Newspaper photo
104 Squadron Wellington Bomber
The Shields Daily News 17/11/1944 reports:
North Shields R.A.F. Sergeant missing.
News has been received by Mr. and Mrs. M.S. Badger of Lyndhurst, 4 Queen Alexander Rd., North Shields.
Sergeant Badger has been in the R.A.F. for nearly two years and has seen service in Africa and Italy. Previous to this he was employed as a clerk in the office of Mr. Charles Rowell, Chartered Accountant, North Shields. He received his education at the Ralph Gardner School, and was well-known at the Sir James Knott Youth Centre, where in 1942 he won the A.V. Hill Table Tennis Cup.
Sergeant Badger was serving with 104 squadron. He was a crew member of Wellington X MF420. The aircraft was flying from Foggia, Italy, over sea, and sent a message to say that the aircraft was being ditched at a position 42 degrees 39 North and 14 degrees 27 east. It is thought that the bad weather contributed to the cause, as several aircraft had been hit by lightning strikes. Two of the bodies were recovered but the rest were not.
Though Without Anger (Losses of Transport and Special Duties Aircraft and assault Gliders 1940 to 1945. Compiled and edited by Colin Cummings; 2008; Nimbus Publishing; ISBN 978 0 9526619 6 2
Photograph shows a Vickers Wellington Mk.II of No. 104 Squadron, Royal Air Force. 104 Squadron received the Wellington in April 1941. It was part of the RAF Bomber Command until it was moved to the Mediterranean area in April 1942, where it operated until the end of the war. In 1943 it received the Wellington Mk.X, in February 1945 it was re-equipped with the Consolidated Liberator.
British Government - Published British Government photograph
Reginald Milburn Badger is remembered in North Shields on N34.10
