17th April 1940 - RAF Feltwell
Wellington N3019 heads for Norway
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Crew: Pilot F/O Warner; Navigator F/O Lindsay; Air Observer Sgt. Snowden; W/T Op. LAC Whittaker; Air Gunner P/O Webb; Air Gunner AC Waterfall |
In April 1940 my uncle, AC Waterfall (centre front row), flew four missions to Norway in Wellington Bombers piloted by F/O G.B. Warner (standing third from right?). Following a successful raid on German military installations in Stavanger on the 30th, both men were decorated. Warner received the DFC and Waterfall the DFM with swift promotion to sergeant.
Sgt John.Henry. Waterfall DFM was killed in action, along with F/O D.W. Lindsay (standing fourth from the right); P/O R.A.A Ball; Sgt A. Aitken and Sgt A. Glen, in Wellington R3236 during the early hours of 7th July 1940, following an aborted attack on Bremen. Today the crash-site is visible in Jagen 39, Upjever Forest, just a short distance south on Jever airbase. The deciduous woodland destroyed by the crash fire was later replanted with conifers and stands there as a living memorial to the tragedy that happened there.
72 years on, my generation of the Waterfall family are very proud of the uncle we never knew. To commemorate and reconcile his loss, plans are currently being made to hold a service in Jever Church in July 2015, in honour of the crew of Wellington R3236, who were first buried there with full military honours, before being moved to Sage War Cemetery, Oldenburg, in 1947.
If you have connections with my uncle’s active service in 1940, I would be very pleased to hear from you. Perhaps you might like to consider joining me and my family at Jever in 2015.