Prince, Albert Stanley

Killed in Action 1939-09-04

Birth Date: 1911-November-22

Born: Montreal, Quebec

Son of Harold Braithwaite and Eliza Prince of Neston, England.

Home: Vancouver, British Columbia

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: Unknown

Service

RAF

Unit

107 Sqn- Squadron

Base

Rank

Sergeant

Position

Sergeant

Service Numbers

580195
Prev: 580695

Re-Burial
Google MapBecklingen War Cemetery
23 B 13

Sergeant Albert Stanley Prince (RAF) was the first Canadian airman killed in action in WW II. He was "The First of Ten Thousand" in Bomber Command

Prisoners of War for Blenheim IV N6240 - Sergeant George Franklin BOOTH (561012) ;AC2 Laurence Joseph SLATTERY (548555)

Sergeant Prince was initially buried at the Garrison Cemetery in Wesermude-Geestemunde, Germany but was exhumed and reburied at the Becklingen War Cemetery, Soltau, Germany 1949-01-26 Martin Bowman's book "Reich Intruders, Dramatic RAF Medium Bomber Raids Over Europe in WW2."

Museum Sergeant Albert Stanley Prince, Bomber Command Museum

Blenheim Mk. lV N6240

Bombing Wilhelmshaven Germany 1939-September-03 to 1939-September-04

107 (B) Sqn (RAF) Wattisham
After an early Blenheim reconnaissance, 15 Blenheims and 14 Wellingtons were dispatched to bomb German warships. 5 planes from each force failed to find targets in low-cloud conditions. Most of the remaining Blenheims carried out low-level attacks on the pocket battleship Admiral Scheer and on the cruiser Emden in Wil- helmshaven harbour. At least 3 bombs hit the Admiral Scheer but they failed to explode; the Emden was damaged and suffered some casualties when a Blenheim crashed on to it. 5 Blenheims were shot down, all or most by anti-aircraft (Flak) fire; 107 Squadron lost 4 of its 5 planes on the raid. The first Bomber Command casualties of the war are believed to have been Flight Lieutenant W. F. Barton and his crew - Flying Officer J F Ross, navigator, and Corporal J L Ricketts, wireless operator/gunner - of 107 Squadron, all killed when Blenheim N6184 was shot down by anti-aircraft gunfire of the Admiral Hipper.Little is known of the Wellington attacks on ships at Brunsbuttel in the mouth of the Kiel Canal. 4 crews reported that they had found targets to bomb. Owing to navigation error, 2 bombs were dropped on the Danish town of Esbjerg, 110 miles north of Brunsbuttel, and 2 people were killed there. Some of the Wellingtons were attacked by German fighters and 2 Wellingtons were lost.Total effort for the day: 30 sorties, 7 aircraft (23.3 per cent) lost. The Bomber Command War Diaries, Middlebrook and Everitt

Bristol Blenheim

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3602838)
Bristol 142M Blenheim Mk.V, RAF (Serial No. DJ702).
Blenheim.jpg image not found

The Bristol Blenheim is a British light bomber aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company (Bristol) which was used extensively in the first two years and in some cases throughout the Second World War. The aircraft was developed as Type 142, a civil airliner, in response to a challenge from Lord Rothermere to produce the fastest commercial aircraft in Europe. The Type 142 first flew in April 1935, and the Air Ministry, impressed by its performance, ordered a modified design as the Type 142M for the Royal Air Force (RAF) as a bomber. Deliveries of the newly named Blenheim to RAF squadrons commenced on 10 March 1937. Wikipedia

YouTube Bristol Blenheim Bomber

Wikipedia Bristol Blenheim

General Harold A Skaarup Web Page