later. The Captain and Rear-Gunner could
not be found.
This crew
excercised very strong determination to inflict as much damage on the enemy as
possible in spite of their difficulties and they showed and excellent team
spirit. It was this good team work and initiative that made possible the long
and difficult flight to the point when the aircraft finally ditched and the
successful rescue of five members of the crew after attacking their target
successfully.
BC/S.23054/B.
Sgt. A.P.W ….……
Air Vice Marshal
i/c Administration
BOMBER COMMAND