Ronald Richard Harrison

Killed in Action 1942-May-30

Flight Sergeant Ronald Richard Harrison RCAF

Birth Date: 1922

Born:

Parents: Son of William James Harrison and Florence Lucy Harrison, of Verdun, Province of Quebec, Canada.

Spouse:

Home: Verdun, Quebec

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: unkown date

Service

RCAF

Unit

22 OTU- Operational Training Unit

Base

Rank

Flight Sergeant

Position

Wireless Air Gunner

Service Numbers

R/73765

Home

Verdun, Quebec

Target

Cologne Germany

Final Burial

Soldaten Friedhof Alliierte Piloten 2WK
2 A 4

22 Operational Training Unit, RAF Wellsbourne Mountford, Wellington Ic aircraft R 1714 OR-Q was carrying incendiary and general purpose bombs when it was shot down by the night fighter crew of Oberleutnant Reese & Unteroffizier Heu of the 2/NJG 1, who were flying a Bf 110 from Venlo airfield in the Netherlands. The aircraft crashed near Süchteln, Viersen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany. This was the first 1000 bomber raid on Cologne

FS RR Harrison (RCAF), Flight Lieutenant AC Hamman DFC & Bar (RAF)(South Africa), Warrant Officer E Neesom MiD (RAF) and FS WS Hawkins (RAFVR) were killed. Sergeant KPE Monk (RAF) survived and was taken Prisoner of War

There were four 22 OTU Wellington aircraft lost on this operation. Please see Barclay, PG for R 1235 DD-O, Cresswell, RNA for DV 701 DD-P and Armstrong, RA for DV 843 OR-Q

unvetted Source Aviation Safety Network

Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)

Wellington serial: R1714

Source: Harold A Skaarup Web Page
Vickers Wellington B. Mk. III (Serial No. X3763), coded KW-E, No. 425 'Alouette' (B) Squadron, RCAF, late summer of 1942

The Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engined, long-range medium bomber. It was designed during the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey. Led by Vickers-Armstrongs' chief designer Rex Pierson, a key feature of the aircraft is its geodetic airframe fuselage structure, which was principally designed by Barnes Wallis. Development had been started in response to Air Ministry Specification B.9/32, issued in the middle of 1932, for a bomber for the Royal Air Force. This specification called for a twin-engined day bomber capable of delivering higher performance than any previous design.

The Wellington was used as a night bomber in the early years of the Second World War, performing as one of the principal bombers used by Bomber Command. During 1943, it started to be superseded as a bomber by the larger four-engined "heavies" such as the Avro Lancaster. The Wellington continued to serve throughout the war in other duties, particularly as an anti-submarine aircraft.

It holds the distinction of having been the only British bomber that was produced for the duration of the war, and of having been produced in a greater quantity than any other British-built bomber. The Wellington remained as first-line equipment when the war ended, although it had been increasingly relegated to secondary roles. The Wellington was one of two bombers named after Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, the other being the Vickers Wellesley.

In August 1936, an initial order for 180 Wellington Mk I aircraft, powered by a pair of 1,050 hp (780 kW) Bristol Pegasus radial engines, was received by Vickers; it had been placed so rapidly that the order occurred prior to the first meeting intended to decide the details of the production aircraft. In October 1937, another order for a further 100 Wellington Mk Is, produced by the Gloster Aircraft Company, was issued; it was followed by an order for 100 Wellington Mk II aircraft with Rolls-Royce Merlin X V12 engines. Yet another order was placed for 64 Wellingtons produced by Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft. With this flurry of order and production having been assured by the end of 1937, Vickers set about simplifying the manufacturing process of the aircraft and announced a target of building one Wellington per day.

A total of 180 Wellington Mk I aircraft were built; 150 for the RAF and 30 for the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) (which were transferred to the RAF on the outbreak of war and used by 75 Squadron). In October 1938, the Mk I entered service with 9 Squadron. The Wellington was initially outnumbered by the Handley Page Hampden (also ordered by the Ministry to B.9/32) and the Armstrong Whitworth Whitley (to B.34/3 for a 'night' bomber) but outlasted both rival aircraft in service. The Wellington went on to be built in 16 separate variants, in addition to two training conversions after the war. The number of Wellingtons built totalled 11,462 of all versions, a greater quantity produced than any other British bomber. On 13 October 1945, the last Wellington to be produced rolled out. Wikipedia

Wikipedia Vickers Wellington