Bestel, Emmanuel George Robert (Warrant Officer 2)

Prisoner of War 1942-January-15

Male Head

Birth Date: unkown date

Born:

Parents:

Spouse:

Home:

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: unkown date

Service

RCAF

Unit

207 (B) Sqn- Squadron (RAF)
Semper Paratus Always prepared

Base

RAF Bottesford

Rank

Warrant Officer 2

Position

Air Gunner (Rear)

Service Numbers

R/70458
PoW: 148

Target
Google MapHamburg Germany

207 Squadron, RAF Bottesford Manchester Mk I aircraft L 7309 EM-O on an operation against targets in Hamburg, Germany. The bomber was shot down by night fighter pilot Oberleutnant Rudolf Schoenert of 5/NJG2 but also claimed by heavy flak battery M Flak Abt 252 and crashed in a field near the Jevers Luftwaffe base at Sandelermöns, Jever, Niedersachsen, Germany

Killed: Sergeant James Wilfred Cadman RAF KIA Sage War Cemetery grave 8. B. 2.

Balance of crew were POWs: Sergeant Geoffrey Ernest Allen RAF Flying Officer Gerald Bryan Dawkins RAF F/Lt Patrick James Edwards RAF Sergeant John Mercer RAF

unvetted Source Royal Air Force Serial and Image Database

unvetted Source Crash of an Avro 679 Manchester I near Jever AFB: 1 killed I Bureau of...

unvetted Source Aviation Safety Network

Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)

Crew or Other Personnel

Manchester L7309

Geoffrey Ernest Allen RNZAF

Allen, Geoffrey Ernest (RNZAF)

Prisoner of War
1942-January-15
cemetery unknown

Warrant Officer 2 Emmanuel George Robert Bestel RCAF

Warrant Officer 2 Bestel, Emmanuel George Robert (RCAF)
Air Gunner (Rear)
Prisoner of War
1942-January-15
cemetery unknown

Sergeant James Wilfred Cadman RAFVR

Sergeant Cadman, James Wilfred (RAFVR)
Wireless Operator/Air Gunner
Killed in Action
1942-January-15
Sage War Cemetery, Oldenburg, Land Niedersachsen, Germany

Flying Officer Gerald Bryan Dawkins RAF

Flying Officer Dawkins, Gerald Bryan (RAF)

Prisoner of War
1942-January-15
cemetery unknown

Flt Lieutenant Patrick James Edwards RAF

Flt Lieutenant Edwards, Patrick James (RAF)

Prisoner of War
1942-January-15
cemetery unknown

John Mercer RAF

Mercer, John (RAF)

Prisoner of War
1942-January-15
cemetery unknown

Manchester serial: L7309

(RAF Photo)(Source Harold A Skaarup Web Page)
Avro Manchester Mk. IA.

The Avro 679 Manchester was a British twin-engine medium bomber developed and manufactured in the United Kingdom. While not being built in great numbers, it was the forerunner of the famed and vastly more successful four-engined Avro Lancaster. Avro designed the Manchester to replace its inventory of twin-engine bombers. It first flew on 25 July 1939, and entered squadron service in November 1940, just over twelve months after the outbreak of the war. Operated by both RAF and the RCAF, the Manchester proved to be underpowered and unreliable, and production was terminated in 1941. However, the Manchester was redesigned into a four-engined heavy bomber, the Avro Lancaster, powered by Rolls-Royce Merlin engines.

200 airframes completed as true Manchesters were issued to front line RAF squadron's,. Of these, a total 77 aircraft were lost on operations and an additional 20 were lost in various accidents with those squadrons. An additional 24 aircraft were lost during training flights with non-operational units, such as those being used by Heavy Conversion Unit (HCU) Flights. Combined losses therefore, were 121 or 60.50 percent of the original 200 aircraft. From those losses, 33 were directly due to engine failures - 12 with the squadrons, 21 with training units. Another 28 aircraft lost during operations, were thought to have been caused due to engine failure. As the airframes and engines could not be examined, these are listed as "Probably Lost Due To Enemy Action". Harold Skaarup web page

YouTube Manchester

Wikipedia Wikipedia Manchester Bomber

unvetted Source Harold A Skaarup Web Page