612 Squadron Coastal Command

Sally

I have recently requested the Form 1180 for this aircraft from the RAF Museum, this should show the findings of the investigation into the accident. Once I receive the information I shall add it to this thread.

I do have a transcription from a Chippenham newspaper dated 1st May 1941 announcing the news of Leslie's death, I could post it here or forward to you by e-mail if you wish.

Regards,

Nick

 

Sue,

The full detail from RAF Coastal Command Losses, Vol 1 is
25/3/41
612 Sqn
Whitley V
T9240
WL-J
Op: Search, RAF Wick, Took Off 20:15 hrs
P/O V D Emms
Sgt J Matthews
P/O A C Burton
Sgt D Gunn
Sgt D Henshaw
Sgt L F Steele

Overshot the landing, lost height and ditched 0.25 miles off Noss Head, Caithness-shire at approximately 03:40 hrs on the 26th of March. No sign of the Whitley was found despite a search by the Wick lifeboat. All are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.

Regards
Ross

 

I am the daughter of Grace Lockwood - she remarried some years later. I would welcome any information about the circumstances giving rise to Les' death/

Sally

I now have copies of the aircraft movement card (Form 78) and the accident record card (Form 1180), details below;

Form 78

The aircraft Armstrong Whitworth Whitley V T4296 was delivered to 20 Maintainence Unit (MU) on the 16/11/1940 before being moved to 32 MU on the 05/12/1940. It finally arrived at 612 Sqn on 23/12/1940.

Form 1180

Date 25/04/1941 Time 0055

Aircraft circled drome for 1 hr after take off then approach too low when attempting to land, struck top of Hospital and crashed. No contact could be made with aircraft either by W/T or R/T.

Aircraft burnt out.

 

Greetings,
Just read your post whilst browsing. My late father (he died in 2005) served with 612 as a FSGT Wireless operator. We have his log book photographs and various other items including a written history of the squadron and a painting of one of the Coastal Command Wellingtons in which he flew. A couple of years before he died, my father began doing some research but sadly most of the people who served with him had already died. He went to Aberdeen where there is a squadron memorial in the Art Gallery and met a few people who knew about 612 but there was not much in the way of information.
Please feel free to get in touch if you think I can help. My mother has these items in her house.
Best wishes,
Neil

 

welcome to the Forum Neil

 

Hello Neil,

Welcome to the forum.

Regards
Peter

 

Welcome to the forum Neil

Lesley

 

Greetings,
Just read your post whilst browsing. My late father (he died in 2005) served with 612 as a FSGT Wireless operator. We have his log book photographs and various other items including a written history of the squadron and a painting of one of the Coastal Command Wellingtons in which he flew.
Best wishes,
Neil
Greetings Neil, when did your Father serve with 612?
Many thanks
Sean

 

Greetings,
Just read your post whilst browsing. My late father (he died in 2005) served with 612 as a FSGT Wireless operator. We have his log book photographs and various other items including a written history of the squadron and a painting of one of the Coastal Command Wellingtons in which he flew. A couple of years before he died, my father began doing some research but sadly most of the people who served with him had already died. He went to Aberdeen where there is a squadron memorial in the Art Gallery and met a few people who knew about 612 but there was not much in the way of information.
Please feel free to get in touch if you think I can help. My mother has these items in her house.
Best wishes,
Neil
Hi Neil, sorry but I don't come here often. I decided to look in and saw your post.
I would be interested to know if your Fathers log or history mentions F/S WOP/AG Belcher, Navigator Collins or F/S RJB Lindesay or PO Limbrey.
Thanks in advance & welcome.
Sean

 

Dear colleagues

Some of you will recall that a Whitley bomber crashed in Wick back in 1943 in which all the crew and 2 hospital staff were sadly killed. I was the charge nurse at the Town & County hospital in Wick back in 1998 when we unveiled a commerative plaque to those who were killed. I received an Email last week from a lady whose uncle was one of the crew and wanted to find out more about the crash. If anyone has any information that I can pass onto this lady, I would be very grateful. I would love to be able to find a good photograph of a Whitley bomber that would be big enough to frame that I could hang in my study if anyone knows where I could locate one. I felt very proud to be able to have the plaque erected and hopefully I have attached a picture of the new one to this message. I now live with my family in New Zealand.
Kindest regards

Michael.J.McGivern

 

Nick

Good afternoon

I was the charge nurse at the Town and County hospital who had the plaque erected to the crew who was killed in the Whitley bomber crash. Sergeant Lockwood was one of those who were killed. I recently heard from his niece who is called Eugenie Bartlett - email removed ~A ; who I am sure would be keen to hear from you. I have posted a picture of the new plaque on this website. I would love to hear more about the sqaudron and the crew of this particular aircraft. I am trying to locate a nice photo of a 612 Whitley that I could frame. Kindest regards Michael.J.McGivern

 

Michael

Thank you for posting the photograph of the plaque now at Wick hospital.

Myself and Eugenie have been corresponding for the past couple of months regarding her uncle exchanging several documents relating to the accident in the process.

Sgt L J G Lockwood - Chippenham 1939-1945

You might like to contact the owner of this photograph and see whether you can obtain a higher resolution copy for printing.

Armstrong Whitworth Whitley GRVII, Z6633, Royal Air Force

Regards,

Nick

 

My Dad, William John Ward, served with the 612 squadron in WW2. Does anyone have info about him. He died in Dundee, Scotland in 1994.

I have his WW2 records. What I want is any further info about him during the war.

My Dad's service no is 803521

Thanks


Anthony Ward

 

I wrote to your website 22 Feb 2012 but do not appear to have heard from any administrators. Please advise.

Anthony Ward

 

Hi Sid,
Welcome aboard from a 10 day old member. Both 10 & 461 Sqdns rendered assistance where possible to downed Whitleys & Wellington's crews, mostly down the Bay. They took a battering from the Ju. 88's and also to a lesser extent from Ar. 196's. I have a fair collection of info on C.C. activities over 41/44. Have you read " Bloody Biscay " by Reg Goss " or "They shall not pass unseen" by Ivan Southall ? .
Enjoy your stay with the forum. Regards Tom Sheridan .

 

Hi all,

I am looking for information on the 612 sq. October 25, 1943, a Wellington disappeared in the Bay of St. brides (Wales). Is the cause of this disappearance known?
Aboard, was a French pilot, Lucien Bourdin. are there any pictures of it at 612 SQ or any picture of a 612 sq wellington ?

Thank you all and good day

Frederic

 

I've just joined this forum because my dad served as an aircraft fitter with 612 squadron around 1941/42. He was in Wick and then went to Reykjavik with 612, but he was then send to Palestine with another squadron? I have a couple of photos of 612, one is all the squadron members stood in front of a Whitley, which I think was in Wick, and another of a small team which looks like in Iceleland. My parents met in Wick because my mother worked in the NAAFI there. Both died in the 1970's so I've no source of any further information. Anyone interested in the photos?

 

Hello Buddy and welcome.

We are always interested in seeing photos, post away.

Nick

 

Hi everyone,

I am trying to find information on Pilot Officer J. A. Cockin who was MIA in December 1943, as far as I know his plane went down over The Bay of Biscay and he was never found.

 

25th Dec 1943

No.612 Sqn
Wellington XIV
HF177
Coded E

Op: Percussion Patrol, took off RAF Chivenor at 23:01 hrs

P/O N G W Cooper
F/O D I Smith RCAF
F/Sgt J A Cockin
Sgt S W Lamberth
Sgt C T King
Sgt B Machan

At 06:25 hrs an SOS and 2nd class bearing was received suggesting that the aircraft had ditched in position 46 52 N 006 25 W. Despite searches nothing was found of the crew and all, including F/O Smith of Sydney, Nova Scotia, are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.

Regards
Ross