Handley Page Halifax Serial Groups Specifications

Conversion 1944-06-23 to 1944-06-23

HCU 1666 (OT) HCU (RCAF) Wombleton

On 1944-06-23, Squadron Leader A. Ross Dawson, the Chief Technical Officer with 1664/1679 HCU at Wombleton, wrote in his diary:

"Well we had our third prang of the month last night when T-Tommy JD106 ploughed into the top of a high hill about 20 miles north of here & right in the middle of the moors. The hill was 1490 ft high & cloud base was 1500 & the pilot was letting down thru cloud in the dark to see where he was! What a thing to do. Anyway W/C Martin and I drove up to find it . . . hunted all morning . . . located the crash at 3:30 in the afternoon. It was spread over ½ mile and was very badly broken up. The tail gunner got out uninjured & told the whole story, the flight engineer is still alive but just barely & they don't think he has much chance. The other six were killed."

Bombing Bochum Germany 1943-05-13 to 1943-05-14

419 (B) Sqn (RCAF) Middleton St. George

Battle of the Ruhr

442 aircraft - 135 Halifaxes, 104 Wellingtons, 98 Lancasters, 95 Stirlings, IO Mos¬quitoes; 5 Group did not take part in this raid. 24 aircraft- 13 Halifaxes, 6 Welling¬tons, 4 Stirlings, 1 Lancaster - lost, 5·4 per cent of the force.

This raid started well but, after 15 minutes, what were believed to be German decoy markers drew much of the bombing away from the target. The only information available from Germany is that 394 buildings in Bochum were destroyed, 716 were seriously damaged and 302 people were killed.

source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt

Bombing Leipzig Germany 1944-02-19 to 1944-02-20

419 (B) Sqn (RCAF) Middleton St. George

823 aircraft- 56 I Lancasters, 255 Halifaxes, 7 Mosquitoes. 78 aircraft- 44 Lancasters and 34 Halifaxes - lost, 9·5 per cent of the force. The Halifax loss rate was 13·3 per cent of those dispatched and 14·9 per cent of those Halifaxes which reached the enemy coast after 'early returns' had turned back. The Halifax IIs and Vs were permanently withdrawn from operations to Germany after this raid.

This was an unhappy raid for Bomber Command. The German controllers only sent part of their force of fighters to the Kiel minelaying diversion. When the main bomber force crossed the Dutch coast, they were met by a further part of the German fighter force and those German fighters which had been sent north to Kiel hurriedly returned. The bomber stream was thus under attack all the way to the target. There were further difficulties at the target because winds were not as forecast and many aircraft reached the Leipzig area too early and had to orbit and await the Pathfinders. 4 aircraft were lost by collision and approximately 20 were shot down by Flak.

Leipzig was cloud-covered and the Pathfinders had to use sky-marking. The raid appeared to be concentrated in its early stages but scattered later. There are few details of the effects of the bombing. No report is available from Germany and there was no immediate post-raid reconnaissance flight. When photographs were eventually taken, they included the results of an American raid which took place on the following day.

source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt

Bombing Krefeld Germany 1943-06-21 to 1943-06-22

405 (PFF) Sqn (RCAF) Gransden Lodge

Served with No. 405 (B) Squadron, RCAF at Gransden Lodge. Lost on 21 June 1943, on raid to Krefeld. 7 crew killed.

Bombing Dusseldorf Germany 1943-06-11 to 1943-06-12

419 (B) Sqn (RCAF) RAF Middleton-St-George

419 Moose Squadron (Moosa Aswayita) RAF Middleton St George. The crew of Halifax II aircraft JD 143 VR-A had just completed their bomb run when they were caught in the beam of a blue Master searchlight. Soon, fifteen additional Slave lights joined the Master to cone the aircraft in light. The Halifax was hit by flak in the nose, the port wing, and port outer engine causing the engine to explode and catch fire. Pilot Flying Officer Boyce ordered the crew to bail out and stayed at the controls, looking to force land the aircraft as Sergeant Chambers was badly wounded and refused to jump

Warrant Officer Class 1 HA Tripp (RCAF) is believed to have jumped but was killed in action

Sergeant DE Chambers (RAFVR) eventually jumped at 2,000 feet but was killed in action

Flying Officer JW Boyce (RCAF) went down with the aircraft and was killed in action when the bomber crashed 7 km west of Xanten, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany

Five of the crew, Flying Officer GL Buck (RAF), Flying Officer DI Black (RAF), Sergeant RM Hall (RCAF), Sergeant JD Gray (RCAF), and Sergeant DN Stewart (RAF) bailed and survived to be taken as Prisoners of War

Flying Officer Black said, "Although Flying Officer Boyce had plenty of time to get out he stayed in order to give the wounded Wireless Air Gunner , Sergeant DE Chambers, a chance of survival in a forced landing. When Sergeant Chambers finally jumped it was too late for Boyce to get out so he sacrificed himself. As toWarrant Officer Tripp, we thought he got out but maybe his chute didn't open"

There is also a claim that this Halifax was shot down by night fighter pilot Oberleutnant Manfred Meurer of the 3/NJG 1, flying a Bf 110 G-4 from Venlo airfield, the Netherlands

419 Squadron RCAF 1941to 1945 Crew of Halifax JD143

419 Squadron Halifax II JD143 VR-A F/O. Boyce, RAF Middleton St. ...

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Halifax II JD143 [Royal Air Force Serial and Image Database]...

Bombing Wuppertal Germany 1943-06-24 to 1943-06-25

419 (B) Sqn (RCAF) Middleton St. George

Battle of the Ruhr

630 aircraft - 251 Lancasters, 171 Halifaxes, IOI Wellingtons, 98 Stirlings, 9 Mos-quitoes. 34 aircraft - IO Halifaxes, IO Stirlings, 8 Lancasters, 6 Wellingtons - lost, s- 4 per cent of the force.

This attack was aimed at the Elberfeld half of Wuppertal, the Barmen half of the town having been devastated at the end of May, The Pathfinder marking was accurate and the Main Force bombing started well but the creepback became more pronounced than usual. 30 aircraft bombed targets in more western parts of the Ruhr; Wuppertal was at the eastern end of the area. These bombing failures were probably a result of the recent run of intensive operations incurring casualties at a high level: However, much serious damage was again caused to this medium-sized Ruhr town. The post-war British survey estimated that 94 per cent of the Elberfeld part of Wuppertal was destroyed on this night and Wuppertal's own records show that more bombs fell in Elberfeld than had fallen in Barmen on the last raid. 171 industrial premises and approximately 3,000 houses -were destroyed; 53 industrial premises and 2,500 houses were severely damaged. Approximately 1,800 people were killed and 2,400 injured.

There was a dramatic incident in Gelsenkirchen, 20 miles north of Wuppertal, when an R.A.F. 4-engined bomber crashed into the hall of a building which had been taken over by the Wehrmacht. The bomber blew up 'with a terrific explosion'. A German officer, 13 soldiers, the caretaker of the building and 5 Dutch trainee postal workers were killed and 2 more soldiers died later.

source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt

419 Moose Squadron (Moosa Aswayita) Middleton St George, Halifax II aircraft JD 147 VR-C, on a raid to Wuppertal, Germany and turning toward the target when it was hit by cannon fire from night fighter pilot Oberfeldwebel Reinhard Kollak of the 7/NJG 4 (detached to II/NJG 1), flying Bf 110 G-4 3C+ER from St Trond (Sint-Truiden) airfield, Belgium. The Halifax caught fire, the bomb load was jettisoned and the aircraft was turned for home. The fire could not be extinguished and pilot Squadron Leader Jost ordered the crew to bale out

Flying Officer ROE Goodwin (RCAF) baled and was killed when his parachute failed to openSergeant RE Austin (RAF), FS L Barker (RAF), FS AWA Bruce (RAF) and Sergeant EB Pope (RAF) all baled and survived to be taken as Prisoners of WarSquadron Leader BN Jost DFC (RCAF) and flight engineer Sergeant JB Johnson (RCAF) stayed at the controls of the burning aircraft to allow the rest of the crew to bale and turn it away from town. They were too low to bale and were both killed in the crash of bomber near Herten, Limburg, Netherlands

There was a second 419 Squadron Halifax II aircraft lost on this operation. Please see Neale, GV for information on Halifax JD 214 VR-U

Bombing Peenemunde Germany 1943-08-17 to 1943-08-18

419 (B) Sqn (RCAF) Middleton St. George

Battle of Berlin

596 aircraft - 324 Lancasters, 218 Halifaxes, 54 Stirlings. This was the first raid in which 6 (Canadian) Group operated Lancaster aircraft. 426 Squadron dispatched 9 Mark II Lancasters, losing 2 aircraft including that of the squadron commander, Wing Commander L. Crooks, D.S.O., D.F.C., an Englishman, who was killed

This was a special raid which Bomber Command was ordered to carry out against the German research establishment on the Baltic coast where V-2 rockets were being built and tested. The raid was carried out in moonlight to increase the chances of success. There were several novel features. It was the only occasion in the second half of the war when the whole of Bomber Command attempted a precision raid by night on such a small target. For the first time, there was a Master Bomber controlling a full-scale Bomber Command raid; Group Captain J, I·I. Searby, of 83 Squadron, 8 Group, carried out this task. There were three aiming points ~, the scientists and workers living quarters, the rocket factory and the experimental station and the Pathfinders employed a special plan with crews designated as 'shifters', who attempted to move the marking from one part of the target to another as the raid progressed. Crews of 5 Group, bombing in the last wave of the attack, had progressed the 'time and distance' bombing method as an alternative for their part of the raid.

The Pathfinders found Peenumunde without difficulty in the moonlight and the Master Bomber controlled the raid successfully throughout. A Mosquito diversion to Berlin drew off most of the German night-fighters for the first 2 of the raid's 3 phases. Unfortunately, the initial marking and bombing fell on a labour camp for forced workers which was situated rt miles south of the first aiming point, but the Master Bomber and the Pathfinders quickly brought the bombing back to the main targets, which were all bombed successfully. 560 aircraft dropped nearly ,800 tons of bombs; 85 per cent of this tonnage was high-explosive. The estimate has appeared in many sources that this raid set back the V-2 experimental programme by at least 2 months and reduced the scale of the eventual rocket attack. Approximately 180 Germans were killed at Peenemiinde, nearly all in the workers' housing estate, and 500,600 foreigners, mostly Polish, were killed in the workers' camp, where there were only flimsy wooden barracks and no proper air-raid shelters..

Bomber Command's losses were 40 aircraft- 23 Lancasters, 15 Halifaxes and 2 Stirlings. This represents 6·7 per cent of the force dispatched but was judged an acceptable cost for the successful attack on this important target on a moonlit night. Most of the casualties were suffered by the aircraft of the last wave when the German night fighters arrived in force; the groups involved in this were 5 Group, which lost 17 of its 109 aircraft on the raid (14·5 per cent) and the Canadian 6 Group which lost 12 out of 57 aircraft (19·7 per cent). This was the first night on which the Germans used their new schrage Musik weapons; these were twin upward-firing cannons fitted in the cockpit of Me 110s. Two schrage Musik aircraft found the bomber stream flying home from Peenemtinde and are believed to have shot down 6 of the bombers lost on the raid

source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt

Bombing Cologne Germany 1943-07-03 to 1943-07-04

419 (B) Sqn (RCAF) Middleton St. George

Battle of the Ruhr

653 aircraft - 293 Lancasters, 182 Halifaxes, 89 Wellingtons, 76 Stirlings, 13 Mos¬quitoes. 30 aircraft - 9.Halifaxes, 8 Lancasters, 8 Wellingtons, 5 Stirlings - lost, 4·6 per cent of the force

The aiming point for this raid was that part of Cologne situated on the east bank of the Rhine. Much industry was .located there. Pathfinder ground marking was accurately maintained by both the Mosquito Oboe aircraft and the backers-up, allowing the Main Force to carry out another heavy attack on Cologne. 20 industrial premises and 2,200 houses were completely destroyed, 588 people were killed, approximately 11000 were injured and 721000 bombed out,

This night saw the first operations of a new German unit, Jagdgeschwader 300 equipped with single-engined fighters using the Wilde Sau (Wild Boar) technique. In this, a German pilot used any form of illumination available over a city being bomber - searchlights, target indicators, the glow of fires on the ground - to pick out : bomber for attack. Liaison with the local Flak defences was supposed to ensure that the Flak was limited to a certain height above which the Wild Boar fighter was free to operate. R.A.F. crews were not used to meeting German fighters over a target city: and it was some time before the presence of the new danger was realized. The report on this night from 4 bombers that they had been fired on over the target by other bombers were almost certainly the result of Wild Boar attacks. The new German unit claimed 12 bombers shot down over Cologne but had to share the 12 available aircraft found to have crashed with the local Flak, who also claimed 12 successes.

source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt

419 Moose Squadron (Moosa Aswayita). Target - Cologne, Germany. Halifax II aircraft JD 159 VR-Y was enroute to the target and had just crossed the enemy coastline when it was attacked several times by two German ME-109 fighter aircraft. it was shot down by night fighter pilot Unteroffizier Rudolf Frank of the 2/NJG 3 (detached to 2/NJG 1), flying Bf 110 G-4 D5+BH from Gilze-Rijen airfield, the Netherlands. The Halifax was extensively damaged with the starboard outer fuel tank on fire and the aircraft had to be abandoned It crashed at Miuzen, a suburb of Mechelen, Belgium. Pilot Officer Bell stayed in the aircraft and tried to make a landing because he had two wounded on board and they could not bail out, all three perished. This was Pilot Officer Bell's twenty-ninth operation. Killed: Flight Sergeant John Albert Anderson RCAF R/99890 Pilot Schoonselhof Cemetery IVa. A. 5., Belgium. Pilot Officer Angus Hugh Bell RCAF J/17340 Pilot Schoonselhof Cemetery IVa. A. 2. Pilot Officer William Bryce Taylor RCAF C/18110 Schoonselhof CemeteryPOWs: Flight Sergeant George Edward Aitken RCAF R/85492 Stalag Luft L6 Heydekrug Warrant Officer Class 1 Joseph Douglas Henry Arseneau RCAF R/73263 Stalag Luft L3 Sagan and Belaria Sergeant Arthur Owen Simpson RAF 1335324 Stalag 357 Kopernikus Flight Sergeant Robert Omer Williston RCAF R/76596 Stalag 4B Muhlberg (Elbe).

Bombing Peenemunde Germany 1943-08-17 to 1943-08-18

419 (B) Sqn (RCAF) Middleton St. George

Battle of Berlin

596 aircraft - 324 Lancasters, 218 Halifaxes, 54 Stirlings. This was the first raid in which 6 (Canadian) Group operated Lancaster aircraft. 426 Squadron dispatched 9 Mark II Lancasters, losing 2 aircraft including that of the squadron commander, Wing Commander L. Crooks, D.S.O., D.F.C., an Englishman, who was killed

This was a special raid which Bomber Command was ordered to carry out against the German research establishment on the Baltic coast where V-2 rockets were being built and tested. The raid was carried out in moonlight to increase the chances of success. There were several novel features. It was the only occasion in the second half of the war when the whole of Bomber Command attempted a precision raid by night on such a small target. For the first time, there was a Master Bomber controlling a full-scale Bomber Command raid; Group Captain J, I·I. Searby, of 83 Squadron, 8 Group, carried out this task. There were three aiming points ~, the scientists and workers living quarters, the rocket factory and the experimental station and the Pathfinders employed a special plan with crews designated as 'shifters', who attempted to move the marking from one part of the target to another as the raid progressed. Crews of 5 Group, bombing in the last wave of the attack, had progressed the 'time and distance' bombing method as an alternative for their part of the raid.

The Pathfinders found Peenumunde without difficulty in the moonlight and the Master Bomber controlled the raid successfully throughout. A Mosquito diversion to Berlin drew off most of the German night-fighters for the first 2 of the raid's 3 phases. Unfortunately, the initial marking and bombing fell on a labour camp for forced workers which was situated rt miles south of the first aiming point, but the Master Bomber and the Pathfinders quickly brought the bombing back to the main targets, which were all bombed successfully. 560 aircraft dropped nearly ,800 tons of bombs; 85 per cent of this tonnage was high-explosive. The estimate has appeared in many sources that this raid set back the V-2 experimental programme by at least 2 months and reduced the scale of the eventual rocket attack. Approximately 180 Germans were killed at Peenemiinde, nearly all in the workers' housing estate, and 500,600 foreigners, mostly Polish, were killed in the workers' camp, where there were only flimsy wooden barracks and no proper air-raid shelters..

Bomber Command's losses were 40 aircraft- 23 Lancasters, 15 Halifaxes and 2 Stirlings. This represents 6·7 per cent of the force dispatched but was judged an acceptable cost for the successful attack on this important target on a moonlit night. Most of the casualties were suffered by the aircraft of the last wave when the German night fighters arrived in force; the groups involved in this were 5 Group, which lost 17 of its 109 aircraft on the raid (14·5 per cent) and the Canadian 6 Group which lost 12 out of 57 aircraft (19·7 per cent). This was the first night on which the Germans used their new schrage Musik weapons; these were twin upward-firing cannons fitted in the cockpit of Me 110s. Two schrage Musik aircraft found the bomber stream flying home from Peenemtinde and are believed to have shot down 6 of the bombers lost on the raid

source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt

419 Moose Squadron (Moosa Aswayita) RAF Middleton St George. The crew of Halifax BII aircraft JD 163 VR-N were returning from a raid against Peenemunde, Germany when they were forced to ditch in the North Sea twenty-four miles off the coast from Happisburgh, Norfolk, England. A full scale air/sea search found no trace of crew or aircraft

Ferry Flight Aachen Germany 1943-07-13 to 1943-07-14

408 (B) Sqn (RCAF) Leeming

408 Goose Squadron (For Freedom) RAF Leeming, Halifax II aircraft JD 174 EQ-A outbound on a raid to Auchen, Germany was attacked by a night fighter. The attack left the bomber's hydraulic system inoperable, with the bomb doors unable to open and the landing gear unable to be lowered. The stricken aircraft was able to limp back to England but then, with a full bomb load and inoperable landing gear, the crew had little choice but to bale out. The crew and then the pilot abandoned the Halifax which then crashed and exploded in the Arden Woods between the villages of Hawnby and Kepwick, Yorkshire, England. There were no air crew losses

Pilot Bain, who broke his leg on landing, was accosted by the family whose land the aircraft had crashed on, who were suspicious of his accent, and dragged him painfully at shotgun point to their house where he was able to convince them he was an ally. He was later awarded a DFC for this sortie. The rest of the crew, Labow, Haugen, Wood, Magson, Acorn and Connolly (RAF) survived.

Aircraft accidents on the North Yorkshire Moors

Daily Operations 6bombergroup.ca

JD174 408 Sqdn Halifax

Aircraft accidents on the North Yorkshire Moors.

Bombing Frankfurt Germany 1943-10-04 to 1943-10-04

419 (B) Sqn (RCAF) Middleton St. George

Battle of Berlin

406 aircraft- 162 Lancasters, 170 Halifaxes, 70 Stirlings, 4 Mosquitoes. 3 B-17s also took part. 10 aircraft - 5 Halifaxes, 3 Lancasters, 2 Stirlings - lost, 2.5 per cent of the force. 1 B-17 was also lost. This was the last R.A.F. night-bombing raid in which American aircraft took part, but individual B-17s occasionally carried out bombing flights in following weeks.

Clear weather and good Pathfinder marking produced the first serious blow on Frankfurt so far in the war, with extensive destruction being caused in the eastern half of the city and in the inland docks on the River Main; both of these areas are described in the Frankfurt report as having been a 'sea of flames'. Many city-centre¬type buildings are also mentioned as being hit; the new Rathaus had its roof burnt out. No overall figures are given for casualties, the only mention being a tragedy at an orphanage housed in the former Jewish hospital, where a bomb scored a direct hit on the basement shelter killing 90 children, 14 nuns and other members of the staff. In the following days, the main railway station was packed with people trying to leave Frankfurt.

source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt

419 Moose Squadron (Moosa Aswayita). Target - Frankfurt, Germany. Halifax aircraft JD 204 was enroute to the target and was some fifty miles east of Mannheim, Germany when it was attacked and set on fire by a German fighter aircraft. Flying Officer J.R. Dale, FSs E.H. Griffin and A. Bortolussi were also killed. One Canadian, Flying Officer Riley and two of the crew, not Canadians, bailed out and were taken Prisoners of War.

Bombing Mannheim Germany 1943-09-05 to 1943-09-06

419 (B) Sqn (RCAF) Middleton St. George

Battle of Berlin

605 aircraft - 299 Lancasters, 195 Halifaxes, r I I Stirlings. 34 aircraft - I 3 Halifaxes, 13 Lancasters, 8 Stirlings - lost, y6 per cent of the force.

The target area for this double attack was clear of cloud and the Pathfinder marking plan worked perfectly. Ground-markers were placed on the eastern side of Mannheim so that the bombing of the Main Force - approaching from the west - could move back across Mannheim and then into Ludwigshafen on the western bank of the Rhine. The creepback did not become excessive and severe destruction was caused in both targets.

Mannheim's normally detailed air-raid report does not give any specific details of property damage or casualties. It is probable that the raid was so severe that the normal report gathering and recording process broke down. The Mannheim records speak only of 'a catastrophe' and give general comments on the activities of the air-raid services and the behaviour of the population which are both described as 'vor- bildlich' (exemplary).

More detail is available from Ludwigshafen where the central and southern parts of the town were devastated. The fire department recorded 1,993 separate fires including 3 classed as 'fire areas' and 986 as large fires; 139 of the fires were in industrial premises. 1,080 houses, 6 military and 4 industrial buildings were destroyed and 8 more industrial buildings were seriously damaged, including the LG. Farben works. 127 people were killed and 568 were injured; 10 of the dead were Flak troops. A further 1,605 people are described as suffering from eye injuries. The relatively small number of deaths may be an indication that many of the German cities were evacuating parts of their population after the recent firestorm disaster at Hamburg and other heavy raids.

source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt

419 Moose Squadron (Moosa Aswayita) RAF Middleton St George, Halifax II aircraft JD 210 VR-S "Happy Valley Sally" was shot down nineteen miles south of the target, at Hattenheim, Baden, Germany on the north bank of the Rhine River, during a night raid against Mannheim, Germany

Flying Officer GA Shannon (RCAF), Flying Officer JA Studer (RCAF)(USA), Flying Officer HA Danninger (RCAF), FS GA Usher (RCAF), FS RD Hayes (RCAF), Sergeant RG James (RCAF), and Sergeant AW Hallworth (RAFVR) were all killed

There were two 419 Squadron Halifax II aircraft lost in the same area on this date. Please see Burke, RW for information regarding the crew of JD 410 VR-V

Bombing Wuppertal Germany 1943-06-24 to 1943-06-25

419 (B) Sqn (RCAF) Middleton St.George

Battle of the Ruhr

630 aircraft - 251 Lancasters, 171 Halifaxes, IOI Wellingtons, 98 Stirlings, 9 Mos-quitoes. 34 aircraft - IO Halifaxes, IO Stirlings, 8 Lancasters, 6 Wellingtons - lost, s- 4 per cent of the force.

This attack was aimed at the Elberfeld half of Wuppertal, the Barmen half of the town having been devastated at the end of May, The Pathfinder marking was accurate and the Main Force bombing started well but the creepback became more pronounced than usual. 30 aircraft bombed targets in more western parts of the Ruhr; Wuppertal was at the eastern end of the area. These bombing failures were probably a result of the recent run of intensive operations incurring casualties at a high level: However, much serious damage was again caused to this medium-sized Ruhr town. The post-war British survey estimated that 94 per cent of the Elberfeld part of Wuppertal was destroyed on this night and Wuppertal's own records show that more bombs fell in Elberfeld than had fallen in Barmen on the last raid. 171 industrial premises and approximately 3,000 houses -were destroyed; 53 industrial premises and 2,500 houses were severely damaged. Approximately 1,800 people were killed and 2,400 injured.

There was a dramatic incident in Gelsenkirchen, 20 miles north of Wuppertal, when an R.A.F. 4-engined bomber crashed into the hall of a building which had been taken over by the Wehrmacht. The bomber blew up 'with a terrific explosion'. A German officer, 13 soldiers, the caretaker of the building and 5 Dutch trainee postal workers were killed and 2 more soldiers died later.

source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt

419 Moose Squadron (Moosa Aswayita) RAF Middleton St George, Halifax BII aircraft JD 214 VR-U was claimed shot down by night fighter pilot Hauptmann Walter Milius of the Stab III./NJG 3 (detached to 2/NJG 1), flying a Bf 110 from Gilze-Rijen airfield, Netherlands. The Halifax force landed at Wageningen, Holland and the entire crew survived

There was a second 419 Squadron Halifax II lost on this operation. Please see Jost, BN for information on Halifax JD 147 VR-C

Bombing Cologne Germany 1943-06-28 to 1943-06-29

419 (B) Sqn (RCAF) Middleton St. George

Battle of the Ruhr

608 aircraft - 267 Lancasters, 169 Halifaxes, 85 Wellingtons, 75 Stirlings, 12 Mos-quitoes. 25 aircraft- IO Halifaxes, 8 Lancasters, 5 Stirlings, 2 Wellingtons - lost, 4· I per cent of the force.

The circumstances of this raid did not seem promising. The weather forecast said that Cologne would probably be cloud-covered although there might be a break; the Pathfinders had to prepare a dual plan. The target was cloud-covered and the less reliable sky-marking system had to be employed. Only 7 of the 12 Oboe Mosquitoes reached the target and only 6 of these were able to drop their markers. The marking was 7 minutes late in starting and proceeded only intermittently. Despite all these setbacks, the Main Force delivered its most powerful blow of the Battle of the Ruhr. The result was Cologne's worst raid of the war. 43 industrial, 6 military and 6,368 other buildings were destroyed; nearly 15,000 other buildings were damaged. Listed as 'completely destroyed' were: 24 schools, 16 churches, 15 major administrative buildings, I1 hotels, 8 cinemas, 7 post offices, 6 large banks, 2 hospitals and 2 theatres. The cathedral was seriously damaged by high-explosive bombs. The casualties in Cologne were 4,377 people killed, approximately 10,000 injured and 230,000 forced to leave their damaged homes. The number of dead was greater than in any previous Bomber Command raid of the war on any target. The 'number of dead' record had thus increased nearly tenfold since the opening of the Battle of the Ruhr 3½ months earlier.

source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt

Bombing Nuremberg Germany 1943-08-10 to 1943-08-11

158 (B) Sqn (RAF) Lissett

The crew were buried in Fürth Civilian Cemetery, later moved to Durnbach.

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Bombing Essen Germany 1943-07-25 to 1943-07-26

419 (B) Sqn (RCAF) Middleton St. George

Battle of Hamburg

705 aircraft - 294 Lancasters, 221 Halifaxes, 104 Stirlings, 67 Wellingtons, 19 Mosquitoes. 26 aircraft - 10 Halifaxes, 7 Stirlings, 5 Lancasters, 4 Wellingtons - lost, 3·7 per cent of the force. The commander of the American VIII Bomber Command, Brigadier-General Fred Anderson, observed this raid as a passenger in an 83 Squad-ron Lancaster.

This was an attempt to achieve a good raid on this major target while the effects of Window were still fresh. The raid was successful, with particular damage being recorded In Essen's industrial areas in the eastern half of the city, The Krupp's works suffered what was probably Its most damaging raid of the war. The next morning, Doktor Gustav Krupp had a stroke from which he never recovered; this saved him from being charged with war crimes after the war.* 51 other industrial buildings were destroyed and 83 seriously damaged. 2,852 houses were destroyed. 500 people were killed, 12 were missing and 1,208 were injured. The 500 dead are recorded as follows: I 65 civilian men, l l 8 women, 22 children, 22 servicemen, l 3 l foreign workers and 42 prisoners of war.

source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt

419 Moose Squadron (Moosa Aswayita) RAF Middleton St George. The crew of Halifax II aircraft JD 256 VR-A had just completed their bomb run over Essen, Germany and entered the cloud cover when they suffered catastrophic damage the tail of their aircraft and went into an unrecoverable inverted dive, crashing at Bergeborbeck, Essen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany. It is unclear whether the damage was from heavy flak, collision with another aircraft or from bombs dropped from above. There was only one survivor from this crew, on their seventh operation

Bombing Mannheim Germany 1943-08-09 to 1943-08-10

419 (B) Sqn (RCAF) Middleton St. George

Battle of Berlin

457 aircraft - 286 Lancasters and 171 Halifaxes. 9 aircraft - 6 Halifaxes and 3 Lancasters - lost, 2·0 per cent of the force.

The target area was mainly cloud-covered and the Pathfinder plan did not work well. The resulting bombing appeared to be scattered. Mannheim, whose wartime officials must have produced some of the best air-raid reports in Germany, sent 37 typed pages of details which showed that this raid caused considerable damage in and around the city. 1,316 buildings were classed as 'totally destroyed' or 'seriously damaged'. 42 industrial concerns, some of them being quite large ones, suffered loss of production. The compensation claims for 9 of the factories totaled 43,815,000 Reichsmarks (£4,381,500). 269 people were killed and 1,210 were injured. There were 1,528 fires: 133 large, 417 medium-sized and 978 small fires. 8 railway engines, 146 passenger carriages and 40 goods wagons were damaged. 144 farm animals were killed: 96 pigs, 18 goats, 15 cows, 12 horses, 2 oxen and a calf.

It is a measure of the increased striking power of Bomber Command that all of the damage and casualties quoted above was caused by a medium-sized raid which is described in the Bomber Command Operations Record Book as 'a scattered attack'.

source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt

Bombing Berlin Germany 1943-08-31 to 1943-09-01

419 (B) Sqn (RCAF) Middleton St. George

Battle of Berlin

This raid was not successful. There was some cloud in the target area; this, together with difficulties with H2S equipment and probably the ferocity of the German defences, all combined to cause the Pathfinder markers to be dropped well south of the centre of the target area and the Main Force bombing to be even further away. The main bombing area eventually extended 30 miles back along the bombers' approach route. 85 dwelling-houses were destroyed in Berlin but the only industrial buildings hit were classed as damaged - 4 severely and 3 lightly. The only important public buildings hit were the headquarters of the Berlin inland canal and harbour system, the state police hospital and some market halls. 66 civilians and 2 soldiers were killed, 109 people were injured and 2,784 bombed out.

After this raid, Gauleiter Goebbels ordered the evacuation from Berlin of all children and all adults not engaged in war work to country areas or to towns in Eastern Germany where air raids were not expected.

source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt

Bombing Berlin Germany 1943-08-31 to 1943-09-01

419 (B) Sqn (RCAF) Middleton St. George

Battle of Berlin

This raid was not successful. There was some cloud in the target area; this, together with difficulties with H2S equipment and probably the ferocity of the German defences, all combined to cause the Pathfinder markers to be dropped well south of the centre of the target area and the Main Force bombing to be even further away. The main bombing area eventually extended 30 miles back along the bombers' approach route. 85 dwelling-houses were destroyed in Berlin but the only industrial buildings hit were classed as damaged - 4 severely and 3 lightly. The only important public buildings hit were the headquarters of the Berlin inland canal and harbour system, the state police hospital and some market halls. 66 civilians and 2 soldiers were killed, 109 people were injured and 2,784 bombed out.

After this raid, Gauleiter Goebbels ordered the evacuation from Berlin of all children and all adults not engaged in war work to country areas or to towns in Eastern Germany where air raids were not expected.

source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt

419 Moose Squadron (Moosa Aswayita) RAF Middleton St George. Halifax BII aircraft JD 331 VR-K was over the Hanover area of Germany en-route to Berlin, Germany, when a JU-88 night fighter came up from below and raked the Halifax from nose to tail with cannon fire. After a second attack the entire Halifax was on fire, with the bombload still aboard. The bail-out signal was given and the four surviving crew abandoned the aircraft.

Bombing 1943-10-22 to 1943-10-22

(B) Sqn (RCAF) Leeming

QUESTIONNAIRE FOR RETURNED AIRCREW

Loss of bomber aircraft

NUMBER. 1483501RANK. F/SgtNAME. Johnston J. F.SQUADRON. 429AIRCRAFT. JD-332 AL-UTYPE OF AIRCRAFT. Halifax IIDATE OF LOSS. 22/23.10.43TARGET. KasselHOW MANY OPS. 20DUTY. Bomb aimerDATE OF INTERROGATION. 31.5.45INFORMATION EXTRACTED FROM. POW report

NARRATIVE OF EVENTS FROM TAKEOFF TO LANDING.

We had a very quite trip until the target was reached. Visibility was good and there was no moon. Going in on the run up, our starboard inner was hit but it did not effect the aircrafts performance. We bombed at approximately 2155 hours and set course for home. The flak was light but there were large numbers of fighter flares and fighters about. An ME-110 came in to the attack from the port quarter underneath. The rear gunner opened up and hits were observed. The fighter broke off the attack without firing but came in some minutes later from the starboard quarter underneath. We corkscrewed into him but he opened up and scored hits all along the aircraft. The cowling was shot from the starboard inner. The aircraft went into almost a vertical dive and I believed the elevator controls were damaged. The intercom and signalling lights were unserviceable, so by hand signals and signs we baled out. Action had to be taken immediately because the aircraft was going down very fast and rolling over to port. I do not remember anything until I hit the ground. I cannot remember the time of take off. The engineer informed me afterwards that the pilot was slumped in his seat and the stick was held back. He also informed me that the instrument panel was hit.

Bombing Kassel Germany 1943-10-22 to 1943-10-22

419 (B) Sqn (RCAF) Middleton St. George

Battle of Berlin

569 aircraft - 322 Lancasters, 247 Halifaxes. The German controller was again successful in assessing the target and 43 aircraft- 25 Halifaxes, 18 Lancasters - were lost, 7·6 per cent of the force.

The initial 'blind' H2S marking overshot the target but 8 out of the 9 'visual' markers correctly identified the centre of Kassel and placed their markers accurately. Although German decoy markers may have drawn off part of the bomber force, the main raid was exceptionally accurate and concentrated. The result was the most devastating attack on a German city since the firestorm raid on Hamburg in July and the results at Kassel would not be exceeded again until well into 1944. The fires were so concentrated that there was a firestorm, although not as extensive as the Hamburg one.

It is impossible to list all the damage. 4,349 separate dwelling blocks containing 26,782 family living units (flats/apartments) were destroyed and 6,743 more blocks with 26,463 'units' were damaged. 63 per cent of all Kassel's living accommodation became unusable and 100,000-120,000 people had to leave their homes. The fire · services dealt with 3,600 separate fires. The intensity of the destruction is illustrated by the fact that more buildings were completely destroyed than those classed as 'lightly damaged' and there were more 'large' fires (1,600}than small ones (1,000); in most raids the lightly damaged buildings and small fires outnumbered serious incidents several times over. In addition to dwelling-houses, the following properties were destroyed or badly damaged: 155 industrial buildings, 78 public buildings, 38 schools, 25 churches, 16 police and military buildings (including the local Gestapo), 11 hospitals. The Kassel records do not provide any further detail about the industrial damage caused but R.A.F. photographic reconnaissance showed that the Kassel railway system and its installations were severely hit and all 3 Henschel aircraft factories seriously damaged; as these were making V-1 flying bombs at the time, this was a most useful result of the raid and had a major effect upon the eventual opening and scale of the V-1 campaign, comparable to the recent raid on Peenemimde which set back the V-2 rocket programme. The Kassel records give the number of dead recovered up to the end of November as 5,599, of which 1,817 bodies were unidentifiable and the records go on to add that the 'Missing Department' (the Vermisstensuchstelle) was still trying to trace 3,300 people. 459 survivors, however, had been recovered from ruined houses 'after many days of heavy work'. 3,587 people were injured - 800 seriously - and a further 8,084 people were treated for smoke and heat injury to their eyes.

source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt

419 Moose Squadron (Moose Aswayita) RAF Middleton St George. Halifax BII aircraft JD 382 VR-A was caught in the searchlights over the target and attacked by three enemy night fighter aircraft during a raid against Kassel, Germany. The Halifax was shot down, abandoned and crashed at Lauenforde, Germany

Squadron Leader GA McMurdy (RCAF), Warrant Officer Class 2 FJ Yackison (RCAF), Warrant Officer Class 2 AB Willson (RCAF), FS FW Peterkin (RCAF)(USA), and Sergeant T Rawlings (RAFVR) were all killed in action

Flight Lieutenant RK Shields (RCAF), Flying Officer WC Coleman (RCAF), and Sergeant RJ Woods (RAF) survived and were taken as Prisoners of War

Bombing Mannheim & Ludwigshaven Germany 1943-09-05 to 1943-09-06

419 (B) Sqn (RCAF) Middleton St. George

Battle of Berlin

605 aircraft - 299 Lancasters, 195 Halifaxes, r I I Stirlings. 34 aircraft - I 3 Halifaxes, 13 Lancasters, 8 Stirlings - lost, y6 per cent of the force.

The target area for this double attack was clear of cloud and the Pathfinder marking plan worked perfectly. Ground-markers were placed on the eastern side of Mannheim so that the bombing of the Main Force - approaching from the west - could move back across Mannheim and then into Ludwigshafen on the western bank of the Rhine. The creepback did not become excessive and severe destruction was caused in both targets.

Mannheim's normally detailed air-raid report does not give any specific details of property damage or casualties. It is probable that the raid was so severe that the normal report gathering and recording process broke down. The Mannheim records speak only of 'a catastrophe' and give general comments on the activities of the air-raid services and the behaviour of the population which are both described as 'vor- bildlich' (exemplary).

More detail is available from Ludwigshafen where the central and southern parts of the town were devastated. The fire department recorded 1,993 separate fires including 3 classed as 'fire areas' and 986 as large fires; 139 of the fires were in industrial premises. 1,080 houses, 6 military and 4 industrial buildings were destroyed and 8 more industrial buildings were seriously damaged, including the LG. Farben works. 127 people were killed and 568 were injured; 10 of the dead were Flak troops. A further 1,605 people are described as suffering from eye injuries. The relatively small number of deaths may be an indication that many of the German cities were evacuating parts of their population after the recent firestorm disaster at Hamburg and other heavy raids.

source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt

419 Moose Squadron (Moosa Aswayita) RAF Middleton St George, Halifax aircraft JD 410 VR-V missing during an attack against Mannheim, Germany, believed shot down by flak and broken up in mid-air over target

Flying Officer RW Burke (RCAF)(USA), Pilot Officer FB Allan (RAAF), Sergeant H Hudson (RAF), Sergeant JHC Kilpatrick (RAF), Sergeant H Nuttall (RAF), and Sergeant AR Slaney (RAF) were killed. Flying Officer JR Harris (RCAF) was taken Prisoner of War

Bombing Magdeburg Germany 1944-01-21 to 1944-01-21

419 (B) Sqn (RCAF) Middleton St.George

Battle of Berlin

648 aircraft- 42 I Lancasters, 224 Halifaxes, 3 Mosquitoes - on the first major raid to this target. The German controller again followed the progress of the bomber stream across the North Sea and many night fighters were in the stream before it crossed the German coast. The controller was very slow to identify Magdeburg as the target but this did not matter too much because most of the night fighters were able to stay in the bomber stream, a good example of the way the Tame Boar tactics were developing. 57 aircraft - 35 Halifaxes, 22 Lancasters - were lost, 8·8 per cent of the force; it is probable that three quarters of the losses were caused by German night fighters. The Halifax loss rate was 15·6 per cent.

The heavy bomber casualties were not rewarded with a successful attack. Some of the Main Force aircraft now had H2S and winds which were stronger than forecast brought some of these into the target area before the Pathfinders' Zero Hour. The crews of 27 Main Force aircraft were anxious to bomb and did so before Zero Hour. The Pathfinders blamed the fires started by this early bombing, together with some very effective German decoy markers, for their failure to concentrate the marking. No details are available from Magdeburg but it is believed that most of the bombing fell outside the city. An R.A.F. man who was in hospital at Magdeburg at the time reports only, 'bangs far away'.

source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt

419 Moose Squadron Noosa Aswayita) RAF Middleton St George. The crew of Halifax aircraft JD 420 VR-D had successfully bombed the target at Magdeburg, Germany and were homeward bound when they were hit by heavy flak as they approached the Bremen area, crashing at Neuenfelde, Elsfleth, Niedersachsen, Germany

FS WJK Fletcher (RCAF) was killed in action and the rest of the crew abandoned the aircraft, as it was losing altitude and barely under control

Warrant Officer Class 2 DR McDevitt (RCAF), Flying Officer FE Houison (RCAF), FS VL Hawkes (RCAF), Sergeant AM Bowman (RCAF), Warrant Officer Class 2 WH Barnes (RCAF) and Sergeant DM Board (RAFVR) survived and were all taken as Prisoners of War

There were two 419 Squadron Halifax II aircraft lost on this operation. Please see Tobin, WB for information on Halifax JD 466 VR-E

Bombing Berlin Germany 1944-02-15 to 1944-02-15

419 (B) Sqn (RCAF) Middleton St. George

Battle of Berlin

After a rest of more than 2 weeks for the regular bomber squadrons, 891 aircraft - 561 Lancasters, 314 Halifaxes, 16 Mosquitoes -were dispatched. This was the largest force sent to Berlin and the largest non-1,000 bomber force sent to any target, exceeding the previous record of 826 aircraft (which included Stirlings and Wellings tons) sent to Dortmund on the night of 23/24 May 1943. It was also the first time that more than 500 Lancasters and more than 300 Halifaxes were dispatched. The quantity of bombs dropped, 2,642 tons, was also a record.

The German controllers were able to plot the bomber stream soon after it left the English coast but the swing north over Denmark for the approach flight proved too far distant for many of the German fighters. The German controller ordered the fighters not to fly over Berlin, leaving the target area free for the Flak, but mapy fighters ignored him and attacked bombers over the city. The diversion to Frankfurt¬on-Oder failed to draw any fighters: 43 aircraft - 26 Lancasters, 17 Halifaxes - were lost, 4·8 per cent of the force.

Berlin was covered by cloud for most of the raid. Heavy bombing fell on the centre and south-western districts but many places out in the country again re-corded bombs, with 59 people being killed there. Damage in Berlin was extensive with 599 large and 572 medium fires and nearly 1,000 houses and 526 temporary wooden barracks, of which there were now a large number in Berlin, destroyed. Some of Berlin's most important war industries were hit, including the large Sie-mensstadt area. 320 people were killed - 196 civilians, 34 service personnel, 9 air-raid workers, 80 foreign workers and 1 prisoner of war. The diminishing proportion of civilian casualties reflects the large-scale evacuation which had now taken place but a further 260 civilians were recorded as being 'buried alive' and it is not known how many of these survived,

This was really the end of the true 'Battle of Berlin'; only one more raid took place on the city in this period and that was not for more than a month.

source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt

419 Moose Squadron (Moosa Aswayita). Halifax aircraft JD 456 was shot down in the Baltic Sea off Denmark during a trip to Berlin, Germany. P/Os J.A. Parker, J.L. Donald, M.A. Fournier, Sergeant H.T. Raine, and two RAF members of the crew, FS. R.N. Ross and Sgt. D.A. Hopper.were also killed. This was the 10th operation for the entire crew and theirs was one of 42 allied aircraft lost on this night. Detail from 419 Squadron History.

Bombing Peenemunde Germany 1943-08-17 to 1943-08-18

419 (B) Sqn (RCAF) Middleton St. George

Battle of Berlin

596 aircraft - 324 Lancasters, 218 Halifaxes, 54 Stirlings. This was the first raid in which 6 (Canadian) Group operated Lancaster aircraft. 426 Squadron dispatched 9 Mark II Lancasters, losing 2 aircraft including that of the squadron commander, Wing Commander L. Crooks, D.S.O., D.F.C., an Englishman, who was killed

This was a special raid which Bomber Command was ordered to carry out against the German research establishment on the Baltic coast where V-2 rockets were being built and tested. The raid was carried out in moonlight to increase the chances of success. There were several novel features. It was the only occasion in the second half of the war when the whole of Bomber Command attempted a precision raid by night on such a small target. For the first time, there was a Master Bomber controlling a full-scale Bomber Command raid; Group Captain J, I·I. Searby, of 83 Squadron, 8 Group, carried out this task. There were three aiming points ~, the scientists and workers living quarters, the rocket factory and the experimental station and the Pathfinders employed a special plan with crews designated as 'shifters', who attempted to move the marking from one part of the target to another as the raid progressed. Crews of 5 Group, bombing in the last wave of the attack, had progressed the 'time and distance' bombing method as an alternative for their part of the raid.

The Pathfinders found Peenumunde without difficulty in the moonlight and the Master Bomber controlled the raid successfully throughout. A Mosquito diversion to Berlin drew off most of the German night-fighters for the first 2 of the raid's 3 phases. Unfortunately, the initial marking and bombing fell on a labour camp for forced workers which was situated rt miles south of the first aiming point, but the Master Bomber and the Pathfinders quickly brought the bombing back to the main targets, which were all bombed successfully. 560 aircraft dropped nearly ,800 tons of bombs; 85 per cent of this tonnage was high-explosive. The estimate has appeared in many sources that this raid set back the V-2 experimental programme by at least 2 months and reduced the scale of the eventual rocket attack. Approximately 180 Germans were killed at Peenemiinde, nearly all in the workers' housing estate, and 500,600 foreigners, mostly Polish, were killed in the workers' camp, where there were only flimsy wooden barracks and no proper air-raid shelters..

Bomber Command's losses were 40 aircraft- 23 Lancasters, 15 Halifaxes and 2 Stirlings. This represents 6·7 per cent of the force dispatched but was judged an acceptable cost for the successful attack on this important target on a moonlit night. Most of the casualties were suffered by the aircraft of the last wave when the German night fighters arrived in force; the groups involved in this were 5 Group, which lost 17 of its 109 aircraft on the raid (14·5 per cent) and the Canadian 6 Group which lost 12 out of 57 aircraft (19·7 per cent). This was the first night on which the Germans used their new schrage Musik weapons; these were twin upward-firing cannons fitted in the cockpit of Me 110s. Two schrage Musik aircraft found the bomber stream flying home from Peenemtinde and are believed to have shot down 6 of the bombers lost on the raid

source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt

419 Moose Squadron (Moosa Aswayita) RAF Middleton St George. The crew of Halifax BII aircraft JD 163 VR-N were returning from a raid against Peenemunde, Germany when they were forced to ditch in the North Sea twenty-four miles off the coast from Happisburgh, Norfolk, England. A full scale air/sea search found no trace of crew or aircraft

Bombing Frankfurt Germany 1943-10-04 to 1943-10-04

419 (B) Sqn (RCAF) Middleton St. George

Battle of Berlin

406 aircraft- 162 Lancasters, 170 Halifaxes, 70 Stirlings, 4 Mosquitoes. 3 B-17s also took part. 10 aircraft - 5 Halifaxes, 3 Lancasters, 2 Stirlings - lost, 2.5 per cent of the force. 1 B-17 was also lost. This was the last R.A.F. night-bombing raid in which American aircraft took part, but individual B-17s occasionally carried out bombing flights in following weeks.

Clear weather and good Pathfinder marking produced the first serious blow on Frankfurt so far in the war, with extensive destruction being caused in the eastern half of the city and in the inland docks on the River Main; both of these areas are described in the Frankfurt report as having been a 'sea of flames'. Many city-centre¬type buildings are also mentioned as being hit; the new Rathaus had its roof burnt out. No overall figures are given for casualties, the only mention being a tragedy at an orphanage housed in the former Jewish hospital, where a bomb scored a direct hit on the basement shelter killing 90 children, 14 nuns and other members of the staff. In the following days, the main railway station was packed with people trying to leave Frankfurt.

source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt

419 Moose Squadron (Moosa Aswayita). Target - Frankfurt, Germany. Halifax aircraft JD 463 was returning from the target and was near Namur, Belgium when it was shot up and badly damaged by an enemy fighter aircraft. Sergeants G.H. Beach (RAF), W.J. Boyce (RAF), G.E. Chapman (RAF), C.R. Winterbottom (RAF), and Flying Officer A.R. Fare (RAF) were also killed. Sergeant Renner bailed out and evaded capture until rescued by the Allies as they advanced through Belgium.

Bombing Berlin Germany 1943-08-31 to 1943-08-31

419 (B) Sqn (RCAF) Middleton St. George

Battle of Berlin

This raid was not successful. There was some cloud in the target area; this, together with difficulties with H2S equipment and probably the ferocity of the German defences, all combined to cause the Pathfinder markers to be dropped well south of the centre of the target area and the Main Force bombing to be even further away. The main bombing area eventually extended 30 miles back along the bombers' approach route. 85 dwelling-houses were destroyed in Berlin but the only industrial buildings hit were classed as damaged - 4 severely and 3 lightly. The only important public buildings hit were the headquarters of the Berlin inland canal and harbour system, the state police hospital and some market halls. 66 civilians and 2 soldiers were killed, 109 people were injured and 2,784 bombed out.

After this raid, Gauleiter Goebbels ordered the evacuation from Berlin of all children and all adults not engaged in war work to country areas or to towns in Eastern Germany where air raids were not expected.

source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt

Served with No. 419 Squadron, RCAF, coded "VR*N". May have been coded "VR*T" when lost. Failed to return from attack on Berlin on 31 August / 1 September 1943, shot down by a night fighter. 3 were killed and 4 POW. Sgt. A. Embly and Flight Sergeant D.H.A. Garland (tail gunner) jumped together, sharing Emblys parachute, after Garland was wounded and his parachute destroyed. Garland slipped from Embly during the descent and was never seen again. Embly was taken POW after landing in Black Forest near Weisenburg.

Bombing Magdeburg Germany 1944-01-21 to 1944-01-21

419 (B) Sqn (RCAF) Middleton St. George

Battle of Berlin

648 aircraft- 42 I Lancasters, 224 Halifaxes, 3 Mosquitoes - on the first major raid to this target. The German controller again followed the progress of the bomber stream across the North Sea and many night fighters were in the stream before it crossed the German coast. The controller was very slow to identify Magdeburg as the target but this did not matter too much because most of the night fighters were able to stay in the bomber stream, a good example of the way the Tame Boar tactics were developing. 57 aircraft - 35 Halifaxes, 22 Lancasters - were lost, 8·8 per cent of the force; it is probable that three quarters of the losses were caused by German night fighters. The Halifax loss rate was 15·6 per cent.

The heavy bomber casualties were not rewarded with a successful attack. Some of the Main Force aircraft now had H2S and winds which were stronger than forecast brought some of these into the target area before the Pathfinders' Zero Hour. The crews of 27 Main Force aircraft were anxious to bomb and did so before Zero Hour. The Pathfinders blamed the fires started by this early bombing, together with some very effective German decoy markers, for their failure to concentrate the marking. No details are available from Magdeburg but it is believed that most of the bombing fell outside the city. An R.A.F. man who was in hospital at Magdeburg at the time reports only, 'bangs far away'.

source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt

419 Moose Squadron (Moosa Aswayita) RAF Middleton St George. Halifax BII aircraft JD 466 VR-E was hit by flak from the schwere Flak-Abteilung 539 and crashed at 1 km northwest of Borne, Sachsen-Anhalt, Germany during a raid against Magdeburg, Germany

There were no survivors among this crew

Warrant Officer Class 2 TB Tobin (RCAF), Flight Lieutenant AG Hermitage (RCAF), Warrant Officer Class 2 RH Walton (RCAF), Pilot Officer JB Chess (RCAF), Sergeant JA Wilson (RCAF), Sergeant RW Edwards (RCAF), and Sergeant R Shields (RAFVR) were all killed in action

This aircrew were initially buried in Borne, Germany, near the crash site, but later exhumed and all were re-buried in the 1939-1945 Berlin War Cemetery

There were two 419 Squadron Halifax II aircraft lost on this operation. See Fletcher, WJ for information on Halifax JD 420 VR-D