6 Bomber Group August 16/17, 1944
144 Halifaxes from 408, 415, 420, 424, 425, 426, 427, 429, 431, 432, and 434 squadron were ordered to attack the port city of Kiel. The crews were over the target at between 16,000 and 20,000 feet, releasing 310,000 lbs of high explosives and 545,000 lbs of incendiaries. According to reports the dock area and ship-building firms were damaged.
While some of the group was attacking Kiel, 419 and 428 sent 27 Lancasters on an attack at Stettin. The crews were over the target at between 17,000and 18,000 feet, releasing 50,000 lbs of high explosives and 150,000 lbs of incendiaries on the port and dock area. According to reports, it was an accurate attack.
While most of the group was off to Kiel and Stettin, 18 Halifaxes from 429 and 433 squadrons were ordered on a mining operation to Kiel Bay.The crews were over the garden at 14,000 feet, sowing 54@1500 lb mines. Richard Koval (6bombergroup.ca)
461 Lancastcrs to attack the port and industrial areas. 5 Lancasters lost.* Bomber Command claimed an accurate attack, with much damage in the port und factory area. A German report states that 1,508 houses and 29 industrial premises wore destroyed and 1,000 houses and 26 industrial premises badly damaged. 5 ships in the harbour (totalling 5,000 tons) were sunk and 8 ships (15,000 tons) were seriously damaged. 1,150 people were killed and 1,654 were injured; 33 of the dead and 72 of the injured were German soldiers.
source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt
428 Ghost Squadron (Usque Ad Finem) RAF Middleton St George. Lancaster BX aircraft KB 751NA-Q was shot down by a night fighter (claimed by Feldwebel Klaus Möller (12/NJG 3) and crashed in the Kattegat Sea near Sejero Island, Denmark during an operation to bomb the port, shipbuilding and rail facilities at Stettin, Germany
Flying Officer H Slater (RCAF), Flying Officer JRG Srigley (RCAF), Flying Officer WC Fairgrieve (RCAF) were all killed in action
Flying Officer LG Brown (RCAF), Pilot Officer WA Lamb (RCAF) and Pilot Officer RR Boyce (RCAF) were all missing, presumed killed in action
Sergeant RE Toomey (RCAF) baled out and survived. Sergeant Toomey swam to shore and was taken Prisoner of War the following day on Sejero Island
Flying Officer Slater's body drifted more than 90 miles to the Swedish coast, washing ashore 1944-09-02 near Varberg, where he was buried
Flying Officer Srigley's body washed ashore on the Danish island of Sjaelland 1944-08-30 and was buried there
Pilot Officer Lamb's body was located a couple of months after the crash by a Danish fisherman, whose nets got tangled in the wreckage of the bomber. His wallet and handkerchief were retrieved and identified his remains but his body could not be recovered from the tangle of wreckage
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Wartime Diary of Robert E. Toomey-The Crew of Lancaster KB751
16/18.08.1944 428 (Ghost) Squadron, RCAF Lancaster X KB751 Fg Off. ...
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