Wellington LN554 B. Mk. X - Bombing Hanover Germany - 1943-09-22 to 1943-09-23
Squadron: (B) Sqn (RCAF)
Start Date: 1943-09-22
Completion Date: 1943-09-23
Mission: Bombing
Operation: Battle of Berlin
Target City: Hanover Germany
Target Specific:
Base: Eastmoor
Take Off Time: 19.02
Squadron Code: QO P
Radio Code:
Return Base:
Return Time:
Crash City:
Crash Specifics:
Crash Latitude: 0.00000000
Crash Longitude: 0.00000000
Crash Reason: fuel
Flak Battery:
Enemy Claim:
War Diary Unavailable

6 Bomber Group September 22/23, 1943

69 Halifaxes from 419, 427, 428, and 429 Squadrons plus 6 Lancasters from 426 Squadron were joined by 14 Wellingtons from 432 Squadron on an attack at Hannover. The crews were over the target at between 15,000 and 22,000 feet, releasing 275,000 lbs of incendiaries and 182,000 lbs of high explosives. According to reports, the visibility was good but bombing missed the target. Richard Koval (6bombergroup.ca)

711 aircraft - 322 Lancasters, 226 Halifaxes, 137 Stirlings, 26 Wellingtons - on the first major raid to Hannover for 2 years; this was the first of a series of 4 heavy raids on this target. 5 American B-17s also took part in the raid, their first night raid on Germany. 26 aircraft - 12 Halifaxes, 7 Lancasters, 5 Stirlings, 2 Wellingtons - lost, 3 ·7 per cent of the force.

Visibility in the target area was good but stronger winds than forecast caused the marking and the bombing to be concentrated between 2 and 5 miles south-south-east of the city centre. It has not been possible to obtain a German report but it is unlikely that serious damage was caused.

source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt

Wellington X aircraft LN 554 QO-P had to ditch in the North Sea sixty miles off the British Coast. Two Canadians, Sergeants Higgins and Mayo were rescued after spending twelve hours in a dinghy.

This wasWarrant Officer Barlow's fifth operation. ExWarrant Officer Andrew Higgins of Port Elgin, Ontario had this to say about the sortie, "We were on our 5th op. to Hanover and were badly hit over the target. Ron did a wonderful job of getting us to within 60 miles of the British Coast and landing successfully in rough water off Flamborough Head. I had a tough job getting out of the rear turret and swimming to the dinghy. Ron, our pilot, never got out and our RAF Wireless Air Gunner , FS Fred Reeson was also lost. Sergeant Alex Buchan, our Nay, Sergeant Bill Mayo our BA, and myself spent 12 hours in the dinghy. Flying Officer A Mercer and his crew located our dinghy and stood by until a British Navy rescue launch arrived and took us to Innnigham Hospital at Grimsby. We got 30 days leave and back to 432 Sqdn. on Lancs." (R. Koval)

Please see FS WJ Mayo for details of a second crash involvingWarrant Officer Higgins.

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