6 Group Unavailable
453 aircraft- 363 Halifaxes, 72 Lancasters, 18 Mosquitoes - of 1, 4, 6 and 8 Groups, 7 Halifaxes and I Lancaster lost.
This was the first major raid on Osnabriick since August 1942. The raid was only a partial success. The railway yards were only slightly damaged but 4 factories were hit, including the Teuto-Metallwerke munitions factory, and 203 houses wen, destroyed. 39 people were killed.
source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt
Halifax aircraft NP 695 missing during a trip to Osnabruck, Germany. Claimed by Hptm Dietrich Schmidt 8/NJG1 - Nordwalde: 2,800m at 2014.(Nachtjagd Combat Archive 1944 Part 5 - Theo Boiten)
Those who perished were initially buried in Nordwalde Local Cemetery. Reinterred 24 March 1947.(CWGC)
Sergeant Jonas and Flt Sergeant Quinn RCAF were part of Trupp 56. They arrived at Bankau on 26 December 1944. (The Long Road - Oliver Clutton-Brock)
WOII Callaghan RCAF was captured on 6 December 1944 at Osnabruck; Fg Off Wilkinson RCAF was captured on 7 December 1944 near Munster; Plt Off Soles RCAF was captured on 7 December 1944 near Munster; Flt Sergeant Quinn RCAF was captured on 6 December 1944 near Munster;Navigator: R/174480 WOII Patrick Alec Callaghan RCAF - PoW/Stalag Luft 7 Bankau near Kreuzburg Upper Silesia/Stalag IIIA Luckenwalde/PoW Number 1315.
Bomb Aimer: J/26210 Fg Off Clarence Wilfrid Wilkinson RCAF - PoW/Stalag Luft 1 Barth Vogelsang PoW Number 6800
Wireless Operator: J/89784 Plt Off Clarence William Soles RCAF - PoW/Stalag Luft 1 Barth Vogelsang/PoW Number 6797
Mid Upper Gunner: R/150272 Flt Sergeant Harold Clinton Quinn RCAF - PoW/Stalag Luft 7 Bankau near Kreuzburg Upper Silesia/Stalag IIIA Luckenwalde/PoW Number 1300.source: John Jones
