P.J. Simpson (left) during training in Rhodesia

From the letters Phillip Simpson's grandparents received from Wing Commander Barber, regarding the mission May 23/24 1944, it appears that on the return journey back to base after bombing Ferentino, two Wellingtons collided and crashed, killing both crews.

Menu, RAF Hillside,

Rhodesia, Christmas 1942

I know that Sgt JT Saunders 1620263 was the bomb aimer on the same  aircraft as my uncle, from a letter sent by his parents to my grandparents in May 1944.

Also when I looked through the list of 70 Squadron airmen buried with my uncle at Anzio beachhead cemetery, I came up with ten names listed as dying on 24/05/44 :-

Sgt PJ Simpson 1580258       AGE 21 - Stoke on Trent
Sgt JT Saunders 1620263      AGE 21 - Oldham
Sgt A Brewster 975232        AGE 27 - Dunfermline
Lieutenant M Davis 542752v    AGE 21 - Johannesburg (SA)
Lieutenant AF Deelman 123896v   AGE 32 - Durban (SA)
Sgt A Gawaith 422385         AGE 24 - Taranaki (NZ)
Sgt CP Greenslade 1605365    AGE N/A     N/A
Sgt KB Harding 1590964       AGE 19 - Shipton by Bennington
Sgt T Waaka  425007          AGE 23 - Rotorua (NZ)
Sgt P Francis 429023         AGE 20 - Wellington (NZ)

I believe there were 5 crew members to each Wellington, so could these be the 2 crews that collided?

Tionga Waaka

Air Gunner from New Zealand -   a member of the other aircrew that collided with Sgt Simpson's aircraft