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Rutherford, William

Grave number 37
Rank Flight Sergeant Air Gunner Nr. CE 942274 R.A.F. (V.R.)
Squadron 12 Squadron
Date of birth / age 1916
Reported missing January 20, 1942
Aircraft type Vickers Wellington II, Z-8370
Washed ashore January 20, 1942
Buried January 23, 1942, 4 p.m.
Father James Rutherford
Mother Ann M. Rutherford
Partner  
Place of residence Bedlington, Northumberland, England
   

Details

 

Recovered from crashed aircraft on East Terschelling.
Shot down by German night fighter ( Oberleutnant Ludwig Becker).

Found on body: dog tag: Rutherford RAF CE 942274.

The Vickers Wellington Z8370 (a Mark II equipped with two Rolls Royce Merlin X engines) of the 12th Squadron made an emergency landing on Terschelling.

The aircraft, which took off from Binbrook at 6:34 p.m. for the raid on Emden, was piloted by Flight Lieutenant William Herbert Thallon.
Above Terschelling, the Wimpey was attacked by a night fighter and forced to descend.
The co-pilot, Sergeant Edmund John Robert Fowler, and the tail gunner, Flight Sergeant William Rutherford, were killed and buried on Terschelling.
The remaining four crew members, including the Captain, were taken prisoner of war.

4 crew members captured:
Flight Lieutenant William Herbert Thallon 41754 RAF; POW Stalag L3 Sagan & Belaria
Flight Sergeant George Homer Groves 652612 RAF; POW Stalag L3 Sagan & Belaria
Pilot Officer Percival Raymond Ross 38210 RNZAF; POW Stalag L3 Sagan & Belaria
Flight Sergeant Frederick William Walker 50392 RAF; POW Stalag L6 Heydekrug

                     

Oberleutnant Ludwig Becker



DEEP IN MY HEART A MEMORY IS KEPT OF ONE I LOVED AND WILL NEVER FORGET