REASON FOR LOSS:

This aircraft approached Worthing from the south east and after making a right hand turn passed over the town at 100 ft. gradually loosing height, although the engines sounded to be running normally. Engaged by light AA fire the aircraft crashed into a house and exploded.
Markings: fin marked A1+CR with werks number 7492. Manufactured by Heinkel Flugzenwerke, Rostock on 25.6.42. The whole of the aircraft had been spray painted black but the undersides of the wing tips had at one time been yellow. Engines: Jumo 211 PNB F.1/1229 and MMW F.1/1866. Armament: MG 15's and 20 mm Oerlikon FF. A large external bomb carrier marked ETC 2000/XIA was found amongst the wreckage along with four 50 kg bombs.

All the German crewmen were killed and three Canadians serving with the 3rd Anti-Tank regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery, died of burns sustained in Worthing Hospital: Lance-Sergeant Charlie Cronin, Bombardier John Macdonald and Gunner Frank Johnson.

Damage at Lyndhurst Road, Worthing, Sussex, England (Burgess)

Part of the Heinkel’s undercarriage assembly outside a window (Ellis)




Deutsche Soldatenfriedhof Cannock Chase, Staffs, England.

Burial detail:

Horst Grosse-Heitmeyer. Block 4 Grave 242.

Gunther Grüßner. Block4 Grave 243.

Ferdinand Dolesal. Block 4 Grave 245.

Albin Kielmann. Block 4 Grave 246.

Joachim Richter. Block 4 Grave 247.

Researched and compiled by Melvin Brownless with special thanks to Nigel Parker, the late Pat Burgess and Clive Ellis. (Updated March 2015)