Sergeant (Flight Engineer) Norman Percy Tutt, RAF - Died 10 April 1943

I'm looking for details of the following casualty and the full crew of the aircraft on which they died.

Name: TUTT, NORMAN PERCY
Rank: Sergeant (Flt. Engr.)
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force
Unit Text: 9 Sqdn.
Age: 22
Date of Death: 10/04/1943
Service No: 812184
Additional information: Son of Percy John and Annie Elizabeth Tutt, of Ashford, Kent.
Grave/Memorial Reference: Plot 6. Grave 64.
Cemetery: OUDEWATER PROTESTANT CEMETERY

The bodies of the crew were found with their parachutes partly deployed and it is thought they waited until the last moment before bailing out.

This information was communicated to the family by the local Gemeente after the war, as they wanted to invite them to honour the men who gave their lives.

Sadly, the Parents of Norman Tutt declined the invitation and never visited their Son's grave because they were too distraught. However, his Sister, now in her 70's, intends to remedy that and visit the grave for the first time in the next couple of months.

The aircraft flew out of Waddington in Lincs and the mission and any other details, headstone photos included, would be great as well.

Cheers - Rob

 

Hi Rob, the following is taken from ' Bomber Command Losses' Vol.4 - W R. Chorley

9-10 April 1943

9 Squadron
Lancaster III ED502 WS-V
Op. Duisburg

Took off at 2048 hrs from Waddington. Shot down by a night-fighter and crashed 2345 hrs at Snelrewaard (Utrecht) 3 km north east of Oudewater, Holland. where all are buried in the Protestant Cemetery. P/O. Gibbings came from Salisbury Southern Rhodesia. In civilian life F/O. Robertson was a Charted Accountant.

Crew.

W/O. A M. White RNZAF +
Sgt. N P. Tutt +
F/O. H. Robertson +
P/O. G J. Gibbings +
Sgt. W A. Barker +
Sgt. W R. Jakeway +
F/O. N. Bird +

Nore: It is believed that W/O. White RNZAF was flying his thirteenth sortie as captain of his own crew.

............................

The Duisburg raid of 9/10 April 1943

5 Mosquitos and 104 Lancasters were dispatched to Duisburg but thick cloud again caused a scattered attack. 8 Lancasters lost.



'The Bomber Command War Diaries' - M.Middlebrook / C. Everitt

 

Many thanks Peter. I've found all of the crew headstone photos as well. They are buried in a small village 15 miles south of where an Aunt of mine lived.

Regards - Rob

 

The aircrew of 7.

 

Name: WHITE, ARTHUR MILES
Nationality: New Zealand
Rank: Warrant Officer (Pilot)
Regiment/Service: Royal New Zealand Air Force
Unit Text: 9 (R.A.F.) Sqdn
Age: 23
Date of Death: 10/04/1943
Service No: 402918
Additional information: Son of Alfred John and Doris White, of Hamilton, Waikato, Auckland, New Zealand.
Grave/Memorial Reference: Plot 6. Grave 68.
Cemetery: OUDEWATER PROTESTANT CEMETERY





​

 

Name: TUTT, NORMAN PERCY
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Sergeant (Flt. Engr.)
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force
Unit Text: 9 Sqdn.
Age: 22
Date of Death: 10/04/1943
Service No: 812184
Additional information: Son of Percy John and Annie Elizabeth Tutt, of Ashford, Kent.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Plot 6. Grave 64.
Cemetery: OUDEWATER PROTESTANT CEMETERY





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Name: ROBERTSON, HECTOR
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Flying Officer (Nav.)
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Unit Text: 9 Sqdn.
Age: 25
Date of Death: 10/04/1943
Service No: 116210
Additional information: Son of Alex and Jane T. Robertson, of Aberdeen. Chartered Accountant.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Plot 6. Grave 67.
Cemetery: OUDEWATER PROTESTANT CEMETERY





​

 

Name: GIBBINGS, GRAHAM JOHN
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Flying Officer (Air Bomber)
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Unit Text: 9 Sqdn.
Age: 20
Date of Death: 10/04/1943
Service No: 80374
Additional information: Son of Reginald John and Mabel Constance Gibbings, of Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia.
Grave/Memorial Reference: Plot 6. Grave 65.
Cemetery: OUDEWATER PROTESTANT CEMETERY





​

 

Name: BARKER, WILLIAM ARTHUR
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Sergeant (W.Op./Air Gnr.)
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Unit Text: 9 Sqdn.
Age: 32
Date of Death: 10/04/1943
Service No: 1377348
Additional information: Son of Thomas Edmund and Jessie Elizabeth Emma Barker, of Cromer, Norfolk.
Grave/Memorial Reference: Plot 6. Grave 69.
Cemetery: OUDEWATER PROTESTANT CEMETERY





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Name: JAKEWAY, WILLIAM ROY
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Sergeant (Air Gnr.)
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Unit Text: 9 Sqdn.
Age: 19
Date of Death: 10/04/1943
Service No: 1320164
Additional information: Son of Arthur William Jakeway, and stepson of Madge Elsie Jakeway, of Barnet, Hertfordshire.
Grave/Memorial Reference: Plot 6. Grave 63.
Cemetery: OUDEWATER PROTESTANT CEMETERY

 

Name: BIRD, NEWTON
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Flying Officer (Air Gnr.)
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Unit Text: 9 Sqdn.
Date of Death: 10/04/1943
Service No: 80369
Grave/Memorial Reference: Plot 6. Grave 66.
Cemetery: OUDEWATER PROTESTANT CEMETERY





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Hi Rob,

The Nachtjagd War Diaries by Theo Boiten has,
Shot down by Hptm Hans-Dieter Frank of 2./NJG 1, his 21st victory.

18 of Arthur White's ops were flown with 44 Squadron.

Regards,
Wayne.

 

Thanks for the additional information Wayne.

Regards - Rob

 

Today, I received a copy of these pages from a book by Mr. Theo Pollemans.

It is a copy from the book: "Een ereschuld, gedenkboek Oudewaterse Oorlogsslachtoffers" (memorial book of Oudewaters war victims). If any of our Dutch members have a copy of the book, would it be possible to get a better scan of the photo for Norman Tutt's Sister.

Even better would be getting hold of a copy of the book, which was published in 2007.

Cheers - Rob

 

The picture of the crew is a special one. It was taken at 9 April 1943, the same day the seven men got killed in the crash.

 

The translation from the above book. Many thanks to PieterF for doing this.

Seven graves of pilots – far from their country of birth.


During the night of 9 – 10 April 1943 a burning British bomber crashed in a meadow alongside the Lange Linschoten (I guess a canal), just outside the village of Oudewater.


Hennie IJff-Pol, who lived at the farm where the bomber crashed, described the crash:-

“It was like we were in hell. The flames were bursting over our farm and the sound was louder than a siren. My husband and I both took one of our children out of their beds and took them with us. My nephew took my oldest son downstairs. The Germans showed up and ordered us to show them the route to the wreckage. We told them we were not allowed to be outside during the night, but this time it was their order! Our maid was allowed to stay with the children, who were extremely scared. We had to cross a canal over a wooden plank. The only light we had came from the burning plane. My husband and I both thought that one airman was still alive. We checked his heartbeat, but he seemed to be dead already, like the other six crew members. We adopted his grave. His name was Harry Robertson, a 25 years old young man who just finished his study. He was from Scotland. We are still in touch with his family.”


The names of the seven airmen:-


William Barker, 32 years old from Cromer, Norfolk. Wireless Telegrapher.


Harry Robertson, 25 years old from Aberdeen, Scotland. Navigator.


William Jakeway, 19 years old from Barnet in Hents. Air Gunner.


Arthur White, 23 years old from Wiakato in New Zealand. Pilot.


Norman Tutt, 22 years old from Ashford in Kent. Flight Engineer.


Graham Gibbins, 20 years old from Salisbury in Southern Rhodesia. Bomb Aimer.


Newton Bird, age unknown from Camps Bay in South Africa. Tail Gunner.


Their bomber, a Lancaster nicknamed Barbara-Mary, took off from RAF Waddington (Lincolnshire). They were on a mission to bomb Duisburg. On their flight home they were shot down by a German night fighter.
The next day the seven men were buried at the protestant cemetery at Oudewater. No one was allowed to be at ceremony. But the following night, two men crossed the canal at the back of the cemetery by boat. When dawn broke the following morning, seven bouquets of white flowers were shining in the morning sunshine.

 

You're welcome Rob. Hope it is translated into readable English. :wink:

 

An arial overview of the village of Oudewater. The plane crashed just outside the village, in a meadow alongside the Lange Linschoten. You can see the name 'Lange Linschoten' on the right top of the image.

 

And a Google Earth view of the surroundings just outside Oudewater and alongside the Lange Linschoten.

 

Many thanks Pieter. I shall pass on your translation along with the images.

Rob