Squadron: 405 (B) Sqn (RCAF)
Start Date: 1941-07-24
Completion Date: 1941-07-24
Mission: Bombing
Operation: unspecified
Target City: Brest France
Target Specific:
Base: RAF Pocklingon
Take Off Time: 11:30
Squadron Code: LQ-U
Radio Code:
Return Base:
Return Time:
Crash City: France
Crash Specifics: Ploudaniel, near Brest
Crash Latitude: 0.00000000
Crash Longitude: 0.00000000
Crash Reason: fighter
Flak Battery:
Enemy Claim: unspecified
War Diary Unavailable
6 Group Unavailable

405 Vancouver Squadron (Ducimus), RAF Pocklington. Wellington II aircraft W 5551 LQ-U was part of Operation Sunrise, a daytime mission to sink the German pocket battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau and heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen in the harbour at Brest, France. The bomber was shot down by German ME 109 fighters, but the crew abandoned the aircraft before it crashed at Ploudaniel,15 km NE of Brest

Flying Officer Robert George Murray Whigham (RAFVR) was killed in action

Pilot Officer William Minto MacKay (RCAF), Sergeant Robert Henry Westbury (RAFVR) survived to become Prisoners of War

Sergeant Melville Hermes Joseph Dalphond DFM, OBE (RCAF) evaded for a time with the aid of the French Resistance, travelling as far as the Franco/Spanish border before being caught and arrested. Sent to a prison in the South of France, he later escaped 1942-09-05 and was returned safely to the UK

Sergeant John Shedden Paton (RCAF) and Wing Commander Peter Alexander Gilchrist (RAF)(Can) both survived and evaded capture

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