Stirling I BK611
Stirling I BK611/LS‑U was delivered to No. 15 Sqn at RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk, on 24 December 1942 and named Te Kooti after the famous Maori chief, with nose art painted beneath the pilot’s window. An unusual mission tally was recorded on the rear fuselage between the crew door and the serial. The aircraft’s pilot, Australian Sgt J. O. Wilson, and bomb aimer Sgt P. Arnott were killed when Te Kooti was shot down by flak returning from an operation to Düsseldorf on 25/26 May 1943, the bomber crashing at Grubbenvorst, in Holland. Five of the crew managed to briefly evade before being captured by German troops. A total of 27 aircraft (eight of which were Stirlings) were lost on this raid from a force of 759 bombers. Cloud cover over the target rendered the attack a failure, with bombs being scattered over a wide area.