6 Bomber Group November 6, 1944
176 Halifaxes from 408, 415, 420, 424, 425, 426,427, 429, 432, 433, and 434 squadrons were joined by 40 Lancasters from419, 428, and 431 squadrons on an attack of the Nordstern oil plant at Gelsenkirchen. The crews were over the target between 19,000 to 21,000 feet, releasing 1,781,000 lbs of high explosives and 263,000 lbs of incendiaries.According to reports, the oil plant was damaged but due to dust and smoke, crews bombed in the general area. Richard Koval (6bombergroup.ca)
738 aircraft - 383 Halifaxes, 324 Lancasters, 31 Mosquitoes. 3 Lancasters and 2 Halifaxes lost. This large daylight raid had, as its aiming point, the Nordstern synthetic-oil plant. The attack was not well concentrated but 514 aircraft were able to bomb the approximate position of the oil plant before smoke obscured the ground; 187 aircraft then bombed the general town area of Gelsonkirchcn.
The Gelsenkirchcn war diarist, who often recorded interesting titbits, tells of' how this Protestant town had celebrated the Reformation Feast the previous day, Sunday. The celebration had been held back from its proper date, 31 October, so as not to interfere with industrial production. The diarist wrote: 'For many pious people; this was their last church service. Catastrophe broke over Gelsenkirchen the following day.' The diary then proceeds to give several pages describing the severe damage throughout the town. The number of people killed was 518. The diarist the comments, perhaps with some pride, that Gelsenkirchen was mentioned by name in the OKW (German High Command) communique for the first time in the war.
source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt
Halifax aircraft NP 815Took off from East Moor at 12:16 in Halifax Mk Vii NP815 QO-A was shot down in the Baltic sea during night operations, a raid against Gelsenkirchen, Germany.
Pilot: J/16229 Fg Off Frederick Hawkins Eilertson RCAF - PoW/Dulag Luft Frankfurt/Dulag Luft Wetzlar/Stalag Luft 3 Sagan & Belaria/Stalag 3A Luckenwalde/PoW Number 8809.
Flight Engineer: 1832685 Sergeant Cyril David Vaughan - PoW/Hospitals - Stalag IV Dusseldorf, Stalag IX Obermabfeld, Stalag IXC Meiningen/Dulag Luft Oberhausen/Dulag Luft Wetzlar/PoW Number?
Navigator: J/38175 Fg Off Francis Irving Morrissey RCAF - PoW/Hospital outside Dusseldorf/Stalag Luft 1 Barth Vogelsang/PoW Number 91.
Bomb Aimer: J/24528 Fg Off Leonard John Hossie RCAF - PoW/Stalag Luft 3 Sagan & Belaria/Stalag 3A Luckenwalde/PoW Number 8814.
Wireless Operator: R/164366 Flt Sergeant Clarence Duncan MacDonald RCAF - PoW/Stalag Luft 7 Bankau near Kreulberg Upper Silesia/Stalag 3A Luckenwalde/PoW Number 1155.
Mid Upper Gunner: J/95368 Plt Off Terence Joseph McAran RCAF - Reichswald Forest War Cemetery Plot 20 Row G Grave 12.
Rear Gunner: J/95476 Plt Off Norman Edward Stuttle RCAF - Reichswald Forest War Cemetery Plot 1 Row G Grave 11.
