6 Bomber Group November 2/3, 1944
180 Halifaxes from 408, 415, 420, 424, 425, 426, 427, 429, 432, 433 and 434 squadrons were joined by 42 Lancasters from 419, 428 and 431 squadrons on an attack at Dusseldorf. The crews were over the target at between 18,000and 21,000 feet, releasing 1,711,000 lbs of high explosives and 285,000 lbs of incendiaries. According to reports, the northern part of Dusseldorf was severely damaged. This was the last attack on Dusseldorf. Richard Koval (6bombergroup.ca)
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."
Diary of A Ross Dawson, courtesy CWM