Personnel Index - Detail

Name
BATES
First Names
Geoffrey Morris
Rank
Sgt
Service
RAF
Service Number
741450
Crew Position
Pilot
Posting In
Awarded a DFM

 

Flew 14 operations with 49Sqn.

10/11 February, 1941; HANNOVER:

Bomber Command dispatched 222 aircraft against industrial targets in Hannover. 49 Squadron had 12 aircraft airborne, following a briefing in which the Scampton Intelligence Officer had exhorted crews to cause 'maximum destruction' of their specified target.
A night fighter was yet to add to 49's misery this night, but this time it was much nearer to home. A German intruder aircraft being flown by Oberleutnant Kurt Herrman and crew, was 'prospecting' in the Scampton area as Sgt Bates (AD719) and crew awaited permission to land. A burst of fire soon set their Hampden alight; Sgt's Bates and Blower managed to escape by parachute before the aircraft crashed to the ground near Langworth.
Unfortunately, the two remaining members of the crew both perished.

Additional Information via Colin Cripps:
Claimed by Oblt Kurt Herrmann of 1./NJG2 as his 7th "Abschuss" at 06.49hrs over Waddington Airfield, although he described AD719 as a Hereford.
One month later, on the 10-11th March 1941, Herrmann was shot down by ack-ack and belly landed his Ju88 C-2, bringing the first example of a relatively intact night fighter to fall in this country.

Hampden AD719
Sgt G.M. Bates Pilot (Survived)
Sgt J. Butterworth A/OB (Killed)
Sgt D.A. Caldwell W/AG (Killed)
Sgt H. Blower (Survived)

Hampden AD719 was named "Istanbul" as it was paid for by the British community of Istanbul, Turkey.



Click on the image or this link for a larger version of the Form 78 (opens in a new window).
Information via Dom Howard and Colin Cripps.