Handley Page Halifax Serial Groups Specifications

Bombing Cambrai France 1944-06-14 to 1944-06-15

424 (B) Sqn (RCAF) RAF Skipton-on-Swale

424 Tiger Squadron (Castigandos castigamus) RAF Skipton-on-Swale. Halifax III aircraft LW 121 QB-X was shot down by night fighter pilot Uffz Kurt Leitner of 2/NJG4 during an operation to bomb rail facilities at Cambrai, France in support of the D-Day landings.The Halifax was abandoned by the crew at 11,000 feet and crashed near Cambrai.

Warrant Officer Class 1 George Alexander Edwin Compton (RCAF), Flight Lieutenant Peter Cameron Hamilton (RCAF), Pilot Officer Calvin Becker Cornelius (RCAF), Flying Officer Charles Gordon Pallett (RCAF) and Sergeant Walter Lawrence Cousins (RAFVR) all survived to become Prisoners of War

Flying Officer Donald Robert McCormick (RCAF) and Warrant Officer 2nd Class Robert Charles McCubbin (RCAF) both survived and avoided capture as Evaders

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14/15 06 1944 424 (Tiger) Squadron RCAF Halifax III LW 121 Flt Lt Peter C....

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330 aircraft - 61 Lancasters, 255 Halifaxes, 14 Mosquitoes - of 4, 6 and 8 Groups attacked railways al Cambrai, Douai and St-Pol. All of the targets were either partially cloud-covered or affected by haze and the bombing was not completely concentrated or accurate. 3 Halifaxes and 1 Lancaster were lost, the Lancaster being the Master Bomber's aircraft at Douai.

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

Failed to return from attack on the rail yards at St. Pol and Cambrai, shot down by a night fighter, 15 June 1944. 2 killed 5 POW.

Bombing Aachen Germany 1944-05-24 to 1944-05-25

429 (B) Sqn (RCAF) RAF Leeming

429 Bison Squadron (Fortunae Nihil) RAF Leeming, Halifax III aircraft LW 124 AL-N missing during night operations against Aachen, Germany. Homeward-bound, the aircraft was intercepted and shot down by night fighter pilot Oberleutnant Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer of the Stab IV/NJG 1,flying in Bf 110 G-4 G9+DF. The aircraft was abandoned and crashed at Erica farm between Tilburg and Dongen, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands

Pilot Officer RF Christie (RCAF), Pilot Officer WM Stewart (RCAF) and Pilot Officer MA Fernandez de Leon (RCAF)(Gautemala) were all killed in action

Pilot Officer KH Jackson (RAFVR) was missing, presumed killed in action. Pilot Officer Jackson has no known grave and is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial

Flying Officer RB Rudd(RCAF) and Flight Sergeant H Dawson (RAF) survived and were taken as Prisoners of War. Warrant Officer Class 2 LM Shelter (RCAF) survived evaded until being captured 1944-06-15 in Antwerp to became a Prisoner of War

There were three 429 Squadron Halifax III aircraft lost on this operation. Please see aircraft serials HX 352 AL-L and LW 137 AL-K for additional information

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Bombing Caen France 1944-07-18 to 1944-07-18

(B) Sqn (RCAF) Leeming

Took off from Leeming at 03:31 in Halifax Mk III (Sqn code: AL-F Bomber Command) in support of Operation Goodwood.

Aircraft lost half its tailplane to bombs dropped from a Hali above. It later crashed in the target area.

Killed:Pilot Officer John Meynell Cunningham RAF KIA Bretteville-Sur-Laize Canadian Cemetery Grave VII. E. 16.Flying Officer Ronald Gordon Ellis RCAF J/28202 KIA Bretteville-Sur-Laize Canadian Cemetery Grave VI. E. 16.Pilot Officer William Leaman Gillespie RCAF J/90090 KIA Bretteville-Sur-Laize Canadian Cemetery Grave VI. E. 12.

POWs including McNiffe:Flying Officer Joseph Jean Chrysostome Philippe Brunet RCAF J/23357 POW Stalag Luft L1 Barth Vogelsang.F/Lt George William Gardiner RCAF J/9557 POW Stalag Luft L1 Barth Vogelsang.Evader:Sergeant E W McGregor RCAF R/197908 Evader.

Bombing 1944-10-06 to 1944-10-06

433 (B) BG (RCAF) Skipton on Swale

On 1944-10-07, Squadron Leader A. Ross Dawson, the Chief Technical Officer with 424/433 Sqns at Skipton on Swale, wrote in his diary:

"Things went very quietly today while we . . licked our wounds so to speak after yesterday's large scale effort. The a/c kept dribbling in, off and on, all day except G of 433 which went missing last night,our first one in about a month and a half. Another kite, X of 433, landed down south in Woodbridge badly damages by flak and night fighters. Then to make matters worse somebody dropped a load of incendiaries through the nose seriously wounding the bomb aimer & made the kite a Cat AC. At 3 o'clock word came through of another all-out effort for early tomorrow morning . . ."

Bombing Dusseldorf Germany 1944-11-02 to 1944-11-03

424 (B) Sqn (RCAF) Skipton-on-Swale

992 aircraft - 561 Lancasters, 400 Halifaxes, 31 Mosquitoes. II Halifaxes and 8 Lancasters were lost, 4 of the losses being crashes behind Allied lines in France and Belgium.

This heavy attack fell mainly on the northern half of Diisseldorf. More than 5,000 houses were destroyed or badly damaged. 7 industrial premises were destroyed and 18 were seriously damaged, including some important steel firms. At least 678 people were killed and more than 1,000 were injured. This was the last major Bomber Command raid of the war on Diisseldorf

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

Halifax BIII aircraft LW 131 QB-J missing during a night trip to Dusseldorf, Germany. The cause of loss and crash location were not determined

Pilot Officer AT Keeping (RCAF), Pilot Officer AJW Cayer (RCAF), Flying Officer WSP Bonar (RCAF) and Pilot Officer W Galbraith (RAFVR) were all killed in action

FS JAJ Lambert (RCAF), FS AE McMullen (RCAF) and Pilot Officer JEBA Cote (RCAF) survived and were taken as Prisoners of War

On 1944-11-02, Squadron Leader A. Ross Dawson, the Chief Technical Officer with 424/433 Sqns at Skipton on Swale, wrote in his diary:

"No rest again today & had bags of panic getting 16 from 424 & 17 from 433 away to Dusseldorf with 10,110 lbs of bombs up. We seem to be getting along all right these days with no non-starters or early returns again. It seems they more we fly these things the better they operate. We lost two tonight, both from 424. Flying Officer Bonar in "J" Johnny & Flying Officer King in "F" Freddy but got some good news too when word came through that Flying Officer King and his crew who went missing tonight were picked up ok when they bailed out safely behind our lines. Poor old 424 however seems to be taking quite a beating & we only have 18 kites left ion the squadron."

Bombing Arras France 1944-06-12 to 1944-06-13

427 (B) Sqn (RCAF) RAF Leeming

427 Lion Squadron (Ferte Manus Certas) RAF Leeming. Halifax III aircraft LW 135 ZL-R failed to return from a night operation against rail yards in Arras, France. Shot down by flak, the Halifax crashed at Foncquevillers, Pas-de-Calais, France

Flying Officer RC Pearson, (RCAF), Flying Officer LW Cartwright, (RCAF), Pilot Officer ED Dubeau, (RCAF), Pilot Officer G Parsons (RCAF) and Pilot Officer ER Duffin (RCAF) were all killed in action

Flying Officer FM Beaton (RCAF) survived and was taken Prisoner of War, but the flight engineer, Sergeant KG Bulow (RAF) survived, evaded capture and was returned to the UK

Flying Officer Pearson was BROTHER of Pilot Officer DH Pearson killed in action 1943-08-22 in 252 Squadron RAF Beaufighter JL 523 during an anti-shipping attack off the coast of Greece

There were three 427 Squadron Halifax III aircraft lost on this operation on this date. Please aircraft serials LV 995 ZL-Y and LW 165 ZL-M for additional information

Search for France-Crashes 39-45

Halifax BIII LW135 [Royal Air Force Serial and Image Database]...

Bombing Aachen Germany 1944-05-24 to 1944-05-25

429 (B) Sqn (RCAF) RAF Leeming

429 Bison Squadron (Fortunae Nihil) RAF Leeming. Halifax BIII aircraft LW 137 AL-K went down near Emilia Polder, Holland during night operations against rail yards in Aachen, Germany. The bomber was shot down by night fighter pilot Oberfeldwebel Karl-Heinz Scherfling of the 12/NJG 1, who was flying a Bf 110 G-4 from St Trond (Sint-Truiden) airfield in Belgium

Pilot Officer AJ Murphy (RCAF), Pilot Officer JRH Cochrane (RCAF), Flight Lieutenant T Rawlinson DFC (RAFVR) and Pilot Officer A Bates (RAFVR) were all killed in action

Pilot Officer AC Shierlaw (RCAF) Pilot Officer WJ Bush (RAF) and Pilot Officer GL Caunt (RAF) survived and evaded for a time but all were captured and taken as Prisoners of War

There were three 429 Squadron Halifax III aircraft lost on this operation. Please see aircraft serials HX352 AL-L and LW124 AL-N for additional information

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429 Squadron Halifax III LW137 AL:K Flt Lt Thomas Rawlinson DFC RAF...

5f14544e3b3c4f0791fec445_NCA1944

Neergestorte vliegtuigen 1940-1945 in Made en Dremmelen - BHIC

Bombing Aachen Germany 1944-05-24 to 1944-05-25

424 (B) Sqn (RCAF) RAF Skipton-on-Swale

442 aircraft - 264 Lancasters, 162 Halifaxes, 16 Mosquitoes - of all groups except 5 Group to attack 2 railway yards at Aachen -Aachen-West and Rothe Ertle (east of the town), These were important links in the railway system between Germany and France, 18 Halifaxes and 7 Lancasters lost, 5.7 per cent of the force.

The Aachen report duly records that the 2 railway yards were the targets attacked, with the railways to the cast of Aachen being particularly hard hit. But, because this was a German town, Bomber Command sent more aircraft than normal for railway raids and many bombs fell in Aachen itself and in villages near the railway yards. The Monheim war-industry factory and the town's gasworks were among many buildings destroyed. 207 people were killed in Aachen and 121 were seriously injured. 14,800 people were bombed out. Several villages near the railway yards also incurred casualties; Eilendorf, near the Rothe Ertle yards, had 52 people killed.

424 Tiger Squadron (Castigandos Castigamus) Halifax BIII aircraft LW 157 QB-S lost during a night trip to attack rail targets in Aachen, Germany. Homeward-bound, the aircraft was shot down by night fighter pilot Oberleutnant Peter Ehrhardt of the 9/NJG 5, who was flying a Bf 110 G-4 from Mainz-Finthen airfield in Germany. The Halifax crashed into the North Sea off Ouddorp, Zuid-Holland with the loss of the entire crew

Pilot Officer NA. Wilson (RCAF), Pilot Officer JN.Almond (RCAF), Pilot Officer JW Kellie (RCAF), Pilot Officer FW Dolter (RCAF), Pilot Officer GA. Wilson (RCAF), and Sergeant M Rume (RAFVR) were all missing, presumed killed in action

The missing have no known grave and all are commemorated on the Runnymede War Memorial

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

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Bombing Stuttgart Germany 1945-01-28 to 1945-01-28

424 (B) Sqn (RCAF) RAF Skipton-on-Swale

424 Tiger Squadron (Castigandos castigamus) RAF Skipton-on-Swale. Halifax BIII aircraft LW 164 QB-C swung on take-off for an operation against targets in Stuttgart, Germany, crashed and exploded, killing all members of the crew with the exception of the rear air-gunner, who was thrown clear. Flying Officer J E H B Tremblay (RCAF) survived, severely injured

Wing Commander E M Williams AFC (RCAF), Pilot Officer R E Chatfield (RCAF), Pilot Officer D J Doyle (RCAF), Flying Officer w Fleming (RCAF), Pilot Officer R J Nicolls (RCAF) and Sergeant L Tongue (RAFVR) were all killed in action in the crash

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Aircraft accidents in Yorkshire

Despite the loss of Halifax BIII LW164 and her crew, the operation ahead: 602 aircraft - 316 Halifaxes, 258 Lancasters, 28 Mosquitoes - of 1, 4, 6 and 8 Groups. 11 aircraft - 6 Lancasters, 4 Halifaxes, I Mosquito - lost.

This raid was split into 2 parts, with a 3-hour interval. The first force - of 226 aircraft - was directed against the important railway yards at Kornwestheim, a town lo the north of Stuttgart, and the second was against the north-western Stuttgart suburb of Zuffenhausen, where the target is believed to have been the Hirth aero-engine factory. The target area was mostly cloud-covered for both raids and the bombing, on sky-markers, was scattered.

There are some interesting local reports. Bombs fell in many parts of Stuttgart's northern and western suburbs. The important Bosch works, in the suburb of Feuer-bach, was hit. The attack on Kornwestheim was the worst suffered by that town during the war; the Kornwestheim local report shows that the local people felt they had been bombed by mistake and that the main target was in Stuttgart. 14 high, explosive bombs fell in the industrial area of the town and in the railway yards. Fires burned for up to 12 hours. 123 people were killed in Stuttgart and 41 in Kornwest-. heim. A large number of bombs fell outside Stuttgart, particularly in the east around a decoy fire site which was also firing dummy target-indicator rockets into the air. The village of Weilimdorf, situated not far away, complained bitterly about its damage and casualties!

Our local expert, Heinz Bardua, also tells the story of the newly promoted Flak Leutnant at his battery position at Vaihingen, situated just south of the decoy fire site. With bombs falling all around his position, the Leutnant thought that the raid was directed against the Flak positions. He ignored regulations about conservation of ammunition and shot his entire stock at the radar echoes of the attacking bombers, 2 Lancasters and a Halifax crashed in the immediate vicinity, much to the relief of the officer, who had feared a court martial because of his prodigious use of ammunition.

This was the last large R.A.F. raid on Stuttgart. Herr Bardua says that the city had endured 53 major raids, most of them by the R.A.F., during which 32,549 blocks of flats or houses were destroyed (67 per cent of the total). After the war, 49 million cubic metres of rubble had to be cleared. 4,562 people died in the air raids, among them 770 prisoners of war or foreign workers. Stuttgart's experience was not as severe as other German cities. Its location, spread out in a series of deep valleys, had consistently frustrated the Pathfinders and the shelters dug into the sides of the surrounding hills had saved many lives

Bombing Arras France 1944-06-12 to 1944-06-13

427 (B) Sqn (RCAF) RAF Leeming

427 Lion Squadron (Ferte Manus Certas) RAF Leeming. Halifax III aircraft LW 165 ZL-M was shot down by night fighters during an operation against rail yards in Arras, France. The Halifax crashed near Ecurie, Pas-de-Calais, France

Flying Officer WW Proudfoot (RCAF), Flying Officer AE Hall (RCAF), Flying Officer P Koleda (RCAF), Flying Officer JA Murphy (RCAF), Flying Officer EJ Pawlitza (RCAF), Pilot Officer EJ Simonato (RCAF) and Sergeant MJ Taylor (RAFVR) were all killed in action

A memorial to the crew was unveiled at Ecurie, France 2012-11-03

There were two more 427 Squadron Halifax III aircraft lost on this operation on this date. Please see aircraft serials LV 995 ZL-Y and LW 135 ZL-R for additional information

Search for France-Crashes 39-45

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Combat 1944-07-04 to 1944-07-05

427 (B) Sqn (RCAF) RAF Leeming

427 Lion Squadron (Ferte Manus Certas) RAF Leeming. Halifax BIII aircraft LW166 ZL-S was missing from night operations to bomb the rail yards at Villeneuve St Georges, France. The Halifax was shot down by a night fighter after completing its bombing run and crashed at Obville, Yvelines, France. There are multiple claims for this loss but it was most likely shot down by Hptm Fritz Sothe of 4/NJG4

The pilot, Flying Officer Claude Alexander "Bud" Moss (RCAF) and Flight Engineer, Sergeant William Arthur Steel (RAFVR) were both killed in action

Flight Sergeant Grant George Cunningham Brown (RCAF) and Flying Officer James Erlund Finnie (RCAF) survived and captured to become Prisoners of War

Flight Sergeant Harold Atkin survived and evaded for a time with the aid if the French Resistance until he was betrayed and arrested. Atkin was one of 168 Allied Airmen deported to Germany and sent to Buchenwald Concentration Camp. The German Luftwaffe intervened on behalf of these airmen and they were transferred to Luftwaffe controlled POW camps

Flying Officer John David Siddall (RCAF) and Flying Officer John Francis Bester (RCAF) survived and avoided capture as Evaders

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04/05 07 1944 427 (Lion) Squadron RCAF Halifax III LW166 Fg Off Claud...

Cimetiere d'Allainville-aux-Bois (78) I Ils venaient du ciel...

Bombing Siracourt France 1944-07-06 to 1944-07-06

(B) Sqn (RCAF) Skipton-on-Swale

Battle of Normandy

551 aircraft - 314 Halilaxers 210 Lancasters, 26 Mosquitoes, 1 Mustang - attacked 5 targets, Only I aircraft was lost, a 6 Group Halifax from a raid on Siracourt flying¬bomb store. Four of the targets were clear of cloud and were believed to have been bombed accurately but no results were seen at the Foret-de-Croc launching site.

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

Failed to return from mission to V-1 sites at Siracourt on 6 July 1944, shot down by flak. Crashed near St-Pol in the Pas-de-Calais. No survivors.

Bombing Arras France 1944-06-12 to 1944-06-13

434 (B) Sqn (RCAF) RAF Croft

434 Bluenose Squadron (In Excelsis Vincimus) RAF Croft. Halifax BIII aircraft LW 173 WL-K was attacked by a night fighter and then involved in a mid-air collision with probably the same night fighter. Both aircraft exploded and crashed twenty miles east of Lille, at Givenchy-en-Gohelle, France, during an operation to bomb targets in Arras, France

Squadron Commanding Officer W/C CS Bartlett DFC & Bar (RAFVR)(Can), Flying Officer RG Kelso (RCAF), Flying Officer JR Alexander (RCAF), Flying Officer RB Learn (RCAF), Pilot Officer RE Campbell (RCAF) and Pilot Officer CH Kyle (RCAF) were all killed in action

Flight Lieutenant DH Crawford (RCAF) baled and survived to be taken as Prisoner of War

Flight Lieutenant Crawford, of Port Arthur, Ontario had this to report, "We were hit with a couple of engines on fire when Chris ordered a fast bail out. As the rear air gunner, I got out, and just as my chute opened there was a terrific explosion. An enemy fighter aircraft had collided with our Hallie and both blew up"

W/C Bartlett had been awarded his first DFC for flying a demolition team to destroy a bridge in Syria May 24, 1941 while serving with 216 Squadron RAF in Egypt flying Vickers Valencia aircraft and the Bar to his DFC was earned during an attack on Arras, France. He was on his fiftieth operation when he was killed

B. Barry notes his brother, Sub Lt(A) RE Bartlett (RNFAA), was shot down in Norway 1940-06-13, spent the rest of the war as a Prisoner of War and served post war in the RCN aviation section (see June 13 and Aug 31, 1940) (referenced in S Hadaway)

There were three 434 Squadron Halifax aircraft lost on this operation. Please see aircraft serials MZ 293 WL-S and LW 713 WL-P for additional information

12/13 June 1944 434 Squadron Halifax III LW173 W/Cdr. Bartlett...

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Bombing Bochum Germany 1944-10-09 to 1944-10-10

426 (B) Sqn (RCAF) RAF Linton-on-Ouse

426 Thunderbird Squadron (On Wings of Fire) RAF Linton-on-Ouse. Halifax BVII aircraft LW 199 OW-C was hit by flak over the target during an operation against targets in Bochum, Germany. The aircraft returned to base safely but Mid-Upper Air Gunner Pilot Officer Robert Burns Scott (RCAF) had been wounded by the flak and died from head injuries the next morning as he was being transferred from the Military Hospital at York to another hospital at Sheffield, England

Flight Lieutenant Eric Thomas Garrett (RCAF), Flying Officer John Leslie Atkinson (RCAF), Flying Officer Kenneth George Parker (RCAF), Pilot Officer William Gordon Miller (RCAF), Sergeant Eric Stanley Jerome (RAFVR) and Pilot Officer Joseph Granville Barber (RAFVR) all survived, safe

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Bombing Dusseldorf Germany 1944-11-01 to 1944-11-02

426 (B) Sqn (RCAF) RAF Linton-on-Ouse

426 Thunderbird Squadron (On Wings of Fire) RAF Linton-on -Ouse. Halifax BVII aircraft LW 199 OW-C was shot down by the night fighter crew of Leutnant Barthel/ Feldwebel Rupprecht/ Unteroffizier Mennen of the 6/NJG 1 from Dusseldorf in a Bf 110 G-4. during an operation against targets in Dusseldorf, Germany. The Halifax crashed near Strump, Meerbusch, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany

Flying Officer Robert William Harrison (RCAF), Pilot Officer Clifden Homer Foch Campton (RCAF) and Sergeant Elson Holland Grundy (RAFVR) were all killed in action

Flight Lieutenant Charles Wesley Boddington (RCAF), Warrant Officer Class 1 Robert Yarnell Hodgson (RCAF), Flying Officer Roy Mitchell (RCAF), and Flight Sergeant Joseph John Lawlor (RCAF) survived and were all taken as Prisoners of War

There were three 426 Squadron Halifax aircraft lost on this operation. Please see aircraft serials NP 696 OQ-M and NP 686 OW-T for additional information on these aircraft and crews

Nachtjagd Combat Archive 1944 Part 5 16 October - 31 December by Theo Boiten, page 22

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Bombing Soest Germany 1944-12-05 to 1944-12-05

(B) Sqn (RCAF) Linton-on-Ouse

Took off from Linton-on-Ouse at 17:53 in Halifax Mk VIII (Sqn code: OW-K Bomber Command) on an operation to Soest Germany.

Shot down and crashed near Rheinberg Germany.

Sergeant Knoke RCAF was initially buried in Lohne Communal Cemetery. Reinterred 15 August 1947.(CWGC)

Sergeant McLaren RCAF and Flt Sergeant Popadiuk RCAF were part of Trupp 57. They arrived at Bankau on 3 January 1945. (The Long Road - Oliver Clutton-Brock)

Flt Lt Percy Gilbert Chipman RCAF - PoW/Stalag Luft 1 Barth Vogelsang/PoW Number 6640.

Fg Off Charles Leslie Shipman RCAF - PoW/Stalag Luft 1 Barth Vogelsang/PoW Number 6729

Fg Off Percy Harold Harris RCAF - PoW/Stalag Luft 1 Barth Vogelsang/PoW Number 6641.

Sergeant Donald Neil McLaren RCAF - PoW/Stalag Luft 7 Bankau near Kreuzburg Upper Silesia/Stalag 3A Luckenwalde/PoW Number 1339.

Flt Sergeant John Popadiuk RCAF - PoW/Stalag Luft 7 Bankau near Kreuzburg Upper Silesia/Stalag 3A Luckenwalde/PoW Number 1342

Bombing 1944-09-03 to 1944-09-03

(B) Sqn (RCAF) Linton-on-Ouse

426 Thunderbird Squadron (On Wings Of Fire). The crew of Halifax aircraft LW 206 were en route to the target at Volkel, Holland when the aircraft went into a spin at 14,000 feet. They crashed at Sawston near Duxford, Cambridge, England, killing a number of American service personnel on the ground.

In addition to the four crew members killed, Pilot Officer RKB Hallalue, Navigator; Flight Sergeant RM Kipfor, Wireless Operator and Flying Officer H T Longley the Bomb Aimer, baled out safely

Published in RAF Commands "Another non-combat tragedy struck the Group on September 3, 1944."

Allan Cowan: I saw a British Halifax bomber (LW206), in a flat spin from the tower, and then the smoke of its crashing into the ground not too far from us down toward Wing headquarters at Pampisford on the edge of Sawston. First Lieutenant William Shoemaker, our Engineering Fire-Fighting Platoon commander was with me in the tower at the time. Super guy that he was, he got into his jeep and took his fire-fighting crew down to the crash site. While it was spinning down we had the glasses on it and we could make out the markings on it. I got on the phone to RAF Flight Operations to find out if the plane was operational with a bomb load, and the answer came back that it was not loaded but only on a training flight. had Shoemaker been there I would have told him this, but in fact it really was on and operations mission.

"Just about 1645 hours he got there and was trying to locate survivors, when the plane exploded its bombload. He was killed instantly in an act of bravery that so frequently goes unnoticed because the visibility of his action was just not there. Also killed in the explosion were our base Provost Marshal , First Lieutenant Louis Streb, 989th M.P.Company, and his driver, Sergeant Wayne Marsh, as well as Major Clyde Kennedy, 66th Fighter Wing Headquarters. Three others were struck by a flying tree trunk, but escaped serious injury. Five [sic] members of the plane's crew perished in the crash." (pp.78-9)

Appendix 4 - Personnel Losses.

9-3-44. Marsh,Wayne T. Sgt. 989th M.P.Co. Killed on Duty. At Pampisford, Sawston. Went to crash site of an RAF Halifax bomber to assist in rescue. Was killed when its bombload detonated.

9-3-44. Shoemaker,William M. 1Lt. 2027th. Engineering Fire-Fighting Platoon. Killed on Duty. Pampisford, Sawston, Cambs., UK. See above.

9-3-44. Streb,Louis F. 1 Lt. 989th MP Co. Killed on Duty. 78FG Provost Marshal. See above. (p.138).

See:Eagles Of Duxford - The 78th Fighter Group in World War II. Fry, Gary L.. St. Paul:Phalanx Publishing Co.,1991. pp.78-9 & 138.

Also killed assisting in the rescue was, Civilian/Home Guard Frederick Stanley Teversham.

Bombing Duisburg Germany 1944-12-18 to 1944-12-18

(B) Sqn (RCAF) Linton-on-Ouse

426 Thunderbird Squadron (On Wings of Fire). Halifax aircraft LW 209 took off from Linton-on-Ouse at 02:46 in Halifax Mark VII (Sqn code: OW-Y Bomber Command) on an operation to Duisburg Germany. Shot down by flak, crash site not found.

Killed: Flying Officer Edward George Fox RCAF J/40225 KIA Reichswald Forest War Cemetery grave 13. G. 15. Pilot Officer John Isaac Hoyle RAF KIA Reichswald Forest War Cemetery grave 13. G. 16.

Fg Off Thomas Lawrence Layman RCAF was captured on 21 December 1944 at Wesel.- PoW/Stalag Luft 1 Barth Vogelsang/PoW Number?

Fg Off Gordon Wilson Law RCAF -was captured on 18 December 1944 at Dinslaken near Duisburg. PoW/Stalag Luft 1 Barth Vogelsang/PoW Number 6883.

Fg Off John Patrick Mahoney RCAF - was captured on 18 December 1944 at Duisburg. PoW/Holmark Hospital near Frankfurt/ Stalag IX-C Obermassfield Reserve Lazaret/Stalag VII-B Memmingen/PoW Number?

Flt Sergeant Hugh Thomson Campbell RCAF was captured on 23 December 1944 at Wesel. - PoW/Stalag Luft 7 Bankau near Kreuzburg Upper Silesia/Stalag 3A Luckenwalde/PoW Number?

Flt Sergeant Willard Calvin Downey RCAF - PoW/Stalag Luft 7 Bankau near Kreuzburg Upper Silesia/Stalag 3A Luckenwalde/PoW Number 1360

Bombing Berlin Germany 1943-11-22 to 1943-11-22

419 (B) Sqn (RCAF) Middleton St George

Battle of Berlin

764 aircraft - 469 Lancasters, 234 Halifaxes, 50 Stirlings, 11 Mosquitoes. This was the greatest force sent to Berlin so far but it was also the last raid in which Stirlings were sent to Germany. Bad weather again kept most of the German fighters on the ground and the bomber force was able to take a relatively 'straight in, straight out' route to the target without suffering undue loss. 26 aircraft - II Lancasters, ro Halifaxes, 5 Stirlings - were lost, 3·4 per cent of the force.

Berlin was again completely cloud-covered and returning crews could only esti¬mate that the marking and bombing were believed to be accurate. In fact, this was the most effective raid on Berlin of the war, A vast area of destruction stretched from the central districts westwards across the mainly residential areas of Tiergarten and Charlottenburg to the separate suburb city of Spandau. Because of the dry weather conditions, several 'firestorm' areas were reported and a German plane next day measured the height of the smoke cloud as 6,000 metres (nearly 19,000 ft).

It is impossible to give anything like full details of the damage or to separate completely details from this raid and a smaller one on the next night. At least 3,000 houses and 23 industrial premises were completely destroyed, with several thousands of other buildings damaged. It was estimated that 175,000 people were bombed out. More than 50,000 soldiers were brought in to help from garrisons up to roo km distant; these were equivalent to nearly 3 army divisions taken from their normal duties. Interesting entries among the lists of buildings destroyed or severely damaged are: the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedachtniskirche (the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church which is now, half ruined, half restored, a major attraction in West Berlin), the Charlottenburg Castle, the Berlin Zoo, much of the Unter den Linden, the British, French, Italian and Japanese embassies, the Ministry of Weapons and Munitions, the Waffen S.S. Administrative College, the barracks of the Imperial Guard at Span¬dau and, among many industrial premises, 5 factories of the Siemens electrical group and "the Alkett tank works which had recently moved from the Ruhr.

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

It is difficult to give exact casualty figures: an estimated 2,000 people were killed, including 500 in a large· shelter in Wilmersdorf which received a direct hit, and ro5 people were killed in another shelter which was next to the Neukoln gasworks, where there was a huge explosion.

Bombing Mannheim Germany 1943-11-18 to 1943-11-18

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

Battle of Berlin

395 aircraft - 248 Halifaxes, 114 Stirlings, 33 Lancasters - of 3, 4, 6 and 8 Groups were on this major diversionary raid. German fighters successfully engaged the bomber force and 23 aircraft- 12 Halifaxes, 9 Stirlings, 2 Lancasters -were lost, y8 per cent of the force.

Cloud was present over the target area and much of the bombing was scattered. Mannheim reports that the majority of the damage was in the north of the city. 4 industrial buildings were destroyed and 11 seriously damaged, the most serious being the Daimler-Benz car factory which suffered a 90 per cent production loss for 'an unknown period'. 325 other buildings were destroyed and 335 seriously damaged, including 2 churches and 3 schools. 4 army barracks and the airfield at Sandhofen were all hit. 21 people were killed, 154 injured and 7,500 bombed out. Many bombs fell outside the city and the local report lists much damage and loss at farms.This was the last major raid on the much-bombed city of Mannheim for 15 months.

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

419 Moose Squadron (Moosa Aswayita) RAF Middleton St George. Halifax BII aircraft LW 239 VR-K missing during an attack against Mannheim, Germany, shot down by night fighter pilot Oberleutnant Albert Walter of the 1/NJG 6, flying a Bf 110 G-4 from Mainz-Finthen airfield. The bomber crashed east of Brodenbach, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany

Flying Officer JS Smith (RCAF), Flying Officer ED Fogg (RCAF), Flying Officer GL McLaughlin (RCAF), Sergeant DJ MacDonald (RCAF), Sergeant WJ Gerow (RCAF), Sergeant KA Farmer (RCAF), and Sergeant FJ Davidson (RAFVR) were all killed in action

The bodies of this crew were not located until four years after they were lost, in November 1947

There were two 419 Squadron Halifax II aircraft lost on this operation. Please see Sedgwick, AL for information on Halifax LW 328 VR-L

Combat Modane France 1943-09-16 to 1943-09-17

419 (B) Sqn (RCAF) Middelton St George

340 aircraft of 3, 4, 6 and 8 Groups - 170 Halifaxes, 127 Stirlings, 43 Lancasters - to attack the important railway yards at Modane on the main railway route from France to Italy. 5 American B-17s also took part. The marking of the target, situated in a steep valley, was not successful and the bombing was not accurate. No report is available from France. 2 Halifaxes and I Stirling lost.

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

Bombing Stuttgart Germany 1943-11-26 to 1943-11-26

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

Battle of Berlin

Conversion 1944-06-08 to 1944-06-09

1666 (B) HCU (RCAF)

On 1944-04-27, Squadron Leader A. Ross Dawson, the Chief Technical Officer with 1664/1679 HCU at Wombleton, wrote in his diary:

"Well we had our first fatal prang last night in a long, long time & our second so far this month. Nobody seems to know quite what happened & I guess they never will since all the crew were killed. It was QY-A for Apple LW279 and what a crash! I went down to investigate it this morning & it sure was an awful mess. He had apparently spun in out-of-control on his way home from a cross-country last night & landed right smack in the middle of a farmer's field. It was one of those fields covered with a few inches of earth & a layer of hard rock underneath & he hit so hard it practically disintegrated the whole aircraft. All the engines were burst open like rose petals & it was hard to recognise anything. It would be a quick and merciful death at any rate . . . They are holding an official investigation but I can tell them right now it won't do any good."

Bombing Berlin Germany 1943-12-29 to 1943-12-30

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

Battle of Berlin

Berlin was again cloud-covered. The Bomber Command report claiming a concentrated attack on sky-markers is not confirmed by the local report. The heaviest bombing was in the southern and south-eastern districts but many bombs also fell to the east of the city. 388 houses and other mixed property were destroyed but no item of major interest is mentioned. I 82 people were killed, more than 600 were injured and over 10,000 were bombed out.

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 nnd 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

419 Moose Squadron (Moosa Aswayita). Halifax aircraft LW 327 was past the last turning point and was heading directly toward the target, Leipzig, Germany, when it was shot up by German night fighter aircraft. The wing tanks and the fuselage were set on fire and the controls were damaged, bail out was necessary. Pilot Officer J.F. Dehoux, and one RAF crew member were killed during the attack, Flying Officer Davies was killed after leaving the aircraft. Four Canadians, Flight Lieutenant L.T. Lucas, FSs J.P. Hairsine, J. Pluto, and Sergeant C.R. Herriot bailed out and were taken Prisoners of War.

Bombing Mannheim Germany 1943-11-18 to 1943-11-18

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

Battle of Berlin

395 aircraft - 248 Halifaxes, 114 Stirlings, 33 Lancasters - of 3, 4, 6 and 8 Groups were on this major diversionary raid. German fighters successfully engaged the bomber force and 23 aircraft- 12 Halifaxes, 9 Stirlings, 2 Lancasters -were lost, y8 per cent of the force.

Cloud was present over the target area and much of the bombing was scattered. Mannheim reports that the majority of the damage was in the north of the city. 4 industrial buildings were destroyed and 11 seriously damaged, the most serious being the Daimler-Benz car factory which suffered a 90 per cent production loss for 'an unknown period'. 325 other buildings were destroyed and 335 seriously damaged, including 2 churches and 3 schools. 4 army barracks and the airfield at Sandhofen were all hit. 21 people were killed, 154 injured and 7,500 bombed out. Many bombs fell outside the city and the local report lists much damage and loss at farms.This was the last major raid on the much-bombed city of Mannheim for 15 months.

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

419 Moose Squadron (Moosa Aswayita) RAF Middleton St George. Halifax BII aircraft LW 328 VR-L went down shortly after leaving the target, hit by heavy flak. FS Sedgwick stayed at the controls to allow his crew to bale out and was the only casualty when the bomber crashed at Frechen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany

The aircraft was at a low altitude when all four engines cut out, all six members of the crew were able to get out because of FS Sedgwick's sacrifice. His crew recommended him for a medal

Sergeant N McVicar (RCAF)(USA), Sergeant J Pappas (RCAF), Sergeant DM Johnston (RCAF), Flying Officer ER Hoe (RCAF), Sergeant KW Dingley (RAF) and Sergeant EK Canny (RAF) survived and were all taken as Prisoners of War

There was a second 419 Squadron Halifax II lost on this operation. Please see Smith, JS for information on Halifax LW 239 VR-K

Bombing Berlin Germany 1944-03-24 to 1944-03-25

420 (B) Sqn (RCAF) RAF Tholthorpe

420 Snowy Owl Squadron (Pugnamus Finitum) RAF Tholthorpe. Halifax BIII aircraft LW 373 PT-W failed to return from a bombing mission to Berlin, Germany, believed shot down by a night fighter. The crash location in Germany, was not determined

Flying Officer HW Rice (RCAF), Flight Lieutenant NI Altic (RCAF), Sergeant JD Boire (RCAF), FS CG Fraser (RCAF), Pilot Officer G Renwick (RCAF), Sergeant FG Bushell (RAFVR) and 2Lt JH Thomson (USAAF) all survived and were taken as Prisoners of War

July I 2020 I RCAF 420 Snowy Owl

Halifax BIII LW373 [Royal Air Force Serial and Image database]...

Bombing 1944-11-02 to 1944-11-02

(B) Sqn (RCAF) Tholthorpe

288 aircraft - 202 Halifaxes, 74 Lancasters, 12 Mosquitoes - of 6 and 8 Groups, 3 Halifaxes and I Lancaster lost.

The target area was cloud-covered and the bombing was not concentrated, 36 houses were destroyed in Oberhausen and 4 people were killed but other places in lthe Ruhr may have been hit as well.source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt

Took off from Tholthorpe at 16:56 in Halifax Mark III LW239 (Sqn code: KW-D Bomber Command) on an operation to Oberhausen Germany.

Shot down by a night fighter, out-bound and crashed at Labbeck, Sonsbeck, Nordrhein-Westfalen Germany.

Claim by Lt Kurt Matzak Stab IV/NJG1 - near Bonninghardt - Geldern (KN 9): 3,000m at 20:41. (Crashed Labbeck in Grid Square KN 41 at 20:41) (Nachtjagd Combat Archive 1944 Part 5 - Theo Boiten)

Killed: Pilot Officer Joseph William Savoie RCAF J/92471 KIA Reichswald Forest War Cemetery grave 25. G. 16.

POWs: Flight Sergeant J Alfred Marcel Robert Carrier RCAF R/180936 POW Stalag Luft 7 Bankau. Pilot Officer Jean Paul Crispin RCAF J/89603 POW Stalag Luft 3 Sagan & Belaria PoW Number 8933.. F/Lt Maurice Joseph Dugas RCAF J/12555 POW Stalag Luft 1 Barth Vogelsang/PoW Number 6363.. Flight Sergeant Joseph Sebastian Federico RCAF R/151371 POW Stalag Luft 7 Bankau . Flight Sergeant Frederick George Hull RCAF R/206354 POW camp not listed. Warrant Officer Class 2 Joseph Alban Ranger RCAF R/158728 POW Stalag Luft 7 Bankau . Flying Officer Joseph Geoffrey St. Arnaud RCAF J/28698 POW Stalag Luft L3 Sagan and Belaria. F/Lt Harry James Goodwin RAF POW Stalag Luft L3 Sagan and Belaria.source: John Jones

One Soldiers Tale "“ Bankau Stalag Luft 7 Diary

Report of a Forced March Made by Occupants of Stalag Luft 7

The evacuation of Stalag Luft 7, Bankau Germany

Bombing Berlin Germany 1944-03-24 to 1944-03-24

425 (B) Sqn (RCAF) RAF Tholthorpe

425 Alouette Squadron (Je Te Plumerai) RAF Tholthorpe. Halifax BIII aircraft LW 425 KW-V crashed near Seyda, Germany during operations over Berlin, Germany, believed shot down by a night fighter operating in the Wilde Sau role (Schrage Musik)

Flying Officer JALL Renaud (RCAF), Flying Officer RFJP Brazeau (RCAF), Pilot Officer MW Boyer (RCAF), Pilot Officer JJBB Huot (RCAF), Pilot Officer CS Turner (RCAF)(USA), Pilot Officer RA Hanks (RAFVR) and Sergeant JR Nutman (RAFVR) were all killed in action

There were two 425 Squadron Halifax aircraft lost on this operation. Please aircraft serial LW 428 KW-C for additional information

[Royal Air Force Serial and Image Database]...

Wireless air gunner I RCAF 425 Alouettes

Ferry Flight Berlin Germany 1944-03-24 to 1944-03-25

425 (B) Sqn (RCAF) RAF Tholthorpe

425 Alouette Squadron (Je Te Plumerai) RAF Tholthorpe. Halifax BIII aircraft LW 428 KW-C was hit by flak and exploded over the mouth of the Elbe River during a mission to Berlin, Germany. The entire crew was lost

Pilot Officer MH MacLeod (RCAF), Pilot Officer MC Latornell (RCAF) and Pilot Officer JE Bouchard (RCAF) were all killed in action

These aircrew members bodies were recovered and were buried in Germany

Pilot Officer NH Jones (RCAF), Pilot Officer JA Laviolette (RCAF), Pilot Officer JC Tracey (RCAF), and Sergeant GWC Mabbott (RAFVR) were missing presumed killed in action

The missing have no known grave and are all commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial

There was a second 425 squadron Halifax lost on this operation. Please see aircraft serial LW 425 KW-V for additional information

wireless air gunner I RCAF 425 Alouettes

Halifax BIII LW428 [Royal Air Force Serial and Image Database]...

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

424 (B) Sqn (RCAF) Skipton-on-Swale

Halifax BIII aircraft LW 433 QB-W, taxiing before take-off for an operation to Leipzig, Germany was involved a runway collision, struck in the rear by another taxiing Halifax HX 316 QB-D

Rear Gunner Pilot Officer GA Bottrell (RCAF) was killed by the propeller of the other aircraft, the only casualty from either aircraft

Aircraft accidents in Yorkshire

Bombing Berlin Germany 1944-03-24 to 1944-03-25

424 (B) Sqn (RCAF) RAF Skipton-on-Swale

Halifax BIII aircraft LW 435 QB-R failed to return from an operation against targets in Berlin, Germany, shot down by a night-fighter between Olfen and Datteln, Germany

FS WG Tilman (RCAF) and Flying Officer WE Krampe (RCAF) were killed in action

Flying Officer AG Fleming (RCAF), FS LG Jewell (RCAF), Sergeant EG Evans (RCAF), Sergeant RD Wilson (RCAF) and Sergeant JL MacKintosh (RAFVR) survived and all were taken as Prisoners of War

Halifax BIII LW435 [Royal Air Force Serial and Image Database]...

Bombing Bois-de-Cassan France 1944-08-04 to 1944-08-04

434 (B) Sqn (RCAF)

Aircraft lost during an daylight sortie to the V-1 launch sites at Bois-de-Cassan, France. The aircraft was shot down by Hmtm Gustav Tham, flying an Me110, crashing at Drosay, Seine-Maritime, France.Kelly, Bruegeman, Perkins and Marley were killed.

Lang Donovan and Boyle evaded capture.

Complete story of this crew in "We Will Remember Them" ISBN 0-9699343--0

Air Crew Remembered

Operational 1944-01-22 to 1944-01-22

424 (B) Sqn (RCAF) Skipton-on-Swale

Crashed during an overshoot at Skipton-on-Swale while on a local flying exercise on 22 January 1944. The starboard engine failed and the aircraft descended too fast on the approach to the aerodrome. FS Zacharias was the only casualty.

Bombing Frankfurt Germany 1944-03-18 to 1944-03-19

424 (B) Sqn (RCAF) Skipton-on-Swale

Battle of Berlin

846 aircraft - 620 Lancasters, 209 Halifaxes, 17 Mosquitoes. The German fighter force was again split. One part was lured north by the Heligoland mining operation but the second. part waited in Germany and met the bomber stream just before the target was reached, although cloud made it difficult for these fighters to achieve much success. 22 aircraft- 12 Halifaxes, I0 Lancasters -were lost, 2·6 per cent of the force.

The Pathfinders marked the target accurately and this led to heavy bombing of eastern, central and western districts of Frankfurt. The later phases of the bombing were scattered but this was almost inevitable with such a large force; new crews were usually allocated to the final waves. Extensive destruction was caused in Frankfurt. The local report gives a long list of 'cultural buildings', including the Opera House and the preserved medieval quarter, destroyed. Most of the report consists of statistics: 5,495 houses, 99 industrial firms, 412 small businesses, 56 public buildings= all destroyed or seriously damaged; many other buildings were lightly damaged. 421 civilians were killed and 55,500 were bombed out. A military train was hit and 20 soldiers in it were killed and 80 wounded but this may have been by the action of a Fighter Command Intruder aircraft; the Frankfurt report says that the train was shot up by cannon-fire

424 Tiger Squadron (Castigandos Castigamus) RAF Skipton on Swale. Halifax BIII aircraft LW 460 QB-U, on a raid against targets in Frankfurt, Germany was hit by flak and abandoned. The Halifax crashed at Wolf, Germany on the Mosel River

Flying Officer RA Turner (RCAF), Flying Officer JCG Barry (RCAF), Pilot Officer JRA Bedard (RCAF), Pilot Officer JM Dalgleish (RCAF), Flying Officer JA Dwyer (RCAF), Sergeant WE Addison (RAF) and Sergeant DJ Clouston (RAF) all survived and were taken as Prisoners of War

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

[Royal Air Force Serial and Image Database]...

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