Pilot Officer Brown - 149 Squadron 1939

Pilot Officer W S F Brown

Pilot

Royal Air Force

18th December 1939 Age 24

 

Name: BROWN, WILLIAM STANLEY FRANCIS

Rank: Pilot Officer (Pilot)

Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Unit Text: 149 Sqdn.

Age: 21

Date of Death: 18/12/1939

Service No: 70794

Additional information: Son of Lt.-Col. George Brown, D.S.O., O.B.E., Royal Engineers, and Ethel Maude Brown, of Farnham, Surrey.

Grave/Memorial Reference: Sec. 54. Grave 567. Cemetery: NORWICH CEMETERY, Norfolk

www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=2764148

 

Wellington N2961 Information

Type ..................................... Wellington

Serial Number ...................N2961

Squadron.............................149

X1D ......................................OJ-P

Operation............................Reconnaisance

Date 1 .................................18th December 1939

Date 2 .................................18th December 1939

 

Further Information

"Wellington Mk.1A. Delivered by Vickers (Weybridge) between Aug39 and Dec39. N2961 was one of two 149 Sqdn Wellingtons lost on this operation. See: N2962. Airborne 0927 from Mildenhall. Crippled by enemy fighters and ditched, 1505, some 40 to 50 miles off Cromer, Norfolk. As the bomber hit the sea, it turned 90 degrees to starboard with the waves breaking over the fuselage. At least three airmen were seen clinging to the dinghy, but despite an extensive search by the Cromer lifeboat 'H.F.Bailey' no survivors were found, though two bodies were eventually washed ashore.

F/O M.F.Briden KIA

P/O W.S.F.Brown KIA

Sgt V.H.G.Richardson KIA

AC2 I.D.Leighton KIA

AC1 P.J.Warren KIA

AC2 A.G.Foster KIA "

www.lostbombers.co.uk/bomber.php?id=9985

 

Flying Officer Michael Franklin Briden is commemorated on the Runnymeade memorial

 

www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=1530406

Sergeant Valentine Henry Garner Richardson is also remembered at Runnymeade

www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=2940214

AC2 Isaac Davidson Leighton is also remembered at Runnymeade

www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=1803296

AC1 Peter John Warren is also remembered at Runnymeade

www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=1809681

AC2 Alan Gordon Foster (Wireless Operator \ Air Gunner) is buried at Leconfield.

www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=2408312

 

 

And a story of a contemporary crewman from 149 squadron can be found here in the “Battle of Heligoland” that took place on the 18th December 1939 - an undoubted disaster that put an end to daylight bombing by the RAF, although it was not quite the 40 Wellington’s shot down that individual Luftwaffe Pilots claimed.

www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/26/a4011526.shtml

 

www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_heligoland_bight.html

 

Done