550 Squadron Photos
F/O Packham and Crew
F/O Packham and crew flew posted to 550 Sqdn from No. 1 L.F.S. Hemswell on 24.5.44:
- F/O G H Packham (P)
- Sgt C C C Pettit (F/Eng)
- Sgt J Matthews (Nav)
- Sgt J S Jenkins (A/B)
- Sgt F A Willson (W/Op)
- Sgt J Jackson (MU/AG)
- Sgt E J Morgan (R/AG)
F/O Packham flew his first op as 2nd pilot to S/Ldr Smith on the 5 June 1944.
The crew failed to return from a raid to Sterkade 16/17 Jun 1944 when LL747 was hit by flak. All the crew survived the crash to become PoWs.
Other information about the flight and the target available here.
The entry on the 550 Squadron list of non-returnees is available here.
There are conflicting flak and night-fighter claims for this aircraft. Thanks to John Jones for providing the following links to information.
Claim by Oblt Josef Nabrich 3/NJG1 - FF Kurfurst Kleve area: 6,000m at 01:49. Same claim as Oblt George Fengler Stab IV/NJG1 4,000m at 01:51. Both confirmed as full victories on 7/10/44. (Nachtjagd Combat Archives 1944 Part 3 - Theo Boiten) See "The Long Road" - Oliver Clutton Buck, page 92 for the story of the crew.
Station Narrative No. 20
This narrative, included in the Station Operational Record Book, records the crew interrogation following their return to England after being liberated from PoW camp.
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Packham crew, Sterkade, 22 May 1945 (interrogation on release from PoW Camp) |
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(pg. 2 of 2) |
More details about the loss can be found on (search for) LL7474, 550 Sqdn, North Killingholme.
Haarsteeg Memorial
28/09/2025
See the Haarsteeg Memorial web-page.