Introduction

The Runnymede Memorial at Englefield Green – overlooking the River Thames – commemorates more than 20.000 Commonwealth airmen who have no known graves. Among them are four members of the crew of Wellington Z1324. This aircraft from No.142 Squadron was lost on the night of 9/10 July 1942 when it was shot down north of the Dutch Frisian Island of Terschelling. Only one member of the crew washed ashore on the Dutch coast. The remainder of the crew is presumed lost at sea.

Gardening

RAF Bomber Command tried to inflict damage to the axis war machine from the air, mainly by means of strategic bombardments on industrial and military targets. But crews were often sent on "Gardening" operations as well. Bomber Command strategically placed mines to hinder German shipping. The waterways were code-named using vegetable names; therefore the minelaying was code-named "Gardening".

On the night of 9/10 July 1942 fifty-nine aircraft were sent to Heligoland and the Frisian Islands for minelaying operations. No.142 Squadron, based at RAF Grimsby, delivered ten Wellingtons for the operation. One of these aircraft was Wellington Z1324 (QT-A). The aircraft carried two 1500 lb. (680kg) mines, the maximum for a Wellington bomber. These mines were to be dropped from low-level. A parachute attached at the end would facilitate entry into the water. The Wellingtons of No.142 Squadron were detailed to lay their mines north of the Dutch Island of Terschelling. The crew of Wellington Z1324 for this operation was as follows:
Pilot: Flying Officer Stanley Bryan Critchison (21 years old, British)
Observer: Pilot Officer Joseph Edward Hector Emond (28 years old, Canadian)
Air Bomber: Sergeant William Ernest Hudson (22 years old, British)
Wireless Operator/Air Gunner: Sergeant Herbert Sidney Stock (36 years old, British)
Air Gunner: Sergeant John Charles Skelton (28 years old, British)

This was a very experienced crew. Emond and Hudson had been flying with No.142 Squadron for more than a year. Their captain, Critchison, was also an experienced pilot although he was only 21 years old. He had already completed 22 operations since being posted to No.142 Squadron in October 1941. During the first couple of months he had been flying as 2nd pilot in the crew of Squadron Leader George Gibson. But in March 1942 he became the captain of the crew that included Emond, Hudson, Stock and Skelton. Stock and Skelton had also been posted to the squadron in October 1941, after being trained together at No.27 Operational Training Unit.

Fatal flight

On the night of 9/10 July 1942 Wellington Z1324 was the first aircraft of No.142 Squadron to take off from RAF Grimbsy at 23:37hrs. When they reached Saltfleet they had to cross the coastline and set course to Terschelling. As the bomber force neared their target area, German night fighters took off from their base at Leeuwarden airfield to intercept the allied aircraft. Among them was Oberleutnant Ludwig Becker of 6./NJG 2. He had been awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 1 July 1942 after his 25th aerial victory. This night he claimed another victory by shooting down Wellington Z1324 north east of Terschelling. Z1324 was the only aircraft lost that night. The other Wellingtons of the squadron all returned between 03:03hrs and 04:01hrs. The pilots of the other aircraft could give no reason for the failure of Z1324 to return. They reported good conditions and visibility below the clouds.

The following day the commander of No.142 Squadron, Wing Commander Donald Simmons, sent letters to the next of kin of the crew members. In his letters he mentioned “We heard no more news from him, but the nature of the operation on which he was engaged makes it extremely likely that he was rescued by the Germans and may now be safe as a prisoner of war. [..] His courage and determination did much to smash the enemy. It is men like your son/husband who make me realise that the fate of Hitler is already sealed.” The parents of Critchison, Emond and Stock received letters about the fate of their sons. Hudson and Skelton were both married. Skelton had a baby daughter. Hudson’s wife was expecting a baby when her husband went missing. Their son was born a couple of months later.

The body of Emond washed ashore on the Dutch island of Terschelling on 5 August 1942, nearly a month after the crash. He was buried in the local Vredenhof Cemetery by the Germans with full military honours two days later. News of the burial of Emond reached his family through the Red Cross.

Emond's grave at Vredenhof Cemetery Source: Pieter Schlebaum

Mary Critchison and Gertrude Hudson, the mothers of the pilot and the air bomber, kept in touch with the next of kin of the other crew members hoping that one day any news would come through regarding their sons or any other members of the crew. They wrote various letters to the Air Ministry but to no avail. On the other hand, Mr. Van der Werff from Schiermonnikoog Island made several attempts to get in touch with relatives of Emond. He was the owner of the island’s hotel and took care of the graves in the Vredenhof Cemetery. He sent photos of Emond’s grave to the RCAF casualty liaison officer at the Air Ministry, but these photos never reached the Emond family.

The other four crew members are presumed lost at sea. Their names are memorialized at the Runnymede Memorial at Englefield Green. This memorial commemorates by name more than 20.000 Commonwealth airmen who were lost in World War Two during operations from bases in Northern and Western Europe, and who have no known graves. Their names are engraved into the stone walls of the memorial, according to country, year of death and rank.

Extra information

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An overview of the other Wellingtons of No.142 Squadron which were detailed for the minelaying operation on the night of 9/10 July 1942.

Wellington Z1289 (QT-R)
Pilot: Flight Sergeant Norman John Warfield (age unknown, British)
2nd pilot: Sergeant Wilfred Alan Gill (age unknown, British)
Observer: Pilot Officer Eric John Robert Yates (21 years old, New Zealander)
Air Bomber: William Lusk Harper (age unknown, British)
Wireless Operator/Air Gunner: Sergeant Walter Gilroy (age unknown, British)
Air Gunner: Sergeant John Howarth (21 years old, British)

Wellington Z1342 (QT-J)
Pilot: Sergeant Leonard Hewitt (age unknown, British)
Observer: Sergeant William James Olde (25 years old, British)
Air Bomber: Sergeant Arthur Elliott (age unknown, British)
Wireless Operator/Air Gunner: Sergeant Ernest Joseph Pettitt (20 years old, British)
Air Gunner: Sergeant Ernest Alfred Giles (23 years old, British)

Wellington Z1376 (QT-M)
Pilot: Sergeant Herbert John Green (age unknown, British)
Observer: Sergeant Ken Nicholls (age unknown, British)
Air Bomber: Sergeant Edward Henry Bastow (40 years old, British)
Wireless Operator/Air Gunner: Sergeant James Robert Brind (21 years old, British)
Air Gunner: Sergeant John Frederick Russell Tate (30 years old, British)

Wellington Z1219 (QT-V)
Pilot: Sergeant Claude Lorraine Love (23 years old, Canadian)
Observer: Sergeant Robert Charles Pearce (28 years old, Canadian)
Air Bomber: Sergeant James Anderson (22 years old, Canadian)
Wireless Operator/Air Gunner: Sergeant George Hall (age unknown, Canadian)
Air Gunner: Flight Sergeant Earl Edwin Hopper (21 years old, Canadian)

Wellington Z1396 (QT-B)
Pilot: Sergeant Charles William Keddy (20 years old, Canadian)
Observer: Sergeant James Paterson (27 years old, Canadian)
Air Bomber: Sergeant Herbert Carl Empey (20 years old, Canadian)
Wireless Operator/Air Gunner: Sergeant Arnold Herbert Amlin (23 years old, Canadian)
Air Gunner: Flight Sergeant Dickenson Fletcher (22 years old, Canadian)

Wellington Z1411 (QT-E)
Pilot: Sergeant Jack Hubert Edward Marriott (20 years old, British)
Observer: Sergeant Donald Udell (20 years old, Canadian)
Air Bomber: Sergeant John Willard Whear (23 years old, Canadian)
Wireless Operator/Air Gunner: Sergeant Lloyd Ellison Holland (25 years old, Canadian)
Air Gunner: Sergeant Wilfred Davis (age unknown, British)

Wellington Z1414 (QT-O)
Pilot: Sergeant Donald Coburn West (21 years old, Canadian)
Observer: Sergeant George Leslie Cooper (27 years old, British)
Air Bomber: Sergeant Ian David Lowther (20 years old, British)
Wireless Operator/Air Gunner: Sergeant Percy Milnes (25 years old, British)
Air Gunner: Flight Sergeant William Alfred Penney (26 years old, Canadian)

Wellington Z1341 (QT-L)
Pilot: Flight Sergeant James Patrick Richardson (22 years old, Canadian)
Observer: Pilot Officer Thomas Victor Maunders (20 years old, British)
Air Bomber: Sergeant Edward Samuel Hunt (21 years old, British)
Wireless Operator/Air Gunner: Sergeant John Cyril Hazelgrove (21 years old, British)
Air Gunner: Sergeant John Sparks (age unknown, British)

Wellington Z1318 (QT-W)
Pilot: Pilot Officer William Ronald Brooks (age unknown, British)
Observer: Sergeant James Wolstenholme Oldham (20 years old, British)
Air Bomber: Sergeant Stephen Mitchell Chadwick (age unknown, British)
Wireless Operator/Air Gunner: Sergeant G. S. Penrith (age unknown, British)
Air Gunner: Sergeant Charles Edward Delaney (age unknown, Canadian)