6 Bomber Group February 20/21, 1945
112 Halifaxes from 408, 415, 420, 425, 426, 427, 429, and 432 Squadrons were ordered on an attack of the oil refinery at Monheim. The crews were over the target at between 14,000 and 16,000 feet, releasing 698,000 lbs of high explosives. According to reports, bombing was accurate and severe damage was caused.
While the Halifaxes went to Monheim, 82 Lancasters from 419, 424, 428,431, 433, and 434 Squadrons were ordered on an attack at Dortmund. The crews were over the target at between 17,000 and 20,000 feet, releasing 231,000 lbs of high explosives and 579,000 lbs of incendiaries. According to reports, bombing was accurate and severe damage was caused. Richard Koval (6bombergroup.ca)
349 aircraft - 288 Halifaxes, 36 Lancasters, 25 Mosquitoes. IO Halifaxes and I Lancaster lost.
This was the first and only large Bomber Command raid on Worms. The raid was an area attack in which 1,116 tons of bombs were accurately dropped. A post-war survey estimated that 39 per cent of the town's built-up area was destroyed. The local report says that a considerable part of the bombing fell just outside the town, to the south-west, but it confirms that the remainder caused severe damage in Worms, 64 per cent of the town's buildings were destroyed or damaged, including the cathedral, the town museum, and most of the churches and cultural buildings in the old centre. Much of the town's industry was also destroyed, including the only firm devoted completely to the production of war material, one making sprocket wheels for tanks. 239 people were killed and 35,000 bombed out from a population or approximately 58,000.
source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt
Halifax VII aircraft NP 812 QO-T was shot down on the East side of the Nahe River just south of Bad Munster, Germany during a night operation against targets in Worms, Germany
Pilot Officer AJ Hunter (RCAF), Flying Officer JA Bleich (RCAF), Flying Officer GE Creswell (RCAF) and Pilot Officer AC Hogg (RAFVR) were all killed in action
Flying Officer FD Baxter DFC (RCAF), Flight Sergeant GE Armstrong (RCAF) and Flight Sergeant SE Waterbury (RCAF), all survived to be taken as Prisoners of War, although no information on their POW numbers or camp locations has been found to date
There were three 432 Squadron Halifax aircraft lost in the same area on this date. Please see aircraft serials NP 803 QO-I and RG 451 QO-D for additional information regarding the other crew and aircraft
RAF Commands has the casualties on Halifax s/n RG 476, and the three POWs on NP 812. ORB has all of them on NP 812 which had previously returned on two engines 1944 -12 29 with one crew member (Barnett) bailed/killed.
Footprints on the Sands of Time, RAF Bomber Command Prisoners of War in Germany 1939-45 by Oliver Clutton-Brock, pages 236, 242 & 429
[Royal Air Force Serial and Image Database]...
"Belgians Remember Them": RAF aircraft's crash sites: Jemeppe
Bomber Command Museum Monthly ORB