Operation: Gardening

Date: 01/02nd July 1944

Unit: No. 104 Squadron (motto: 'Strike Hard')

Type: Wellington X

Serial: MF137

Code: EP-H

Base: Foggia Main, Italy

Location: Pancevo, Serbia

Pilot: P/O. Edward James Holmes AUS/420946 RAAF Age 21. Killed

Nav: P/O. Kenneth George Kingerlee 178828 RAFVR Age 33. Killed

Air/Bmr: P/O. Ernest William Morgan 55796 RAF Age 26. Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: P/O. Kenneth Norman Wiggins 178693 RAFVR Age 21. Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Geoffrey Goodhand Parker AUS/427933 RAAF Age 20. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

Taking off at 21:01 hrs on an operation to drop airlines in the River Danube.

During the run in they were hit by anti-aircraft fire from both sides of the target area. The Wellington crashed at about midnight, about 500 yards rom the North bank of the Danube, close to the Pancevo - Belgrade road. After the crash a mine exploded killing 5 German soldiers close by.

Also lost from the squadron Wellington X LP131 EP-L Flown by 20 year old, Sgt. Trevor William Hunt 1604620 RAFVR killed with all his other four crew after also being hit by anti-aircraft fire. (Threa others from various squadrons suffered the same fate, although one managed to bellyband in friendly territory.

Above: Some of the crew graves - later separated but at the same location.

Burial details:

P/O. Edward James Holmes. Belgrade War Cemetery. Collective grave 6.D.4-8. Born on the 12th March 1922 at Moonee Ponds, the son of Herbert and Alma Clarice Holmes, of Bentley, Via Casino, New South Wales, Australia. Grave inscription reads: "His Duty Fearlessly And Nobly Done. Ever Remembered".

P/O. Kenneth George Kingerlee. Belgrade War Cemetery. Collective grave 6.D.4-8. Son of George Kingerlee and of Margaret May Kingerlee (née Carson), of Banbury, and husband of Kathleen Marjorie Rita Kingerlee (née Paskett), of Briar Close, Warwick, Banbury, Oxfordshire, England. Grave inscription reads: "In Proud & Precious Memory Of Dear Ken. Continuous As The Stars That Shine".

P/O. Ernest William Morgan. Belgrade War Cemetery. Collective grave 6.D.4-8. Son of Arthur and Emily Louisa Morgan, of 11 Christchurch Street East, Frome, Somerset, England. Also his fiancee, Miss F. Manning of 17 Sutton Road, Barking, Essex, England. Grave inscription reads: "Thoughts Drift Back To Bygone Days But Memory Turns Back Every Leaf. RIP".

P/O. Kenneth Norman Wiggins. Belgrade War Cemetery. Collective grave 6.D.4-8. Son of Edgar Frederick and Elizabeth Gertrude Wiggins, of Quebec Road, Ilford, Essex, England. Grave inscription reads: "You Are Ever In Our Thoughts And Always In Our Hearts. His Family".

Fl/Sgt. Geoffrey Goodhand Parker. Belgrade War Cemetery. Collective grave 6.D.4-8. Born on the 31st December 1921 at Carnarvon, the son of Reginald Goodhand Parker and Ida Linda Parker, of Minnivale, Western Australia. Grave inscription reads: "Loved Son Of Mr. And Mrs. Reg. Parker Of Minnivale, Western Australia".

For further details our thanks to the following sources shown below.

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