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Carruthers, William Alan

Grave number 46
Rank Sgt. W. Op./Air Gunner Nr. 1063043 R.A.F. Volunteer Reserve
Squadron  
Date of birth / age April 25, 1911
Reported missing June 26, 1942
Aircraft type Wellington IC, T-2773 (OTU)
Washed ashore June 26, 1942
Buried June 27, 1942, 6.30 p.m.
Father John William Howarth
Mother Eliza Carruthers-Gorton
Partner  
Place of residence  
   
Details

The Wellington T2723 took off at 10:41 p.m. on the night of June 25/26, 1942 from Lossiemouth on a mission to attack Bremen, Germany.
In the air the aircraft was damaged by the night fighter pilots Leutnant Hans-Georg Bötel (6./NJG 2) & Oberleutnant Egmont Prinz zur Lippe-Weissenfeld.
Then they were fired upon by the 5./Marine-Flak-Abteilung 246 Flak battery on West-Terschelling.
They crashed on June 26, 1942 near post 14.8.

The other crew members of the T2723 were:
Sgt Robert George Ashley Brathwaite 403312 RAAF (grave 47)
Flt Sgt Robert Cresswell Marchant R/92040 RCAF (grave 48)
Sgt George C Thomson R/91859 RCAF POW Stalag 344
Sgt Norman William Levasseur R/83181 RCAF POW Stalag 8B

In later prisoner of war reports, Sergeant Levasseur stated: "Sergeant Brathwaite was killed as a result of an attack on their aircraft by a German fighter."
Sergeant Thompson stated that he believes Sergeant Brathwaite was killed, but the only information to confirm this was received by him from a German officer while he was in the hospital in Amsterdam.
He also stated that the aircraft was attacked by a night fighter, the intercom was destroyed.
"As Rear Gunner I was cut off from the rest of the crew and the aircraft was set on fire.
With the intercom unusable I can only give information from German authorities."