William Connell
- Family History
- Military history
- Extra information
- Photographs
Son of Joseph and Helen Connell, of Glasgow.
16/17 June 1941 Wellington N2849 103 Sqn. Take off 23. 00 RAF Newton to bomb the harbour installations on the river Rhine at Duisburg. After dropping their bomb load, 103 Sqns 7 Wellingtons out of a force of 26 were tasked to scatter pamphlets above the German cities of Gladbeck and Krefeld. Weather and visibility was moderate to good with light ground haze.
Over the target heavy Flak was encountered, N2849 'coned' by searchlights of 2/I/Flakscheinw Regt 1 and 4/II/Flakscheinw Regt 1 and hit by Flak.
02.25 intercepted and shot down by night fighter piloted by Lt Reinhold Knacke (KIA 3/2/1943) of the 2NGJ/1 in a Bf110. N2849 broke up in mid air and came down on the Dutch/Belgian border at Hamont-Achel, Belgium killing all crew. 5 crew were buried at Hamont, Sgt Connell the tail gunner's body landed in Soerendonk, Netherlands.
After the war the six crew members were reburied in the military cemetery at Heverlee Belgium.
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Photo of William Connell