P/O Ralph G Keefer RCAF and crew – 103 Squadron – RAF Elsham Wolds – 1941
Crashed in Eire. Crew Interned – 24/25th October 1941 – Vickers Wellington IC – T2506 - Op Frankfurt.
Ralph Keefer ( pictured above ) was a Canadian pilot posted to 103 Squadron in the summer of 1941. He flew 5 operations as co-pilot in the crew of P/O E C Ball RNZAF the first being on the 24th July 1941.
He was then made captain of his own crew and flew the following operations :-
07-Sep-41 – Boulogne – Wellington – X9794 – P/O RG Keefer RCAF
12-Sep-41 – Frankfurt – Wellington – T2506 – P/O RG Keefer RCAF
16-Sep-41 – Karlsruhe – Wellington – T2506 – P/O RG Keefer RCAF
20-Sep-41 – Berlin – Wellington – T2506 – P/O RG Keefer RCAF – Aborted - General recall . Bombed Munster. Landed away
26-Sep-41 – Cologne – Wellington – T2506 – P/O RG Keefer RCAF – Aborted - General recall. Returned to base.
17-Oct-41 – Duisburg – Wellington – R1445 – P/O RG Keefer RCAF - Unable to climb above 10000ft. Front turret unserviceable. Bombed Oostvoorne
20-Oct-41 – Emden – Wellington – R1459 – P/O RG Keefer RCAF
22-Oct-41 – Mannheim – Wellington – T2506 – P/O RG Keefer RCAF - Icing trouble at 18,000ft. Aircraft dived steeply. Control regained at 13,000 ft. Rear gunner baled out – See below. Attacked Haamstede airfield
24-Oct-41 – Frankfurt – Wellington – T2506 – P/O RG Keefer RCAF – FTR - Interned. Lost on return. Landed in Eire
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P/O Ralph G Keefer RCAF - Interned in the Republic of Ireland before returning to UK.
Sgt Leslie C Diaper RAFVR - Interned in the Republic of Ireland before returning to UK.
P/O John PS Calder RCAF - Interned in the Republic of Ireland before returning to UK. Badly injured in air crash in UK later in the war. Killed when flying with 571 Squadron on the 21st July 1944
Sgt Albert C Dalton RAFVR - Interned in the Republic of Ireland before returning to UK.
Sgt Maurice B Brown RAFVR - Interned in the Republic of Ireland before returning to UK.
Sgt Alexander Virtue RAFVR - Interned in the Republic of Ireland before returning to UK. Repatriated because of serious illness. Died of natural causes in June 1944 and buried at Newcastle upon Tyne.
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L to R - Sgt Cox and F/S Virtue
Sgt R W Cox RAFVR – Baled out over the Netherlands. POW No - 24435 Camp - Stalag Luft L6 Heydekrug
F/S Alexander Virtue RAFVR – Air Gunner – 31 - Son of Alexander and Jane Virtue; husband of Mildred Virtue of Newcastle-on-Tyne – Newcastle-on-Tyne St Nicholas Cemetery, Northumberland.
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For full details of this incident and photos see the excellent Foreign Aircraft Landings in Europe WW2 website Wellington T2506 page here.
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24-Oct-41 – Frankfurt
103 Squadron detailed 8 aircraft to attack the German city of Mannheim. Weather was fine at base with 10/10ths cloud over the sea continuing to 6/10 – 9/10ths over the target. Severe icing and electrical storms were encountered over the sea which caused 2 crews to abandon any attempts to reach the target. Opposition was moderate with accurate heavy flak. Searchlight activity was nil due to the 9/10ths cloud.
For this attack on Mannheim Bomber Command detailed 70 aircraft. Only 8 reported to have reached that target area in difficult weather condition. Most aircraft bombed targets of opportunity. 4 aircraft were lost.
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Wellington T2506
This machine flew the following operations all but two with P/O R G Keefer and crew.
07-Aug-41 – Essen – Wellington – T2506 – P/O EC Ball
14-Aug-41 – Hanover – Wellington – T2506 – P/O EC Ball - Oxygen supply inadequate. Bombed airfield.
12-Sep-41 – Frankfurt – Wellington – T2506 – P/O RG Keefer RCAF
16-Sep-41 – Karlsruhe – Wellington – T2506 – P/O RG Keefer RCAF
20-Sep-41 – Berlin – Wellington – T2506 – P/O RG Keefer RCAF – Aborted - General recall . Bombed Munster. Landed away
26-Sep-41 – Cologne – Wellington – T2506 – P/O RG Keefer RCAF – Aborted - General recall. Returned to base.
22-Oct-41 – Mannheim – Wellington – T2506 – P/O RG Keefer RCAF - Icing trouble at 18,000ft. Aircraft dived steeply. Control regained at 13,000ft. Rear gunner baled out. Attacked Haamstede airfield
24-Oct-41 – Frankfurt – Wellington – T2506 – P/O RG Keefer RCAF – FTR - Interned. Lost on return. Landed in Eire
Item compiled by David Fell. Photos courtesy of Dennis Burke
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